Many dealers know exactly what they spent on their last digital ad campaign, and almost to the dollar what it cost to acquire a lead. But many of those dealers have much less clarity about what their store and their team is known for in the community.
That gap can be a problem. Long before a consumer compares trims or is ready to consider and negotiate the monthly payment, they’ve most likely made a bigger decision: whether they trust the name on the building and the people within it. That decision is rarely made by an ad — it’s made by reputation, and reputation is what PR is built to shape.
Trust is a local currency
Most consumers prefer to not buy vehicles from strangers if they can help it. They buy from the dealership that sponsors their kid’s hockey team, the one whose GM was quoted in the local paper, the one that showed up for the community food drive when times were tough. None of that sells a vehicle directly — but it leaves a long-lasting impression that people remember when they start thinking about a new (or new to them) vehicle and it makes the conversation and sale much easier once the customer walks in.
While incredibly powerful in their own right, that’s what advertising can’t replicate. Consumers today need to have access to product information, but they also need to believe they will be treated fairly throughout their purchase journey. Earned credibility through media coverage, community involvement and word of mouth delivers that in spades, and it compounds. A dealership with a strong reputation spends less to convert every lead that follows.
PR is a funnel-filling machine
Marketers treat paid media as the top of the funnel but in a local market, PR usually gets there first. A feature in the business section, a spot on local radio, a sponsorship banner at the community fair are all examples of things that will plant a dealership’s name in the minds of people who aren’t yet shopping, so it’s already familiar to them by the time they are.
That’s awareness. Consideration follows: a shopper is more likely to shortlist the store they’ve seen doing good work locally than one they only know from a banner ad.
Consumers today need to have access to product information, but they also need to believe they will be treated fairly throughout their purchase journey.
By the time they’re ready to visit, that groundwork has removed the biggest friction point in buying — the fear of being sold to by someone they don’t trust. None of this replaces digital strategy; they work extremely well together and it’s the layer underneath that makes every marketing dollar go even further – that’s the home field advantage that PR can create.
How you can start: expand your own local PR efforts
The key is planning and consistency.
Let’s begin with planning and use a road trip as an example. Start by setting some goals and objectives and identifying the resources needed to get you there — imagine this as deciding where it is you want to go (you can start small with something like “earn one story each quarter in local media publications”) and the vehicle and equipment you’ll need for the trip.
Next, make a list of the key audiences and types of stories that will get you there — this stage is like mapping out the stops along the way and could include places like local journalists or community events and stories like sponsorships or ride-N-drive opportunities.
Once you know where it is you want to go and have your route mapped out, the second key is consistency. Build the same discipline that you do for sales and customer relationships. Start building the relationships with those key audiences and developing the story opportunities to get you there. To do so, watch, listen and read the publications that have influence in your community and attend events and introduce yourself to your local journalists and influencers — and give them someone to call for any stories they have in mind.
Follow them and engage on their social channels. If you can, offer them some opportunities in loaner vehicles and remember to have someone trained and comfortable as spokesperson.
Choose sponsorships that reflect your customer base. Then capture it all — a photo, a clip, a quote — as content for social and your website, so the impact outlasts the moment, and then do it again, and again , and again, until it’s part of your routine and your store has become the default subject matter expert in your local area. Lastly, always remember to track your results and measure them against your goals as they will help you build your strategy for the next trip.
Tip: A great place to start is with your OEM, as they will have national plans, assets and licenses (think about awards like J.D. Power, AJAC Car of the Year, etc) that you could be able to localize or at least draw some inspiration and structure from (stay tuned for more ways to leverage your OEM PR efforts in a column coming soon).
If your OEM isn’t able to help get you started, local PR agencies can help or you can look to educate yourself online or encourage a team member to add this as a valuable learning opportunity.
Lastly, always remember to track your results and measure them against your goals as they will help you build your strategy for the next trip.
The bottom line
Every dealership is fighting for attention in a market with more information and more options than ever. The stores that win aren’t always the ones spending the most on advertising — they’re the ones building trust and meaningful connections within the community so that shoppers know where their journey will start before it even begins.
That trust doesn’t happen by accident or overnight. It’s built one story, one sponsorship and one community appearance at a time — and it’s one of the highest-return investments a dealership can make.
