The critical issue of marketing in today’s environment

To use an expression from a colleague of mine, do you mind if I borrow your brain? I’m in the midst of forming a panel for our upcoming Powersports Business Conference & Expo and would love to get some feedback from dealers on what marketing topics they would like to explore.

I can tell you powersports dealers largely are relying more on online marketing this year than they have in the past. That’s a fact that comes out of a recent national dealership survey conducted for Powersports Business that you’ll find in our May 25^th edition.

My belief is this trend is a reflection of the economy more than any actual dramatic gain in advertising results. Linking the increased online marketing usage to cost vs. its effectiveness is just a notion, not something that was explored in the dealer survey. We know online marketing can be more practical in terms of cost, although it still poses challenges that any marketing medium possesses and that’s the trick of ensuring you’re reaching the correct audience.

It’s hard to imagine the issue of marketing – what really works vs. wasted money – could become any more important than it is today. We know the desire for what the industry sells is just as prevalent as it was yesterday even as the spare dollars in our pockets may have lessened. That’s why it’s so critical that we reach the smaller mass of would-be buyers.

Would love to hear what dealers would like to examine in detail regarding marketing in our upcoming conference and expo.