DealerKnows
Where Do I Start?
  • Services
    • Training
    • Consulting
    • Creative Video
    • Performance Monitoring
    • CRM Analysis
    • Professional Speaking
    • Bundles
  • Products
    • TaskTeacher
    • PriceMatrix
    • Dealer Forensics
  • Clients
    • Results
    • Reviews
  • About
    • Joe Webb
    • Bill Playford
    • DK Team
    • Ask the Experts
  • Blog
  • Videos
    • Funny Videos
    • Educational Videos
    • Dealership Videos
    • Conference Videos
    • Make Me A Star
  • Contact Us
  • DealerKnows Summer Camp
  • Services
    • Training
    • Consulting
    • Creative Video
    • Performance Monitoring
    • CRM Analysis
    • Professional Speaking
    • Bundles
  • Products
    • TaskTeacher
    • PriceMatrix
    • Dealer Forensics
  • Clients
    • Results
    • Reviews
  • About
    • Joe Webb
    • Bill Playford
    • DK Team
    • Ask the Experts
  • Blog
  • Videos
    • Funny Videos
    • Educational Videos
    • Dealership Videos
    • Conference Videos
    • Make Me A Star
  • Contact Us
  • DealerKnows Summer Camp
Where Do I Start?

Self Inflicted Identity Crisis

Share With:

cal worthington
Photo Source: Cal Worthington/KTLA

Evidently, Vroom’s Super Bowl commercial really struck a nerve. For those who haven’t seen it (you must’ve been under a rock or busy working), you can view the Vroom commercial for yourself. The synopsis is a well-worn trope of a dealership torturing a customer, except this time it’s shot like the Quentin Tarantino version. Frankly, it’s rather lazy on Vroom’s part. Gasp! Dealerships are scary places! Despite confirming what survey after survey says, it ruffled the automotive community’s feathers. Dry your tears, you poor savaged people.

Ric Flair's most spectacular robes: photos | WWE
Photo Credit: Ric Flair/WWE

While desperately trying to keep the snark-factor contained, dealerships have given every inch of rope to those outsiders who want to take an expensive pot-shot. Instead of focusing on all the contributions dealerships have provided for decades, instead, the buying public gets shamelessly blanketed by every negative stereotype through every media channel. As if embracing the bad guy character of a professional wrestler, automotive dealers lean into perpetuating all that reinforces the heel that everyone loves to hate.

Many professionals have been doing all they can to add some polish to those who are rough around the edges. It’s almost laughable how many branding strategists (qualified or otherwise) have thrown their hats into the ring to help dealerships rebrand themselves for social media. For the last several years, nearly every major conference has offered sessions on improving customer experience. Some have even featured best-selling authors as keynotes. Brent Wees and I have brought methodical and scientific sessions around building customer experience to the DigitalDealer Conference for the last three years in a row. Still, the decision was easy enough for Vroom to drop $5.5 MILLION for 30 seconds of advertising time because nary a dent has been made.

We know there are dealers who are objectively good people. Clearly, we’ve all seen a little league team sponsored by a car dealership, at some point in time. Some of us even played on those teams. But, it goes so far beyond that. From college scholarships, to church youth groups, to supporting veterans’ causes, dealerships have quietly donated countless millions of dollars. A DealerKnows client in New Jersey outfits the local high school football team because many of the students are too poor to do so. The same dealership provided commercial laundry facilities after its community was struck by a hurricane. Another DealerKnows client in Iowa maintains its commitment to the local radio station for the sole purpose of helping another small business out. That’s right. No expectation on return. Anyone would agree these are good people, and these are just a couple of examples.

In the twenty years I’ve been working with businesses across all verticals, I’ve never known an industry to lift so many marginalized people up. With my own two eyes, I’ve seen battered mothers gain safety and security. Those with petty criminal records given the ability to permanently rehabilitate their lives. People of color and from the LGBTQ+ community allowed the space to be themselves, not forced to conform to outrageous and unreasonable standards. With all of their children living their very best lives. With everyone earning a living that far exceeds anything any of them could have dreamed of. Yet, it’s a reality for hundreds of thousands across the country.

Sadly, that’s the face we don’t get to see. Instead, we get to see the guy in the funny hat. Or, a cartoon dog. Some cowgirl on a blinged-out horse. Or, worse, some blinged-out model, selling something entirely different than automobiles. Don’t forget the jingle based on culturally appropriated music. All of it stitched together with car guys and car gals wearing gaudy jewelry, sunglasses fused to their foreheads, pointing and screaming into the camera about something that’s cheap, cheap, cheap! The buying community is robbed of the opportunity to see and hear someone who changes lives almost every day. Robbed of it. But, here we are complaining about Vroom.

As it has been said before, if you point one finger, you have three pointing back at you. Dealerships cannot keep crying foul when they simply do not do enough to give themselves the identity they deserve. Instead of perpetuating the stereotypes with kitschy gimmicks, while letting non-dealers speak for the dealer body as a whole, dealerships need to become their own advocates. They should always be looking to tell the story about their dealership, and what that story means to other people. When it comes to reputation, the buck always stops with you.

DealerKnows Ty and Lee Dell 2
Photo Credit: Joe Bullard | Who is Joe Bullard Series

Advertisements don’t always have to be about incentives. That may come as a shock to marketing agencies. It can be argued, that making about the incentives demonstrates a complete lack of creativity. Bold statements aren’t just for $5.5 million Super Bowl ads, either. A former DealerKnows client in Alabama made an entire series of commercials celebrating the dealer group’s employees and history. Not the inventory, the brands, or the slashing of prices. Just the people. Every dealership has the chance to make it about something other than discounts. They just need to take it. 

Stop making it so easy to be the victim. It’s time to get loud about the generosity, the second chances, and the empowerment. It’s time to celebrate the success stories, the history, and the commitment to the community. It’s time to stand up and be recognized.

If history tells us anything, companies like Vroom come and go. Despite decades of predictions, forecasts, postulation, and guarantees, the dust hasn’t settled on the fate of the car business. And, while many well-capitalized companies have taken aim at dealers, just over a million people are still gainfully employed by dealerships. Still working hard every day, still exceeding expectations. Dealerships don’t need anyone to stick up for them. They just need to finally stand up and be themselves.

Bill Playford • March 2, 2021 • Digital Marketing

Tell Me About It

Click here to cancel reply.

  • Best Of
  • Most Read
  • Three Questions That Need to Be Answered For 2023: Why Does It Matter Now?
    By Bill Playford
    December 29, 2022
  • 3 Important Questions That Need Answering for 2023
    By Bill Playford
    December 19, 2022
  • improv comedyHow Improv Comedy Builds Companies
    By Joe Webb
    July 2, 2019
  • NYE PartyWhat My Crazy NYE Party Can Teach Us About Marketing in 2019
    By Joe Webb
    January 3, 2019
  • 3 Important Questions That Need Answering for 2023
    By Bill Playford
    December 19, 2022
  • sales managementThe Manager Who Doesn’t: A Guide to Better Sales Management
    By Joe Webb
    June 2, 2016
  • sacred cowCan you Kill a Sacred Cow?
    By Joe Webb
    January 12, 2016
  • The LeftoversWhat Happens When They Disappear?
    By Bill Playford
    August 29, 2015

Categories

  • All About BDCs
  • Ask the Expert
  • Comic Strips
  • Competitive Edge
  • DealerKnows Data
  • DealerKnows Press
  • DealerKnows Testimonials
  • Digital Marketing
  • Digital Marketing Conferences
  • Gotta’ Share
  • Internet Strategy
  • Lead Management and Process
  • Leadership and Sales Management
  • Quotables
  • Sales Training
  • Small Business Consulting
  • Social Media and Reputation Management
  • Technology
  • Vendor Relations
  • Websites and Online Search

Search Posts

Sign Up for DealerKnews

There are craptastic newsletters, then there is DealerKnews. Get all of our posts without having to set up a RSS feed. Start getting a monthly megadose of geniusness. Its like steroids for your brain.

Latest from the Blog

3 Questions That Need to Be Answered For 2023: Who is Responsible for Success?by Bill PlayfordRead blog post

Contact us

We really, really, really want to talk to you.

Get In Touch with Us

Sign Up for DealerKnews

There are craptastic newsletters, then there is DealerKnews. Get all of our posts without having to set up a RSS feed. Start getting a monthly megadose of geniusness. It’s like steroids for your brain.

© 2023 DealerKnows | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

Powered by Launch Digital Marketing.

2023 DealerKnows Summer Camp

The Only Automotive Conference You’ll Regret Missing

Location: Camp Blue Ridge | Clayton, GA

May 23-25, 2023

Buy Tickets!         Book Rooms!

Rooms are filling up – book your hotel soon!