Staying in your lane by understanding the tiered advertising system

When looking at the dynamic structure of the automotive market, the 3 Tiered advertising system  is to help bring clarity, organization and hopefully synergies across  advertising units.

Goal: 

Geo:

Outlets:

Branding

National TV, Radio, Celebrity/Sports Endorsements,  Digital Ads, etc.

National

Resposibility:

Manufacturer

Tier 1 Automotive Advertising is focused from the manufacturers perspective and generally at a national level. This is generally seen from the brand’s stance — like GM, Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, etc. —  and is really about making the brand resonate as the car company of choice.

Goal: 

Geo:

Outlets:

Brand Resonation, Regionally

Regional Broadcast/Cable, Billboards, Digital, Venue Sponsorship, etc.

Regional/DMA/MSA

Resposibility:

Regional Agency or Buying Group

Tier 2 Advertising isn’t radically different than that of the national, Tier 1 focus but does have some intricacies to benefit the region. Tier 2 Advertising is really just the regional advertising initiatives that auto brands use to connect with the local community. Really, the goal of Tier 2 advertising initiatives are so that <insert locality>’s Vehicle Buyers think of <insert car brand> as <insert locality>’s #1 vehicle option (i.e. Pittsburgh’s Truck Buyers chose Ford as their Pittsburgh  truck option).

Goal: 

Geo:

Outlets:

Sell Cars

Cable, Social Media, Search, Billboards, etc.

Local/PMA

Resposibility:

Dealership

Tier 3 advertising puts a lot of the marketing effort onto the local dealership, to push buyers for  the particular brand you offer  as opposed to your competitor down the road offering the  same brand. It’s important to note that Tier 3 advertising is not just local advertising. It is advertising at a local level, for a local establishment (the dealership) specifically for the national manufacturer’s brand  or vehicle.