Was it a specific offer like inexpensive financing or affordable leasing terms? Was it the sale price offer in the ad or the fact that the customer could locate the dealer and contact them right inside the ad?

In the past dealers could separately test each of these aspects, then “optimize” to show to future prospects, the image or offer that got the best response. But this took time and money and the passing of both meant that the deal missed the boat with some in-market buyers.

To give dealers the best opportunity to ignite a relationship that would result in a sale,  New York startup Spongecell, developed unique online ads for auto dealers that lets them show a wide variety of promotions and lead generations tools in a single ad that takes no more space than a standard banner ad.

Here is how it works: a user who fits the profile of an “automotive intender” is served an interactive media banner that offers different choices where they can learn about offers such as special financing, see product video, enter contests, locate a dealer directly through the banner. (This means everything takes place within the ad unit so even while getting back dealer location search results, the user stays engaged with the multi-windowed ad unit.)

Dealers or their agencies can decide what options they want to feature in their ads. The three most common options are the following (however, Spongecell has the ability to create according to their clients desires):

Smart Maps highlight local and regional dealerships in an interactive map using IP targeting so that the map instantly loads based on the consumers IP locale. The user can interact by zooming in/out and scrolling through the map or even by “hovering” over offers to reveal dealer addresses, phone numbers and more. For regional dealer associations, dealer locations are placed into a Google map, with the “pins” being the point where users clicked to find out specific dealer information.

Dynamic Carousel dynamically rotates the dealer’s latest offers and newest models updated in real-time so the agency or dealer can change offers on the fly any time. The unit also identifies which offers are viewed the most and which individual offers drive the most clicks.

In-Banner Video allows for existing TV spots, or any video for that matter, to run within the ad unit. It is a highly efficient way to showcase different options and features. Dealers get insights into what interests users because Spongecell measures time spent and percentage of video viewed broken down in time increments.

Here are some results from an actual case study of a local dealer:

• Over 24,000 total interactions took place within the campaign’s two-week period with more than half of those taking place with the dealer maps
• The dealer web site received all of the click-throughs from the banner
• 870 requests were generated to have a dealer contact a user

Some of the reasons these ads are getting so popular is not just their successful lead generation and boost to showroom traffic; they are:

• Incredibly easy to create
• Ads can be up and running in less than three days
• Creative elements (offers, images, prices) can be swapped out as controlled by the dealer or agency on the fly
• No more need to re-traffic updated creative as new monthly offers roll in
• Ads can run on any website (and eventually on any interactive platform)
• Dealers learn a ton about what in the ads makes users take the next step towards contact or purchase.

Make your message relevant

Technology advanced in relevant delivery gives marketers unprecedented access to niche, highly targeted audiences. In order to tap into consumers’ needs and wants, marketers first need to know where their targeted audience is visiting and how they are interacting with different media content. Online tools collect valuable information about how a consumer interacts within their online environment. This interactive data allows marketers to learn not only who is engaged, but how they’re engaged and use the information gathered to send targeted follow-up messages.

User-created actions over user-generated content

Traditional mass media like TV and newspapers required advertisers to deliver a monologue; but online we have the tools to go a step further and engage consumers in a dialogue with relevant messaging. Forward thinking marketers should be facilitating user-created actions, not just user-generated content. Providing consumer’s with an action (i.e. sending an e-mail or SMS to a friend or adding to a social network), enables personal endorsement that aligns the consumer with the message and organically extends the message’s reach.

Allow your message’s delivery to be chameleon-like

Whose recommendations would you trust more than a friend? Marketers now have the tools that allow communicating messages in your audience’s preferred medium:

-E-mail
-SMS
-Social Networks
-Blogs
-Web sites
-Calendars

The overriding strength in advertising online, is the ability to deliver targeted messages relevant to an individual consumers’ wants and needs. So whether you’re a massive brand or corporation like Nike or McDonald’s or a small independent blog, everyone has the ability to reach a given audience with relevant messaging, in their preferred medium, where they live online.

Americans have 3.5 billion brand-related conversations per day, according to a recent report by the Keller Fay Group. Added to that, nearly 80% of consumers trust recommendations from friends, family, and “trusted” sources over any form of advertising. With a population of 300 million, that means the average American engages in over 10 per day; 8 of which is likely more influential than any advertisement or paid sponsorship. 

The truth is, participating in word of mouth is fun, and people love being brand advocates – especially when they go online. Social networks, blogs, forums and the like thrive because they provide opportunities to share, engage, gossip, complain, and praise with likeminded others who have equally informed opinions. At a time when the “real” world is increasingly fragmented, brand-related conversations bring strangers together and become central to how people construct their online identities.

By understanding the social nature of the online consumer it becomes easier for brands to reach influencers and insert themselves into the seemingly closed circles of brand-related conversations.  Engage consumers in the places where they “live” online instead of serving ads that might disrupt their online experience.  Focus on why, where, and ultimately HOW your audience might participate in a conversation.  Empower influencers to become advocates by providing tools to move brand messages to friends, family and online communities.

Evolving Platforms, Evolving Communities

I remember sitting in a packed room at OMMA for a session on emerging media, and the panel leader opened with the question “by show of hands, how many people have clicked on a banner ad recently?” 

Nobody raised a hand. 

Years ago they may have. During the times when Internet navigation was more basic –people went into chat rooms to connect with others, the Internet seemed like an open frontier, and dot com companies boomed with great promise.

The Internet now is about sharing, sharing, sharing! Sharing is about being social, but sharing also establishes status.  Content “goes viral” when a person initiates connections with others and sharing “insider” information with their network of friends and family.  The most active influencers on the Internet establish credibility in online communities by way of actively introducing new threads into ongoing conversations and sharing freshly discovered content and opinions. 

An influencer will hunt through pages of search links and obscure websites like they are on a treasure hunt to find content that is relevant and new. By providing tools to easily share content – MySpace widgets, Facebook applications, videos, access to contacts in email, reminders via email/SMS, personal calendars, RSS feeds, etc.—brands can empower influencers to accomplish their mission and in doing so insert themselves into trusted networks of online communities. 

Maximum Choices, Maximum Impact

Key influencers spend a significant amount of time online to stay informed and they carefully police the boundaries of their online communities.

Brands should not think like rebellious teenagers – there is a difference between any attention and good attention.  Flashy banner and pre-roll ads risk annoying the most influential consumers who spend hours a day navigating websites. The use of interactive publishing tools maximizes engagement and encourages spreading “the word” (whatever that may be) virally. By offering multiple user-friendly communications tools, influencers can easily share information across email, SMS, personal calendars, websites and social networks. It’s about giving options to people in this age of “Me” media to let them express their opinions, while retaining control of the brand.  Let the influencers do the heavy lifting instead of trying to storm the castle they carefully guard.   

Influencers are always one step ahead of the curve.  Technology that is new to a brand is probably old news to such early adopters and avid Internet surfers who are often early adopters. An example of this is Facebook and MySpace. There were already millions on the network before brands began seeking out opportunities to market on the networks. By actively seeking out emerging media, brands can find new ways to move messages and provide influencers with vessels for sharing branded content. This key group is constantly searching for new “treasures”, and when they find something they like, brands should empower them with every opportunity to bring back the prize that will impress their friends and spark a brand-related conversation in their online communities.

The web is a powerful tool to reach and connect with influencers, but that’s only the beginning. Once you have their attention, you must keep it and engage your target again and again through a variety of mediums of their choosing.  It’s about holding their attention over a period of time and having these influencers not only interact with the brand, but become the brand’s ambassador. By doing so, conversations about the brand within the “inner circle” eventually become a defining characteristic of the “inner circle,” as the influencer engages his/her respective groups (and all the subsequent groups connected by each individual).