How a Hyundai Dealer Doubled Their Turn Rate with Adpearance

A Hyundai dealership recognized the need to modernize their marketing approach to reach today’s car buyers. By adding strategic digital marketing to complement their existing efforts, they quickly received the results they were looking for, transforming their entire operation. 

The Challenge: Bridging Traditional Marketing with Digital Buyer Behavior 

When we first connected with this Hyundai dealership in July 2024, they represented a common scenario in automotive retail. The dealership was investing $15,000-$20,000 monthly in traditional print advertising and direct mail campaigns—proven methods that had served them well in the past. However, they recognized the need to adapt to changing consumer behavior and reach car buyers where they now conduct their research: online. 

The numbers revealed significant opportunity for improvement: 

• Turn rate of 11.89% in September 2024 
• Untapped digital marketing potential despite consumers increasingly researching online 
• Need to complement traditional marketing with channels that reach today’s car buyer

In addition, this dealership was tackling considerable operational challenges, including a location change in November 2024, website updates, and team transitions. 

The Solution: Building a Strategic Digital Marketing Foundation

We clearly outlined what it would take to achieve the vehicle movement they were looking for, which meant establishing a comprehensive digital presence from the ground up. 

Phase 1: Foundation Building (July-August 2024) 

We started with a monthly digital budget and launched campaigns across three key channels: 

• Paid Search : Dynamic campaigns targeting dealership-specific and model-focused keywords 
• Social Media : Campaigns featuring dynamic current inventory 
• Shopping/VLA : Vehicle Listing Ads showcasing their new inventory 

Phase 2: Strategic Scaling (August-September 2024) 

After seeing initial positive results in leads, BDC activity, calls, and walk-ins, our team had strategic conversations about scaling the investment. In mid-to-late August, the dealership doubled the budget, adding specifically to these tactics: search campaigns, Shopping/VLA, social campaigns, and Connected TV. 

Phase 3: Full Optimization (January 2025 onward) 

By September 2024, the dealership reached full campaign capacity, with final budget allocation including enhanced search spend and expanded video campaigns. This coincided with their location change in November 2024, but once both the new location and expanded budgets were fully operational, performance accelerated significantly. 

The Results: New Car Website Traffic & Dramatic Turn Rate Increase

Digital Traffic Success 

After a coordinated effort between the dealer and their strategist, our campaigns became the primary driver of new vehicle interest: 

• Over 70% of all new vehicle VDP views driven by our digital campaigns 
• 118,383 new vehicle VDPs out of 170,468 (which is 69.4%) over the date range 
• Consistent month-over-month growth in digital engagement 
• Strong campaign performance even through website transitions in April 2025 

When our campaigns perform well, the dealership sees increased showroom traffic, phone calls, and ultimately, vehicle sales. In most cases, dealership’s best opportunities will be driven by these campaigns.  

Turn Rate Performance 

• September 2024: 11.89% turn rate 
• March 2025: 28.87% turn rate 
• Overall improvement: More than doubled the dealership’s turn rate in 6 months 

Units Moved 

In September 2024, this dealership was moving 1 vehicle per day. After implementing our digital campaigns, they began moving 3 vehicles per day.  

Key Takeaways for Dealers 

This dealership’s experience demonstrates several critical insights for automotive dealers: 

1. Strategic digital investment can dramatically amplify overall marketing effectiveness 
2. Real-time optimization allows for responsive campaign management and measurable results 
3. Comprehensive channel strategy reaches buyers across their entire research journey 
4. Performance measurement enables continuous improvement and strategic decision-making 
5. Digital marketing is essential for success 

The investment in digital marketing resulted in doubling their turn rate while generating over 70% of all new vehicle interest, demonstrating the power of reaching car buyers where they actively research. 

Ready to Transform Your Marketing Strategy?

As a certified provider in the Hyundai Digital Marketing Program, we help you maximize your co-op funds while delivering measurable results. 

Ready to see how MarketAI and strategic digital marketing can transform your dealership’s performance? Schedule a free market assessment to discover your optimization opportunities.