A friend of mine recently returned from a long trip abroad. She noted on Facebook that after several months away, one thing she did not miss were Billy Fuccillo’s car commercials. For those of you who are not familiar, Mr. Fuccillo owns a chain of car dealerships and stars in his own commercials. His tagline is that his promotions and pricing are HUGE! If you live near one of his dealerships, you know exactly what I am referring to.
My first reaction to seeing her note was that it must have been a relief to have a break from the commercials. In fact I chuckled and agreed with her when I saw the post. The commercials often seem frequent and endless. And for those of us not interested in Hyundai or Kia (their primary brands), they are often a cue to change the channel.
Disclaimer: This would be a good time to note that I am not anti-Fuccillo. I actually saw Mr. Fuccillo at the track here in Saratoga and he seems like a great guy. I have also heard that he and his company donate massive amounts of money to various causes across the country. With that disclaimer in mind, I will get back to making my point…
My second reaction to seeing my friend’s comment was to note how pervasive this advertising campaign has become. The only way to sidestep the advertising stimuli appears to be to leave the country. The commercials are also memorable. Everyone who has seen them knows that Fuccillo has a lot of cars at a great prices and wants to help you get the financing you need to buy now.
If my target prospects told me that “although your marketing messages are at times annoying, everyone knows who you are and remembers your message” then I would have to deem my campaign a success. Mr. Fuccillo’s campaign certainly proves that concept, as I believe he is now the largest Hyundai and Kia dealer in the country, which is certainly a huge accomplishment.