Common Advertising Myths Debunked

Today, we go a little off topic for a crash course on refuting advertising myths. Below is a list of reasons why a client chooses to not advertise enough (or not advertise at all).

Advertising Myths

I don’t need to advertise because my dealership has been here forever. People might know who you are, but if you don’t remind them you’re still around they’ll start thinking about someone else. Plus, there are new people (potential new customers) moving into your area every day; and these are people who don’t care that you’ve been in the same dealership location for decades. 

Business is slow, so I can’t afford to advertise. We get the basic premise, but it doesn’t make sense – making this one of the biggest advertising myths out there. When you advertise on radio, you are essentially inviting the public to come to your dealership and do business with you. If you don’t advertise, how can you expect to improve the number of visitors to your store?

Business is so good, there’s no point in advertising. First, we say “good for you.” That said, there’s going to come a time when business is going to slow down. You want to have laid the groundwork for people to come to you as a result of your advertising dollars being spent wisely.

I tried advertising before and it didn’t work too well. This could have happened for a number of reasons. If your attempt at advertising was half-hearted, why would you expect any different outcome? Perhaps you have unreasonable expectations. For example, you can’t say a frozen pizza and a homemade pizza from an expensive Italian restaurant are comparable. In much the same way, you can’t expect cheaper spots that run at off-peak hours to have the same impact as spots run in a far better day part. It’s all about getting the right combination of reach and frequency. (If you don’t understand that – or want help with it – please feel free to call us at JKR Automotive Advertising and we’ll be happy to explain it to you … no strings attached!

I don’t listen to/watch the stations my agency wants us to do business with. Maybe not, but what do your potential customers listen to and watch? Think of it this way: when you throw your fishing line out into the water, do you put your favorite food on the line … or do you use what appeals to the fish?