Ok, the title is a bit cheesy – but it makes its point. Back to School promotions are about as expected this time of year as Cadbury Bunny commercials are come March. So, how can you make your back to school automotive direct mail promotions stand out? Here are 5 of our favorite “out of the box” ideas:
1. Target Teachers – Extend special offers to teachers since they’re going back to school too! This is a tight-knit community, so chances are your automotive direct mail promotion will be shared with other teachers and administrators not even on your mailing list.
2. Co-Host A Back To School Event – Perhaps a local boutique kids clothing store is trying to draw back to school traffic away from the bigger retailers. Why not partner with them to hold a Back to School sale where they sell their wares and you sell yours? Offer specialty pricing on inventory, such as service or accessories, for every sale of clothing – and have the partner retailer offer a percentage discount on their wares for every sale or test drive. You and the retailer can work out how this balances out financially behind the scenes.
3. Offer School Supply Discounts – Buy up a whole host of low denomination gift cards and a select few larger ones from big supply chains like Office Max or Target and create an automotive direct mail promotion for families with school-aged children. You can have a raffle to win the largest prizes and give away the lower amounts to every qualified visitor who brings in their mailer. And, any gift cards you don’t give away can be donated to charity for a nice tax savings for your dealership as well.
4. Target College Kids (And Their Parents) – Recent high school graduates and those who graduated 1-2 years ago should be on your target list and so should their parents. While not every family will purchase a used or new vehicle for their college-aged child, many will – particularly those whose children are attending schools within the immediate or nearby metro area.
5. Offer Family Discounts – Families with new teen drivers and driving parents might be enticed for family or group rate discounts. BOGO offers can be extended to certain service specials, for example, while bulk discounts are more appropriate for multiple vehicle sales or leases.
