CLIENT eBay Motors Local Market Launch — NADA 2007
TITLE "NADA 2007"
Deliverables
Print Advertising, Direct Mail, Outbound Telemarketing, Booth Creative, Event Collateral, Booth Giveaways, Booth Staff Apparel, Booth Video
Target
Automotive Franchise Dealers
Challenge & Assignment
eBay Motors was introducing the Local Market product, a new way for automotive dealers to showcase their entire inventory for one low cost to buyers within a 100 mile radius of their dealership.
eBay Motors faced a unique challenge in the introduction of Local Market. Prior to this product, eBay Motors had no localization services, and 3/4 of all vehicles sold on eBay Motors were sold across state lines. However, one of the most common reasons consumers do not purchase vehicles online is a fear of buying a vehicle unseen. Competitors such as Cars.com and AutoTrader.com were delivering buyers directly to dealerships, providing them an opportunity to "kick the tires" and verify that the vehicle matched the online description. eBay Motors wanted to tap into this market. The Local Market product is targeted at franchise dealers who have large used car inventories. For a low monthly fee, dealers can list their entire inventory online and visitors within a 100 mile radius will know they can see the vehicle in person. The Local Market product is very different from the traditional National Auction product offered by eBay Motors, and positioning the two separate products without cannibalizing sales was essential in the introduction of Local Market at the 2007 National Automotive Dealers Association convention.
Strategy & Solution
In order to reach our target, franchise dealers with large inventories, several obstacles had to be overcome. We needed to break through the clutter of communications that dealers receive, and in addition had to spark interest to drive traffic. Our strategy was to create an integrated marketing campaign across multiple channels to create interest in the new product from eBay Motors, and encourage dealers to sign up for an appointment to learn more at NADA.
Prior to NADA, several communication methods were employed to create interest in the new product offering from eBay Motors, and to encourage dealers to visit the booth at the show. Multiple print ads were developed and ran in franchise dealer publications prior to the event. A high quality direct mail package was mailed to pre-registered attendees, with creative design emulating that of high end invitations to convey quality and importance. This direct mail program was followed up with outbound telemarketing to schedule appointments for dealers.
At NADA, mobile billboards circulated the area around the show, calling for dealers to learn more about Local Market. Several pieces of collateral were developed to provide more information about the new product, as well as to position it in comparison to the National Auction product. The eBay Motors booth at the show had several interactive kiosks set up for dealers to experiment with the new product. A large, knowledgeable sales staff from the eBay Motors and Salt Lake City teams was on hand to personally discuss the new product with prospective dealers and walk them through the registration process.
Results
The goal of this integrated marketing campaign was to encourage franchise dealers to sign-up and attend an appointment with a Dealer Consultant at NADA 2007. The response exceeded expectations.
- Prior to the event, 525 dealers set up appointments and/or said they would visit the booth - far exceeding expectations.
- By the end of the 3 day event, eBay Motors had 275 dealers sign up for Local Market subscriptions exceeding the goal of 200 by 37%.
- Additionally, over 450 qualified dealer leads were generated for the sales team to follow-up with after NADA.
