Promotional events have formed a major part of a car retailer’s sales strategy for decades, and with good reason. They not only help bring great value offers to customers, but also give them a sense of occasion around their purchase. But how can these events be resumed in the context of post-pandemic trade?
Attracting customers to these events may no longer be as easy as it was in the past. This is because many are still wary of entering physical environments, because of their vulnerability to COVID, because they have yet to be vaccinated, or because of a general wariness about social contact. Limitations on in-dealership numbers should also be expected as a result of the continued need to socially distance. However, with promotion and VIP events being a key part of the retail strategy, it is essential that these problems are overcome and that they still retain the sparkle customers have come to expect.
The answer is easy! All the lessons learned in using video throughout the pandemic can be applied to events as well, in order to ensure they reach the widest audience possible and make the event a success. This blog covers three key ways in which video can be utilised:
Make your event ‘hybrid’
Under a hybrid event model, physical activity on the forecourt is combined with video functionality to give customers the choice of how they want to take part and interact.
For example, if a customer doesn’t want to visit the dealership in person, a good alternative for them would be a personal ‘VIP’ live video appointment. As many promotional events run on a ‘by appointment only’ basis anyway, this maintains the feeling of exclusivity that many customers look for. Additionally, as these video appointments are more structured, they will likely represent a way of handling more enquiries more efficiently, in a limited amount of time.
The extra benefit of using video in this way is that the geographical barrier of only attracting customers in the local area is removed, as prospective buyers can take part wherever they are. And furthermore, moving more people into taking part virtually cuts the number of physical visitors down to a safer and more manageable level.
Promote the event with video
While video-based events have their uses, the power of being able to sell a car to someone in person is once again a reality. At the same time, there will likely be lots of retailers holding events over the course of spring and summer, and so competition to attract customers could be high.
In anticipation of the event, video can be used to market to potential attendees. The best way to do this is to create personalised videos for each prospective visitor in turn, presented as their ‘exclusive invite’ to the event and teasing them with snippets of information on the cars and offers that will be involved.
This is also an excellent opportunity to complement your personalised videos with pre-recorded sections that cover the more general information relating to the event. These can be filmed, uploaded into CitNOW and then automatically added to each personalised video, saving time and helping to complete the full picture that customers are looking for.
If you’re looking for inspiration, take a look at the CitNOW award-winning event promotion video below:
Use video to send follow-up info
Video can be just as useful after an event has taken place as it is before it. That’s because not every customer feels confident or impulsive enough to make a buying decision at an event on the day: most want more time to consider their options and do some research in their own time afterwards.
Here, video can be used effectively to gently remind your customers of any details you discussed. A post-event follow-up video that highlights the key facts from the event and the offers available can help keep the dealer at the front of the customer’s mind. Given that the customer may well have taken part in many different retailer events, this can be hugely important in staying ahead of the game and getting a sale over the line.
If the customer is ready to buy but doesn’t want to visit the dealership again, the CitNOW Desktop sharing feature is a great way to run a virtual appointment – with the ability to share your screen and run through specs, finance options or contract information.
As a CitNOW user, you have access to a range of resources to help you get the most from your experience, and our friendly team is always happy to help. Contact us to learn more about running a promotional event backed by video here.
