Automotive News - September 23, 2019 - Best Practices Supplement - A42

42 | SEPTEMBER 23, 2019
L a F O N TA I N E A U T O M O T I V E G R O U P, H I G H L A N D , M I C H .

Event sponsorship creates bonds
Michigan stores connect
with Jeep enthusiasts,
resulting in higher sales
Published in Automotive News July 22, 2019

Vince Bond Jr.
vbond@crain.com

eeps, off-roading, sandy terrain.
The Silver Lake Sand Dunes Jeep Invasion in Michigan is paradise for fans of
the rugged brand, and LaFontaine Automotive Group wanted to be a part of it.
Two LaFontaine Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram
stores, in Fenton and Lansing, sponsored the
event this year, marking the first time the
Michigan dealership group has been involved. The event, which features live music,
food, off-road drives and a Jeep parade, began
in 2016.
The group sent five staffers to the Invasion,
which draws Jeep enthusiasts from numerous
states. The LaFontaine
stores set up a tent operated by product specialists,
salespeople and technology experts who could answer questions attendees
had about Jeep. Many focused on the Wrangler.
"A lot of the questions
revolved around what the
Arnott: Bigger
difference was between
crew next year
the old JK and the new JL,
obviously going through the new technology
that that vehicle offers, the quietness of the
new JL on the ride," said Chad Arnott, LaFontaine Automotive's group director of variable
operations. "Also, what accessories were going to be available for the new JL, because
with that product switched over everything's
just starting to come to market. And one of the
biggest things that we talked about was the
all-new Jeep Gladiator that just came out. That
was a big draw."
The LaFontaine tent was flanked by several
vehicles, including a Gladiator and accessorized models from aftermarket parts supplier American Expedition Vehicles. AEV sent a
representative who worked hand-in-hand
with the LaFontaine team.
The LaFontaine stores used the gathering to
bond with Jeep lovers and educate people
about what Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has to
offer. The effort has borne fruit in the weeks

Two LaFontaine Automotive Group stores
sponsored the Silver Lake Sand Dunes Jeep
Invasion and brought several vehicles to help
staff members engage with Jeep owners.

since, with those connections resulting in
higher accessory and vehicle sales at LaFontaine dealerships.
The group handed out hundreds of LaFontaine Jeep T-shirts and gave away a prize of
$1,000 toward Jeep upfitting at one of its stores.
The organization already is looking ahead to
the 2020 Invasion. Arnott said LaFontaine will
LaFontaine Automotive Group
is taking part in more than 100
enthusiast events this year,
including a Jeep owner festival,
to help build connections with
potential customers.

need to deploy a bigger crew next year.
"We're going to go with a larger display because we want to really showcase more of what
FCA has to offer when it comes to product and
upfits," Arnott said. "That was a big question
that we got: 'What upfits are available?' 'What
do you have that we can see?' And what we
want to do is actually show them how it's functional in real-life situations."
Event marketing has been a critical piece of
LaFontaine's outreach strategy across all of its
brands, said Max Muncey, the group's senior
manager of corporate communications.
Muncey said he expects the group to participate in more than 100 events this year.
"We go all-in from the tent to the team, to
shaking the hands, we really want to be ingrained in these events and these communities, these enthusiast groups," Muncey said.
"The only way to do that is to have a presence,
to bring some energy. And at the end of the
day, [we] just want to connect with people.
That's the goal." a

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