Page 19 - On The Move - Volume 18, Issue 1

of your strategy is a fact of life in the (SEM), Agency B managing paid
automotive industry. Who you hire is Facebook ads and Agency C running
an important decision that should be video pre-roll campaigns. Of course,
made with great care and research. this is separate from the three third-
Can the same be true Unfortunately, accountability overtime party vendors also in the marketing
for digital marketing and can begin to dwindle, and due to the mix. Conservatively, the dealership has
vendor management as a fast-paced nature of the industry, vendor at least six vendors who are spending
whole? The answer is yes – management becomes an afterthought, money in the marketplace. Is the
undoubtedly, you and your team which is when things can become strategy of each vendor aligned? Are
have had your fair share of success expensive. Advertising is a top four budgets and message set to compliment
and failures as it pertains to agencies expenditure on a dealership financial or compete with each other? If campaign
and vendors alike that have been statement and should be treated more adjustments are needed to compliment
tasked with managing one or more as in investment more than an expense. a major retail holiday or shift funds
components of your digital marketing Understanding the vendor and agency from one vendor to another, who can
strategy. However, the real questions makeup within your digital marketing the dealership call?
are how many of you can honestly strategy will help you make informed
point to who was responsible for the decisions in the present and the future. While it may be easy to understand
successes, and who was responsible why vendor mapping is important,
for the failures? Who continues to As such, the simplest solution to increase it may also be difficult to understand
do good work, and who has not met efficiency and avoid wasted spend is to what it looks like. The chart to the left
expectations in the past (sometimes on map your vendors. While you may have is a simple example to illustrate how
more than one occasion)? What are a few notes saved under a contact in all the pieces fit together. When you
your representatives’ names, and when your phone or an index card with names understand where you spend and with
was the last time you spoke? When and numbers, what may be required is whom you spend, you can begin to
was the last time your input was taken a specific and dedicated system that make the changes necessary to avoid
into account prior to a decision being allows you to assess the consistency duplicating spend or veering away
made? If hindsight is 20/20, perhaps and efficiency of your vendor lineup at from your strategy. Your vendor map
we should consider allowing the past to any time. But why is this important? should suit your needs and may include
inform more of our future. attributed sales by month or notable
For example, consider a dealership in success from a particular campaign.
Like most things, digital marketing a metro market that sells 200 cars a While it may look different by store,
is worth doing right. Naturally, month. The dealership has Agency A it should always help keep you, your
hiring out one or more components managing the Search Engine Marketing strategy and your vendors aligned.

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