Why Intercepting the Mid-Funnel Shopper is Key to a Quick Recovery
This session, originally presented by C-4 Analytics on the Digital Dealer platform, explores a critical mistake many dealers made when the market turned turbulent: they cut digital advertising entirely or remained focused solely on the low-funnel—the equivalent of being "paper hands" in a volatile market.
The key insight is that while low-funnel searches for "deals, rebates, and incentives" dropped dramatically, mid-funnel searches (like those for manufacturer-backed deferred payment offers) held up better. Dealers who stayed in the game and moved their spend to the middle of the funnel are now in a stronger position to recover.
The Funnel Shift: Don't Abandon the Middle
The low-funnel (bottom of the funnel) is defined by searches like "rebates, deals, and incentives." This is where the sales action happens, but it's also where searches took the biggest hit during the initial market disruption.
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Mid-Funnel Resilience: Mid-funnel searches—like those for specific financing offers or "trusted advisor" information—slipped less dramatically than low-funnel ones. The shoppers in this middle segment were still researching and looking for assurances.
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The Interception Opportunity: Tier 1 (manufacturer) messaging around low-interest rates and deferred payments saw a significant lift. This is your cue: are you positioned to intercept the customer after they see a Tier 1 ad, but before they hit the dealer locator?
The Mid-Funnel Strategy: Be the Trusted Advisor
The goal is to leapfrog your competitors and become the customer's trusted advisor when they are ready to buy.
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Stay Visible: Dealers who cut digital advertising entirely lost all visibility into the market and forfeited the chance to intercept mid-funnel shoppers. Those who stayed visible, even with a reduced budget, are now poised for a faster rebound.
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Intercept Upstream: You must be present when the customer is still deciding and needs questions answered. This means running campaigns that capture the shopper slightly upstream of the low-funnel search intent.
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Use Talk Tracks for Recovery: Frame internal conversations with your dealer principal and GM around the idea that staying visible is the path to a faster recovery. Explain that cutting advertising now simply feeds your competitors, as you lose out on crucial data and visibility needed to compete when the market returns.
The Bottom Line
The funnel moves quickly. By monitoring the performance of your campaigns across all funnel levels and maintaining a flexible, agile digital partner, you can make the necessary shifts to intercept high-quality shoppers who are still active in the market. Don't be like Billy and stick to the low funnel. The data suggests that success lies in the middle.
Watch the Full Webinar
For a deeper dive into these topics and to hear directly from Rob Stoesser, Vice President of OEM Relations, watch the full webinar below.