Challenges and Opportunities
In the initial collaboration between DGDG and Marchex, two significant challenges took center stage:
- GA4 Launch Challenge: DGDG grappled with the intricate task of an effective Google Analytics 4 (GA4) launch. Timelines and alignment with DGDG’s requirements were critical, given their commitment as a founding member of the GA4 Auto Standards Council. Marchex’s specialized expertise within the council positioned them ideally to address these needs promptly.
- Integration with VinSolutions CRM: Seamlessly integrating marketing efforts with DGDG’s current Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system posed a complex challenge. The goal was to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of DGDG’s marketing strategies.
Upon closer examination during the discovery phase, four additional important opportunities and benefits emerged from partnering with Marchex:
- Complex DNI Solution: Implementing a Dynamic Number Insertion (DNI) solution emerged as a prime opportunity. This solution aimed to optimize call tracking and attribution, a crucial aspect for DGDG’s analytics and understanding of customer behavior.
- New CRM Integration: DGDG’s strategic shift toward a new CRM offered a long-term vision. Integrating Marchex’s solutions with them promised a valuable advantage, ensuring seamless data flow and process efficiency across the organization.
- Integration with Clarivoy for Multi-Touch Attribution: The prospect of integrating Marchex’s solutions with Clarivoy, an existing third-party solution, for multi-touch attribution was notable. This integration promised a holistic view of customer interactions and journeys, aiding informed decision-making, previously not available.
- Cost Savings: Recognizing potential cost savings emerged as a significant benefit of collaborating with Marchex. Implementing their solutions had the potential to maximize operational expenses while upholding or elevating the quality of services provided by DGDG.
In summary, the partnership with Marchex presented significant opportunities for DGDG, including enhanced analytics, improved CRM integration, cost savings, and access to industry expertise. A bonus is the ability for them to tap into Marchex’s valuable relationships with Automotive Original Manufacturers (OEMs) and their leadership role within the Auto Standards Council which both have the potential to drive growth and efficiency within DGDG’s marketing and operational long-term strategies.
Situation & Solution
Between 2017 and 2022, online advertising revenue in the U.S. experienced an astonishing growth rate of over 130%, reaching nearly $210 billion in 2022. As the internet advertising landscape continues to expand, it offers various avenues for brand exposure. Market projections for 2023 indicate that search advertising will maintain its position as the leader in digital ad spending, closely followed by video and banner ads (Source: Statista.com).
However, it’s important to note that up to 25% of marketing expenditures go to waste. Frustrated with their current providers’ inability to address this issue, DGDG turned to Marchex for assistance in eliminating marketing blind spots. Marchex’s solution aims to provide more comprehensive marketing attribution and innovation, elevating DGDG’s marketing efforts to a higher level.
The primary goal of this program is to track marketing attribution for phone calls, enabling a deeper understanding of media mix performance and optimizing budget allocation to enhance Return on Ad Spend (ROAS). Furthermore, sharing call event data, originating from DGDG web properties, with Google Analytics 4 (GA4) will allow DGDG to gauge call responses within their primary marketing attribution platform and attribute post-conversions accurately to Google Ads.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) represents a cutting-edge evolution in web analytics, designed to offer a more holistic view of user interactions and behavior across digital platforms. Diverging from its predecessor, Universal Analytics, GA4 adopts a forward-looking approach aligned with the ever-evolving digital landscape. Among its key features are Event-Driven Data Collection, Enhanced Cross-Platform Tracking, Advanced Machine Learning, User-Centric Reporting, and a Privacy-Centric Approach. These features have substantial implications for marketers.
The promises of Deeper User Insights, Advanced Segmentation, Unified Analytics, Future-Ready Analytics, and Personalization and Optimization in GA4 signal a paradigm shift in web analytics. It empowers marketers with profound insights into user behavior, cross-platform interactions, and predictive capabilities. GA4 equips marketers to navigate the complexities of the modern digital world, enabling them to craft more tailored and effective strategies that align with customer expectations.
To boost sales, incoming calls from potential customers seeking to make purchases will be directed to their current CRM system for inclusion in the sales pipeline and potential follow-up. In Q3-Q4 of 2023, DGDG anticipates migrating their Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to another provider to further enhance their solution, necessitating integration efforts.
Key Success Metrics
IMPROVE THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY WITH DEEPER MARKETING ATTRIBUTION
Know who called your business, what happened on the call and what the outcome was.
- Customize the customer journey using session-level data.
- Identify the most effective campaigns and channels using AI (Artificial Intelligence) signals and lead scoring.
- Quickly analyze conversations to make better data-driven decisions.
- Integrate lead data into the marketing platforms that you use today.
OPTIMIZE OPERATIONS AND PROVE AD SPEND
Leverage data-driven insights to make smarter marketing decisions.
- Leverage session-level data to personalize the customer journey.
- Label call outcomes at scale in real-time
- Dashboards and reporting to identify trends in lead quality.
- Integrate lead data into the marketing platforms that you use today.
CLOSE THE SALES LOOP
Attribute leads and conversions back to your marketing campaigns.
- Quantify the value of each response per advertising source.
- Receive alerts on positive outcomes.
- Dig deeper into the conversations to identify key drivers of advertising spend performance.
- Upload call outcome data into Google Ads, Bing, Facebook, and more.
Results
Our journey with Marchex has revolutionized how we approach automotive digital marketing. Their solutions bridged gaps, streamlined processes, and empowered us to optimize our strategies. The partnership was more than a transaction; it was a journey of mutual growth, driven by a commitment to modernization and excellence. Through Marchex’s cutting-edge technology and unwavering support, we have transformed our approach, reaping both quantifiable and qualitative rewards.