Say hello to Hello Auto

Challenge
A group of automotive industry vets set out to build an automotive group of their own from the ground up. Combining years of experience, lessons learned, best practices and “I wish I would haves,” they had one goal: deliver an automotive dealership experience lifecycle that consumers desired and couldn’t find elsewhere.

As a strategic partner to Hello Auto Group from the very beginning, Linnihan Foy was tasked with building the entire brand identity, including look, feel, voice, personality and promise. For a new business, getting their branding right was paramount.

Action
Linnihan Foy managed market research activities to understand new markets, determine automotive experience gaps and find differentiation opportunities. Leveraging a team of advertising gurus and automotive marketing vets, we assembled a modern brand promise that aligned with what consumers are looking for in the automotive space, but had a hard time finding.

It all started with the name. We wanted to differentiate from typical auto groups. Rather than being named after an owner, we wanted a name that would start a conversation.

With this brand promise, we thought through every nut and bolt of the operation. We constructed a brand platform that got consumers (evidenced in our consumer research), manufacturers (evidenced by open point awards) and industry veterans excited.

To launch, we created an integrated marketing plan, leveraging the best of Linnihan Foy traditional and digital resources. We partnered with trusted vendors to leverage their tools where they have an edge. Additionally, we co-created a comprehensive community activation plan, influenced by Hello leadership’s philanthropic goals, and existing OEM brand partnerships.

Moving forward, Linnihan Foy creates integrated marketing strategies for ongoing operations for each respective dealership in Hello Auto Group.