Automakers help fund dealers' big ideas

While the work of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein may strike up memories of art history class for some, Mini sees it as a gateway to potential buyers.

Mini's target audience is known as a creative lot, so it makes sense that Sewell Automotive Cos. in Texas saw the opening of a pop-culture art exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art last October as an ideal spot to push the brand.

The dealership group, which has a Mini store in Plano, wrapped a Cooper in a graphic that was inspired by Lichtenstein's art and displayed it in the museum for exhibit attendees. The group brought in a photo booth as well to engage onlookers during the preview party for "International Pop," an exhibition dedicated to the global emergence of pop art from the mid-1950s to the early 1970s.

The event drew more than 1,000 visitors who fit the profile that Mini covets, says Stephen Tolerico, chief marketing officer of Sewell Automotive.

But Sewell's presence at the museum wouldn't have been possible without an assist from Mini, which covered about half of the expenses through co-op funding to sponsor the festivities.

"It was cost-prohibitive. It would not have made sense for us to do it without their assistance," Tolerico told Automotive News. "It would've been a missed opportunity based upon the demographics that were there, the impressions that were made, the opinions that were solidified about the brand."

Retailers such as Sewell Automotive are on the front lines of the daily sales race, often sponsoring events in the community for outreach as well as running TV and digital campaigns to attract nearby customers. But often, in the background, manufacturers are providing the funding for experiential plays and digital tactics to help dealers reel in the right kind of local leads. 

"The best dealers are always the most connected in their communities. They're part of what happens on the ground there," Tom Noble, Mini's marketing head, told Automotive News. "As much as we would like the brand to be represented in a consistent fashion across the country, different things work differently for each market. You need to understand what motivates those people at a local level."

Sewell's business proposal for the art museum party was approved by Mini within two weeks. Tolerico said the process moved quickly because the group went directly to the top, pitching the proposal to Noble, who thought it was a good idea. 

Tolerico said Sewell Automotive's in-house graphic designer created the Mini Cooper's quirky look for the party. The design was then sent to Mini brass for review. 

The group, with stores in the San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston areas, heeded Mini's advice on a redesign before getting the Cooper wrapped by a local vendor. 

"They're very open to ideas, which is really great. We can get creative here," Tolerico said. "They're good about giving us feedback." 

Such mutual marketing opportunities can be especially rich for a brand breaking into new markets or segments. 

When Jaguar launched its XE entry-level sedan and the F-Pace, its first crossover, some Jaguar stores had low-key gatherings as part of the brand's national series of exclusive customer events. But Jaguar-Land Rover Sacramento went all out, throwing a party at an airplane hangar for around 150 past customers and prospects. 

The event featured a San Francisco DJ and offered the dealership a chance to engage with Jaguar consumers as well as Land Rover clients. 

Jaguar Land Rover reimbursed the dealership for nearly all of the party's expenses. 

"We touched two different customer bases knowing that they're quite similar in nature," said Megan Desideri, marketing manager of Niello Co., which owns the Jaguar-Land Rover store. "We work in a conquest capacity to try to get some new eyes to a brand-new product." 

Desideri said the group also has received co-op funding from other brands it sells, including Porsche, Fiat and Mini.