Client Overview
The client runs a multi-brand car dealership in India, selling new vehicles across a couple of showroom locations. Test drive bookings were the key metric that mattered most, since a booked test drive was usually the strongest signal that someone was seriously considering a purchase. Existing PPC marketing spend wasn't translating into enough of those bookings.
Key Changes
Challenge
The dealership was running digital ads, but spend wasn't converting into test drive bookings at a cost that made sense. A lot of the budget was going into broad video ads that got views but didn't lead anywhere specific, and search ads were mostly catching people who'd already made up their mind about a different brand entirely.
There was no real retargeting strategy in place, so someone who'd browsed a specific model on the website once would just disappear from the funnel if they didn't convert immediately. Campaigns weren't segmented by vehicle type or buyer intent, so the same generic ad was shown to someone just browsing and someone actively comparing dealerships before booking a test drive. Cost per lead was higher than it should have been, and there wasn't a clear sense of which channel was actually driving bookings versus just generating impressions. The sales team kept getting leads that hadn't been warmed up at all, making conversion to an actual test drive much harder than it needed to be.
Key Challenges:
Ad spend generated views and impressions but not enough test drive bookings
No retargeting strategy existed for visitors who browsed but didn't convert
Campaigns weren't segmented by vehicle model or buyer intent stage
Cost per lead was high relative to the quality of leads being generated
No clarity on which channels were actually driving bookings versus just visibility
Solution
The dealership restructured its approach around two connected channels working together instead of running disconnected, broad campaigns. YouTube pre-roll ads were built around specific vehicle models, targeted at audiences actively researching cars in that segment, rather than a single generic ad running across all viewers.
Search remarketing was layered on top, specifically targeting people who'd already shown interest, whether through a YouTube view, a website visit, or a search related to the dealership's vehicle range. This meant someone who watched a pre-roll ad about a specific model would then see relevant search ads reinforcing that interest, nudging them back toward booking a test drive instead of disappearing from the funnel. Campaigns were segmented by model and by where someone was in their buying journey, so a first-time browser and someone closer to a decision weren't shown the exact same message. Performance tracking was set up to clearly attribute bookings back to the specific channel and campaign responsible.
Features Implemented:
Model-specific YouTube pre-roll campaigns targeted at relevant car-buying audiences
Search remarketing layered to re-engage users who'd shown prior interest
Campaign segmentation by vehicle model and buyer intent stage
Cross-channel retargeting connecting YouTube viewers to search remarketing
Channel-level performance tracking to attribute bookings accurately
Results
Once the two channels were working together instead of running separately, booking volume picked up noticeably. People who'd seen a pre-roll ad about a specific model and later searched something related were now being pulled back in through remarketing, instead of dropping out of the funnel entirely.
Cost per lead came down as campaigns became more targeted, since spend was going toward audiences already showing some level of intent rather than broad, undifferentiated reach. The sales team also started receiving warmer leads, since people booking test drives had typically already engaged with relevant content across both channels before converting.
Business Impact:
- 290 test drive bookings generated within the quarter through the combined approach
- Cost per lead came down to roughly Rs. 420, an improvement from previous campaign performance
- Retargeted users converted to bookings at a noticeably higher rate than cold traffic
- Campaign segmentation improved relevance of ads shown at each stage of buyer intent
- Sales team received better-qualified leads with prior engagement already established
- Clear channel-level attribution gave the dealership visibility into what was actually driving bookings
Conclusion
Generating views and clicks doesn’t mean much if none of it turns into someone actually booking a test drive, and that gap was exactly what this dealership was dealing with before the change. Arihant Global restructured the campaign approach around YouTube pre-roll and search remarketing working together, segmented by model and buyer intent, with attribution that made it clear what was actually working. The dealership now generates a steady volume of qualified test drive bookings at a cost per lead that actually makes sense for the business.
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Disclaimer
Results are based on a real client project with anonymized details for confidentiality. Outcomes may vary depending on industry, competition, website, and business goals. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
