Consider it a case of marketing by Keebler Elf: By using cookies within banner ads, Isuzu has been able to improve conversion to sale rates by 60% above customers that browse the Web without having cookies placed on their computer.
Here’s how it works, as described by Paul Ashcraft, president of the Envision Group, which designed the program: A potential customer browses the Kelley Blue Book online site, doing comparison research on three models of vehicles, such as the Nissan Xterra, the Pontiac Vibe and the Isuzu Rodeo. As he does, a banner ad for Isuzu Motor Co. places a cookie on the potential customer’s computer. He may not have noticed the cookie, but the cookie noticed him.
The cookies remain in a dormant state until the prospect clicks on Isuzu.com, the car company’s Web site. At this point, Isuzu knows the cars he has investigated, and can tailor the materials presented on the fly.
For instance, pages highlight the manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the Rodeo, the fact that it has a 205 horsepower engine, and that it has four-wheel disc brakes. While neither the Xterra nor the Vibe is mentioned, these are attributes that all compare favorably to these vehicles. The site also allows the prospect to customize a car online and generate a suggested retail price.
After a customer has gone through Kelley’s Blue Book and browsed the Isuzu site, it’s a pretty safe bet that he’s close to making a purchase. But sometimes a little extra push is needed. If the prospect does not take a final step on the site and agree to have his information submitted to a local dealer, the site is programmed to offer a limited-time offer (usually 14 days) to receive $500 off the price–if he finishes the quote request. Isuzu has seen a 10% click through to incentive offer rate.
At this point, if the consumer agrees, the dealer receives detailed specifications on the vehicle the customer has researched, and also knows the price the customer has been quoted. In the hands of a car salesman, this has proven to be powerful: In addition to the 60% lift in conversion to sale above those that didn’t experience the tailored Web site experience and the incentive, sales made through this system were 85% above its benchmark.
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