In today’s digital world, where AI-generated content dominates every platform, authenticity and community-driven projects are more prominent than ever. This gives auto dealers a unique opportunity to localize their marketing efforts, especially with automotive influencer marketing. Dealerships may develop trust and foster stronger relationships with their audience by highlighting real individuals in their local areas.
One notable example of this strategy is Bentley of Orlando’s automotive influencer marketing campaign with Bernadette Gervin, a well-known female founder from Orlando. This collaboration exemplifies how automotive marketing companies can leverage the potential of influencer marketing with direct community engagement.
The Influencer: Meet Bernadette Girvin
She is one of those women whose story deserves recognition. She epitomizes the concept of women empowering women, and a simple Google search for International Women’s Day will bring up her photo.
Bernadette radiates power, kindness, and an unwavering commitment to connecting people with other remarkable individuals. Drawing from her experiences on the professional golf course, she and her co-founder have established the successful firm, GFG Solutions.
Bernadette has assembled an exceptional team and dedicated herself to the mission of empowering women to achieve financial success through her organization, Women in Wealth.
Her latest endeavor brought Bernadette closer to her lifelong passion and dream of owning her own farm. She turned that dream into reality and now provides the Central Florida community with fresh, locally grown produce and handcrafted products.
As you can see, she was the perfect candidate for this project!
#bosswoman #entrepreneurlife #productionqueen #empirebuilder
The Campaign: Bridging Local Automotive and Influencer Marketing
The strategy was simple: present Bentley’s car models through a localized ad campaign. The dealership hired Laudt Creative to design, manage, and execute this unique campaign. We organized a beautiful photoshoot at the place that defines Bernadette—her local farm. This allowed for authentic, localized content that exemplified Bernadette’s personality.
The photos became the foundation of a dealership marketing campaign that included social media, automotive email marketing, and an in-dealership event that brought 100 new clients and customers to the dealership’s physical location, right in the heart of the Orlando community.
By collaborating on posts, Bentley of Orlando and Bernadette Gervin were able to expand their target audience reach. Co-tagging allowed for greater engagement, effectively reaching Bernadette’s followers and Bentley’s client base, and creating a significant FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) effect. The campaign was a perfect blend of automotive digital marketing and influencer collaboration, demonstrating that dealership marketing can thrive when personalized.
The Power of Partnership: Collaboration in Automotive Influencer Marketing
Automotive influencer marketing doesn’t just stop at social media. Bentley of Orlando also partnered with Bang & Olufsen, an iconic luxury audio brand. Together, these three brands created an event that went beyond simple product promotion. By combining their resources, they were able to split the costs and expand their reach.
This collaboration allowed the dealership to strengthen its ties within the Orlando community. The event featured a panel discussion with Bernadette, where she shared insights on luxury, entrepreneurship, and how she built her brand—ultimately tying back to the Bentley brand. This unique combination of automotive marketing strategies with community influencers helped create a more intimate and personal connection with attendees.
Results: Building Community and Enhancing Brand Authenticity
The concept of community-building was essential to this automotive advertising campaign. Bentley of Orlando localized its branding, which appealed to ladies in the area who could imagine driving a Bentley. This campaign demonstrated how critical it is for an automotive marketing company to interact with local influencers, and how tailored outreach can produce outstanding results.
Takeaways for Automotive Influencer Marketing
This campaign provided a platform to celebrate a local woman while fostering a genuine connection with her and her network. It added authenticity to the branding—something AI could not replicate—and localized the Bentley brand, enabling Orlando prospects to see themselves reflected in the story.
The partnership with Bang & Olufsen allowed the dealership to further connect with local business owners, expand its reach, and share the costs of the activation. By pooling their resources, the campaign was able to achieve greater impact and deliver an elevated experience.