On the Road with Loon: How to Stock Smarter Used Inventory With Streaming TV Ads

Key Points

• Auctions are getting more expensive and harder to win, there's a better way to find quality used inventory
• You can run ads that target specific vehicle owners in your area, like F-150 or RAV4 owners, and tell them you want to buy their car
• New car profits are shrinking, so stocking the right used cars is where the real money is
• Streaming TV, online video, display ads, and audio ads work together to get your message in front of the right people

Auctions Aren't Cutting It Anymore

You already know this, the auctions are a mess. Prices keep climbing, the good stuff gets bid up fast, and you're competing with every other dealer in the region for the same vehicles. Meanwhile, your used car business has stayed steady, that's where you're making money. The problem is keeping your lot stocked with the units that actually sell.

What if instead of fighting over inventory at auction, you went straight to the vehicle owners in your own backyard?

Here's what that means for you: There's a way to advertise directly to people in your market who own the exact vehicles you want to buy, before they ever think about trading in somewhere else.

You Pick the Vehicles. We Find the Owners.

Through a partnership with Polk (S&P Global), Loon can pull registration data for your specific market. That tells us exactly which vehicles are out there, down to the make and model.

So instead of running a generic "we buy cars" ad, you're running a Streaming TV spot that speaks directly to the F-150 owner three miles from your lot. Or the RAV4 owner across town. The ad tells them, we want your vehicle, come see us. It's that specific.

Here's what that means for you: You tell us which vehicles stock well and gross well on your lot. We find the people who own them in your area and put your message right in front of them on their TV, phone, and everywhere in between.

Used Cars Are Your Profit Center, Stock Accordingly

Dealers are telling us the same thing across the board: new car margins are razor thin. Some are losing money on new just to make money on used. That's the reality right now.

So acquisition can't just be about getting more cars, it has to be about getting the right cars. The ones that turn fast, gross well, and match what buyers in your market are actually searching for. If it doesn't make you money, it shouldn't be on your lot.

Here's what that means for you: Every car you go after should be one you already know will sell at a profit. Loon helps you target those specific vehicles so you're not wasting ad dollars on inventory that sits.

One Ad Isn't Enough, You Need to Stay in Their Ear

Think about how you make a buying decision. You don't see one ad and act. You see it a few times, hear it again on your drive to work, and then it clicks.

That's why this works best across multiple channels. A Streaming TV ad lands on the big screen at home. A display ad pops up while they're browsing on their phone the next day. An audio ad plays during their morning commute. Each one reinforces the same message: your dealership wants their vehicle.

We call the audio piece the earworm, it's the repetition that keeps your name top of mind until they're ready to act.

Here's what that means for you: Running one type of ad gets you noticed. Running across Streaming TV, video, display, and audio together is what actually gets people to pick up the phone or drive onto your lot.

Your Next Steps

• Identify which makes and models turn fastest and gross highest on your lot, that's your acquisition target list
• Stop running generic "sell us your car" ads and start targeting the specific vehicle owners in your market
• Ask about activating across Streaming TV, video, display, and audio to build the frequency that drives action
• Reach out to the Loon team to build a strategy customized to your market and your inventory needs

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