Vehicle photos as brand ambassadors

If a car dealership conducts its marketing online, the vehicle photos are the first point of contact for the interested party. Through the visual representation of vehicles, the car dealership positions itself as a brand - regardless of the car brand it sells. Dealers should use this effect and promote it in a targeted manner: by branding with their logo and colours, for example as a frame around all the vehicle photos presented on exchanges such as autoscout24 and mobile.de. This kind of representation is a matter of course on the own website, but it also belongs in landing pages and press releases, so that it can already be seen like this in the result list of a Google search.

Photos and videos as strongest stimuli for marketing

A vehicle photo is by far the strongest attraction for the prospective buyer looking for a new car. However, the decisive factor is how the car dealership realizes its representation as a brand through this photo. At first the customer only notices that this photo is obviously about the marketing of the new Ford. He could now logically conclude: "Hey, the new Ford is chic, though. I'm gonna go to any Ford dealership in the area." That it is any dealer must of course be avoided by the dealer who is currently doing the marketing. This means: The prospective customer must perceive the well-known, highly regarded Ford dealership of the advertising dealer XY as a brand, in addition to the vehicle photo. How can this be achieved?

Tiny details of the representation

With this problem, tiny details in the representation are important. For example, the dealer could use the vehicle photo - which is of course flanked by the logo and the colours of the car dealership - to market the vehicle with the slogan: "Naturally at your friendly Ford dealer XY! What he must not communicate is the slogan: "Naturally only at your friendly Ford dealer XY! The tiny word "only" makes all the difference here: The dealer may be taking out a cease-and-desist order from his competitor, the other Ford dealer in town. This dealer has the same car in his range, so the second advertising statement would be misleading and damaging to the business of dealer no. 2. The dealer must therefore rely on other, even minor, details in the advertising message to make his customers aware of him as a brand. Suggestions are (mind you, always in connection with the photo)

• "At your Ford dealer XY - since 1998 at the Bahnhofstrasse location!"
• "At your Ford dealer XY - best service, lowest prices!"
• "At your Ford dealership XY - your center for Ford cars and accessories!"

A retailer also raises the awareness of his customers with special content tailored to their interests. After all, Ford produces its own commercials, which the dealer can integrate into his website. But his competitor in the small town also does this. But how would it be to shoot your own commercial showing a married couple - typical Ford customers - entering their own branch in Bahnhofstrasse? Of course the name of the branch is shown very clearly in the clip, and the surroundings (the train station) are also clearly recognizable. Then the spot should also show the Ford cars parked in the dealer's yard.

Conclusion

A dealer can and must become a brand himself. This provides him with the unique selling proposition that is indispensable in competition.