Dealer.com Advertising platform blends machine learning technology with digital marketing specialists.
Mix one part advanced data science with one part highly-trained digital marketing specialist. That’s Dealer.com Advertising’s formula for success for dealers trying to find online car shoppers who are in-market for their specific vehicle inventory.
Cox Automotive is now taking the the Dealer.com Advertising platform that has been successful south of the border and formally rolling it out to Canadian dealerships (although it has already been widely used by dealerships here for years in more of a behind the scenes role.)
The main goal of the platform is to help dealerships promote their vehicle inventory in the most likely spots where in-market car shoppers are hanging out. To do that, requires mastering the sophisticated world of digital marketing and harnessing automated tools like programmatic advertising and machine learning algorithms. They also figure out how to advertise effectively on ever-changing social media platforms.
“The ad world today is not the old-fashioned Mad Men world,” says Richard Evans, Vice President and General Manager, Dealertrack Canada. “It’s data science as much as it is creative content. The depth and sophistication of our platform has unbelievable things like machine learning, real-time bidding technology, and the ability to reach targeted shoppers with the most relevant ad, and being able to modify your strategy on the fly,” says Evans.
New car and truck dealers are always asking for help generating demand for their inventory, says Evans. “The most critical thing is being able to reach and influence shoppers,” says Evans. “We couldn’t be more excited. The Dealer.com Advertising platform is tremendous.”
“Every individual Canadian car dealership rooftop is going to have an individual strategy,” says Andy MacLeay, Director of Digital Marketing, Dealer.com. “We are building the biggest dataset that we possibly can to individualize that strategy for each demographic across Canada. It’s built exclusively for automotive.”
MacLeay says digital marketing today is a lot more complex than it used to be. “There’s a split between traditional advertising and performance marketing. What we really hope to give the Canadian market is access to that performance marketing side of the business where we are using a very informed, data driven strategy to optimize those campaigns.”
What we really hope to give the Canadian market is access to that performance marketing side of the business where we are using a very informed, data driven strategy to optimize those campaigns.
While the technology powering Dealer.com’s Advertising platform might be impressive, it’s aided by a dedicated digital strategist who consults regularly with the dealership to execute campaigns specific to their market and to meet their dealership’s goals. “These are people that know advertising, they know all the technology in the platform, and they understand the dealer’s needs. They help them shape and grow their strategy,” says Evans.
Evans stresses the importance of both technology and people. “It’s as much the digital strategist as it is the platform. We feel like we have this great platform, but if we don’t have the right in-market people in Canada talking to Canadian dealers, they won’t be able to deliver the platform and service to them in the way we want to,” he says.
So far, the response from Canadian dealers has been great, says Evans. Dealers already using the platform can continue to do so in a seamless way, and new dealers can sign up anytime.
They can also continue to work with their local agencies to develop their advertising assets. “There will always be a role for local providers,” says Evans. “We have interesting ways we partner up with them as well.”
For more information, visit the Cox Automotive Canada website (coxautoinc.ca) or visit www.dealer.com .
