Defining the Dealership Role

For consumers looking to switch brands, the dealership experience plays a pretty small role. Those were the findings of a Foresight Research study five years in the making.

Specifically, among conquest buyers, 22% reported that the experience at the dealership gave them their “first favorable opinion” of the brand they ultimately purchased. That means that 78% are looking outside the dealership when it comes to developing favorable opinions about manufacturers.

To be fair, half of those polled said the dealership is “highly influential” in the purchase process, according to the automotive research firm. And two-thirds said that an inviting, modern, and well-organized showroom were keys to influencing the sale.

But while Foresight President Steve Bruyn interpreted the data to mean that “automotive marketers have a big opportunity to win new customers and build brand equity by offering attractive dealership environments,” it seems to me that OEMs should be more concerned with other factors, like finance offerings or online buzz.