Page 16 - Rolls Royce, Bentley Mihi Exculta Magazine (Made for Me) - Issue 8, designed and produced by Connell Marketing Associates, UK
P. 16
CUSTOMERS
H OW DO YOU EXPLAIN to someone what it This Driving participating dealers grabbed the opportunity with
feels like to sit behind the wheel of a 400 Business both hands and did a significant amount of their
bhp super-car, surrounded by the world’s own promotion prior to the event.
finest, hand crafted cockpit? Road-Show Events
Raise Local Profiles West Palm Beach in Florida promoted the road-
The answer is, you can’t. There isn’t a virtual show as a major life-style occasion for the area,
Bentley so the only solution is to do it for real. weeks in advance of the actual event through
the Palm Beach Daily News which, amongst its
Test drives are not new. Driving events have long nation-wide readership, includes 26,000
been promoted by dealers who are keen to make an individuals of net worth in excess of $2 million.
occasion where customers and potential customers
can compare driving notes. At another location, Dimmit Cadillac of
Clearwater, Florida, working jointly with the
But there has always been a drawback. How can company’s PR agency based in LA, was able to
an individual dealership stage an event which is attract considerable press interest, including four
powerful enough to appeal to the most demanding TV news channels. A carefully constructed guest
clients in the motoring world and yet be sure it will list meant that nearly 60% of those attending the
justify the investment? ride-and-drive event at Long Boat Key in Sarasota,
were new prospects.
The answer is to tap into the expertise and
resources which Crewe has to offer. As part of the Speaking about the success of their road-show,
most extensive marketing investment in the which was the most profitable they had ever run,
company’s history, the Bentley road-show is set to Braman Miami reported that the “format could not
play a vital part in converting the heightened have been better.”
interest in the Bentley product range, stimulated
by advertising and media coverage, into real sales Following the successful pilot in the USA (within
opportunities for individual dealerships. just two months the 12 road-shows netted sales of
26 motor cars), the plan is to take the road-show
During the latter half of last year, the company around the world. The programme for 1999 already
was busy creating a road-show model which has includes 20 venues in the USA and Europe.
now been piloted in 12 locations in the USA.
Dealer Drive-Event Road-Show Programme
Although the road-show is designed to centre
around a drive event using one dealership as its ● Briefing to all Rolls-Royce and Bentley
hub, the key to its success is its flexibility. A menu franchise staff bringing them up-to-
of options allows each participating dealership, date on product and company
jointly with the company, to mould their own event
and suit it to their local market requirements. developments.
● Dealer merchandising kit to create
Because each road-show involves high level
company participation - senior Rolls-Royce and special occasion atmosphere.
Bentley management representation, company- ● Press day for local media to meet
sponsored PR expertise and investment and
significant product visibility – it puts the event on dealership management and senior
a level which individual dealerships could not expect company representatives and be introduced
to achieve alone. Having said that, because the to the full range of products.
scope of the attraction is so heightened – and the ● VIP luncheon for special customers
announcement that a dealership is to have a fleet ● Evening cocktail party to show off the range in
of 15 brand new Bentley motor cars available for the right environment.
driving is front page news - some of the USA ● Carefully designed test-drive day to demonstrate
the motor cars to their full potential.
16 MIHI EXCULTA - April 1999
