10:35 am, December 11, 2023
These days it is crucial that dealers embrace social media if they’re to run a successful used car business.
To that end, recent Car Dealer Used Car Awards have seen our Social Media User of the Year category become one of the most tightly fought over.
In 2023, the gong was scooped by Acklam Car Centre, which beat strong competition from highly commended firms Car Quay and Romans International.
The Middlesbrough-based business impressed our mystery shoppers by consistently delivering brilliant updates, including engaging videos on a range of social platforms produced by a variety of its team members.
The outfit also tasted success at last year’s awards, when it picked up our Use of Video prize.
Speaking after this year’s win, John Ferguson, business manager at Acklam Car Centre, said: ‘We’re buzzing to be fair. We are absolutely ecstatic. We have put a lot of hard work into it so we’re really pleased to win up against some really really top dealers.
‘Our two main platforms are probably Facebook and Instagram. They are the ones which we really push most and gets the most clients and leads from
‘I think it has been difficult for the industry lately. This year has been tough. The last few years have been good for everybody but this year has certainly seen a little bit of a downfall – especially in the last couple of months or so.
‘Let’s see what next year brings and hopefully things will be looking up for everybody.’
- Acklam Car Centre
- Amari Supercars
- Car Quay
- Romans International
- SUV Prestige
Acklam Car Centre was originally founded more than 20 years ago and has enjoyed major growth over the past few years – driven largely by its impressive online presence.
The company focuses on buying the very best stock, pricing it correctly using its live pricing strategy and ensuring that customers are at the heart of the business.
The latest win certainly impressed Car Dealer’s editor-in-chief, James Baggott, who was on hand to offer his own congratulations.
He added: ‘The Social Media User of the Year Award celebrates those firms that use a range of online platforms as a free marketing tool to increase brand awareness.
‘Our winners – Acklam Car Centre – delivered brilliant updates, including engaging videos on a variety of social platforms produced by a well-trained team of experts.
‘A huge congratulations to the entire Acklam team!’
Main image: John Ferguson (business manager) and Carolina Wos (marketing manager) from Acklam Car Centre collect their award from Lee Arnold (director of strategic partnerships at iVendi) and Mike Brewer
