Practical planning resource
Dealer Campaign Brief: Free Planning Template
Plan a dealership campaign around inventory, PMA findings, offer eligibility, budget ownership and lead measurement. Download the free brief worksheet.
Download the blank CSV worksheetStart with a decision, not a channel
A dealer campaign brief should explain what the store wants to change and why the proposed audience, inventory and offer fit. “Run more ads” is not a useful objective. Moving a retail-ready aged cohort, generating interest in a confirmed allocation and supporting service-lane capacity are different jobs. Choose one primary objective before comparing creative or media options.
Document the inventory reality
Identify the vehicles or cohort, current availability and the date of the inventory check. Record reconditioning status and merchandising readiness where relevant. Incoming units should not be described as on the lot. Name the person responsible for updating the campaign when a vehicle sells, an arrival changes or an offer expires.
Summarize the PMA evidence
State the geographic market and the sources used to understand local demand and competitors. Date observations and distinguish them from assumptions. Compare genuinely relevant offers, including trim, term, eligibility and required down payment. A competitor headline alone is not sufficient evidence for a price or payment comparison.
Write the approved offer in full
Use the dealership’s approved terms and source material. Identify the advertised vehicle, eligibility limits, expiration and any required disclosures. Have the responsible person review claims before creative is produced. When a detail is not confirmed, leave it as a question in the internal brief rather than filling it with a plausible number.
Match the destination to the promise
Choose a page that contains the inventory or offer in the ad and works on a phone. Check the call, inquiry and booking paths without generating real customer records unnecessarily. If the destination contains sample data or a demo, make that distinction clear. The person who clicks should not have to search the site to find the promised information.
Separate service fees and media authorization
Record the approved media budget, time window and budget owner independently of management or production fees. Specify the audience, placements and review date. Identify stop conditions such as sold inventory, expired offers or unavailable booking capacity. A brief can propose a budget, but it is not permission to spend until the authorized owner approves it.
Measure the handoff and review the decision
Choose meaningful outcomes: qualified inquiries, confirmed appointments and available sales outcomes, with clear definitions. Note tracking limitations and changes to inventory or price during the review. Use the free CSV as a planning template; it contains no real dealership data or performance claim. Keep the approved brief beside the campaign so the next review compares evidence with the original decision.
What the worksheet covers
- Campaign objective
- Inventory or cohort
- Availability checked at
- PMA geography
- Evidence source and date
- Offer and eligibility
- Offer expires
- Landing page
- Media budget approved by
- Budget and dates
- Creative owner
- Primary outcome
- Review date
- Stop condition
This is educational planning guidance, not a client case study. No customer results are implied. Keep private customer information in your authorized systems.
Put the plan to work
Review your dealer campaign or compare the current service packages.
