This session, originally presented by C-4 Analytics on the Digital Dealer platform, addresses the knee-jerk reaction many dealers had when the market turned volatile: demanding to "Stop everything—cut all expenses—and do it now!"
The most important truth in this transition is that only you truly care about the outcome. A website change is complex, and you must be your own advocate to ensure business continuity.
You Surrender the Comeback: Every day your store goes dark shifts your comeback by a day. It takes 87 days for a customer to move through the average buy cycle. If you are not in the game now, you will not crush it when life returns to normal, as you will have surrendered mindshare and market share.
You're Feeding the Enemy: When you go dark, your competitors will check, see your absence, and steal your shoppers by intercepting them in the funnel. You are spending your money to prime the pump for rival stores.
The Buyer is Still Active: People are still going to get their tax refunds and still need cars. They are spending more time online. The need and desire haven't changed; only the timeline has.
Rather than running back to the "cut everything" bunker, dealers should focus on tactical adjustments to take advantage of the current environment.
Amplify OEM Incentives: Your primary focus should be echoing and amplifying all Tier 1 and Tier 2 incentive campaigns (deferred payments, low-interest rates) across your website and digital ads. Do not rely on the manufacturer to carry the water for you.
Advertise Operational Status: Run basic, but crucial, campaigns that simply communicate: "We're Open" and "We Will Deliver To You". You must tell people there is "snow" on the mountain.
Advance Digital Retailing Trials: Use this period of change to work out the kinks in your online retailing promotions (e.g., test home delivery or remote trade appraisals) without the pressure of normal sales volume.
Go Up-Funnel: Consider shifting some dollars away from the low-funnel "rebates and deals" and move up to "Where should I buy it?" or "Can I afford it?" moments. This is where the manufacturers are advertising, and you need to intercept that traffic with your specific, amplified message.
Focus on Non-COVID Issues: Leases are still ending, and trade-ins/trade-ups will be crucial as plants slow and used car inventory is needed. Run campaigns that streamline these processes (e.g., home delivery swap, FaceTime appraisals).
You must counter fear with facts and logic.
Frame the Problem: The issue is not the Dow; the issue is that if you go dark, you will surrender the market share you worked years to gain.
The Solution is Time-Bound: If the economic recovery occurs within the 87-day window—which the OEM incentive packages suggest they anticipate—you must remain visible now to crush it later.
The Problem is Your Vendor (The Catch): If you are using the same conflicted digital vendors as your on-brand competitors, they will not steal sales for you. Use this downtime to evaluate and find a non-conflicted solution.
Now is the time to make smarter decisions. By strategically adjusting your campaigns, you can gain mindshare today and market share when the market fully recovers.
For a deeper dive into these topics and to hear directly from Rob Stoesser, Vice President of OEM, C-4 Analytics, watch the full webinar below.