As a reporter in the mattress industry, it’s always been awful to hear people compare the shopping process for a new bed to buying a car, or worse, buying a used car. Until this morning.
As I walked briskly in my neighborhood, enjoying the cool morning air and listening to Joni Mitchell on Pandora–the free version, filled with ads–yet another commercial interrupted my peace.
Car shopping can be fun
This one was a 15-second spot for used-car dealer Carmax, but the main message was REFRESHING: “Car shopping is confusing and can be overwhelming–so START HERE, with us,” the voiceover urged. That’s right, they said “start” and “compare,” not “buy.” The implication was that Carmax understands how you shop. They want to make the PROCESS easier for you. It’s OK to go to a dealership and just look, test drive as many different makes and models as you like, and BEGIN your car-shopping process with them.
What an enormous relief to browsing car shoppers who may have been afraid to venture into a used-car dealership in the past, because of the pressure to buy.
And what a great way to get today’s consumer to trust you–and buy from you.
