Marketing to Women Case Study: FIAT of Austin Lisa Copeland, General Manager
FIAT of Austin sales numbers are still steadily rising with a startling 63.7% of vehicles sold to women car buyers.
FIAT of Austin sales numbers are still steadily rising with a startling 63.7% of vehicles sold to women car buyers. The FIAT of Austin studio experience is currently the #1 FIAT dealer in the US and opened their doors just last year in March of 2011. Lisa Copeland is the innovative GM who heads up this success, her passion is focused on improving the dealership experience for women, and gaining market-share by focusing on the women car buyer.
Half her dealers — and half her managers — are women, in a business where women often don’t like car shopping. One is not overwhelmed with choices. There are two models: A hatchback and a convertible. They come in six trims. Copeland’s store has sold more than 850 in just over a year.
“In all my years in the car business, I’ve never been so energized,” Lisa Copeland, GM says. “The No. 1 thing people say is they like the experience. No pressure. I don’t want someone to take a FIAT out of here if they don’t love it.”
Graff Chevrolet is proud to serve the auto dealership needs of cities such as Bay City, Midland, Saginaw, Mount Pleasant, Essexville, Pinconning, Coleman, Sanford, Carrollton, Frankenmuth, St. Charles, Birch Run, and Zilwaukee. They provide exceptional customer service, a warm and friendly environment, are heavily involved in community events and recently completed their training to become AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly®.
Note: The population of Bay City Michigan is 33,780.
Case Study
Event: Facebook initiative aimed at reaching women and families to build stronger brand perception of Graff Chevrolet as a welcoming family friendly place to shop for and maintain their cars.
Promoted through Facebook, Twitter and Word of Mouth
Results
1. Facebook Fan Base grew from 960 to over 3600, a gain of 2600 during the 7 days of the initiative
2. Capture of over 2600 new opt-in new contacts for women to send follow up marketing and advertising
3. Sold 2 New Family oriented vehicles
4. Highest level achieved in interactions with women on Facebook
5. Low attrition rate of new Facebook fans gained during initiative (-70 in 30 days)
Quote from Lisa Kusey-Rechsteiner Graff Chevrolet, Inc. General Manager on the success of the initiative:
"We weren't really sure what to expect. We knew that the Great Lakes Bay Region has many adorable babies, but weren't sure as to how many photos would be entered into the contest. What a terrific community turn out! We received over 560 baby photos to enter into the contest. Many of these photos still receive daily visits and comments on Facebook yet today, which is two weeks after the contest conclusion. This couldn't have been facilitated without the help of our internal T.E.C. (text, email, call) Center and our website company Xspond out of Brighton, Michigan."
This year’s 8th Annual M2W® – The Marketing To Women Conference, was a re-charge fo rme full of research, data, cases and companies that show how marketing-to-women makes great business sense. It was even suggested that “marketing-to-women” be called simply “marketing” after a research presentation based on interviews with 20,000 consumers worldwide revealed that women’s purchasing power globally exceeds 20 trillion.
Some of the session that were very relevant to my readership, company, clients and the automotive sector included:
Marketing A Male Dominated Category To Women - Panel Moderator: Stephen Reily, Vibrant Nation. Panelists: Garry Rosenfeldt, Midas; Onney Crawley, Craftsman Lawn & Garden, Sears; Hilary Shaev, NBA; Suly Salazar-Layton, Genworth Financial; Claudia Garber, Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Women Want More: How to Capture Your Share of the World’s Largest, Fastest-Growing Market - Michael Silverstein, Boston Consulting Group
Eve-olution: Why Women Rule the Web - Amy Janis, Yahoo!
Black Women: Diverse, Strong, Moving Forward and Under the Radar - Pepper Miller, The Hunter Miller Group
Workshop: How to Avoid Extremism in Marketing to Women... As Told By A Man - Gerald A. Carrafiello, The Gate Worldwide
Recently I took a trip from Dallas, TX to Charleston, SC to learn about a new CUV from Infiniti. During the flight to SC, thoughts of the old south with blue skies led to bright and cheery images of cobbled and brick streets, antebellum architecture and horse drawn carriages. Transportation within the city was on my mind as well as test driving the new Infiniti JX35. Yes, going to the East Coast would be a welcome opportunity and visiting Charleston, (the epitome of the true South) would be both exciting and refreshing. Springtime in Charleston, just the thought conjured a welcome respite nestled in warm layers of true southern comfort. I continued to meditate on this peaceful image in an effort to keep my mind calm and my breakfast down during my moderately bumpy flight. Thankfully it worked.
After touchdown I found my awaiting ride and enjoyed a smooth drive to downtown. As we drove through the city's main park we passed the infamous horse-drawn carriages trollying tourists throughout the town and hundreds of sunbathers in the square lying in the grass – ah, East Coast living! We soon arrived to our hotel, the Restoration Inn located on the infamous King Street.
The hotel:
After a quick walking tour around town and through the market, it was time to settle in for a few hours in my 900 sq. ft. hotel room/loft. To say the room was contemporary and extravagant would be a big understatement. It consisted of Charleston brick walls, a large living room and gourmet kitchen with wood block island.
In 2012 the Sears Craftsman brand is celebrating their 85th year in the hardware industry and they have a lot to be happy about. “For the last 85 years we have earned the love and trust of consumers and we do not want to deviate from that,” Craftsman Product Director Derek Voigt said. Earlier in the month Craftsman released their latest technology in their garage door segment which consists of two models of doors. There is the chain drive door and and belt drive steel reinforced (very flexible but no difference in durability) model.
"The aroma of good chili should generate rapture akin to a lover's kiss." Motto of the Chili Appreciation Society International.
When you think of Volvo you always think safety, right? My recent test drive showed a new more sexy racy side to Volvo after driving the Volvo XC60 T-6 R-Design. It had an extra hot chili pepper ingredient called Polestar. This Volvo is more like a cross between the safest car you will ever drive and a tightly wrapped sexy turbo charged race car.
Day one of the Volvo Sun ..With a Little Fun media event was a magical round trip drive in from the luxurious Montelucia Resort and Spa in Scottsdale to Sedona and back. The drive was 279 miles winding our way through spectacular Arizona desert landscapes, Prescott National Forest then up and over the newly dusted snowy mountains into the awe inspiring red rock formations of Sedona. My co-Driver was the ever cheerful auto writer Jo Ann Holt and we enjoyed a Mexican lunch with the Volvo team in Sedona. The drive back was mostly highway driving which gave us both the opportunity to test the vehicle for various driving terrains and conditions.
Part scenic test drives of the 2012 Volvo XC60 T-6 R-Design with a dash of Hot Chili Pepper Polestar and the 2012 Volvo XC70 Cross Country, and part stay at the Montelucia Resort & Spa, a top-rated luxury Scottsdale hotel for a Volvo media event, was a sweetly serene, restful and FUN atmosphere.
The setting was filled with the softly floating notes of Native American pipe music everywhere, panoramic stunning views of rocky outcroppings, outdoor fireplaces, pool side private cabanas, gourmet coffee, gelato, chocolate, fine wine and interesting delicious cuisine options.
The first night I enjoyed a lovely tapas style dinner and watched the very rain delayed, multiple crash delayed, fiery crash at lap 40 delayed Daytona 500. Was so fun to watch that race with a bunch of the top automotive media pundits. Go Matt Kenseth, congratulations on your well earned Daytona 500 win!
The Montelucia resort recently hired a new Executive Chef, Michael Cairns and he brought his team building 'A Game' expertise and enthusiasm on the second night by hosting an outstandingly FUN Volvo Iron Chef Southwest Chili Cook Off event.
With a V6 - Six-speed electronic automatic with OD lock-up torque converter, shift lock and SHIFTRONIC® manual shift, Hyundai Azera offers more than just power.. it provides unending options.
Safety With nine standard airbags – includes knee, front, rear, and side curtains, rear view back up camera and child LATCH system. The manufacturer has also implemented their impact-reducing seat system for the Azera. This seat system eliminates the need for active front head restraints and is expected to reduce head and neck injuries by 17 percent over the front seats in the previous generation Azera, which had active front head restraints. This result is achieved through optimization of seat back structure to further absorb impacts.
The Azera also features a state-of-the-art braking package. The package includes four-wheel disc brakes (12.6 inch front and 11.2 inch rear) and an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) including Brake Assist, which provides maximum braking force when a panic stop is detected.
Creature Comforts Standard leather interior with heated front and rear seats, heated side mirrors, side window sunshades, elegant yet sporty with wrap-around LED taillights, a flow-through center fascia and instrument panel. These flowing surfaces complement the exterior design and wrap around the driver and passengers creating a feeling of comfort and security.
Ten-way power driver and eight-way front passenger’s seats are standard equipment. The driver’s seat has an optional cushion extension and an integrated memory system for the seat, steering wheel and side mirrors. Azera’s climate and seat temperature controls keep occupants in total comfort. Heated front and rear seats standard, dual automatic climate control standard, second row air vents standard and standard cooled glove box make for chilled refreshments and a cool ride!
The Ride The Azera is equipped with advanced front and rear-suspension using maximized through Sachs Amplitude Selective Dampers (ASD), allowing tuning flexibility at smaller damper displacements, (less bumpy). Azera also features ESC (Electronic Stability Control) and the Motor-Driven electric Power Steering (MDPS). Vehicle Stability Management, (VSM) works to control two effects. The first is when a driver accelerates or brakes on a split-mu surface (slippery on one side, dry pavement on the other) and the vehicle wants to pull in one direction. VSM detects this condition and sends a signal to the MDPS to apply steering assist. VSM counters the pull and automatically provides eight Newton meters of counter- steering. VSM reacts the same way during sudden lane changes or fast cornering.
At just 3,605 pounds, Azera is lighter than the Buick LaCrosse and Ford Taurus. This priority on weight allows the Azera to deliver a great combination of agility, performance and fuel efficiency. The weight difference is 200 – 400 lbs. so no worries about feeling as if driving in an aluminum can. Azera's high level of technology within the vehicle confirms the vehicle offers more than the average ride.
Technology There is a standard navigation system with seven-inch touch screen, three month subscription of XM Satellite Radio, Real-time XM NavTraffic, XM NAV Weather®, XM Sports Ticker and XM Stock Ticker, Bluetooth hands-free phone system, auxiliary iPod/USB inputs, backup camera is standard on the vehicle. The connectivity system features 8GB of flash memory and comes matched with a sound system that plays compact discs, accesses digital music files, and streaming audio.
Azera offers two choices in audio systems the Infinity 550-watt premium option features the Logic 7 audio system with 12 speakers, including an eight-inch subwoofer and external amplifier. An XM Satellite Radio interface is also integrated into the head unit and features channel logos and XM Data services, such as XM NavWeather®, XM Stock Ticker and XM Sports Ticker. Azera also offers standard HD Radio™ technology.
Azera averages 20 city mpg. /29 hwy. mpg. with a price starting at $32k.
Spent a week in Vegas leading up and over Super Bowl weekend immersed in the world of car dealerships, auto makers and the best and brightest minds at the Digital Marketing Strategies Conference (DMSC) and attending the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention. Wanted to share some highlights to give you an insider view of what goes on behind the scenes with highlights of what happens when 20,000 automotive industry professionals gather in Las Vegas!
Digital Marketing Strategies Conference (DMSC) Tuesday - Friday
Best Speaker by far was Inspiration Speaker - Todd Durkin, CEO of Fitness Quest 10 Strategy. If you ever have the opportunity, run do not walk to hear this man speak! He will energize you and the entire room.
Fitness Quest 10 is a premier health and human performance facility in San Diego CA. We specializing in Sports Performance, Personal Training, Massage Therapy, Pilates, and Yoga. Owner and founder, Todd Durkin, is a leader in the fitness industry training athletes like LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Carson Palmer, and Reggie Bush just to name a few. Todd’s passion for health and fitness has lead Fitness Quest 10 to be recently named one of the top 10 training facilities in America by the nationally publicized Men’s Health magazine. To find out more information about Fitness Quest 10 please visit his website at www.FitnessQuest10.com.
Lots of thought leaders and awesome workshops during DSMC on social media strategies and connecting with shoppers at ZMOT, Winning the Zero Moment of Truth, a new Google 75 page FREE eBook. Attended social gathering galore with some of the brightest minds in the industry. Had the opportunity to keynote on "What is Your Strategy To Dominate Your Market with Women Buyers?" to rally dealerships to deliver a WOW experience to women.
Thank you Brian and Glenn Pasch and PCG Digital for including me in this powerful thought leader educational event.
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