Advantage Trailer ’ s story started simply . In 1989 , owner Dan Webb opened a car leasing dealership in the Chicago suburbs . Shortly afterward , Webb shifted his attention to small cargo and toy hauler trailer sales and Advantage Trailer ( Advantage ) ran successfully for the next 15-20 years . But during the recession of 2008 , an opportunity came knocking . Microsoft was looking for a trailer for a mobile marketing campaign . The dealership embraced the opportunity to try something new .
This new venture opened the door for Advantage to carve out a niche as a mobile marketing trailer dealership , supplying commercial clients with experiential and mobile marketing exhibits , concession trailers , mobile offices , and mobile command centers . The line extension made sense with hundreds of experiential marketing firms in Chicago . The dealership ’ s portfolio contains an impressive line of nationally known brands , which most recently include Kona Brewing Company and the U . S . Navy ’ s Blue Angels .
This niche also allows Advantage to make a positive impact on its community . Recently , the dealership transformed a trailer into a mobile hearing lab for Boys Town National Research Hospital . “ This trailer will allow them to take the lab directly to underserved populations , allowing them to receive testing and take part in research studies ,” says Justin Potts , Marketing Manager at Advantage Trailer . “ Historically , research studies only represent those who can afford the cost and time to come to a lab to participate , which means the research is not truly representative of the population as a whole . This trailer will change that , and we are proud to work with the amazing team at Boys Town and play a small part in bringing that to fruition .”
Pivoting Through Market Fluctuations While Advantage ’ s custom business is its core line , the dealership cultivates several revenue streams to enable it to stay agile and respond to an ever-changing economic environment . For example , it was time to change strategy when mobile marketing came to a standstill due to the pandemic . “ There wasn ’ t the big need for those big custom marketing trailers , so we focused on local trailer sales ,” said Jodi Behrendt , Advantage ’ s Operations Manager . “ We switched our focus to our cargo lines – small cargo trailers , car haulers , utility trailers dump trailers , landscape trailers and the like – doing this enabled us to keep chugging along until things began to open up again .”
The resulting supply chain shortages from the pandemic required another pivot . This time from sales to service . “ With new trailers taking six months or more to deliver and custom options limited , we ’ re working with our existing customers to establish the need for ongoing maintenance for the trailers they already have ,” states Service Manager Mark Behrendt . “ While we are still selling trailers , we ’ d rather give our customers the option to service if it would serve them better instead of buying new . By giving them control of their experience , we can improve their satisfaction , which will only grow the service end of the business .”
The dealership is also focusing on additional revenue streams , which include trailer rentals ( cargo and utility ,) mobile marketing trailer leasing and commercial trailer customization services ( vehicle wraps and spot graphics ).
Prioritizing Online Presence Advantage ’ s agility in responding to market factors and trends isn ’ t their only strategic advantage . The dealership prioritizes marketing , especially in the digital space . “ SEO and keyword advertising are important since every major purchase starts with an Internet search ,” says Advantage ’ s Marketing Manager , Justin Potts . “ Image is crucial . We get a lot of inbound leads sharing examples of past trailers online and on social media , especially Pinterest , so good photography is everything .”
On the Internet , reviews are unavoidable , inevitable , and often are the difference between someone walking into a dealership or not . Potts knows this and takes advantage of NATDA member benefit provider , KENECT , to manage and automate the online review process . “ KENECT has definitely expanded and increased our ratings on Google and Facebook ,” adds Potts . “ It has made it a lot easier to ask for reviews . We can simply push out the review request directly to their phone . All they have to do is click .”
Before You Pivot , You ’ ve Got to Connect Knowing when to pivot takes knowledge , and both Jodi and Mark Behrendt agree that it ’ s essential to stay informed on what ’ s happening in the industry . Both use NATDA ’ s resources to assist them , specifically the NATDA Trailer Show . “ In addition to the workshops and seeing new products , I value being able to connect in person with our parts and trailer manufacturers as well as other dealers ,” Jodi . states . “ Being able to exchange ideas and discuss common challenges and opportunities allows us all to be open to making strategic changes to our business models and to help keep our industry thriving .”
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