Auto Dealer Monthly

FEB 2014

Auto Dealer Monthly Magazine is the daily operations publication serving the retail automotive industry. This automotive publication serves dealer principals, officers and general managers with the latest best practices.

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By Stephanie Forshee INDU S TRY SPOTLIGHT LADIES' NIGHT Reaching highline customers has its challenges, but Lexus of Massapequa's Rose Cruz has set her sights on an even more focused market: women. Lexu Lexus of M Massapequa (N.Y.), locat o th located less than an hour from Man Manhattan in an afuent area of Long Island's of Lo Islan South Shore, is using cupcakes using cupcake and cocktails as bait to attract attrac t a bait to attrac female buyers to the store h r the store and its lineup of luxury vehicles. But refreshments are only one facet of a larger campaign which includes special events, educational sessions and social media marketing. Much of the credit for the campaign's success belongs to Rose Cruz, the store's business development manager. She joined the dealership last July afer working with its parent company, Atlantic Auto Group, for about four years. She had been dreaming up ways to connect with female shoppers and was anxious to put her ideas into practice. "I said to myself: 'I have to fnd ways to engage women. For instance, the Lexus RX350, which is the most popular model we have in our line, is driven predominantly by women," Cruz explains. According to Forbes, 60% of Lexus RX crossover buyers are female. CARS AND CUPCAKES In December, the staf invited women to join them at the dealership for "Cars & Cupcakes," a one-night event featuring baked goods, virgin cocktails, holiday shopping and workshops on car-related topics. "You can take Saks Fif h Avenue, Bloomingdale's, even smaller boutiques, and they have ladies' nights," 16 Cruz says. "I thought, 'Why not try this here?' And that's exactly what we did." Afer enjoying the faux champagne and virgin cosmopolitans served throughout the night, visitors were invited to sit in on sessions to learn more about the auto f nancing process. Cruz hoped the sessions their credit, and leasing vs. buying. One session was even dedicated to demystifying car terminology like "horsepower" and "all-wheel drive." "You need to know your demographic. You need to know your psychographic," Rose Cruz (above) recently worked with Somos Partners Inc. on campaigns aimed to bring in more female car buyers. In December, Lexus of Massapequa hosted Cars & Cupcakes, a one-night event where women were invited to partake in cupcakes, cocktails and shopping. would help change the mindset of women who may have been reluctant to buy a car on their own. "As a woman, going into the dealership alone can be a very scary thing," Cruz says. "Tey feel more comfortable bringing a guy with them — their husband, a brother, their son, an uncle. So the seminars let them know a little more about what they're going to be hearing." Led by two women, a local teacher and a longtime Lexus of Massapequa sales consultant, the sessions focused on what women need to know about their family's credit, what determines their credit score, how to improve AUTO DE ALE R MONTHLY • FE BRUARY 2014 Cruz stresses, adding that she plans to switch up the topics in the future. Cars & Cupcakes was held shortly afer November's Long Island Women's Expo, where Cruz and coworkers manned a booth for Lexus of Massapequa. Flanked by exhibitors selling leather coats and spa treatments, Cruz says the Lexus booth became a favorite destination for attendees thanks to the cupcakes her team handed out. Booth visitors also received vouchers they could redeem for a $25 American Express gif card by visiting the dealership

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