Auto Dealer Finds Huge Advantage in SMS Marketing

Consumers were asked to text the keyword FOX to the 98 Rock short code.

 Objective

The goal was to drive consumers to the lot for test drives during the toughest economic times of this generation. Rather than competing purely through price, Fox saw this as an opportunity to reach prospects on a highly-personal device, their mobile phone.

Strategy
The Cash for Clunkers program helped bolster sales later in the summer, but Fox Chevrolet decided not to wait for government assistance and instead turned to mobile to try and drive sales.

Call to action
The mobile call to action was broadcasted via 10- and 15-second promos encouraging people to text-in on Hearst’s Baltimore 98 Rock radio station.

Results
In total, nearly 500 listeners texted the keyword FOX to the station’s short code, with nearly 300 attending a special day-long event that resulted in the sale of 17 new cars and 17 used cars, in addition to the two $98 used cars that were awarded.

Lessons learned
Traditionally, automobiles have been sold through mass media, a one-size-fits-all approach that includes major television and print buys. That approach alone does not work anymore.

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Strategy take

“The goal, pardon the pun, was to drive consumers to the lot for test drives during the toughest economic times of our generation,” Mr. Hasen said. “Rather than competing purely through price, Fox saw this as an opportunity to reach prospects on a highly-personal device, their mobile phone.”

What challenge did mobile address?
“Mobile provides all the players throughout the mobile supply chain — manufacturers and dealers alike — with the chance to reach potential buyers with personalized, highly-relevant content about their offerings,” Mr. Hasen said.

“Customers who opt-in are customers who are looking to buy,” he said. “You would be hard-pressed to find a campaign that performed as well during the recession.”

Read the full article at :

http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/resources/case-studies/4605.html