Automotive / Dealership & Auto Sales Marketing
Auto Sales Marketing
Auto sales marketing at MBI is variable-data direct mail for the sales department of one dealership, built from that store's own vehicle, lease, service and equity records, printed and mailed by one team and reinforced after delivery by matched-list Meta ads and opted-in SMS.
Not sure where to start? Talk with our teamDirect mail
Which vehicle owners does an auto sales direct mail campaign reach?
The short answer
Auto sales direct mail reaches the owners already sitting in a dealership's own records. Dealers use variable-data postcards for equity mining, lease pull-ahead, service reminders and conquest offers, selected from vehicle, lease, service or equity data. The campaign needs usable CRM and DMS segments and regular new and used inventory turnover to work.
Four kinds of postcard. Dealers use variable-data postcards for equity mining, lease pull-ahead, service reminders and conquest offers, using vehicle, lease, service or equity data.
What it needs behind it. An auto sales campaign needs usable CRM/DMS segments and regular new and used inventory turnover behind it.
USPS Domestic Mail Manual 602.5 provides that each address, except for mail bearing an alternative address format, in a mailing at commercial First-Class Mail presorted or automation prices or USPS Marketing Mail prices is subject to the Move Update standard, and that each address and associated addressee used on the mailpieces in a mailing must be updated within 95 days before the mailing date, by Address Change Service, NCOALink or another approved method.
USPS Domestic Mail Manual 602.5
Postcard · Direct Mail
Sheet · Printing
Equity mining
How does equity mining direct mail find owners who can trade today?
The short answer
Equity mining direct mail selects the owners whose vehicle carries positive equity and mails each of them a variable-data postcard built from the store's own vehicle, lease, service and equity fields. VIN and equity acquisition is run by trade cycle, so the piece asks for a trade appraisal appointment rather than quoting a vehicle.
By trade cycle. VIN/equity and lease-pull-ahead acquisition is run by trade cycle, with variable-data mail that resolves to a trade appraisal appointment.
Postcard · Direct Mail
Letter · Direct Mail
Conquest
Who receives a conquest direct mail piece, and what does it offer?
The short answer
A conquest direct mail piece carries a trade-in offer to owners of a competitor brand, printed and mailed as a variable-data postcard from the same production floor as the rest of the programme. Inventory-specific Meta lead forms, walkaround video and appointment retargeting then carry the same offer behind a model launch.
The three concepts. Equity-mining mail goes to owners with positive vehicle equity, a conquest trade-in offer goes to competitor-brand owners, and a lease pull-ahead or pre-renewal postcard campaign is the third documented concept.
Behind a model launch. Model launches and conquest events are supported with inventory-specific Meta lead forms, walkaround video and appointment retargeting.
Postcard · Direct Mail
Reel · Instagram
Meta carousel · Facebook
The data file
How does one data file become four campaigns?
The short answer
One data extract stands behind four campaigns. VIN and equity acquisition is run by trade cycle to a trade appraisal appointment. Lease pull-ahead acquisition runs on the same cycle. For service customers the campaign to run is a service-to-sales inspection or upgrade offer. Unsold leads are reworked with a 30/60/90-day video and inventory-match sequence.
Service customers. Service customers are converted into sales opportunities with a service-to-sales inspection or upgrade offer.
Unsold leads. Unsold leads are reworked with a 30/60/90-day video and inventory-match sequence.
One team. MBI has had data, print and delivery in-house since 1989, so one team answers for a whole campaign instead of a client coordinating three vendors.
One file, four campaigns
Card · Printing
Matched-list ads and SMS
What agrees with the mail after it lands?
The short answer
Matched-list Facebook and Instagram retargeting can reinforce a direct-mail offer after it reaches the recipient, and opted-in SMS can reinforce the same offer with short mobile calls to action. Both run against the file that was mailed. SMS consent is captured before any text is sent, and lead routing follows rooftop and vehicle availability.
The matched list. Matched-list Facebook/Instagram retargeting can reinforce a direct-mail offer after it reaches the recipient.
Only with consent. Opted-in SMS can reinforce the mail offer with short mobile calls to action.
What the campaign may not imply. Auto sales campaigns use verified inventory, pricing, incentive and finance disclosures and do not imply guaranteed trade value or approval; documented SMS consent is captured and lead routing is tied to rooftop and vehicle availability.
digital advertising services direct mail and digital marketing
Meta ad · Facebook
SMS
Landing page · Web
Printing
What does MBI print and mail for a dealership?
The short answer
MBI prints 4x6 service-reminder postcards, 6x9 or 6x11 variable-data postcards, and letters with business cards and envelopes. Data, print and delivery have been in-house since 1989, so trim size, the variable fields and the mail date are settled by one team rather than passed between three vendors.
The formats. Auto sales mail is printed as 4x6 service-reminder postcards, 6x9 or 6x11 variable-data postcards, and letters with business cards and envelopes.
USPS Domestic Mail Manual 201 sets card-price physical standards at not less than 3-1/2 inches high, 5 inches long and 0.007 inch thick, with a card more than 4-1/4 inches high or 6 inches long required to be at least 0.009 inch thick; at not more than 4-1/4 inches high, 6 inches long or 0.016 inch thick for each stamped card or each half of a double postcard; and at not more than 6 inches high, 9 inches long or 0.016 inch thick for each postcard. It sets letter-size standards at not more than 11-1/2 inches long, 6-1/8 inches high or 1/4-inch thick, and requires cards to be within an aspect ratio (length divided by height) of 1.3 to 2.5 inclusive.
USPS Domestic Mail Manual 201
printing services postcard mailing services direct mail cost
Postcard · Direct Mail
Questions
Questions a dealership asks before it mails
Searched for car sales marketing, auto dealer sales marketing or vehicle sales marketing? Same work, same answers.
What is auto sales marketing at MBI?
Auto sales marketing at MBI is variable-data mail run on one dealership's own records. Dealers use variable-data postcards for equity mining, lease pull-ahead, service reminders and conquest offers, drawn from vehicle, lease, service or equity data. MBI builds the file, prints the pieces and mails them.
Which campaigns does a dealership run first?
Three: equity-mining mail to owners with positive vehicle equity, a lease pull-ahead or pre-renewal postcard campaign, and a conquest trade-in offer to competitor-brand owners. MBI produces and mails all three.
How does the trade cycle decide when mail drops?
The drop follows the owner's position in the cycle rather than the sales calendar. VIN/equity and lease-pull-ahead acquisition is run by trade cycle, with variable-data mail that resolves to a trade appraisal appointment.
What do matched-list Meta ads add after the mailer arrives?
A second sight of the same offer. Matched-list Facebook and Instagram retargeting can reinforce a direct-mail offer after it reaches the recipient, so the household holding the postcard meets it again in feed. MBI builds the matched audience from the mail file and runs the placements.
Is SMS part of an auto sales campaign?
Only with consent. Opted-in SMS can reinforce the mail offer with short mobile calls to action, sent to numbers the dealership already has permission to text. MBI sequences those messages behind the mail drop rather than in place of it.
What formats does MBI print for a dealership?
4x6 service-reminder postcards, 6x9 or 6x11 variable-data postcards, and letters with business cards and envelopes. A card more than 4-1/4 inches high or 6 inches long must be at least 0.009 inch thick to hold card prices, and a 6x11 piece mails at letter size.
What can an auto sales campaign not promise?
Anything guaranteed. Campaigns use verified inventory, pricing, incentive and finance disclosures, and do not imply guaranteed trade value or approval. SMS consent is captured before any text goes out, and lead routing is tied to rooftop and vehicle availability.
What goes into the cost of a trade-cycle mailing?
A trade-cycle mailing is quoted on two costs, producing the piece and mailing it. The piece and the audience are settled first — a 4x6 service-reminder postcard, a 6x9 or 6x11 variable-data card, or a letter with a business card and envelope — and what moves the number is set out on /capabilities/direct-mail/direct-mail-cost.
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