Mike Pruitt Honda

Mike Pruitt’s search for more effective ways to market his Honda dealership made him curious about LED signs. “I had been looking at digital signs for about 5 years,” said Pruitt. When he saw an LED sign at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he felt a strong push to buy one and got in touch with Archer Signs for more information.

Mike Pruitt Honda, located along Highway 8 in Akron, Ohio, relied on traditional advertising to reach customers from Akron and nearby Cleveland. But dealership owner Mike Pruitt, a former NFL running back, wanted to try something different. After researching his options, he realized that a digital sign would be a better advertising investment because it would reach more customers for less money.

When he was ready to take the next step, Pruitt talked to local sign dealer, Archer Signs. They suggested a Watchfire LED sign as a smart advertising investment. Pruitt asked questions about the sign’s construction and longevity since an LED sign was such a big change from his usual advertising methods. “The image quality of the sign and warranty were better than the others,” said Pruitt. After seeing an in-person demo and learning more about features such as Watchfire’s 5-year warranty, he made his decision.

After the XVS 19mm color electronic message center was installed, Pruitt saw dramatic results. “Customers reference the sign when coming to get a car. It’s that top-of-mind awareness,” he said. The flexibility to change ads according to season or time of day is a big advantage over other forms of advertising. The dealership’s broad inventory of vehicles, services and products required an advertising medium that could be easily updated. Sales have increased depending on what’s displayed on the sign, such as higher sales for windshield wipers and detailing services in the fall and winter. “We’ve actually reduced our advertising budget by using the digital sign,” Pruitt said.

In addition to products and promotions, Pruitt Honda displays its social media contact information on the LED sign. Kevin Pruitt, who manages the company’s social media accounts, uses Watchfire’s Ignite® to post the dealership’s Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest accounts to share car news, photos and deals with customers. Overall, the combination of informative ads and compelling social media messages have made the Watchfire digital sign a versatile advertising tool for Pruitt Honda’s future.

Pruitt Honda’s electronic message center has improved sales, especially when Pruitt tailors the sign ads to specific products. “It’s been a tremendous help when advertising service specials and targeting certain vehicles we need to sell,” said Pruitt. The Watchfire sign has helped the dealership reduce advertising costs by catching the attention of customers who are in a position to act on Pruitt’s message. Lower advertising costs and increased sales have been a winning combination.