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Target Audience
The people who will benefit from our brand’s promise.
Segment 1:
New Customers
This group does not know who we are or have never done business with us. They represent a vast percentage of total sales. For this target group, the goal is to get our brand noticed and keep our message top of mind.
Segment 2:
Light Buyers
These are customers who know who we are and have done business with us. Our job is to maintain and grow our relationship with them, solidifying BMAG as a part of their lives and prioritizing service over profit.
Segment 3:
Local Buyers
These are people who feel loyalty to BMAG, including employees. We should build relationships with them and reward them for their role in our success.
Engaging Our Audience
Profile
Completely unfamiliar with (or apathetic to) BMAG name, brand and benefits. Assume average (various or apathetic) savvy for brands.
Barriers
Trust.
They likely enter the experience with assumptions about vehicle shopping, reservations about opening up or being honest with salespeople, trepidation about financing, distrust of dealership service.
Indistinctiveness.
At the start of the experience, the customer will not be aware of or see value in the value propositions of BMAG, its reputation or longevity. The name means nothing.
Saturation.
The customer will be bombarded with car ads on every platform, especially once they start searching for something. They will lump all vehicle advertising together (they’re all the same).
Choice Paralysis.
At this stage in the shopping process, there are simply too many options for an average customer to make a clear choice on a vehicle. It’s also too soon for BMAG to steer too tightly (due to lack of trust). This can lead to customer fatigue, overwhelm, or confusion.
Needs
Empowerment.
The customer needs to feel empowered to take control of their vehicle-buying journey, or relinquish it to BMAG. They have to understand and feel they have a choice. They have to know BMAG supports them wherever they land on the spectrum.
Peace of mind.
The customer doesn’t have to be “sold” on you at this point, they just have to be comfortable enough with you and your experience to not feel compelled to search elsewhere.
Distinctiveness.
Give the customer a reason to consider and remember you, ideally one that isn’t obnoxious (avoid pure recall/repetition) and is one that aligns with your values.
Filtering.
Help the customer overcome their choice paralysis by quickly stripping away the options that clearly don’t fit their needs, budget or lifestyle. The faster you can eliminate the choice paralysis, the more empowerment and peace of mind they’ll feel.
Messaging
Profile
Generally familiar with and favorably receiving of the BMAG name, values and benefits. Has made a purchase at BMAG before, or comes from a warm lead or referral. Assume average (various or apathetic) savvy for brands.
Barriers
Time.
They’re not scared of making a purchase, but they know it’s a big time commitment because they’ve been through it before. And for many of them, they have a vehicle that’s “fine”, so maybe we’ll just put it off a little longer…
Trust.
Sure, the customer has had an experience with BMAG before, but there’s no guarantee it was great, it just wasn’t terrible enough to go elsewhere. This is the chance to assure the customer it wasn’t a fluke, and make them appreciate the standard of service you provide.
Stubbornness.
The customer has been through this before. They may think they don’t need you now, or they “have it down” and prefer to do this without you.
Limiting.
The opposite of choice paralysis, the customer knows what they know and they’re comfortable, so they may not want to learn new things or challenge old ideas. They are limiting themselves to a narrow window or selection irrationally.
Needs
Reassurance.
Simple as that. Acknowledge their schedule or commitments and let them know you’ll make it easy for them, even if they’re busy or burdened.
Surprise & Delight.
Convert someone leery of “too good to be true” by providing them an over-the-top positive experience with moments of joy along the way.
Curiosity.
Overcome stubbornness not with pressure, but with the attraction of something drastically different. It’s the Overton Window concept: propose something ridiculous to move the window of “normal” in the direction you want it to go. This isn’t manipulative – it’s barrier-breaking.
Personal Touch.
You’re a repeat customer. You’re family. Let’s celebrate you coming back to us.
Messaging
We’ll give you a ride.
You’re not the most important part of their day or their life – but you empower those parts to come together. Reassure them that you’re here for them when they’re ready.
Wherever life takes you.
Speak in wonder, joy and surprise. Whether it’s the places you’ll go, the things you’ll discover along the way or the little moments as you wade through the mundane.
Find the spark.
Different things spark curiosity: the prospect of a discount or a deal, the prospect of a prize or giveaway, the prospect of test driving something fun or trying out something others haven’t tried yet, or just enjoying a great food truck out front while someone waits on an oil change. Explore opportunities to spark curiosity in your customers and encourage new behaviors.
Positive peer pressure.
Remind customers that other customers have come before them and walked away satisfied. Use that positive peer pressure to minimize risk, normalize behavior and encourage them to trust the others who have been in their shoes before.
Profile
Extremely familiar with and favorably receiving of the BMAG name, values and benefits. Has made one or more purchases at BMAG before, and is the source of warm leads and referrals. Disregard their savvy for vehicles. They know you, they trust you. That’s all that matters.
Motive.
Yes, they love you, but they love lots of brands. Why should they keep coming back over and over again? Isn’t it time to move on?
Been there, done that.
Does the loyal customer have a compelling reason to come back? Haven’t they seen everything by now? Isn’t there really nothing left to do here?
Tolerance.
The loyal customer has blinders on to some degree. They’ll put up with more because they’re giving you the benefit of the doubt. Others will expect more because they know they’re valuable to you.
Plateau.
At some point, doesn’t every surprise & delight run together? How many free test drives can someone come enjoy? How many “deals” can you really push on the same customer?
Needs
Inclusion.
Bring them behind the curtain, whether that’s seeing new cars roll off the trucks or seeing cars get put back together in service. They need to feel part of the experience. (Private shopping events do this very well.)
Incentive.
People don’t inherently want kickbacks for doing nice things, so don’t think of it like that, but find a way to show your gratitude for your loyal customers, ideally in customer experience and retention marketing (sometimes a birthday card goes a long way).
Input.
Yes, your loyal customers might be running a bit dry or bored with you. Don’t always guess what appeals to them: Ask. Get their feedback on surveys. Ask what they want more of. Then demonstrate that you heard them, and thank them for helping bring a new idea to life.
Warm invitations to return.
People come and go. Make sure they always feel welcome returning, regardless of frequency or motive.
Messaging
Wherever life takes us, let’s go there together.
Find opportunities to ensure your customer knows you’re there for them, but also, they’re there for you. They help fulfill your dreams.
Always find new routes.
Discourage autopilot – figuratively and literally. Talk about the joy of finding new routes in life, a back road, a scenic path. This can take the form of “slow down and enjoy” messages, or “always look for a better and more efficient route” messages.
Tell us. We’re listening.
Don’t just ask for input, tell them why you need it, thank them for it, and tell them what you plan to do with it. Furthermore, when it’s done, remind them they helped make it happen.
We’ll always be here when you need us.
It’s not “come see us today,” it’s “we’re here when you’re ready.”
