Industry Truth Bomb: Most Dealerships Are Wasting Money on Print

Print isn’t dead — but generic, outdated print is. Learn how dealerships can stop wasting money and start seeing ROI with smarter print strategies.

Hot take? Maybe.

Accurate? Absolutely.

Too many dealerships are still sending out the same old postcards:

• Generic vehicle photos

• Broad, untargeted offers

• No personalization

• No tracking

And then they wonder why response rates are down.

Here’s the truth: Print isn’t dead. Bad print is.

What Makes Print “Bad” (and Easy to Ignore)?

• Generic design with no personalization

• No data strategy — just blanketing zip codes

• No integration with digital (no QR, no PURLs, no offer tracking)

• No urgency or compelling reason to act

• Poor-quality paper or print that cheapens the brand

• You might as well be handing out flyers in the wind.

What Smart Dealerships Do Instead

Variable Data Printing (VDP)

Every piece includes the customer’s name, vehicle, offer, and location-specific details.

Segmented Campaigns

Different messages for lease turn-ins, used buyers, service customers, and cold leads.

Digital Integration

QR codes, tracked numbers, and PURLs help measure ROI and connect offline to online.

Better Design = Better Response

Premium layouts and paper stock don’t just look good — they build trust and credibility.

So… Is Your Print Working?

If you’re not seeing returns, it’s not that “print doesn’t work.”It’s that your print strategy needs work.

At Chroma, we help dealerships move away from generic and toward ROI-driven campaigns that look sharp, feel personalized, and actually convert.

Want to know what high-performing print looks like?

Let’s review your last campaign and talk about how to improve the next one.

Book a strategy consult with Chroma. info@chromadi.com