Introducing Inventory Snapshots

Partner education has been a focus at Adpearance since our founding, and today I’m excited to introduce Inventory Snapshots, our latest assessment tool. Designed to be simple enough to present with just a few minutes of training, it is robust enough for Tier 2 and program partner field reps to add value to dealer conversations month-over-month. 

We recognize that the dealership’s business model is a 3-legged stool balancing inventory, sales, and marketing. When education focuses exclusively on marketing, it feels disconnected from the realities of business. So with Inventory Snapshots, straight away you can see the connection to the rest of the business. Let’s dive into the details.

The first chart analyses the dealership and its three closest competitors. Looking at the dealership’s inventory, we focus on the three models that make up the largest percentage of their inventory, along with the price and average discount. This information is reflected for the three closest competitors as well for a quick competitive view. The data is sourced from the publicly available information reported by the dealerships on their own websites. 

Moving down the card, we show advertising details related to this information. First, the details of what is showing at the dealership location as it relates to the top three models, as well as the key dealer ‘near me’ low-funnel search. This information is sourced from the Google Ad Preview Tool and you can see the date and timestamp to confirm when the information was gathered.

Here we introduce the concept of battleground locations. That is the geographic area contested by two dealerships. If someone is sitting equal distance from two dealerships, what information are they seeing to compel them to head east or west? Those are battleground locations.

The information about ad rankings in the battleground locations is then highlighted at the model and dealer ‘near me’ levels, and recommendations are provided based on what an automotive advertising strategist would do based on the data shown.

Finally, Inventory Snapshots bring in ad examples to determine if they are leveraging the available stock and pricing details (an addition that leads to a 16% increase in click-through rate). The dealer’s ad image is accessed through Google’s Ad Preview Tool.

At a single page, it is a quick view that you can glance at, but the data provided is meaty enough for a strong business conversation about digital advertising. In the first week since Inventory Snapshots have been live, we’ve received positive feedback from field reps and dealers alike, sharing that the data enabled dealers to see where they were missing, winning and losing against the competition, and that the recommendations were particularly timely during this season of low inventory. 

In terms of logistics, Inventory Snapshots are available the same day they are requested. You can make a request anytime by contacting me, your RSM, or simply getting in touch. And, of course, they are always free to our partners in automotive.    

While Inventory Snapshots represent the latest assessment tool available to dealers and partners, you can still request a full digital analysis or sales by ZIP report. Additionally, we produce a lot of educational content, specific to the automotive industry every month, and we have expert speakers available to travel to your events. Look for more education innovations to come from Adpearance this year, and if you have specific requests, please get in touch. I’d love to hear from you!