Long Beach, Calif. – Kenwood is stepping up its promotion and dealer-education programs in 2013.
The new effort will include additional vendor participation in its “X Rewards” sell-through promotion, a new customer database development program, video-based training content and deeper involvement in social media and online solutions forums.
“Our intention is to deliver a comprehensive program that will stimulate customer floor traffic, improve a dealer’s ability to engage and qualify customers, help dealers reach new customers via digital media, and help to drive sell-through of inventory,” said Scott Caswell, senior marketing manager for Kenwood’s consumer electronics sector.
Kenwood’s “pull-through strategy of carefully scheduled promotions, customer incentives, dealer training, new digital marketing tools and proven selling rewards will further demonstrate our commitment to the success of the Kenwood specialist retailer network,” he said.
The annual X Rewards program, a dealer-targeted points-for-rewards program designed to drive sell-through of Excelon series products, will this year include the participation of SiriusXM and Automotive Data Solutions (ADS). SiriusXM participated in 2012. SiriusXM and ADS will offer X Rewards points for the attachment of selected SiriusXM and ADS products to specific Kenwood in-dash electronics models.
The X Rewards program runs from April 15 through June 30.
Also in 2013, Kenwood will run promotions with the support of Garmin, iBiquity (HD Radio), and Pandora. Garmin and iBiquity also participated in Kenwood promotions in 2012.
And Kenwood is launching customer database development program along with new digital marketing tools to attract new customers and keep in touch with existing customers. The three-step plan, said marketing development manager Tony Mercado, will help dealers build a database of qualified consumer leads, manage a private marketing account on a secure third party platform, and share Kenwood-specific content and turnkey promotions with consumers.
The program will help dealers use such digital tools as social media and web buttons “to successfully execute on promotions that they can create on their own and those that are crafted by Kenwood,” Mercado said. The company will also help dealers convert a percentage of their customer mailing list to an e-mail list to “ broaden a dealer’s customer reach” and “speak directly to the most qualified customers who are active in social media and are enthused by mobile technology,” he said.
Kenwood said it is stepping up dealer training by developing more video-based content and getting involved more deeply in social media and the company’s online solution forums.
