Helen Brough, RBH’s account director for PEUGEOT dealer marketing, discusses all the ways dealers can prepare for the introduction of new electric vehicles.
With ‘electric adventures’ featured at last weekend’s London Motor and Tech Show, there was a myth busting session on the realities of owning an electric vehicle. This is something that manufacturers can speak confidently about, but what about their network?
Over the coming years, we will ultimately see more and more consumers swapping to rechargeable models. But how quickly this will happen and how prepared our dealers are for this shift, remains to be seen.
Dealers are constantly having to readjust their focus, with the likes of new model launches, central sales events and special editions. So, how do they continue to do this while keeping up to speed with industry advancements such as electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility?
To start with, dealers need to be taken on the journey along with the manufacturer.
It’s what PEUGEOT has been doing over the last few years, gearing up to important new launches in the electric vehicle sector, starting with the all-new e208 later this year.
Training is key, making sure sales teams feel confident when asked tricky questions. Consumers can be put off by what they read about electric vehicles in the press and want to be put at ease prior to making a large purchase.
They want to feel confident in the sales teams, not only in taking them through the specifications of the cars – which should be second nature to them – but answering more general queries about buying electric, such as, ‘where are my nearest charging stations?’, ‘can I charge my car at home?’, ‘how far can I travel on one charge?’, ‘what’s the difference between battery, plug-in or hybrid?’or ‘how much will I save on running costs?’ The list goes on!
On top of this, dealers should have the right infrastructure in place, ensuring they have the correct number of charging points to facilitate the introduction of multiple new electric models.
As PEUGEOT’s dealer marketing agency, our role is to support the network once the training and dealership infrastructure has been put in place. We ensure that dealers are informed of central plans and updates regularly as part of a robust communications plan.
We want the network to be excited and motivated throughout this step change for the brand, understanding the huge importance they play in embracing this movement. Our support with communications and channel planning, audience profiling and provision of relevant, impactful assets helps to make this happen.
Here at RBH, we’re no strangers to managing dealers through brand and industry changes and look forward to working with PEUGEOT on the next stage of their journey into electrification. Read more about work we have done with Peugeot here.
