Our friends at CarsIreland.ie announced on March 10 that they have once again teamed up with Ulster Bank’s Lombard for their 2021 CarsIreland.ie Dealer Awards. The awards, in their seventh year, strive to recognise the online marketing efforts of car dealerships across the country.

There are three award categories – Best Presented Cars, Best Online Marketing and Best Use of Social Media. Car dealers will be ranked on the quality of the photographs and descriptions of stock on CarsIreland.ie, their online presence and use of social media for sales and brand-building.

This year will see the addition of an extra award for an ‘Industry Superstar’ – a staff member who has gone above and beyond for their company in light of the difficulties brought about by COVID-19 and ongoing public health restrictions.

Ger Toher, Chief Commercial Officer of CarsIreland.ie said;

“We are delighted to once again team up with Ulster Bank’s Lombard as these awards enter their seventh year and to recognise the serious effort put in by all motor industry staff, especially given the difficulties faced by dealerships over the last year. We continue to be astounded by the quality and standard of the submissions from car dealers from all across the country. We look forward to working together with Lombard as we continue to encourage and support our network of over 1,200 dealers with initiatives like this one.”

Head of Motor Finance at Ulster Bank’s Lombard, Donal Walsh said;

“Through our Consumer Motor Finance team we have formed close relationships with motor dealers around the country and we know that over the past year they have been working really hard to meet the ongoing challenges of COVID-19, adapting and innovating for customers every day. That’s why Ulster Bank’s Lombard is delighted to be in a position to help recognise and reward some of this brilliant work. We’re proud to once again support the CarsIreland.ie Dealer Awards, as part of our ongoing successful partnership with CarsIreland.ie. We look forward to seeing this year’s entries and continuing to work with, and support, our customers across Ireland in the months ahead.”

The overall winners will attend an awards ceremony in Dublin in December 2021.

The awards will be judged based on the the following criteria:

Best Presented Cars – This will be judged on the quality of the photographs and descriptions of stock on CarsIreland.ie – taking into account consistency, creativity, and quantity of information supplied. It’s also important that stock is kept up to date and all information entered is accurate. Special attention is paid to consistency and any efforts made to stand out from competitors via branding, video etc.

Best Online Marketing – This takes into account not just the above but also the overall online presence including your website, search visibility and utilisation of new technology and tools that help streamline the customer experience online.

Best Social Media – This will be judged on the best use of social media as both a sales and brand-building tool. Special attention will be paid to regularity of posting and balance when it comes to content. Ideally posts should keep customers both informed and engaged