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Automotive Marketing

Automotive Marketing

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Don’t Forget the Fundamentals: Be Problem Solvers for Your Customers

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When a customer visits your dealership, regardless of their reason, they seek solutions. Whether it’s for a new or used vehicle, parts, service, or other needs, they rely on you and your team to provide answers. Unfortunately, some dealerships overlook this core principle and fail to adopt a solution-focused approach with their customers.

To truly excel as problem solvers across all departments, it’s crucial for employees to be attentive listeners. By practicing patience, asking pertinent questions and actively listening to customer feedback, identifying their needs and priorities becomes straightforward.

Additionally, possessing comprehensive product knowledge and maintaining transparency by being truthful and upfront with customers fosters long-term relationships. This approach demonstrates genuine concern for their well-being and interests.

FREE Advertising Review
Looking for a boost in dealership traffic? Turn to JKR Automotive Advertising’s team of adept problem solvers. Even if you’re already successful, envision the possibilities with an expanded market share. JKR, as an exclusive automotive advertising agency, ensures clients are memorable and impactful. Contact Jon Albert (407) 718-2494 or Richard Brauns (407) 701-4233 for a complimentary automotive advertising and marketing review, and discover how JKR can elevate your dealership.

Once you experience our capabilities firsthand (hint: we can do it all), you’ll realize the difference.

JKR Automotive Advertising: We Move Cars.

Gross Profits

Post-Pandemic Dealer Gross Profits are Down – But They Don’t Have to Stay There!

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It is no secret that dealer gross profits per vehicle are down sharply in the post-COVID automotive world. According to a recent article in Automotive News, gross profits of the six largest publicly traded dealership groups plunged significantly from Q4 2022 to Q4 2023. One of them was actually down 35% per vehicle!

The article explains: High interest rates, more expensive vehicles and a steadier post-pandemic supply chain continue to soften demand and bring it closer to pre-pandemic levels. Still, new-car buying has remained strong overall …

This means that, while sales volume is similar, overall bottom lines are lower for many dealers due to the reduced gross profits. What about your dealership?

Being Realistic
It’s time to turn the page! The time for dealers to simply be order takers for people willing to pay MSRP for a vehicle (and in some cases more) has passed and dealers have to work hard once again to achieve acceptable gross profits.

Selling a high volume of cars doesn’t control gross profits, no matter how much you wish this was the case. Correct processes and menu pricing – and strict adherence to them – do!

What kind of processes?
∙ Slow down the transaction! Your sales staff has to once again sell the customer on the features and benefits of every new and pre-owned vehicle on your lot.

∙ Your salespeople and managers should devalue the customers’ trade-in value (politely, of course) as much as possible. After all, if the customer expects you to lower your price, shouldn’t you be able to do the same on their trade? Remember, you’ll have to fix it up, put your name on it and resell it to someone else with all the tenacity you would a brand-new car. So make sure you buy it right … because the profit is made when you buy it, not when you sell it!

∙ To that end, management should be ready and willing to leave the desk and do thorough walk-arounds on each trade to ensure the best outcome for the dealership.

The Cure for Low Gross Profits
If you are like a lot of dealers these days, you could use some good news. Here it is: while you may not have the capability to achieve profit margins similar to those you enjoyed during the pandemic, they could likely be improved. JKR’s clients enjoy the benefit of attracting not only more customers, but better ones, too!

If meeting and exceeding your sales goals (and increasing gross profits at the same time) sounds great to you, you need to call us. Don’t settle for reduced gross profits when help is out there to get you closer to where you’d like to be.

Want to know how we do it? Reach out to Senior Partner Richard Brauns (407) 701-4233 or Partner/Vice President Jon Albert (407) 718-2494 today.

JKR Automotive Advertising: We Move Cars.

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Making Waves: Kia of Old Saybrook’s Successful Switch from Cable to Radio Advertising

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In the always-evolving landscape of automotive advertising, making the right choices is vital to a dealership’s success. Landon Sock, owner of Kia of Old Saybrook in Connecticut, recently took a leap of faith by making waves, switching from cable to radio advertising, and the results have been nothing short of impressive.

Initially hesitant about the transition, Sock trusted the advice of JKR Senior Partner Richard Brauns, a decision that has proven to be a game-changer for his dealership. The move to radio advertising has paid off handsomely, with January marking the dealership’s first time on the airwaves. In a month where many dealerships struggled, Kia of Old Saybrook experienced an immediate surge in sales, boasting a 50% increase as soon as JKR’s suggested advertising campaign was implemented.

Brauns is quick to point out that Kia of Old Saybrook’s successful transition to radio doesn’t negate the value of cable – or television in general – in automotive advertising in every case. He explains that each client’s situation is unique, and the effectiveness of a marketing strategy depends on a number of factors, with reach, frequency and overall cost leading the way. “It isn’t always about who spends the most; it’s about who spends the smartest,” says Brauns, highlighting the importance of making informed decisions in the competitive world of automotive sales. “Spending big doesn’t guarantee attention; it’s about creating campaigns that reach consumers and resonate with the target audience.”

Need Some Direction?
Because Americans are inundated with advertisements on a daily basis, it’s crucial to stand out and connect with potential buyers. For dealerships navigating these changing times, JKR’s experience and expertise is as important now as it’s ever been. If you’re curious about what JKR can do for your dealership, especially in the changing landscape of automotive advertising, don’t hesitate to reach out. Give us a call today at (321) 397-0777 to explore tailored solutions that align with your dealership’s goals and ensure you’re spending your advertising dollars wisely.

JKR Automotive Advertising: We Move Cars.

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Incentives Are Plentiful. How Do You Tell Your Customers About Them?

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During the past year, the automotive industry has experienced a long-anticipated recovery period. Dealership inventories have been replenished to pre-pandemic levels (or at least close to it), which means more vehicles are available to today’s car buyers. Along with this resurgence comes the manufacturers’ response: a marked increase in customer incentives.

Of course, during the COVID period, these “customer carrots” were few and far between because the manufacturers simply didn’t need them; after all, they were moving metal faster than they could get it!

As things continue returning to normal and interest rates are predicted to fall, there comes a refocusing in priorities for automobile dealers. Today, one of the secrets to continued success lies in effectively communicating the available incentives to those in the local communities in which dealerships reside.

Need Assistance Getting the Word Out?
The best way to ensure customer awareness of incentives is working with a skilled, experienced automotive advertising agency like JKR. Our clients trust us to be an invaluable resource to help them surpass all their advertising goals – including letting those in your community know about the great deals available to them as a direct result of customer incentive programs.

For more than 25 years, JKR has been the lifeline for many of the nation’s leading dealerships. If you need assistance with compiling your media buy, jump-starting your creative, besting your competition or something else, our experienced team of professionals can help you in a hurry! We help our clients gain a huge edge with innovative on-point media, the lowest ad rates of anyone in your area, and a host of information they won’t get from anyone else. Give us a call today at (321) 397-0777 to find out more.

JKR Automotive Advertising: We Move Cars.
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Radio Advertising: Still Relevant as Ever

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Edison Research’s recent report has revealed that radio advertising is still relevant, despite the best efforts of some to try and tell you otherwise. Americans aged 13 and older spend a significant portion of their waking hours with radio, accounting for approximately one-fourth of their day. This newly released data is significant, as it offers a world of potential and opportunity for advertisers looking to tap into the audio space.


According to their Share of Ear data, an astonishing 84% of Americans 13 and older actively engage with some form of ad-supported audio every day. This category encompasses a wide range of platforms, with AM/FM radio continuing to reign as the dominant player. (Other ad-based audio options include podcasts, ad-based streaming services such as Spotify and Pandora, spoken-word channels on SiriusXM, and the free use of YouTube for music videos.)


In the US, 82% of this 13-and-up group is reached daily by this media source. This eye-opening statistic demonstrates the effectiveness of advertising on these platforms when it comes to connecting with a traditionally challenging audience. If the window of observation is extrapolated over a time frame, the reach of ad-supported audio is expected to expand even further. In fact, it is projected that over the span of a week or a month, this reach would exceed 90% of all Americans.


There’s no doubt: Advertisers should consider radio as an effective medium to reach a wide and diverse audience. Because of its extensive reach, frequency, immediacy, portability, targetability, emotional connection with the audience and historically proven track record, radio remains a crucial component of the advertising landscape. And that’s not going to change anytime soon.

What are You Waiting For?
If your dealership is not running radio advertisements, why not? JKR Automotive Advertising can show you how we assist our clients in making the right decisions … completely free of charge, with absolutely no obligation on your part. At your request, we’ll do a thorough analysis of your media market to see if you’re getting the most bang for your buck from your current advertising efforts. Give us a call at (321) 397-0777 and we’ll do the rest.

JKR Automotive Advertising: We Move Cars.

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