RALPHS RECOMMENDATIONS

USE DEALERSHIP WEB SITES TO FIND AND MOBILIZE ENTHUSIASTS

Car Dealers are lucky their Web sites, and the OEMs and 3rd Party Info sites they can
leverage are magnets for emotive customers who find cars and technology irresistible. To
mobilize these volunteer enthusiasts to start talking about a dealership, its products and the
dealerships web site features, dealers must:
1. Separate Enthusiasts from Automotive Appliance Buyers in two steps. Enthusiasts like
technology and they're passionate about cars and driving, so getting them to speak up about these
things isn't difficult. Dealers can start the dialogue by simply staking out and designating high-
Enthusiast-traffic areas of their web site and asking Enthusiasts, via customized forms that
become online surveys, to raise their hands if they are car nuts, technology buffs, make or model
enthusiasts, or all of the above. Chances are, some Enthusiasts won't be able to resist standing up
and being counted. Dealers can augment this information with behavioral data gleaned using Web
analytics tools from WebTrends, Compete, comScore Networks, and other we site traffic tools that
pick out repeat visit behavior, rather than the quick bursts of activity associated with in-market
buyers looking to buy a car or truck right away.
2. Deepen the bond with Enthusiasts through collaboration and learning. To rally their alpha
fans, smart Dealers will engage Enthusiasts by giving them the opportunity to collaborate on
dealer installed accessories, such as high performance ground effects body kits, wheels, tires,
suspension kits, etc., as well as the Dealers Web site design. Scion took this approach when it
gave customers the opportunity to name the 10-color illumination for the upgrade audio head unit
in the xB. Committed car companies can simultaneously build deeper bonds with Enthusiasts and
bring their voice into product development cycles by leveraging collaboration software from
Microsoft, Groove Networks, or Vignette. Dealers can also engage Enthusiasts by giving them
more to learn about current and future cars and technology. It's no secret that many customers
know more about cars than salespeople do. Smart Dealers will push the edges of this envelope,
repurposing technical eLearning materials from their OEMs for their Web sites, and transforming
Enthusiasts into true product experts who can answer their friends' questions about the cars they
love And that the dealership sells.
3. Give Enthusiasts viral marketing tools that pair cool technology and cool vehicle features.
This is a crowd that revels in "gee whiz" technology. To get messages out, smart Dealers will
indulge this auto-techno lust by giving Enthusiasts viral marketing tools that capture what's
irresistible about new products and showcase new Web technology at the same time. BMW gets it
right by tantalizing Enthusiasts with a dynamic 3-D minisite, which creates the sensation of flying
around and through the skin of a new 3-Series to find short, entertaining video demonstrations of
features like Active Steering and 5-Link Suspension. Tex Earnhardts Auto Rewards Club is an
excellent example of a dealership deploying technology that converts Enthusiasts into outside
promotional agents. Enthusiasts are invited to create their own web sites, complete with uploaded
photos and stocked with their choice of Earnhardts franchises for inventory. Tex invites
Enthusiasts to become Online Dealers of the brand they are passionate about. You can see an
example of this Enthusiast site at: http://www.earnhardt.com/fan/rpaglia/index.php The Tex
Earnhardt strategy includes supplying Enthusiasts with online advertising banners and email
signature links that help enthusiasts spread the word and drive traffic to their own web sites loaded
up with Texs inventory A brilliant form of viral marketing! You can get the full story on how this
tremendously successful Enthusiast engagement strategy works at:
http://www.earnhardt.com/afbin/index.php?FANset=FANRal1062426
4. Beware the Risks of Alienating the Automotive Appliance Buyer. However, before dealers
start throwing weight behind interactive features, they should keep in mind that Automotive
Appliance Buyers make up the majority of most customers visiting their web sites, and there must
always be a clear path through the site for them to achieve their goals.

This Newsletter was inspired and adapted from Alpha Carbuyers: Engaging Engine Enthusiasts written by Mark Dixon
Bnger with Carrie A. Johnson, Chloe Stromberg, Sean Meyer and published by Forrester Research.

Ralph Paglia
Primary Phone: 1 (505) 301-6369
Enterprise Email: ralph_paglia@reyrey.com
Mobile Email: mail@ralphpaglia.com