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Client Success Story - Randy Kuehl Honda

  • Writer: Flanker Media
    Flanker Media
  • Jun 22
  • 3 min read


When you think of auto reliability, Honda is one of the first brands that comes to mind. We've had the great privilege of representing the family ownership at Randy Kuehl Honda since the establishment of our agency. As a business that's always been willing to try bold, new ideas - we've enjoyed being a part of their continued evolution and growth.


Humble Beginnings in Cedar Rapids


The original location of Randy Kuehl Honda situated on Center Point Road in Cedar Rapids always had limitations. The lot itself struggled to accommodate more than 100 cars at time. The interior was dated and the service department was cramped. Ownership was aware of this and slowly prepared an exit to expand, however they didn't want to rush the decision. The new location needed to be just right. In the meantime, they deployed an incredibly unique marketing strategy to outshine their competition over the air.


The Silent Ads


Pre-dating our relationship with the Kuehl family, they had started to use completely silent TV ads as part of their marketing strategy. These ads have become iconic in eastern Iowa as many people instinctively look at their TV when the sound drops out. Symbolically, this has also positioned them as a "softer" selling car dealer when compared to the boisterous, aggressive style many expect in the industry. Over time, we've refined the look, timing and placement of these silent ads to make them more efficient and relevant to viewers.


Upgrading Ad Placement Strategy


With the silent ad campaign requiring a video-first media buying approach, our goal was to make sure we were targeting relevant audiences across all available mediums and generational divides. This meant expanding beyond the just broadcast and cable TV advertising and adding streaming and paid social platforms into the mix. Randy Kuehl become an early adopter of YouTube ads in the Cedar Rapids market, taking full advantage of first and third party data to serve automotive shoppers across all devices.


Eventually this expanded to include a broad spectrum of CTV (connected TV) and social audiences all segmented by specific model interests. Shoppers spanning all generations were now acutely aware of the Randy Kuehl brand - and the data supported this as keyword research from Google suggested they were miles ahead for monthly brand searches relative to other area Honda dealers.


Moving to New Location During COVID - & Breaking Records!


Unfortunately for the Kuehl family, their new dealership location on Highway 100 in Cedar Rapids had its grand opening during the height of the COVID pandemic in 2020. After years of careful planning, their state-of-the-art facility was now open for business - in a public location customer no longer felt safe to visit. Like many other businesses, company leadership adapted to the new rules and began implementing hands-free policies for test drives and deliveries. Our team helped get this message out to concerned buyers still looking to pull the trigger. This pivot resulted in month after month of shattered new car records through the summer.


Continued Evolution of Media Buying Strategy


In recent years, we've continued to fine tune their media mix to meet customers where they watch and with the message most relevant to them. With a continued emphasis on using qualified first and third party data, our agency has supported sales activity for not just new and preowned vehicles, but their service department as well. As their full service partner, on any given month we're planning and executing campaigns through channels such as:


Let Us Help Your Business Transform


If this story sounds like a breath of fresh air when compared to your current marketing strategy, give our team an opportunity. Consultations are free, so what do you have to lose? Flanker Media is a full service advertising agency focused on improving small business media strategy.

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