AUTOMOTIVE CASE STUDY
How KECG's Dealership Advertising Cut Cost Per Lead by 34% for a Ute Launch
A regional Victorian dealer group needed showroom traffic for a new work-ready ute. We needed to fix a lead quality problem first.
Leading Australian Automotive Dealer Group
Objective – Increase test drive bookings for new ute model
Client & Context
A long-standing partner, a new model, a clear goal
Our client is a large regional dealership group based across Western Victoria and Ballarat, and a partner of KECG’s for 8+ years. That history gave us a deep working knowledge of their market: farmers and tradesmen who need heavy towing capacity, strong fuel range for rural distances, and the driver-assist tech now expected even in work vehicles.
With a new ute model launching, the brief was simple. Drive test drive bookings, turn local demand into showroom traffic, and convert that traffic into sales.
The Challenge
Leads were coming in. Sales weren't following.
Our client is a large regional dealership group based across Western Victoria and Ballarat, and a partner of KECG’s for 8+ years. That history gave us a deep working knowledge of their market: farmers and tradesmen who need heavy towing capacity, strong fuel range for rural distances, and the driver-assist tech now expected even in work vehicles.
With a new ute model launching, the brief was simple. Drive test drive bookings, turn local demand into showroom traffic, and convert that traffic into sales.
Objectives
What success needed to look like
- Maximise quality leads and test drive bookings, prioritising intent over volume.
- Build awareness of the new ute among farmers and tradesmen across the region.
- Bring cost-per-lead below the $28.89 benchmark, so budget worked harder per dollar spent.
Strategy
Research first, then a qualifying layer
Before any ad went live, we mapped the primary buyer profile, location, age, interests, to make sure copy and creative spoke directly to farmers and tradesmen in the region. That research also shaped keyword strategy, with captions and copy optimised around how this audience actually searches and talks.
Paid media carried the campaign, backed by a qualifying questionnaire that filtered for genuine intent before a lead reached the sales team. We integrated AMS directly with the dealership’s CRM, giving us visibility into where every lead came from across channel and creative, and the data to keep optimising spend efficiency throughout.
Execution
Built in 10 days. Refined within 7.
Campaigns launched within 10 days of brief. The first week ran multiple creatives simultaneously under a structured testing period, tracking engagement and lead quality side by side. Within 7 days we had enough signal to consolidate budget behind what was working and cut what wasn’t.
Creative kept evolving through the campaign, both from performance data and from the dealership’s own direction on how they wanted the vehicle presented. The call to action stayed constant throughout: book a test drive, with lead forms built to capture the details the sales team needed to follow up fast.
Results
Lower cost, higher conversion, real sales
Cost-per-lead dropped from $28.89 to $18.94. The dealership converted 1 in every 8 leads into a sale, bringing cost-per-sale down to $56. The campaign held 10,000+ impressions a day throughout, keeping consistent visibility with the target audience.
The bigger shift was in lead quality. Earlier activity produced more leads but poor conversion. Upfront audience research and a qualifying questionnaire that required genuine effort from prospects meant the dealership’s sales team spent their time on contacts far more likely to walk through the door.
Ready When You Are
Want this kind of drop in cost-per-lead?
Tell us about your dealership and your next model launch. We’ll map out what a properly targeted, properly tracked campaign looks like for you.