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It’s hard to believe we’re close to ringing in the new year, but here we are, with the end of 2020 in sight. While COVID-19 caused disruption across nearly every industry, the automotive sector rebounded over the past few months. However, despite the recovery, certain areas of the dealership will be viewed under a microscope in 2021—namely ad spend. With monthly sales nearing pre-pandemic levels amid inventory shortages and business restrictions, some dealers are questioning the value of ad dollars. Many pulled back on ad spend during the early stages of the pandemic, yet still saw sales recovery. But the reality is, much of that can likely be attributed to pent-up demand, which won’t last forever. Heading into 2021, dealers shouldn’t pull back on advertising, but rather focus on being more efficient. Identifying sources of any wasted ad spend is the first step; and a good starting place is data and analytics. With the year coming to a close, here are a few items to consider for dealers who are hoping to shore up their ad spend. Find opportunities within your CRM database Some of the wasted ad spend likely exists in your own CRM database. For instance, vehicles change owners and registration often—in fact, according to research from Experian, 30% of vehicles on the road have changed registration within the last 12 months. You likely have customers in your database who no longer own the vehicles you think they do. Outdated information leads to direct mail and email campaigns that do not reach the intended audience; resulting in higher opt-out rates and significant ad dollars wasted. Use analysis to identify areas for growth Rather than the blanket ad campaigns of years prior, your strategy should be built off sales performance. Start by reviewing the sales performance of your core makes and models, analyzing them at the zip code level. Understanding where these makes and models are best performing can help you refine marketing strategies and reach the most likely buyers. The same logic applies to your competitors—when is the last time your analyzed vehicle registrations in your area that go beyond your dealership’s own results? Taking the time to analyze what the most popular makes and models are in your area can be invaluable to conquest strategies. The pandemic has created an environment in which consumers are always examining all their options, which creates an opportunity for dealers to demonstrate why their vehicle would be a better fit than a competitor’s. Focus across the sales funnel Previously, marketing was about awareness, and bringing people into the top of the sales funnel, but that has changed. Now, to optimize strategies and increase ROI, marketers need to be focused on consumers across the sales funnel. Identifying opportunities for growth and ensuring your database is up to date will help ensure that your marketing strategies in 2021 are highly focused on consumers that are truly in-market. These consumers typically exhibit behaviors that indicate their higher propensity to be in-market, like spending a certain amount of time on the website, or a certain number of pages were viewed. At Experian, we call these consumers High-Value Users, and our research shows that focusing on these consumers drives results. Experian’s dealership research found campaigns focused on High-Value Users deliver an average of 68% more web traffic, an 8% lift in sales and 10% lift in market share. Some dealers will head into the new year with a diminished ad budget (whether by choice or circumstance). But in any event, there’s still opportunity to be effective, you just need to find the areas of your budget that aren’t working. Eliminating wasted ad spend will set your dealership up for success in the months ahead.

Experian recently announced the new members named to its Fintech Advisory Board. The board and its members provide Experian with valuable insights and key perspectives into the unique and quickly evolving needs of the fintech industry. “For years Experian has been committed to partnering with innovators in the fintech industry to bring better opportunities to businesses and consumers alike,” said Experian North American CEO Craig Boundy. “We appreciate the thought leadership we get from our Fintech Advisory Board members and the challenge and the push that comes along with it,” he said. The board met virtually last month, welcoming representatives from across the fintech ecosystem representing payments, personal and secured loan lenders, credit card issuers, investors and others. “This was my first board meeting with Experian, and I’m very pleased to see the investment Experian has put into being the best of the three major bureaus in having the best technology to enable us to turnaround our models more quickly, and better data and alternative data sources like Boost,” said one of the new executives appointed to the board. “We are delighted to gather this group of innovators together to ensure we are consistently meeting the needs of our fintech partners,” said Experian Vice President Jon Bailey, who oversees the fintech vertical. “Now more than ever it’s important that we work alongside them in shaping the industry and helping them meet their goals for the future,” he said. Experian’s fintech vertical provides leading-edge solutions and data across the credit lifecycle specifically designed to impact Fintech and marketplace lending companies and their customers. For more information on Experian’s fintech services or the advisory board, click here.

When we think about vehicle history, we tend to imagine two audiences: dealers and consumers. After all, identifying any potential hidden defects could have a significant impact on a used car buying decision; vehicle history reports are an invaluable part of the process. But it’s not just dealers and consumers who can benefit. It takes three things to sell a vehicle: the car (dealers), the consumer and credit; we’ve covered the first two, so let’s focus on the third. Lenders take a plethora of information into consideration when making automotive lending decisions, including a borrower’s credit score, payment history and utilization rate. But these data points only reflect the risk associated with the borrower; there’s also inherent risk with the vehicle itself. I recently participated in a virtual workshop, The Risky Side of the Road, during Used Car Week 2020, where we discussed the value of leveraging vehicle history information to minimize risk with lending decisions. Extending a loan to a borrower hoping to purchase a used vehicle with unidentified defects exposes the lender to unnecessary risk; hidden damage and maintenance costs could impact a borrower’s ability to repay the loan. To minimize portfolio risk, we recommend lenders leverage vehicle history reports, such as AutoCheck, before making a lending decision. Hidden Damage Significantly Impacts Vehicle Value Let’s consider the universe of used vehicles that could potentially be sold and financed. According to Experian’s Q2 2020 Market Trends Review, there are more than 280 million vehicles on the road. And our research indicates that four out of 10 of the cars and light duty trucks on the road have been in at least one accident, and around 20% of vehicles have been in multiple accidents. What does this mean for a vehicle’s value? Even if a vehicle has been completely restored and repaired, the value of the vehicle diminishes. According to a recent Mitchell Industry Trends Physical Damage Report, in Q2 2019, the average diminished value for a vehicle involved in an accident was $3,151; and this doesn’t include the fiscal impact of other hidden defects, such as flood damage. And the loss in value trickles down to the consumer and lender. For instance, if a lender unknowingly extends a $10,000 loan to a consumer who purchases a used vehicle that was involved in an accident, the actual value of the vehicle may be around $7,000. If the consumer decides to sell the vehicle before paying off the loan, it is very likely they will be up-side down. If the consumer falls behind on payments and the vehicle is repossessed, it will be difficult for the lender to recoup any losses at auction. But that’s where vehicle history reports come into play. Tools, such as AutoCheck vehicle history reports, inform lenders about reported accidents and recall information, among other insights. In addition, the AutoCheck Score, enables users to compare a vehicle with vehicles of similar class and age and assess the likelihood it will be on the road in five years. The AutoCheck Score can also help gauge the value and drivability of a repossessed vehicle. For example, according to Experian’s similarly titled white paper, The Risky Side of the Road, we found that the percentage of repossessed vehicles that were drivable was higher for vehicles assured by AutoCheck vehicle history reports (86.16%) versus those that were not assured (80.75%). Additionally, we found that repossessed vehicles that were drivable tend to have higher AutoCheck Score range. And unsurprisingly, vehicles that are drivable tend to perform better at auction, meaning a better return on investment for the lender. During these uncertain times, it is important for lenders to more precisely gauge the level of risk they take on. The more information lenders have about the used vehicles they are financing, the better positioned they will be to offer loan terms that minimize portfolio risk, while better meeting consumer needs. To view Experian’s white paper, The Risky Side of the Road, click here.
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