Digital marketing is key to building brands in automotive trade

So claims Mynhardt Oosthuizen, operations director at eliance, a national provider of comprehensive business solutions targeting the automotive sector.

Digital marketing is now considered a key focus within the industry, given the challenge to meet budgets and margins in the next few months, a period most operators suggest will be ‘very tight'.

According to Oosthuizen, customer retention through quality service goes hand in hand with the digital marketing strategy.

His company continues to invest its skills pool to enhance its portfolio of services, which include website development and management, and digital and Internet marketing, amongst others.

“The advent of technology, an increasing client base and requirements combined with a volatile market place calls for the placement of digital marketing communication solutions across the board,” he adds. “This will improve the streamlining of interaction with customers, information storage and retrieval, and have positive consequences for inter-departmental communication.”

Traders that use digital marketing systems to enhance customer service levels have an advantage over those that opt for a more traditional approach says Oosthuizen, adding that his company role is to develop a digital marketing strategy to position the auto brand and its service effectively.

“Web presence is considered a priority and basic starting point in terms of digital marketing and advertising. It sets the standard for customer interaction and service levels. At the same time South African consumers are said to be among the most brand-conscious and loyal in the world – again, solutions have a role to play here,” he adds.