Automotive advertising agencies can help you navigate the evolving advertising landscape so that you can maximize your ad dollars. As Internet usage grows, you should take advantage of the expertise developed by automotive ad agencies. An online automobile advertising promotion can get you the most response in one of the largest growing segments in the world, with search engine optimization tools and other vehicle advertising platforms.

An automotive advertising agency will offer information about marketing opportunities in television and print that remain strong. Many auto ad agencies are breaking ground with fresh ideas and new automotive advertising packages. Utilize automotive print ads for campaigns closer to home in addition to automobile advertising promotions. There are a number of automotive advertising agencies that can prove valuable to your business.

1. Find a full-service automotive advertisement agency

2. Go for a specialty Internet automotive advertising agency

3. Look for the best vehicle advertising agencies

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use a full-service automobile advertising company

Building relationships with your automobile advertising company can take time and resources, making it beneficial at times to stick with one agency for all your advertising and marketing needs. A full-service automobile advertising company will know your company well and should be proficient in all avenues of marketing.

I recommend: Creative Car Ads is a full-service automotive ad agency that can work with you to cover all the marketing needs you may have. Creative Broadcast Concepts specializes in retail automotive clients who need a full-service agency to create and place ads in print, on television, and through their websites.

Choose an online automotive advertisement group

While your full-service ad agency may have Internet experience, the niche agencies put all of their efforts in one pot and can often bring more experience to the table that can help you get more from your advertising revenue. Consider hiring an online ad agency to do your Internet ads.

I recommend: Trader Online is always finding newer ways to serve clients with emerging technology and per-click ad options. TK Carsites can help drive business into your dealership or lot by optimizing your website and creating platforms to measure the results of your marketing.

Get the most from automobile advertising promotions

There is still a vibrant market in the print advertising medium. You should consider using a stable ad firm with experience dealing with the print media and all its complexities. Print advertising success requires a different mindset and ability to measure results. Special events often follow the mass mailings or newspaper ads. These automobile advertising promotions also can be put on and managed by a specialist.

I recommend: Instant Events can really make your events work with media buys and set-up the day of the promotion. They work on a per-event basis and require no retainer fees like other ad agencies. Big Gross can offer a full line of auto advertising services with more than 20 years dealing with print ads as they take on new avenues of sales.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When you are working with automotive ad agencies, make sure that they have a way to offer measurable results on a regular basis.

Automotive advertising — when it’s done right — can put your auto business in the fast lane. That’s where automotive advertising agencies come in. These experts understand the industry and more importantly, consumers. With the right automotive advertising agency in your corner, you can create ads that connect with your target market.

Automotive advertising isn’t just limited to car manufacturers. Other businesses that can benefit from hiring automotive ad agencies include:

1. New and used car dealerships typically use full-service automotive ad agencies.
2. Oil and lube service stations can increase business with automotive advertising promotions.
3. Tire centers can stand out from the competition thanks to automotive print ads and direct mail campaigns.
4. Car wash and detailing centers can use auto ad agencies to design local ad campaigns.
5. Service stations can use automotive advertising campaigns to promote services to the local market.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find a company that can help you with automobile advertising promotions and events

Car dealerships can benefit from professional automobile advertising promotions companies that know how to bring in qualified buyers and get them to buy.

I recommend: Instant-events.com offers several event automotive advertising packages that include promotional signs, radio scripts, direct mail and newspaper ad templates. Preferred Dealer Services provides staffed sales events to help clear out inventory and boost annual revenues.

Use direct mail for successful automotive advertising campaigns

Car dealerships can use direct mail to announce sales, leasing specials or loan deals. Direct mail automotive advertising is also a key tool that automotive services can use to attract customers.

I recommend: Premium Productions offers several direct mail automotive advertising packages for lease and loan offers. Aztec Advertising specializes in direct mail promotions for new and used cars, special financing offers and automotive service specials. Moving Targets offers direct mail promotions for automotive services, such as car washes, oil and lube providers and automotive maintenance service centers.

Look for automotive ad agencies that offer newspaper advertising

Placing an automotive advertisement in the newspaper may be old school, but as history shows, it works.

I recommend: GCS Automotive ad agency is experienced in designing automotive print ads for newspapers. Diamond Media Group designs custom newspaper products for automotive dealers.

Turn to automotive advertising agencies for television and radio campaigns

Catch consumers when they are behind the wheel by using an automotive advertisement on the radio. Or target customers by airing television commercials during specially chosen programs.

I recommend: For radio and television advertising campaigns that specialize in automotive advertising, try Dunamis Productions or KEA Advertising. The Miller Agency creates jingles and radio and television ads for automotive services and dealers for English-speaking and Hispanic markets.

Outdoor and billboard automotive advertising can direct traffic to your business

Outdoor automotive advertising that is strategically placed can direct customers to your car dealership, service station or car wash.

I recommend: Ayers Advertising identifies billboard and movie screen advertising opportunities and creates automotive advertising campaigns for dealers nationwide. Check out Ad Cetera’s online portfolio of outdoor advertising campaigns for automotive dealers.

Use full-service automotive advertising agencies for multi-media ad campaigns

Choose a full-service automotive ad agency if you regularly employ a variety of advertising solutions.

I recommend: Stream Companies is a full-service automotive advertising agency that provides print, direct mail, television, radio, infomercials, email and pay per click ad campaigns. Other full-service agencies automotive advertising campaigns include Giant Marketing and MJS Advertising.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Auto ad agencies may specialize in one type of advertising or may offer comprehensive campaigns for a variety of media.
• •  If you cater to the local market only, consider hiring a local automotive ad agency. They are likely to understand the buying habits of your target market.
• •  Car dealers can use automotive print ads, television commercials and national advertising campaigns that are created and offered by automobile manufacturers. They provide the national ad campaign shell that you can fill with your dealership information.
• •  Automobile dealers have to be especially careful when producing automotive print ads and automotive advertising campaigns to present all information accurately. Truth in advertising laws require you to provide certain loan and leasing information in the fine print.

Automotive advertising is an evolving industry that changes with all the trends in advertising. Automotive advertising agencies need to know where they fit in the scheme of things as relates to their own clients’ best welfare. While automotive print ads remain a top choice for many dealers, automotive advertising packages should include Internet marketing programs, television and special automobile advertising promotions.

Shop around armed with the most information you can find about automotive advertising campaigns by keeping up with the latest automotive advertising agencies news and trends. Whether you run a small business or a large corporation, you need to invest in automotive advertising campaigns to remain competitive. Look for auto ad agencies by communicating with other business owners with similar needs. Find out about unique and cost-effective automotive ads through industry publications and business-owner blogs. Use vehicle advertising software to manage your automobile advertising promotion and find numerous ways to keep up with employee benefits news and trends.

1. Use trade association publications to keep up with automotive advertising

2. Subscribe to automobile advertising company publications

3. Sign on for email alerts from an automotive advertising agency

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Share information with other vehicle advertising users

Blogs are increasingly becoming the media of choice for many small business owners looking for quick and efficient means to communicate with other like-minded professionals. Find an Internet blog that provides trust-worthy information and attracts reliable posting participants. Talk to other car dealers in your networking groups to find out what they are doing with their automotive advertising agency.

I recommend: At Ad Agency Online, you can blog with other automotive advertising agency groups and clients to exchange ideas and find out what options are available to you. Listen to Blog Talk Radio to hear automotive advertising agencies news and trends from Phil Zelinger, an automotive advertising expert with more than 25 years experience.

Read up on changes in automotive advertisement

News about automotive advertising packages continue to dominate many of the ad agency publications available online and in hard copy print versions. While you may get regular email alerts and newsletters from your automotive advertising agencies, it's a good idea to stay on top of the industry as a whole so that you can know about changes that may not be a part of your current provider's offerings.

I recommend: Check automotive advertising news from Automotive News, an authoritative source on the car industry. Stay on top of the auto industry advertising breaking news through Media Post. As a member you can search through archived articles and receive updates customized to your interests.

Receive automotive advertisement email alerts

While most business owners are trying to clear out their inboxes to save time, you should allow at least one information provider to get into your email with alerts about new automotive advertising packages and ideas. You shouldn't miss out on vital automotive advertising packages alerts just because you want to avoid spam.

I recommend: Online, Ad Week sets the industry standard for all advertising agencies, including automotive ad businesses. Sign up for email first alerts that affect the advertising sector. Stay in touch with all the news and trends affecting the auto ad agency industry through email and newsletters from the American Association of Advertising Agencies.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Make knowledge a premium in your company by charging each of your employees to read or subscribe to at least one magazine or newsletter and share automotive advertising agencies news and trends they've uncovered at staff meetings.

Automotive advertising agencies work to keep the automotive industry at the forefront of consumers' minds. In some cases, the agencies must work to overcome negative circumstances surrounding certain automotive companies, which can taint their products and present the advertisers who support them with an uphill climb. Still, the goal of advertising is to create positive impressions and generate desired behaviors. When it comes to automotive advertising agencies, key terms to learn include roll out, make goods, sweeps, roadblocking, bonus spot and upfront.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Roll-out

A roll-out occurs when an agency expands advertising to allow for more exposure at a specific given period, generally surrounding a new product introduction. This is a key tactic at the start of the auto industry's model year.

I recommend: The Orlando Sentinel provides an article detailing the roll-out. Read it for insight on why the auto industry advertises the event.

Make goods

Automotive advertising agencies frequently buy time on sporting events, but because problems can occur, the media used offers companies make goods, or a comparable unit of advertising to replace the ad that didn't run. This can happen when playoff series games aren't necessary or officials cancel a game due to weather. In some cases, a venue may offer a make good for an add that didn't run correctly.

I recommend: A comprehensive definition of make goods as applied to the advertising industry is available at businessdictionary.com.

Sweeps

Automotive advertising agencies are large television buyers, which means the TV sweep periods or 'sweeps' in February, May, July and September are important. During sweeps, TV networks and stations run highly anticipated shows in an effort to boost viewership, and their ad rates. It's an important time for advertisers, because more people are watching.

I recommend: A Hartford Courant blog discusses TV sweeps, their value and their affect.

Roadblocking

Roadblocking occurs when an automotive company airs its commercial at approximately the same time on major networks or on a set of popular websites. In the past, the automotive industry used this technique during times of heavy sports coverage of major live events, and they'll probably use it again.

I recommend: You can find a good discussion of roadblocking and the impact it has at The New Advertising.

Bonus spot

When ratings aren't as high as promised at the time of the buy, the outlets make up for this by providing bonus spots. A bonus spot is additional time delivered at no extra charge.

I recommend: The Radio Network provides a definition of bonus spot and includes specifications for its use in advertising.

Upfront

Upfronts are a bargain-hunting ploy often used by automotive advertising agencies at the beginning of the buying period for the prime time television season or major sports season. By buying ads upfront, or early, the automotive advertising agencies can get discounts.

I recommend: TV Decoder breaks down the value of upfronts for advertising agencies and the television industry.