Posts - Page 2 of 48 - Martin & Co.

Family Funeral Service Consultants Opens for Business in Tennessee

September 23, 2020 by daniboudreau Leave a Comment

Nashville TN, – Family Funeral Services, now open to provide funeral consultation services in Tennessee, is a business that is part of a larger trend sweeping the country. Funeral consultant services assist families seeking guidance on how to attain a funeral service that provides all the emotional support and clear direction, without the exorbitant cost associated with typical funeral arrangements. Rather than relying solely upon a funeral home while in a vulnerable state, proprietors Glen King and Robert King of Family Funeral Service Consultants provides guidance with all necessary processes when a loved one has been lost. With over 70 combined years experience in the funeral business they will meet with the family prior to, or after the death of a family member to help make sure a service meets their expectations regardless of the budget.

As a consultant, Family Funeral Service Consultants role is to prepare family members so they will have all items in order before they are needed in a time of grief. They are available to meet with families before or at the time of death and at the location they prefer and feel most comfortable. They will consult and advise, and if needed, can take care of any and all funeral arrangements. What is offered through these services is an informed perspective with no sales involved from an expert in the funeral industry that truly wants to help.

Glen says, “In the last thirty years, as a licensed Funeral Director, I have learned a lot of valuable information. My focus has always been taking expert and loving care of those when they are in their most vulnerable state. There is not a greater honor than being asked to step intimately into a family, to help in the most trying of situations, to make sense of what is happening and help navigate necessary processes when they have lost a loved one. Our passion is to educate and help families. We want to do this before they are emotionally and financially overwhelmed.”

“My family hired Family Funeral Service Consultants to assist us as we maneuvered through the impending death of a family member,” stated Jeff Grammer of Nashville. “Glen was amazing to work with during this difficult time. I had no idea there are 130 items that need to be addressed at the time of death. His experience and guidance was invaluable at saving us a lot of money in the process. His compassion and calming presence took so much anguish out of the entire process. I can’t recommend him enough.”

Family Funeral Services provides a range of services including: initial consultation to determine the family’s needs or complete help with funeral home, cemetery and other needs the family may ask of us. For more information and a complete list of services please visit familyfuneralconsulting.com, or call 615-300-9915.

September Market Trend Analysis

September 11, 2020 by daniboudreau Leave a Comment

Email Newsletter Marketing ROI Strategies

Some marketing strategies are more efficient than others but, when you put your marketing dollars into e-newsletters, you reach a highly targeted audience right where they are working: their email inbox. Information sent via email instead of social media is five times more likely to be seen, and email marketing can produce an average ROI of $42 for every $1 spent, making it a smart marketing strategy.

Tracking metrics such as click-through rate and open rate can help determine the level of engagement of the newsletter once it is sent out. While you can experiment with small changes to the content, topics or design to see if it affects your metrics, resist the urge to change multiple things at once. By making small changes at a time, you’ll be able to better assess the impact of each adjustment.

In order to optimize your email marketing ROI, you have to be able to measure it. According to research done by Litmus, “61% of companies state they adequately—or more than adequately—measure ROI from their email efforts. In fact, 11% reported that they are doing “very well” in analyzing results from their investments. Although measuring ROI helps marketers validate their efforts, it’s still a challenge for many. About 39% of our survey respondents reported that they measure ROI “poorly,” “very poorly,” or “not at all.” Because we want our ROI calculations and findings to be as accurate as possible, we excluded these respondents from our results.”

Here are a few ways to improve the ROI in your e-newsletter efforts:

1. Draw them in

According to Litmus, 34% of recipients open or skip an email based on the subject line, and 24% do so based on the preview text. Both should be short enough to read at a glance and interesting enough to hook readers.

The subject line is the title of your email. Use emotive or unusual words to create intrigue and entice the recipients to read more. Numbers and lists will also attract attention. A numeric symbol among a string of text will stand out, and content that appears to be delivered in small, digestible chunks will appeal to readers.

The preview text offers a more detailed glimpse of the content to come. Seek to elicit an emotional response and get your readers’ attention by referencing business goals or pain points that are important to them.

2. Keep content relevant and valuable

Keep your newsletter concise and simple.Content should be educational and relevant, and can include infographics and links to videos to provide the same valuable information in a more engaging format.

3. Nail your call to action

Keep your CTA action-oriented and centered on a specific goal. The text should be concise and clear, explaining the value of the desired action to the reader. Any graphics included in the CTA should be linked to a relevant webpage.

4. Spam filter testing

If emails can’t reach your subscribers, you’ll never see engagement. But 16% of permissions-based emails never make it to the inbox—and those businesses are leaving money on the table. If your emails don’t even make it to the inbox, it means wasted time, wasted resources, and zero results. Run emails through spam filter tests before sending them – those who use spam filter tests before sending emails reported an ROI of 51:1, compared to 39:1 for those who didn’t.

5. Email frequency

Some marketers believe that more email equals more success—but that’s only true to an extent. According to our research, the sweet spot appears to be somewhere between 5-8 emails per month per subscriber.

Email newsletters may bring your content directly to your customers’ inboxes, but you must be able to draw them in, offer relevant content and create a well-designed layout to attract and engage your readers. Doing so can earn you strong results.

READ MORE HERE: randallreilly.com & litmus.com

Top Digital Marketing Trends in 2020

Despite the obvious challenges, 2020 has also been a dynamic year of innovation, implementation and creative explorations in the digital marketing arena. Technologies that were once considered overambitious and out of reach are now emerging as groundbreaking transformations. This year is all about automation, artificial intelligence, high-powered chatbots, Shopify SEO, voice engine search optimization and personalized consumer experiences.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence has penetrated the realm of digital marketing with multiple solutions and software that enhance customer service and social media marketing. AI-powered solutions have transformed how digital marketers delegate menial and repetitive tasks.

For instance, these tools can be used to extract consumer data from various online activities, websites and social media platforms. This data can be used to examine buying preferences and consumers behaviours and devise pragmatic and practical marketing strategies to attract these consumers.

Investment In Dynamic Creative Technology Platforms

Personalized creative has been a growing trend in most recent years, but the cost-effectiveness has lagged. For example, an ad that showcases the specific item you viewed previously, such as a dress shoe, will outperform an ad that has a generic brand image. It is often not cost-effective to design new ads for every specific instance.

Modern dynamic creative optimization (DCO) technology allows for creative content to be automatically generated, with assets, languages and dynamic product display, without an agency having to invest in individual creative renderings.

Platforms such as Google Ads and Criteo have increased capabilities to generate dynamic creative content, cutting out the need for multiple design iterations. Leveraging machine learning in real time allows for data-driven results, cutting out the lead-time for review and production. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the demand to produce a multitude of ads, with less capital and human power to produce them.

Video Marketing

The last few years have witnessed the rising popularity of video marketing and content, and this trend will maintain its significance for the years to come. Modern-day users and consumers are more likely to watch immersive videos than read a lengthy article. In 2020, videos are the most immersive and effective form of marketing materials and campaigns.

Research shows that videos have the potential to increase conversion rates, and over 50% of the consumers rely on videos to make well-informed buying decisions. In the digital marketing world, videos can be used to introduce new products and services, build relationships with customers, and maintain brand image.

Personalized Consumer Experiences

Today’s consumers want a personalized experience that is fully aligned with their expectations and needs. High-tech companies and large businesses are utilizing tools and metrics that allow them to tap into the consumer’s preferences based on their online experiences, and hence, they are able to offer highly personalized experiences.

Small businesses and digital marketers have to keep up. Personalized marketing campaigns are an excellent strategy to boost marketing success and cement brand loyalty. Consumers are very specific about the kind of content, emails, subscriptions and products they desire, and they are attracted to brands who offer them such experiences.

Influencer Marketing

The modern-day equivalent of word-of-mouth marketing, social media influencers have gained major power and influence. Brands are increasingly tapping into the audiences of social media influencers, celebrities, popular bloggers, YouTube content creators and entertainers. These social media influencers have vast audiences, who trust, admire and follow them, and rely on them to assist with their buying decisions.

Statistics reveal that 58% of consumers invested in a new product on the recommendation of an influencer. More importantly, 63% of the consumers revealed that they invest in products and services after exploring the reviews of their favorite influencers. Influencers can help businesses refine their image, cement brand loyalty, penetrate new markets and new consumer audiences, and promote new services or product lines.

Increased Investment In Attribution-Based Marketing

As budgets are adjusted, marketers will be investing in marketing services that deliver a clear path to purchase and ROI. Budgets related to media buys — in print publications, for example — will likely be adjusted as marketers need to focus on not only the transparency of attribution in marketing efforts, but also the ability to alter messaging, pause ads and dynamically update spend in a facilitated way.

As digital teams and agencies work remotely, hands-on marketing tactics such as digital performance marketing are manageable virtually, with transparent reporting and simple collaboration opportunities.

Accelerated Shift Of CPG Brands To E-Commerce

CPG brands that traditionally rely on brick-and-mortar distribution will need to increasingly adapt to the direct-to-consumer (DTC) environment to remain successful. This shift of CPG demand to DTC has been accelerated by stay-at-home orders across the U.S., leading to adoption by the laggard group in a traditional tech adoption life cycle.

According to Statista, as of March 2020, 5% of surveyed U.S. consumers above the age of 64 made an online purchase for the first time as a result of quarantine and social distancing. A third of consumers in this demographic said they planned to buy more from online marketplaces.

An Exponential Increase In Digital Sales For Some Industries

Categories related to healthcare, groceries and food delivery, as well as community building (such as virtual chat software), have seen growth as consumers are integrating digital into the day-to-day experience.

The digital and physical worlds are becoming increasingly integrated and Google has inserted itself as a central mediator of those experiences — the commercial value of which many times greater than e-commerce — with a growing emphasis on task completion and transactions.

Conclusion

As the world changes, marketers must adapt their strategies to meet customers where they are. Now is the time to rethink your go-to-market strategy and relationship with your customers. Consider where your business falls within the “new normal” and what trends will impact your business in the long run.

READ MORE HERE: forbes.com & streetinsider.com

Market Growth in the Automotive Aftermarket Fuel Additives Market

The global market for automotive aftermarket fuel additives is anticipated to reach USD 3.1 billion globally by 2024, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 7.2% over the period 2017-2024. Factors such as the growing automotive industry and rising demand for fuel additives to improve fuel efficiency and increase engine performance are anticipated to drive the growth of automotive aftermarket fuel additives market by noteworthy revenue by the end of 2024.

The global automotive aftermarket fuel additives market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% over the forecast period i.e. 2017-2024. Further, the automotive aftermarket fuel additives market is anticipated to reach USD 3.1 billion globally by 2024. The automotive aftermarket fuel additives market is likely depending on factors such as the growing automotive industry and rising demand for fuel additives to improve fuel efficiency and increase engine performance.

Major players of Automotive Aftermarket Fuel Additives Market are focusing highly on innovation in new technologies to improve production efficiency and re-arrange product lifecycle. Long-term growth opportunities for this sector are captured by ensuring ongoing process improvements of related players by understanding their financial flexibility to invest in the optimal strategies. Thus, it gives complete analysis on competitors involved in the Automotive Aftermarket Fuel Additives market and helps to make further decisions.

In North America, the U.S., with major market players, is expected to dominate the automotive aftermarket fuel additives market with the largest market share by the end of 2024. This can be attributed to strict environmental regulations taken by the government to reduce harmful gas emission.

Europe is the second largest automotive aftermarket fuel additives market in terms of revenue, with Germany and U.K. are the prominent countries attributing to market growth. With the presence of the largest automotive industry, Asia-Pacific is projected to showcase a high CAGR over the forecast period.

Ecological Regulations to Boost Market Growth

Factors such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitoring and commercializing the products and stringent environmental regulations on vehicle emissions are believed to be the dynamic factors behind the growth of the fuel additives market. Rising urbanization and increasing number of automobiles on road are expected to benefit the expansion of the market as well.

READ MORE HERE: scientect.com & thedailychronicle.in

2020 Google paid search trends that have nothing to do with the pandemic

Research data shows that COVID-19 has hugely impacted performance and advertisers’ ability to spend on paid search marketing in ways varied across industries and business situations. However, there are also a few notable 2020 trends affecting paid search marketers that have nothing to do with the pandemic.

The death of the tablet
Tablet spend growth for Google U.S. paid search has been declining since 2019, with spend declining at least 45% each of the first two quarters of 2020.

While device trends can be a result of advertisers shifting strategies, the magnitude of the decline makes it clear this is more than just advertisers pulling back on tablets. Indeed, global tablet shipments have declined steadily since a high in 2014, according to data from Statista. In the last quarter of 2019, shipments were the lowest they’d been since 2012.

Larger smartphones are packing better functionality, reducing the demand for tablets we’ve seen in the past. Therefore, the volume of searches happening on these devices just isn’t what it used to be, and paid search advertisers are seeing a corresponding decline.

2019 updates put the fork in Google search partner share

Google announced in March 2019 that Shopping ads featured on Google image search would be grouped with the core search network as opposed to the Search Partner Network. This followed a decision by Yahoo to turn to Microsoft Ads for its search ads, severing a relationship that saw some Google search partner traffic coming from Yahoo. These changes led to a steep decline in the click share coming from search partners for Shopping in particular, and by the end of the second quarter click share for both text ads and Shopping was below 1%. After years of decline the search partner network is now so small that the debate on whether to target these sites isn’t very important these days.

2020 has also seen the decline of another contentious source of paid search traffic in broad match. Broad matches now account for just 10% of non brand Google paid search clicks.

While advertisers can choose to deploy different keyword strategies over time, particularly when transferring management from one agency/consultant to another, the decline observed over the last four years appears to be the result of Google’s ever-changing definition of close variants over time.

The infusion of so much traffic that would formerly have been considered a broad match into close variants means advertisers need to stay vigilant in evaluating search query reports to identify situations which warrant keyword negatives.

Conclusion

There are a lot of moving parts going on in the world right now, with different regions moving through different stages of restricted movement in waves across the United States, sometimes having to revert to prior stages of safety precautions. This scattered reality will likely continue for the foreseeable future and have significant impacts on paid search performance that varies by locale and industry.

That said, some underlying trends have been taking shape for years and aren’t very much the result of current events. Understanding current performance necessitates an understanding of these shifts as well as those springing up due to COVID-19.

READ MORE HERE: searchengineland.com

The Virtual Tools We Use for Working Remotely

September 4, 2020 by daniboudreau Leave a Comment

Much like the rest of the world, the Martin & Company team has spent most of 2020 working from home. Navigating this new realm of working remotely has had its challenges and growing pains, but certain tools have made the process easier. Here are some of the virtual tools we rely on to stay connected and productive at a distance:

G Suite
The Martin & Company team works primarily out of G Suite. We use Google for email, Calendar to keep up with meetings and important deadlines, Drive for storage and sharing, and Docs for drafting and collaborating on projects. It’s easy, safe, and accessible to use for our team and a majority of our clients work from G Suite as well.

Basecamp
Basecamp is our web-based project management platform. Basecamp’s core functions include task management, messaging & collaboration, file sharing, scheduling, reporting, and a search function to find everything easily and quickly.

Though we have been using Basecamp for several years, we just recently upgraded to Basecamp 3 this summer. The format is easy to use for both our team and our clients. Features like Ping allow us to send private chat messages and the Automatic Check Ins help us to keep up with lists of things we plan to work on throughout the week and what we have worked on daily, which helps us track workflow and offers a simpler alternative to timekeeping.

Notifications can be customized so that you’re in control of how many you receive and when you get them. We create new projects for each client and organize individual jobs within lists of categories (e.g. PR Hot List, Art Hot List, Client Meeting Notes, etc.) that we can assign accordingly. We can store and keep up with files and documents within those projects and choose what content to share with the client or keep as “our team only”. We also synced our Basecamp calendar to our Google Calendar to better keep track of deadlines in one place.

Zoom Video Conferencing
We have a lot of meetings. In addition to weekly traffic meetings to manage workflow and brainstorming sessions to plan or develop content, we also consult with our clients weekly or biweekly. Zoom has been a valuable tool for connecting with our clients in various locations and now that we are working from home, it has become our primary meeting point.

Zoom allows us to discuss tasks and ideas and provides a screen share option to walk through steps in more detail when necessary. There are options to record meetings and dial-in if a team member or client needs to phone into the meeting, and it’s a fairly easy, convenient tool that provides the option to meet “face-to-face” so we can feel more connected, even from a distance.

Free Conference Call
Some of our clients prefer a conference call over a video conference, like Zoom. When we first started working from home this year, Zoom was having issues crashing during peak hours (like Monday morning) with so many students and professionals newly working virtually all at once overloading the system. Free Conference Call provides us with an on-call plan B.

Sign-up is free and only requires an email address and password. Once you sign up for your account, you are provided with a Dial-in Number and Access Code for phone conferencing that you can use right away. There is no need to schedule meetings ahead of time and each audio conference can accommodate 1,000 callers on an unlimited number of free conference calls. They also provide an option for Video Conferencing.

Even before the pandemic, the telecommuting trend has grown significantly. According to a study done by FlexJobs, there was a 159% increase in remote work between 2005 and 2017. Now, as the pandemic has forced more businesses into working from home, technology has become crucial to adapt and survive. For our team, communication tools have been a necessity; helping us to collaborate, conduct meetings, manage projects, and connect with both our clients and each other.

What tools are you using to manage working from home?

Building Trust with Communication

August 28, 2020 by daniboudreau Leave a Comment

Trust is a necessary part of any successful relationship. Whether it be your personal relationships with friends and family members, among colleagues, between leadership and employees, or relationships between your business, partners, and customers. As everyone is navigating today’s challenges during COVID 19 and the resulting economic hardships, it is more important than ever to build trust in your business relationships and communication is key in making that happen.

Here are a few ways you can build trust within your business:

Begin at home.
To build trust in your company, it helps to begin with your own employees. At a time when companies are facing an economic downturn, layoff and furlough decisions become inevitable, and many employees are working remotely, it is important to keep the internal lines of communication open and moving. State your expectations clearly, be available, approachable, and be open to communicating in new ways (i.e. video chat, texting, etc.).

Use the right messaging.
Your messaging should be clear, consistent, and truthful. Be mindful of sensitive topics and how your message may be interpreted, as well as how often you are posting. During a crisis, it’s best to prioritize your content by quality over quantity. Take into consideration your tone and whether your messaging reflects your brand’s identity and values. You don’t want to appear insensitive or tone deaf.

Walk the talk.
Align your actions with your words. What good things are you and your organization doing? Show your customers how you are reaching out to those in need, finding solutions, or responding to crises. Rather than focusing on your usual sales-based content, now may be the time to amplify others’ voices and share important information that bring awareness to critical issues or provides resources to those in need.

Keep engaging.
Engagement builds credibility. Especially during a crisis, it is not the time to step back. You may have to adjust your messaging and timing, but it’s more important than ever to be present and available to answer questions, provide reassurance, and interact. This is also a great opportunity to get feedback. Listen. Ask questions. Take responsibility. Ask for and receive feedback and do it gracefully. Be sincere, and show interest in what your audience has to say.

Martin & Company Now Offers Discount on Ecommerce Website Build With Free Digital Audit

August 21, 2020 by daniboudreau Leave a Comment

Between lockdown orders forcing people to stay home, businesses shut down, and a sharp rise in unemployment, many companies have taken a big hit throughout COVID 19. Despite these challenges, there is a big rise in eCommerce. People all over the world are spending more time online and are relying on the web for more and more of their shopping needs. While the traditional, brick-and-mortar companies are hurting and even closing up shop permanently, businesses selling online, direct-to-consumer are seeing significant growth in sales. Since the pandemic started, our clients that sell direct have experienced 100-200% sales increases!

With no clear end in sight for the pandemic and the continuous shift toward digital dominance in virtually every aspect of life (working remotely, online education, shopping, etc.), it’s more important than ever for businesses to have a strong online presence. One of the best ways to strengthen your digital presence is through your website. For customers to find you online, you have to show up online. You want a site that’s optimized to work for you.

For those that are ready to take their business to the next level and start selling direct, we can help. Our team is skilled in creating modern, functional websites that are mobile-friendly, socially connected, easy to use for your customers, and easy to manage for your team.

From now through the end of 2020, we’re offering 10% off any eCommerce website build (with free quote) and we’ll add in a free Digital Marketing Audit covering your website, SEO/SEM, social media, and content to gauge your efforts now and help you develop an effective digital marketing game plan.

To take advantage of this special, limited time offer, fill out the form on our website at martincoadvertising.com/ecommerce.

Lubrication Specialties Inc. (LSI) Forms LSI Chemical

August 20, 2020 by daniboudreau Leave a Comment

Focus on international sales and distribution of Nano additive technology via product development, acquisition and partnerships

Mt Gilead, OH, (August 20, 2020) – Due to explosive growth in sales in multiple markets of LSI’s performance additives and oils and custom lubricant solutions for industrial clients, Lubrication Specialties Inc. (LSI) announces LSI Chemical.

The mission for LSI Chemical is to become the premier international oil and fuel additive leader focused on Nano additive technology and development of innovative base oils through product development, partnerships and acquisition opportunities.

New products planned by LSI Chemical will incorporate the company’s true Nano technology, colorless Nano particles, patented additives and surface treatment processes and Group V Esters/Group IV PAO to ensure no solubility issues and superior performance. LSI Chemical products will soon be introduced for a variety of industries and markets. The market focus will be additives and base oils for racing, engine, marine and industrial oils. For the diesel additive market, the focus will be on products for large trucking fleets, marine, mines and fuel jobbers around the world.

LSI Chemical’s soon to be introduced additives will be unlike any currently on the market. Formulated from Group V Esters with friction modifiers and base oils, LSI has solved one of the largest issues with nano-particles – keeping them suspended over time to ensure an unsurpassed level of performance and product appearance. Without this longtime suspension of nano-particles (Carbon, Tungsten Oxide, Molybdenum Disulfide and more), additives for many industries have experienced solubility issues.

LSI Chemical President Todd Cawley, says, “With over 25 years’ experience in this highly technical industry, it is exciting to work for a company that is at the forefront of developing leading edge processes that will revolutionize how Nano technology is used in the fuel and oil additive industries. Our research and development is not cutting edge, but I would venture to say bleeding edge. Our additives will soon be a game changer that will improve products for many different industries and markets in the USA and around the world.”

Kevin Adams, LSI VP of Research and Development, tests a new LSI Chemical oil additive

LSI Chemical Vice President of Research and Development Kevin Adams adds, “LSI Chemical will utilize our state-of-the-art laboratory to test our additives in your existing formula(s) to find the perfect balance of performance and function. We will then provide you with results to sell and market an improved product with greater benefits. Our lab of scientists are easily accessible and available to help develop products that meet your needs, all in an easy, hassle-free process.”

For more information about LSI Chemical, visit LSIchemical.com, call toll free 800-341-6516, or watch this video for more details. For more information about Lubrication Specialties Inc. (LSI), visit LubricationSpecialties.com or call toll free 800-341-6516.

About LSI Chemical
The mission for LSI Chemical is to become the premier international oil and fuel additive leader focused on Nano additive technology and development of innovative base oils through product development, partnerships and acquisition opportunities. By partnering with LSI Chemical, companies in the lubrication business will have access to the most advanced cutting edge oil and lubrication additives across a broad spectrum of markets – automotive, industrial, PowerGen, marine, agriculture, mining, fuels and for environmentally approved purposes. LSI Chemical was launched in June 2020 by Lubrication Specialties Inc. and Todd Cawley is serving as president. LSI Chemical is a member of ILMA.

August Market Trend Analysis

August 14, 2020 by daniboudreau Leave a Comment

Coronavirus And Stimulus Drive Up eCommerce Sales

COVID-19 lockdown orders kept most people off the road and at home throughout the Spring, and many retail businesses suffered for it, even those who were allowed to remain open. The automotive aftermarket was no exception, with companies such as Advance Auto Parts, Genuine Parts Co. and O’Reilly Automotive reporting quarterly sales declines compared to last year. However, even though in-store sales may have dropped, online sales and activity have been on the rise.

According to Hedges & Company, which analyzed more than 13 million online user sessions and purchases for automotive parts and accessories websites (including retailer websites and manufacturers selling direct-to-consumer), a comparison of online revenue from the week of the first week of March, 2020, to the week of May 17-23 showed a 56% increase. In comparison, the same week in 2019 (May 19-25) illustrated only a 1% decrease from the first week of March 2019.

“For years, eCommerce adoption in the automotive aftermarket has been slightly behind most other industries,” Hedges explains. “It’s been that way since the beginning of eCommerce. That completely changed in just two months. It would have normally taken several more years to get to where we are right now. Today, eCommerce market share in the automotive aftermarket is where we forecasted it to be in 2022 or beyond.”

The increase in sales during the end of April and beginning of May averaged about 50%, with the biggest increase being the week of April 26 to May 2, which showed a 61% increase over the first week of March. Notably, this significant increase came after stimulus checks started being released (beginning the weekend of April 11-12).

Research found the following patterns during the 10th week of the analysis (May 17-23) in comparison with the first week of March in addition to the overall aftermarket eCommerce sales increased 56%:

• OEM replacement-parts sales saw decreases for the first five weeks and only went positive during the week stimulus payments began appearing, with a 26% increase in sales.

• Light-truck and off-road parts sales saw a 26% increase (down from a 37% increase two weeks prior).

• Performance and racing parts sales were up 69%.

• Powersports saw a whopping 121% increase, which Hedges attributes to seasonal sales and the fact that powersports enthusiasts can practice social distancing while riding.

Automotive aftermarket accessories increased 75%.

When comparing the first 10 days of May to March, Hedges found that the pages-per-session metric on these websites was only up 0.8%, while the average duration dropped 1.4%. However, average conversion rates improved 11.1%.

Together, these metrics suggest that shoppers knew what they wanted to buy, since they were actually spending less time browsing. The number of new visitors to these websites increased by 6% from March.

As the world begins to slowly open back up and everyone adjusts to the “new normal,” it’s clear that businesses – especially aftermarket parts companies, must have a solid digital presence moving forward.

“Aftermarket companies must have a comprehensive digital strategy,” Hedges concludes. “That includes the obvious: a good website and a good online presence. But a strong digital strategy requires a plan for all digital channels, including social, organic, display, email and others. It requires great product data and a separate set of data for a manufacturer’s website. It requires a plan to stay on top of the ever-changing aftermarket requirements for Google Shopping. It requires measuring ROI on all marketing investments. Actions taken by aftermarket companies in the next six months will determine the winners for the next decade.”

READ MORE HERE: aftermarketnews.com

Google positioned to dominate the ‘O2O economy’

Google is the company in the strongest position to capitalize on the growing online-to-offline (O2O) economy. Nearly $12 trillion in offline economic activity is likely impacted by the internet.

Nearly every ‘enterprise’ is a local business. The term “local business” is often misunderstood and typically conjures up images of mom and pop stores and very small businesses. But any business that transacts offline or sells products and services in a physical place is effectively a local business. The logos below are just as much local businesses as are small merchants. That’s because the majority of their transactions happen in-person, in the physical world (although COVID-19 is changing that).

National and global brands that are considered ‘local businesses’

Most marketers have heard a statement that goes something like this: “roughly 80% of U.S. disposable income is spent within 10 to 20 miles of home.” It turns out this is common sense but not grounded in any single dataset or study.

However in 2017, Access Development conducted a survey that found, “more than 90% of consumers make most of their purchases within 15 minutes of home or work.” This includes things like fuel, groceries, food, personal care, home and garden, entertainment and retail shopping. Coronavirus stay-at-home orders have forced more of those purchases online and e-commerce has grown by triple digits in many categories. E-commerce spending in the U.S. in 2019 was about $600 billion. But the amount of consumer spending influenced or affected in some way by the internet is roughly 20 times larger than that.

U.S. GDP was about $21 trillion in 2019 (it will be less this year). Roughly 70% of that is driven by consumer spending. According to multiple studies, roughly 81% of all U.S. adults (90% of internet users) conduct online research before buying things locally. That includes product research, phone and address lookups, consulting reviews and so on. That suggests that about $12 trillion of the $21 trillion in U.S. economic activity is touched in some way or directly influenced by the internet. This behavior is often called “ROBO” or “ROPO”: research online, buy/purchase offline.

COVID 19 is solidifying online shopping behaviors and bringing new buyers online. In the first quarter of 2020, Target said it saw five million new Target.com shoppers. But 40% of those people are buying online and picking up in the store or at curbside. BestBuy, during the same period, reported 250% e-commerce growth with 50% of those orders picked up at the local store. This “BOPIS” hybrid model is going to be increasingly prevalent and retailers that can do it well will prevail accordingly.

Google Maps addresses the ‘full funnel’

One could call Google Maps the “digital fulcrum” of O2O activity and Google My Business is its primary local data source. While the company doesn’t capture all O2O activity, a significant percentage of online research that results in offline purchases goes through Google. Google Maps is a kind of “User Interface for the real world.”

But it’s not just a place to look for store hours or contact information. Google Maps can address the “full funnel” — from discovery to consideration and transactions. Over the past several years Google has increasingly added conversion tools to Maps: booking/reservations, requests for quotes, food ordering and messaging. These transactional tools solve multiple problems:

They reduce “leakage,” when someone clicks through to a bad website that fails to close them.
They deliver value to consumers and reinforce usage.
They demonstrate the value of the platform to SMBs in particular.
They help convert SMBs into advertisers.

Google does monetize some transactions on the platform but most of its revenue still comes from PPC ads. Acquiring and retaining SMB advertisers has been costly and challenging for Google over the years. SaaS subscription fees offer an intriguing potential answer to that challenge. G Suite is an example of a successful SMB SaaS product that could spawn more such offerings in the future.

Looking ahead. The future of local search is a much more diversified and distributed experience than its past. Beyond the traditional text query in a box, it involves more visual content, augmented reality (AR) and voice. Tools like Google Lens or “search by photos” and image search enable consumers to use different inputs to access information and shop. And AR will factor more prominently in local search over time, as more digital content gets overlaid on the real world.

Finally, voice becomes the primary UI for new devices and categories, from virtual assistant-powered smart-home hardware to in-car systems. It’s not always about “search” but it often is. And behind it all is machine learning and, increasingly, artificial intelligence.

READ MORE HERE: searchengineland.com

U.S. Automotive Aftermarket Size Projected to Reach $86.2 Billion by 2025

According to a new report from Million Insights, the automotive aftermarket industry is estimated to grow at 1.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the forecast period of 2019-2025 as the scope and its applications are rising enormously across the United States and the U.S. automotive aftermarket size is projected to hit USD 86.2 billion by the year 2025. The market is anticipated to grow because of the rising adoption of automotive technologies like safety and exhaust technologies along with several other aspects that influence vehicular performance and provide weight reduction and cost-effectiveness in automobiles. Additionally, the rising vehicle age and vehicle parts in the U.S. are anticipated to propel the demand for replacing parts, therefore, driving the growth of the market in the country. According to Auto Care, the average age of the 290 million vehicles on the road is nearly 12 years old and expected to continue to rise.

Increasing disposable income of consumers in the U.S., the growing sales of passenger cars, and factors like rising adoption of modern lifestyle and developing infrastructure are contributing in propelling the growth of the market. Huge investments in research & development by automakers and advancement of technology are anticipated to propel the demand for heavy commercial vehicles, prompting a rise in demand for products like tires, wheels, towing and several other miscellaneous accessories, thus driving the growth of the market in the coming years.

Industry Insights

The U.S. automotive aftermarket size accounted for USD 75.31 billion, in 2018, and continues to grow. The U.S. automotive industry has gained a significant boost in its sales of aftermarket parts and OEMs as the aftermarket business has generated attractive revenues and margins in the evolving market. The growing requirement of proper maintenance of parts of vehicles has promoted the aftermarket sales. The automotive aftermarket is regulated by strict government norms and regulations with regards to the heavy-duty vehicles market.

Favorable government regulations, subsidies and policies in the U.S. are propelling the demand for the electric vehicles industry. Since electric vehicles are eco-friendly, their usage supports government policies for pollution control and climate change. Moreover, these vehicles are battery powered and do not function on regular fuels like gasoline, thereby eliminating the emission of harmful gases. The rising use of light-weight auto parts in electric vehicles to enhance its efficiency is anticipated to drive the market growth in the forecast period.

Digitization assures transparency in auto maintenance and repair service delivery. This allows several stakeholders, along with car owners, to observe the repair and replacement cost of parts. With the help of online services, the car owners can fulfil their desire of ordering customized components like resonators and mufflers from abroad for their unusual specifications and low prices. Moreover, the rapid improvement of digitalized technologies has augmented opportunities for service dealers, and automakers to manufacture innovative products for the sake of maintaining the competition in the U.S. market.

The latest production technologies are expected to render significant cost benefits to vehicle owners. For example, the influence of 3D printing in fabricating car components is expected to increase all over the world with time as it enables minimal production costs and greater efficiency with time utilization and optimal material. Rising investments are being made by associations and manufacturers in R&D activities to provide cost-efficient and high-end materials, creating more opportunity for growth.

Replacement Part Insights

The U.S. automotive aftermarket has been segregated into various segments like tires, filters, body parts, lighting & electrical components, turbochargers, battery, brake parts, wheels, exhaust components and others, on the basis of replacement parts. The others segment dominated the U.S. market in 2018, seconded by the tire segment. The turbocharger segment is anticipated to grow at the fastest rate in the forecast period owing to its ability to increase the volumetric efficiency of engines and making them amenable to stringent emission standards.

The tire segment is expected to dominate the automotive aftermarket in the U.S. by 2025 owing to factors like frequent replacement of tires when compared to its automotive counterparts. Further, the turbocharger segment is anticipated to grow at the fastest CAGR in the forecast period. The surging trend of downsizing of engines and using turbochargers to balance power requirements are anticipated to propel the demand for turbochargers in the forecast period.

Distribution Channel Insights

On the basis of the distribution channel, the automotive aftermarket in the U.S. is segmented into wholesalers, distributors and retailers. For basic automobile models, the distribution channel comprises members like automobile exhaust sale hubs, tier 1 distributors and aftermarket units consisting of jobbers and at last repair shops. The major contribution towards overall sales of aftermarket parts is by tier 1 distributors, seconded by direct channel sales. The retailers segment dominated the market in 2018. Further, the distributors and wholesalers segment is anticipated to witness rapid growth in the forecast period.

The adoption of latest distribution techniques like online catalogs and e-commerce by vendors has helped them in adding value to the products offered and distribution network. Manufacturers are expanding their regional and global presence rapidly by supplying their products to automobile manufacturers all over the world via online platforms. Moreover, several distributors and suppliers are adapting strategies like collaborating with local market players to gain traction in the domestic market.

Service Channel Insights

The automotive aftermarket in the U.S. is divided into OE (delegating to OEMs), DIFM (Do It for Me) and DIY (Do It Yourself), on the basis of service channels. The OE segment dominated the market in 2018, seconded by DIFM segment. The DIY segment is anticipated to grow at the fastest rate in the forecast period as DIY car kits are growing popular rapidly owing to their easy availability, convenience to use and help save time. DIY customers are highly sensitive towards the price and the expansion of e-commerce has helped customers in making economical purchases, thereby, leading to increase in overall sales of aftermarket parts. Further, rapidly evolving technologies in the U.S. market has cautioned the players to evaluate their performance to retain their market position.

Certification Insights

The automotive aftermarket in the U.S. is categorized into uncertified parts, certified parts and genuine parts, on the basis of certification. Genuine parts are produced by vehicle manufacturers while certified automotive parts are inspected and tested by authorized organizations, and uncertified parts can be used in the place of original automotive parts. The genuine automotive parts segment is expected to dominate the automotive aftermarket in the U.S. and the certified parts segment is expected to grow significantly in the forecast period.

The market is witnessing a surge of strategic collaborations and alliances between leading auto insurance companies and collision repair centers to gain competitive advantage and capture a considerable amount of share in the market. Moreover, manufacturers are concentrating on manufacturing certified parts in compliance with NSF standards. This is anticipated to propel the demand for certified parts in the U.S. market.

Impact of COVID-19

The U.S aftermarket automotive is being severely affected by the outbreak of coronavirus. The country’s high rate of spread and the prolonged lockdown has disrupted the supply chain, with an adverse effect on the market growth. Uncertainty among consumers regarding the market scenario in future has resulted in lower spending on automotive products. The shortfall in liquidity and cash crunch has severely affected the sales of automotive in the U.S, thereby, adversely affecting the market growth. However, with relaxing lockdown measures and reopening of the economy in major cities across the U.S are projected to accelerate the market growth.

U.S. Automotive Aftermarket Share Insights

The competition in the market is high and has encouraged the players to focus on catering high quality products to retain their competitive advantage. A growing focus on strategic initiatives like mergers, acquisitions and alliances has resulted in market consolidation, which has helped companies to enhance their brand value and customer loyalty base along with instituting their global presence. With the rising competitiveness in price, several companies are challenged to offer innovative products at an economical price. The increasing number of domestic players in the country have emerged as a threat to the leading players. Key players are adapting mergers and acquisitions to increase their market share and maintain their position in the market.

READ MORE HERE: millioninsights.com & digitaljournal.com

Automotive eCommerce Conversion Rate Optimization

New research from Hedges & Company identifies key areas impacting e-commerce conversion rates. The research data points to Site Speed, User Experience, Product Pricing, Market Segment and Email Marketing as keys to improving a site’s conversion rate and online sales.

Millions of transactions over 3-1/2 years shows the impact of site speed (bottom axis) on eCommerce conversion rate (left axis) for automotive parts and accessories websites. The blue line shows typical conversion rates.

The Hedges & Company Conversion Rate Optimization Case Study shows site speed accounts for about half of the conversion rate for automotive parts and accessories websites.

Hedges analyzed millions of online purchases from more than 100 parts and accessory websites in the U.S. and Canada. The data covered transactions from 2017 through mid-2020 and includes retailer websites and manufacturer websites selling direct to consumer (DTC).

“This new Conversion Rate Optimization Case Study is useful for aftermarket businesses wanting to improve efficiency and grow revenue from their eCommerce websites,” said Jon Hedges, Principal at Hedges & Company. “It shows which areas of a website to look to improve and how they will impact the conversion rate.”

Site speed is by far the most significant factor. How fast a website loads as reported in Google Analytics attributes to nearly 50% of an eCommerce site’s conversion rate. Using statistical analysis and predictive modeling, Hedges found an average conversion rate of 0.5% for automotive websites that load in eight seconds. Websites that load in five seconds doubled that conversion rate to 1.0% and sites that load in three seconds have a 1.8% average conversion rate.

The company also looked at mobile conversion rates. The data showed site speed had a similar impact on conversion rate for customers shopping on their phone. The data pointed to five main categories affecting a website’s eCommerce conversion rate. The categories are:

Site speed: About 50% of a site’s conversion rate is influenced by site speed. It is how quickly shoppers can see and interact with site content.
User experience and trust signals: This has a 5% to 15% effect on a site’s conversion rate. User experience includes the site’s functionality, such as navigation or site search. It looks at the accuracy and completeness of product information. It includes trust signals and whether the company publishes a street address, or badges indicating secure and protected transactions. It can be the look and feel of a website: does it look contemporary or outdated? These are the factors that impact a user’s experience and comfort level with a website.
Product prices and shipping cost: This has a 5% to 15% effect on a site’s conversion rate. Pricing looks at overall competitiveness and how it fits into the market. If a site carries popular brand name products and at average or minimum advertised price (MAP) pricing, the impact is neutral. If prices are higher, it can reduce the conversion rate.
Market segment: This factor affects 5% to 15% of a website’s conversion rate. This addresses the market you sell in and the competitive landscape. If a business sells in a very competitive crowded market segment or serves a market segment with fewer direct competitors, the conversion rate will be impacted.
Email marketing: This factor affects up to 5% of a website’s conversion rate. This looks at whether a website had a well-managed email marketing program. The data showed customers who visit a website after receiving an email converted to buyers twice to ten times higher than the average shopper. Well-managed email marketing increases user engagement and conversion rate; however, if email marketing is overdone, it has minimal impact on the conversion rate.

Hedges & Company has created a conversion rate optimization tool where you can score your own automotive website. It is free to use and available here: https://hedgescompany.com/blog/2019/10/conversion-rate-optimization-tools/

READ MORE HERE: aftermarketnews.com & hedgescompany.com

What Have You Done For Me Lately?

August 6, 2020 by martinco Leave a Comment

The Case for PR Metrics – Benchmarks for Accountability and Forecasting

By Leslie Allen

In my 30 plus years of working in Public Relations, I have discovered that when it comes to press coverage, clients have a very short memory. You may have just pulled off the coup of the year, editorially speaking, but the mindset is that there is never enough good press. Alas, PR professionals are often faced with a mantra, “That’s great! But what’s next.” Which may have been the true impetus for developing PR Metrics.

Metrics, i.e. PR goals set as quantifiable expectations for the year, serves both as a benchmark for PR accountability and forecasting. Without metrics, there is little to fall back on to score if your PR professional is doing what they say they are planning to do. Just think, how many times a PR plan has been developed only to discover a year later that very few of the initiatives were accomplished, or were not that relevant to the year’s progress. It is not to say that a PR plan is not worthwhile (more on this in a future blog), it is and can be a great tool, but that they are often developed early in the client relationship when there is little known about the company in this early stage of the relationship. Metrics however have flexibility in that they do not determine content per se but rather a standard of what the client would like to see accomplished in number of releases distributed, reach, average ad dollar value and more. PR metrics can be reviewed monthly, quarterly or annually to determine if you are on track or off in a major way. Even if the client is not reviewing monthly or quarterly, your PR professional should be updating the metrics report monthly and be ready to report to the client where the company stands. This, in addition to company PR summaries provided monthly, identifies what we have done for our clients lately.

Here is a sample of PR metrics that can be used as a template for any company.

This metrics report can be revised based on your company’s unique position in the market. Are you a startup with little brand recognition or does your brand hold a lot of equity so that one article may elicit high readership. And even if you don’t fulfill all your proposed goals, don’t feel bad. There are circumstances outside our control. Who would have thought for instance that 20+ long serving consumer magazines would close or that the SEMA Show would not take place this year? There are often reasonable explanations to why you don’t reach your proposed goals. Still, if your boss/client asks…What have you done for me lately? Having a PR metrics report to show goes a long way to answering the question while giving you a sense of confidence that progress is being made. And if not, then maybe it is time to find a new PR firm.

For more information about how Martin & Company can assist with your PR goals for 2020, call 615.876.1822 or email zan.martin@martincoadvertising.com.

How to use social media to boost your business

July 29, 2020 by daniboudreau Leave a Comment

Social media can be one of the easiest, cheapest, quickest, most effective tools in your marketing arsenal. There are many different platforms to choose from, depending on your product or service, and the customers you are targeting. It’s not necessary to try to juggle them all, but rather understand which platform(s) best reaches your audience and focus your efforts on doing it well. You don’t want to waste your time and energy on a platform that won’t reach your customers.

So, who are you trying to reach? Where are they spending their time on social media? What are their needs? (Whitneyssocial.com has a helpful infographic of social media demographics for 2020, shown to the left)

Once you’ve determined which platform to devote your attention to, you can get started.

What content to post.

First and foremost – do your research! Know your audience and their needs, and tailor your content to meet their needs and interests. Be relevant and make sure you are reflecting your brand. Ask open-ended questions to get to know your followers better and encourage engagement. Be consistent. Follow the 80/20 rule: your social media is one of the cheapest, simplest ways to build personal relationships with your customers and followers. To stay personable, try to keep promotional posts to only about 20%. The other 80% should be fun, personal posts (behind the scenes, featuring stories or highlighting people), helpful resources and information about your industry, etc. Share your story (or someone else’s), behind-the-scenes, tips and tools, tutorials, advice, memes, inspirational quotes, milestones, achievements, positive reviews from customers, blog posts, live updates of events, launch a product or service, share company announcements, etc. The possibilities are endless!

Use hashtags.

Take advantage of keywords to improve your SEO by using hashtags in your social media posts. Keep them simple, consistent, and relevant. Don’t hashtag every word in your post. Research and find out what hashtags are trending – beware your posts getting lost in the sauce when a hashtag becomes too popular. Keep an eye on the competition and number of posts per hashtag. Use different hashtags during the week to compare which do better.

Hashtags are especially valuable for using Instagram. They provide free advertising and bring potential customers to your page. Referencing the funnel (shown left from Thepreviewapp.com), it’s beneficial to use a good mix:

Industry: general, high competition tags
Niche: specialty, less competitive
Brand: good way to make connections/get featured
Community: low-to-medium competition, engage
Location: great for local businesses/travel
Event/Celebration: low-to-high competition, news-based

All that said, avoid using too many hashtags (especially the high competitive kind or repeating the same tags over and over) or your posts will look spammy.

The most effective post.

Your content should also be specific to the platform you are posting on. Posts shouldn’t look identical across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Facebook posts should include a call-to-action, at least one image or video, use 1-2 hashtags, and tag people, locations, or pages.

Instagram is a visual platform, so posts are about the photo. Make sure each image flows well and makes sense on your page, be consistent. Use hashtags and tag locations to gain traffic, but don’t #hashtag #every #word or try to replace quality content with them. They should supplement your post, not take over. Use your stories and highlights features and keep them organized.

Twitter is fast-paced, news-driven, and limits how many characters you can use, so keep tweets brief, use hashtags, and posts with an image tend to get more traffic.

LinkedIn is used by businesses, recruiters, and professionals, so naturally it’s busiest during work hours mid-week. Posts should be simple, with proper grammar and spelling, and the content should position your company as thought leaders. Use keywords, post regularly, and look professional. Plan out updates, articles, insights, and posts to share based on what is trending in your industry.

The best times to post on social media.

Not all times are created equal. Your posts will get more traffic and more engagement if you take advantage of prime time:

Facebook: 1-3 pm Thursday and Friday and 8-10 pm Saturday

Instagram: 3-4 pm Monday

Twitter: 12-6 pm Monday – Friday, lunchtime is best

Pinterest: 8-11 pm Saturday – Sunday

LinkedIn: 7-9 am & 10-11 am Tuesday – Thursday

Google: 10 am Monday – Friday

You should also be tracking your own content and review periodically to see what days and times work best for your posts.

Posting frequency.

Don’t spam your audience! You don’t want to burn your audience out and have them hit “unfollow” because you’re posting too often. You also want to post often enough that you stay relevant and fresh on followers’ minds. There’s a sweet spot to hit that falls somewhere along these lines:

1-3 times/day on Facebook. 10-20 times daily on Twitter. 10-30 times daily on Pinterest. Once a day for LinkedIn, Instagram, and Google (Source:the30MinuteOnlineMarketer.com)

Schedule content & use a calendar.

Create realistic monthly goals and plan content based on the goals you want to achieve. Don’t waste your time on what isn’t working or helping you achieve your goals. Create a calendar template or use a spreadsheet – there are lots of free options for templates out there using sites like Pinterest and Canva. Research, write your posts, design your content and images and share accordingly. Use your calendar to track what & when you have published on each social channel, and track engagement. This will help you plan future content that resonates with your followers.

To keep up with posting regularly or on multiple platforms, consider using a scheduling tool (like HootSuite). There, you can create your content and schedule ahead of time to take advantage of prime posting times.

The work’s not over: Respond & Engage.

Be social! Once you’ve published content, you’ll need to monitor your social media accounts to interact with your followers. Check your mentions, reply to comments and messages in a timely manner (even if just to say “Thanks for the mention/add!”). Talk to people and be personable. Your social media accounts become an extension of your customer service, so it’s imperative that you respond and take any complaints offline with, “I’d be happy to help resolve this for you! Please send us a private message so we can look into this issue further.”

Share others’ content, follow back, comment and like posts from your peers, partners, followers, and influencers and build those relationships!!

Monitor your analytics.

Analytics lets you know how you’re doing and helps you find what works best and what doesn’t using measurable data. Some things to pay attention to: impressions, reach, likes and dislikes, shares, clicks, reposts and retweets, new followers, inquiries, page views, website visits, mentions, organic clicks, top posts, and downloads. You can typically find your analytics or insights on each platform (as long as you’re using a business page/manager) or using your scheduling tool.

Audit your social media pages.

Social media is rapidly growing and changing. What works this week may not work next week, so it’s important to keep up with your metrics and make adjustments when necessary.

Ask for help.

We get it – managing your social media can get overwhelming. Maybe you don’t know where to start. Maybe you have too many platforms to juggle and you’re not sure where to best invest your limited time and resources. Maybe you’d just like to have help creating content or getting your followers to engage more. Maybe you’re not sure how to claim or set up your pages or read your analytics. Whatever you’re struggling with, we can help! To learn more, reach out to the Martin & Company team via our Contact Us form at Martincoadvertising.com or call our office at 615.876.1822.

The Evolution of the Zandy Wagon

July 22, 2020 by martinco Leave a Comment

By Zan Martin

My second job after graduating college was working for an advertising agency in Nashville that specialized in providing marketing assistance for automotive aftermarket manufacturers. I worked my way up to Vice President handling major accounts like Warn Industries, K&N Engineering, Rancho Suspension and more. In 1993, my husband Randy and I formed our own marketing firm, Martin & Company (M&C), with a specialized focus on the automotive aftermarket. Both at the prior agency and at M&C, we assisted many of our clients with high profile builds that were frequently featured with full spreads in top publications like Car Craft Magazine and Hot Rod Magazine, in addition to major cable TV shows like PowerBlock and Stacey David’s Gearz with great success.

After a decade of doing this for our clients and attending many Hot Rod Power Tour events, we felt inspired to build a project vehicle of our own, and the idea of a Martin & Company Hot Rod was born. We found a 1957 Chevy Wagon shell and a 1957 Chevy Belair shell languishing in a field in Virginia, bought them, and began debating which one to start on first.

I was in favor of the Belair, but Randy ended up convincing me to start with the Wagon as they are more rare and frequently sought after by collectors. First things first, we had to name her. Combining our two names, we christened her the Zandy Wagon; a perfect combination of Zan and Randy.

With so many contacts in the industry, and clients who chose to donate parts, we were convinced that we could do the builds affordably. Oh, the best laid plans! Ha! Years later, after the wagon’s completion, we sold the Belair. But that’s a whole other story and one that anyone who has ever built a project car can relate to.

Deciding what brands we would use was fun, and we were in basic agreement on everything until deciding on the transmission. Automatic or manual? Randy was totally in favor of automatic. Easier on the legs he said. On this subject, I put my foot down. “As key influencers in the aftermarket,” I said, “We are not building a hot rod without a stick shift!”

Our client, American Powertrain is the number one dealer of Tremec Transmissions, and with all our publicity plans for this car, we also recognized that this would be a great way to also build their brand. Luckily, he acquiesced to my logic.

The Zandy Wagon’s maiden ride was the 2010 Hot Rod Power Tour. Shortly on the tour we broke down while heading out from Coker Tire in Chattanooga. Not long after that, she gave us a wonderful ride during a Rumble from American Powertrain in Cookeville, TN with a number of stops across Tennessee, and we did make a later Power Tour without issues. Since her completion, she has been on display at the SEMA Show in Vegas, featured in Hot Rod Magazine and made an appearance with Courtney Hanson on PowerBlock TV, in addition to being displayed for five years at a weekly Concert Cruise-in held at Fontanel in Nashville. We continue to enjoy our Sunday cruises around town and watching all the people giving us a thumbs up as we drive by, and every single time I start to head out for a drive, I smile as I grab the stick shift, put her in gear and smoothly cruise down the road!

2010 SEMA Show Zandy Wagon 1957 Chevy

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