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If COVID-19 hasn’t convinced car dealers of the necessity of a vibrant online retail presence, maybe Cyber Monday 2020 will. Even before the pandemic, Cyber Monday was growing as the virtual twin (literally!) of Black Friday. Cyber Monday emerged as shoppers logged online the Monday after Thanksgiving to check store websites for any missed deals from Black Friday. 

Adobe Analytics, a marketing data software company, is predicting—in spite of or due to the pandemic—that Cyber Monday 2020 (Nov. 30) will garner $12.7 billion in online sales, up from the $9.4 billion in e-commerce in 2019.

Don’t even try to spook anyone this Halloween. We’re all in a state of hyper-vigilance from 2020, and masks aren’t amusing anymore. When you greet your customers in October just give them some apple cider and a hug. We’ve all been through enough.

Instead, deliver a memorable car-buying experience by lavishing your people with sweet goodness. Vehicle Personalization is all treats and no tricks for everyone involved. From your customer to your General Manager, accessories give everyone just what they want. 

It’s probably tempting to think end-of-year sales objectives are out the window at this point. After all, 2020 has thrown us for loops and there’s still a quarter left. Overcoming is our theme, and it’s not over till it’s over!

How can Insignia help you finish strong this late in the game? The answer is still accessories.

The OE brands that Insignia supports showed an average increase in order value of over 18% in 2020 compared to 2019!

Once upon a time, cars from every walk of life lined football stadiums for tailgating season. The year was 2019 and the fall air was crisp. Truck beds donned flat screens and chicken wing buffets. Jeeps displayed elaborate pop-out tents. Ford Focuses pulled up with a lone fold-out chair in their trunk, but we accepted them. Football meant community, frenzy and fabulous accessories.

Though the current state of affairs looks different, the football fan lives on. It’s time to replicate tailgating in our driveway and we need accessories to do it. According to The Sports Daily, the average NFL fan is willing to spend about $200 per tailgating party. That's just for one event. Imagine what a true fan would spend on an accessory that will last them through many seasons. With fans trying to replicate an experience remotely, this could be a banner year for tailgating accessories.

What can one of the most popular burger joints teach your dealership about Vehicle Personalization?

Simple: everybody wants it their way. Personalization is king, and customizing is always a good idea. Right now, dealerships everywhere need all the good ideas to adapt to the times—such as building packages that allow you to display your brand’s personality—while enticing customers. Custom packages can be fluid, seasonal, brand loyal, fun, quirky, and a host of other things. 

Every season is alive with possibilities. Yes, even in 2020. Strategizing with the turning of the tides can make the difference for your bottom line. What should you do during the summer of an already dramatic year? The same thing you do every summer, my friend. Focus on what you know, and take one step at a time. So, what do we know?

We know public transportation is declining, making personal vehicles a necessity. We know road trips are beckoning the nation like a Siren's song. We know COVID online shopping has surpassed last year's holiday sales.

We also know Vehicle Personalization is a multi-billion dollar industry. The need for a car mixed with the need for a vacation, topped off with chronic *adds to cart*, should serve you well. This is an aftermarket summer like you've never seen it.

Blazing a trail for a successful accessory program requires strategy. As surely as a new hire needs training, molding an accessory program calls for similar attention.

Is outsourcing really valuable? Can a dealership with a strong management team craft such a strategy on its own? Is there any reason a store couldn’t take best practice tips and implement them themselves? Is the expense of training a good return on investment?

These are valid questions from dealerships nationwide. Particularly now, as we all keep a closer eye on our budgets than ever. Let’s explore the reality of launching a new accessory program in your store.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the first half of 2020, it’s that toilet paper was never the answer.

That in mind, we press on, looking first to survive, then creatively thrive. July, which is about level four of Jumanji, has presented a game advantage in the form of a delayed tax day. After a few difficult months, a final wave of income tax returns makes it possible for consumers to take the bait on a new vehicle. America threw us a bone and we’re going to accessorize it.

We could all use a boost to our bottom line right now. 

We could probably use a week off social media, a tropical vacation, and some yoga too, but I digress. With summer ablaze, car dealers have more than a day at the beach on their minds. In the midst of a global pandemic inciting mayhem in our industry, we must soak up every cent of seasonal summer accessories. Say that five times fast.

Eighteen-year-old Samantha Dorton is fresh out of high school. With a spirit of optimism, she initiated plans to leave the nest. Her first stop on the road to independence was a local dealership. Samantha’s mother, Khrystal Dorton, Insignia Group’s Customer Care Coordinator, asked her daughter to be self-sufficient before she flew on her own.

“That meant getting her vehicle fixed, or purchasing one that ran,” Khrystal said. “She decided to buy a good one and leave her 2001 Nissan Pathfinder behind.” Armed with her approval specs from the bank and a good idea of what she was looking for, Samantha was ready to face the car-buying process head-on.