By Desiree Homer
How One Dealer Is Getting Extra Mileage Out of Existing COVID-related Automaker Incentives
The country will begin to reopen in phases, and at paces that may vary right down to the village mayor or town hall vote. You may be embracing a reopen strategy in your neck of the woods, but it’s not quite time to give up the caring sentiments and community involvement efforts. Bommarito, a dealer group in the St. Louis, MO market, recently launched a campaign offering free oil changes and car washes to area healthcare workers. Missouri is a state with one of the nation’s more aggressive reopening strategies. So why continue to promote the Coronavirus-related community support? For one dealer, it’s proving to be smart business, and there’s no such thing as too much compassion and empathy.
What the Bommarito Automotive Group Is Doing
The Bommarito Automotive Group shared the local television interview about their promotion on social media with the message that read, “Healthcare workers can receive a FREE oil change and car wash at all three Bommarito Mazda locations.” All car brands are welcome, as are any new-to-Bommarito customers. All they ask to see is a customer’s healthcare I.D. badge. The dealer group is inviting anyone to stop into any one of its three locations, Ellisville, South County, or St. Peters, to take advantage of the free services.
Added Benefits of Continued Community Connection Efforts
We have reported on several good deeds over the recent weeks, about dealers supporting their local communities during the pandemic. From free interior steam cleaning services to doling out loaner cars for first responders to use in lieu of public transportation, dealers nationwide certainly have stepped up. Even if your region is targeting a reopen strategy, don’t take your foot off the gas in terms of local pandemic support. As you move forward with a return to normal in your dealership, there are still customers who will appreciate your sentiments. And the continued empathy-driven marketing campaigns will ensure you connect with customers on both sides of the reopening debate.
Old Incentives Deserve Fresh Promotions
Bommarito is getting added press recently about their free car washes and oil changes for health workers. But it’s a promotion that Mazda North America has been offering for over a month now as a part of its Essential Car Care Program. Originally intended to run through last week, the automaker has extended the promotion through June. This offer may not be new, but the Bommarito Automotive Group is leveraging the opportunity for ongoing marketing reach. If your brands are offering similar extensions or programs, you may consider refreshing the strategy. You can repurpose a month-old, community-driven message, to continue reaching your markets in a charitable way.
Regardless of the reopening pace of business in your region, embracing an ongoing strategy for community support can always be a good thing. Even if your automaker’s COVID-based offers aren’t new, you can still repurpose the message and get added marketing mileage. For more dos and don’ts of doing business, tune into a recent Dealer News Today podcast discussion with Judy Wheeler, division Vice President with Nissan North America’s Dealer Network Development and Customer Quality.
