Volume 6, issue 6

June 2008 

Don't Forget These Aspects of Your Digital Brand 

It goes without saying that your digital marketing brand - be it on your website, in an email or elsewhere - should mirror your offline brand. And most dealerships now make a point to ensure that the color scheme, logo and general graphic look of their digital materials fall inline with their established graphic standards. But that's usually about where it stops... and that means they're neglecting a few very important aspects of their brand.

Audio. Do you have a jingle or consistent music that you use in your television or radio advertising? Feature them on your site to bring some familiarity to visitors and extend your brand.

Tone. Is your traditional marketing loud and aggressive? Or does it have a gentler, patient service focus? Consistency over all your communications vehicles is a vital aspect of good branding.

A face. Is there a dealer principal or local celebrity featured prominently in your dealership's advertising? Bring their face - or even full video - into your site or emails. That recognition reinforces your other marketing and ensures that when new customers visit your site, they know they're in the right place.

Customer experience. Do you promise that your dealership is a customer-friendly place that's easy to work with? What's your policy on negotiation? A visit to your website should mirror as closely as possible a visit to your dealership. And there certainly shouldn't be any inconsistencies in the treatment, offers, opportunities or expectations of online vs. offline customers.

Environment. Sure your brand colors are found on your site and in your digital materials. But how has the environment translated? If your lot and showroom is full of clean lines and expansive space, then your site should reflect that. If it's full of energy, fun and great music... your site should be the same way. 

All these things drive at a core aspect of great branding - consistency. Your customers and prospects should know what to expect every time they come into contact with your brand - whether that means a visit to your website, viewing a television spot, calling your 800 number or picking up their new car. Consistency breeds comfort and comfort breeds familiarity. And that all adds up to more sales.

Keep Customers Engaged With VNS

Staying top of mind means giving customers constant opportunities to interact with your brand in an engaging and relevant way. And that means you can't just sit back and hope they seek you out... because they have jobs and soccer games and dozens of other things going on. You have to be proactive. 

Dealer Impact's Virtual Notification System (VNS) automatically casts out timely, relevant information to customers and prospects on a regular basis. Use it to deliver coupons, special offers, incentives, news and more directly to your customers and prospects. This powerful, proactive technology plugs right into your current site, regardless of its underlying technology. So what are you waiting for? Get proactive with VNS today!

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