As the auto business becomes increasingly more competitive each year, marketing becomes even more essential to the survival and success of today's automotive dealership. Roadside Advertising, based in California, is leading the charge in helping auto dealers stand out in their marketplace.

Famous for their sign and sign walker promotions, Roadside is the definitive leader in a growing movement toward targeted visual marketing for dealerships. While most auto dealers run some combination of television, radio and newspaper, many have warmed to the idea of incorporating visual marketing into their annual market-ing plans, going above and beyond a permanent sign and a few balloons on the lot. Roadside encourages dealerships to take advantage of the traffic patterns surrounding the dealership itself, drawing attention to the dealership via signage.

Roadside Advertising has sent hundreds of teams of sign walkers to dealerships across the nation to stake their claim on busy streets and street corners surrounding each dealership. The multi-day promotions also involve posted signs (similar to political election signs), additional sign walkers carrying 8-foot tall Monster signs, as well as a host of matching balloons, flags, posters, and other POP materials. Roadside fan and repeat customer, Kurt Mechling, dealer principal at Performance Chevrolet/Buick/ GMC puts it simply- With signs, everybody knows there is a sale going on--it's significant--and it's right here!

By popular demand, Roadside has recently expanded their selection of products and services to offer packages of signs and POP materials, printed on demand, that a dealer can use with or without a sign walker team. We had so many requests from dealers to simply purchase signs, we had to expand into the business of selling promotional products as a package, says Roadside's John McClain. According to McClain, Many dealers just want to do the promotions themselves. Since they became available only a short time ago, Roadside's customized sign packages have quickly grown in popularity.

Despite the fact that the packages are priced like off-the-shelf kits, every order is custom printed, on demand, including the dealership's name and address. The other advantage to Roadside's sign packages is that all the signs are completely weatherproof and can be displayed anywhere--in any weather.

A good number of dealers are shocked that something as seemingly simple as posting signs and decorating the lot can have such a tremendous impact on sale traffic and, just as importantly, the long-term visibility of the dealership. Passers-by who aren't necessarily in the market to buy a vehicle today may find themselves searching for a vehicle tomorrow--and they ll think of those high-profile sign walkers and that colorful lot. For these reasons, it's clear to see why many new customers regret not having tried sign promotions and lot decorations sooner.

It is not uncommon for a sign pro-motion to double or triple the normal traffic at a dealership event. Matt Laney, inventory manager for Bill Holt Chevrolet will attest to that. We did 2 consecutive week-end sales during weekends that we usually do no business, Laney says. We doubled what we would ve normally sold each week-end... maybe more! Laney also points out that after a couple of car deals, the package pays for itself. Given the measure of success of the promotion, dealers have nothing to lose by trying any of the Roadside products or services on for size.

Ray Murphy, general sales manager at Wiggins Pontiac points out an important element of Roadside's sign campaigns: contagious enthusiasm. I like to call it semi-controlled chaos , says Murphy. It creates a tremendous amount of enthusiasm, getting our salesmen excited--so we couldn't help but sell cars! By covering the lot with balloons, banners, hang tags and a variety of POP materials, dealers will reinforce the message their signs and sign walkers are sending that now is the time to buy. The sales person's job is easier- the seed of urgency and excitement is already firmly established in the car buyer's mind when they arrive at the dealership.

Each of Roadside's packages includes signs that are customized to include the name of the dealer-ship. A long time ago we recognized the value of including the name of the dealership on the sign itself, says McClain. It guarantees that there will be no confusion over who is having the giant sale.

Roadside offers a full catalogue of signs in a variety of dimensions, including: 2 x 2 , 2 x 4 , 5 x 3 , and 8 tall Monster signs. Their packages of POP materials include: windshield graphics, riders, sale tags, banners, pennants, and long banners for as little as $2.50 per foot.

For more details on Roadside's sign promotions and complete line of high impact POP materials, visit www.RoadsideAdvertising.com or call 877-Roadsigns (1-877-762-3744).