Next Day Traffic

Here we go again, my friends, staring down the oil barrel of rising gas prices and pondering the question of do we or don’t we advertise?  I assure you my sentiments are not half-empty and anyone who even considers dropping out is misinterpreting the big picture.  When the Wall Street Journal and USA Today are both in agreement that ‘consumer confidence is rising despite higher gasoline prices’, my half-full mentality kicks in to say now is the time for Tier 3 dealers to advertise like never before with the best possible deals.

This is not 2008!  When gas prices shot up back then the domestics lost share because they were selling a greater percentage of trucks and SUVs; the imports were sitting pretty selling smaller vehicles.  But this time around the playing pieces have definitely changed with domestics holding some very formidable MPG performers.  And be assured the buying public knows that Cruze gets 33 and Ford has 3 models over 40 just as well as they know Prius delivers 40 plus miles per gallon.

Just like every factory is predicting big sales increases [some in the neighborhood of 23%], every dealer I talk to is expecting to increase, but guess what – the pie is only so big!  Now is the time to step up and use your hottest product to generate traffic.  By merchandising the vehicles the public wants to buy, you will see next-day traffic in the showroom and that is where you control your own destiny.

In closing, USA Today in an article published February 28^th pointed out that ‘economists were caught off guard’ by the jump in the consumer confidence index.  And I’ve always put that crowd in the ‘half-empty’ category.  Don’t let your dealership be caught off-guard as our market grows tired of vehicles they have now driven on average for over 10 years!

This is the first in a series on gas prices and how they affect automotive retail.

This is one in a series sharing my admiration for the genius of Leo Burnett, who after years of studying is in my estimation the most creative ad man of the past century.

“Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.”

Has the creative process ever be more clearly outlined?  This quote was made over 50 years ago when TV was a novelty and the internet an imaginary domain of my sci-fi hero Flash Gordon!  The creative direction Mr. Burnett gives is so fundamental, yet I humbly admit to missing the point for years – less is more!  Our agency now has imposed a word-count limit – a :30 TV “bombs-away” information buffet just does not resonate with today’s viewer!

And I do not want to appear assumptive,  but today I believe Mr. Burnett would further comment, ‘Make it connective!’  His  iconic “Jolly Green Giant” appeared  on TV, in print ads, grocery aisle POP and on every label.  Connective – make sure your simple, memorable, inviting message covers every base your market touches!

Leo Burnett (October 21, 1891 – June 7, 1971) was an advertising executive who created the Jolly Green Giant, the Marlboro Man, Toucan Sam, Charlie the Tuna, Morris the Cat, the Pillsbury Doughboy, the 7up “Spot”, and Tony the Tiger.

He was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

The Business Journals Digital Network recently invited John Paul to contribute to their “How-to Marketing” series.  His insights on retail traffic reached a nation-wide audience via The Business Journals’ 42 websites and 62 publications.

I’m sure you all still have smiles on your faces after yesterday’s Automotive News alert that J.D. Power bumped it’s SAARs projection up to 14 million.  We saw the numbers trending up months ago and have been vocal about our expectations of a very strong 2012.

Don’t expect it to just happen, though.  We’re on the verge of the biggest 60 day cycle our industry has seen in years, and if you don’t have a strategic plan for success you’re going to find yourself scratching your head in July thinking “what did I miss?”  Now is the time for you to connect the dots.

Our entire team at Strong is singularly focused on capitalizing on every possible success 2012 has in store for us.

And yes, the smile on my face is pretty big too.

This is one in a series sharing my admiration for the genius of Leo Burnett, who after years of studying is in my estimation the most creative ad man of the past century.

“A good ad which is not run never produces sales.”

Mr. Burnett was confident in his creative – he knew a ‘good ad’ and what it took to ‘produce sales’.  I envision him discussing media budgets with a client and saying,  “This is what it will take to move the market and it’s your call?”

Whatever the client’s answered, the above quote is the proper response!  Under-spending with high expectations is not reality, and over-spending can diminish any modicum of success.

Today we have plentiful market research to determine an efficient budget  for effective advertising – a good agency provides it, a good client demands it, and the result of a good ad…it creates traffic to produce sales!

Leo Burnett (October 21, 1891 – June 7, 1971) was an advertising executive who created the Jolly Green Giant, the Marlboro Man, Toucan Sam, Charlie the Tuna, Morris the Cat, the Pillsbury Doughboy, the 7up “Spot”, and Tony the Tiger.

He was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

This may not be everyone’s method for doing research on the internet, but I try to set aside time to just wander through an assortment of sites.  The results can be eye-opening to say the least – some sites are so far ahead of others from lay-out to ease of use.  And the big thing, the ‘good-better-best’ assessment is almost immediate.

If your website is bringing you the leads you want, I agree that if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.  But if your clicks and viewing time and ultimate lead generation are not up to par, now is the time to get an evaluation of what, if any, changes are necessary for improved operation.  As a dealer, your internet operation may not keep you from losing sleep.

But remember this: your website is the virtual dealership a potential customer can shop all night long – your ‘www’ needs to have some ‘wow’ to keep you in the mix.

This is one in a series sharing my admiration for the genius of Leo Burnett, who after years of studying is in my estimation the most creative ad man of the past century.

“When you reach for the stars you may not quite get one, but you won’t come up with a handful of mud either.”

I picture myself as the young ad guy presenting a piece of work to Mr. Burnett just hoping for his approval.  Mr. Burnett possibly looked at the ad and then asked, “When’s the deadline?”  Whether it was ‘today’ or sometime later, what I take away are two things:  he knew his people, and he encouraged them to aim high.  Like they say about professional golfers putting – they generally miss on the high side because if you leave it short, there’s no  chance for success.

Leo Burnett (October 21, 1891 – June 7, 1971) was an advertising executive who created the Jolly Green Giant, the Marlboro Man, Toucan Sam, Charlie the Tuna, Morris the Cat, the Pillsbury Doughboy, the 7up “Spot”, and Tony the Tiger.

He was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

Everything we do is about integration. When we launch a campaign, it has to be seamless in terms of core message, product features, and look and feel, whether its images on our Web site, point of purchase materials, or ads.  Here’s a great example of how Mitsubishi threads this consistency through their TV ads, social media, and online video documentaries.   – JPS

Mitsubishi is on the road again. The Brea, Calif.-based U.S. sales and marketing arm of the Japanese automaker has launched a new marketing campaign that — like several of its efforts over the past year-and-a-half — aims to increase consideration of its vehicles by making them stars of cinema verité-style real-world testing.

The automaker’s activities over the past year have included a robotic/Internet test-drive program for the Outlander crossover; test drives and challenges that put the Outlander and Outlander Sport in extreme, (and for drivers) even hazardous situations like Bolivia’s road of death; and a fleet of Mitsubishi’s i Electric car on the streets of the Midwest town in which Mitsubishi assembles the car, and documenting the town’s reaction to alternative mobility.

The new campaign, like the previous ones, was developed by LA-based 180LA, which won the Mitsubishi business about a year and seven months ago. This time the documentary-like effort involves all-wheel-drive Outlanders and Lancers on a six-state, five-day storm chase from California to points east. During the filmed expedition the vehicles meet heavy rain and floods, blizzards, snowed-in mountain passes, sleet, and ice.

The “Ride the Storm” chase was filmed in December, and involved weather geeks from real-time weather tracking site Weather Underground and a member of Mitsubishi’s social media team, who went along for the ride, tweeting and posting their whereabouts.

While the effort features Outlander and Lancer vehicles, the real focus is Mitsubishi’s all-wheel technology. Says Grant Holland, creative director at 180LA: “The idea came about from the assignment to highlight Mitsubishi’s advanced all-wheel-control in a variety of weather conditions. The strategy was that their all-wheel control is so good, there’s no such thing as bad weather anymore. In other words, ‘don’t be afraid of winter storms,’” he says.

He tells Marketing Daily the motif of the campaign — and probably the several campaigns the agency has done for the automaker — is “All about ‘doing’ and ‘proving’ in the real world, instead of just ‘saying’ and ‘selling.’”

As in previous efforts, the long-form video documenting the trip lives online, and on social media sites, while 15- and 30-second ads based on the footage are running nationally and in dealer market areas on channels like ESPN, TBS, USA Today. “We have strong buy,” says Francine Harsini, Mitsubishi Motors North America’s director of marketing.

Harsini tells Marketing Daily that the goal of this and previous campaigns are not so much awareness building but consideration. “Awareness for our brand overall is good. But we want consumers to come to the Web site and experience the brand online, where they can find out more about our products. They may know the name, but when it comes to what we have to offer, we need to focus on that. There is only so much we can do in 30 seconds.”

Harsini says last year’s winter campaign — filmed in Alberta, Canada — in which Outlander Sport crossovers broke five Guiness World Records on a frozen lake bed, performed best, driving the most Web and online shopping actions. But she says the key is making sure all touch points reflect whatever campaigns the automaker is doing at any given time. “Everything we do is about integration. When we launch a campaign, it has to be seamless in terms of core message, product features, and look and feel, whether its images on our Web site, point of purchase materials, or ads.”

full story here

This is the first in what will become a continuing series sharing my admiration for the genius of Leo Burnett, who after years of studying is in my estimation the most creative ad man of the past century.

“Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people.”

Can you imagine the heights of effective advertising Mr. Burnett would have achieved in this day of infinite market research, much less Google?  For me, ‘curiosity’ is the blended balance of questions and answers.

We’ve all heard ‘the only dumb question is the one you don’t ask.’  And when an answer is needed, the relentless pursuit of  current and accurate information is the heart of curiosity.  Mr. Burnett would probably appreciate this assessment:  “Curiosity killed the cat, satisfaction brought it back to life.”  I was curious about who made that statement,  it was Stephen King – yes indeed Mr. Burnett would have enjoyed Google!

- John Paul Strong

Leo Burnett (October 21, 1891 – June 7, 1971) was an advertising executive who created the Jolly Green Giant, the Marlboro Man, Toucan Sam, Charlie the Tuna, Morris the Cat, the Pillsbury Doughboy, the 7up “Spot”, and Tony the Tiger.

He was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.