Thayer Household Dealerships in Bowling Inexperienced, Ohio, sometimes hosts a handful of occasions per 12 months. The actions — together with a back-to-school occasion, a number of traditional automotive exhibits and a navy appreciation occasion — are supposed to deliver present clients again in addition to attract new neighborhood members and potential clients.
This 12 months, Thayer was capable of maintain its Canine Days of Summer season occasion safely open air, however the pandemic made its different actions inconceivable to host. That is when Thayer received inventive with an concept that will stick even after COVID-19 has handed.
Thayer — which has six shops, one every for Toyota, Nissan, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda and a Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram dealership — held almost a dozen drive-in film nights full with family-friendly movies, snacks and themes starting from Fall Recreation Day to Women Evening to Halloween.
“We knew we could not do the identical [events] as normal simply with all the things occurring,” Advertising and marketing Supervisor Marissa Garrett informed Automotive Information. “We have been making an attempt to consider one thing that we might nonetheless get individuals in the neighborhood out for one thing free and enjoyable to do and but retaining social distance.”
Thayer purchased its personal display screen and projector in order that it did not need to hire gear every week and will persistently host the film nights when handy. The group arrange audio system but in addition used FM transmitters so individuals might pay attention on a station of their automobiles.
“We wished to try this in case it was chilly or windy or if individuals simply wished to do the traditional drive-in type, they may sit of their automobiles,” Garrett mentioned. “However we have been shocked to see most individuals deliver a garden chair and sit exterior their automotive. It made sense for {the summertime}, however individuals [were] nonetheless doing that even till the autumn.”
Thayer hosted a lot of its film nights on Thursdays, sometimes the late night time on the dealerships, but in addition did showings on a number of Friday evenings. Thayer’s ultimate film night time was held on Halloween, a Saturday night time.
The group had as much as 65 automobiles for every film night time, Garrett mentioned, and it alternated which retailer the films have been proven at every week. Dealership automobiles have been moved to the perimeter of the tons to make room for individuals to park and look at the display screen.
At first, the group confirmed kid-friendly movies akin to Trolls and The Sandlot however later selected completely different themes to attract new audiences. The group marketed the occasions on Fb, Twitter and its native enterprise accounts.
The Disney animated film Moana was proven in September. That night, the group collected donations for the Wooden County Humane Society. When the group confirmed Grease later that month, it held a small cruise-in traditional automotive present beforehand.
The group performed Keep in mind the Titans at the beginning of October to associate with a fall soccer theme.
Women Evening, which featured the film Dangerous Mothers, included a socially distanced buying element exterior with native companies. The occasion attracted a minimum of 45 automobiles and generated donations for the native Cocoon Shelter, which supplies providers for survivors of home violence.
At its Ghostbusters film night time, Thayer hosted a particular look by the Black Swamp Ghostbusters, an area nonprofit group that helps with neighborhood occasions and fundraisers.
For Halloween, the group had trick-or-treat luggage, sizzling chocolate and popcorn to accompany the film Hocus Pocus.
Garrett estimates the group spent about $100 on snacks every week.
“It went rather well all through the summer time, attracted lots of automobiles, households,” she mentioned. “That is once we determined to proceed it all through the autumn.”
As a result of curiosity was so robust, the group could deliver again the occasions as soon as the climate is hotter and even post-pandemic.
“I feel that’s positively an concept we’ll need to revisit when the time comes,” she mentioned.
Garrett mentioned some individuals attended nearly each film night time, however the occasions — particularly these with thrilling themes — additionally drew new crowds.
“There have been numerous new faces at Women Evening,” Garrett mentioned. “And I feel clients and potential clients as nicely.”
The group, positioned lower than 30 miles exterior Toledo, bought 2,921 automobiles in 2019: 1,675 new and 1,246 used. By October this 12 months, Thayer has bought 2,055 automobiles — 1,091 new and 964 used. The group expects to hit final 12 months’s gross sales numbers by the top of the this 12 months, even with all of its shops closed for a month and a half through the pandemic.
“We have had constructive feedback on Fb and even cellphone calls of individuals simply calling in and saying thanks,” Garrett mentioned. “I feel it will deliver individuals in at any time when they’re able to search for a automotive.”