How were showroom visits and sales tracked back to the leaflet?

A unique campaign phone number and a showroom offer code ('APEX22') were included on every mailer. Every inbound call and showroom visit quoting the code was logged, allowing the dealership to attribute visits and sales to the campaign with complete accuracy.

How does leaflet distribution compare to AutoTrader for car dealerships?

This campaign delivered showroom visits at £126 each, compared to the dealership's AutoTrader cost per lead of over £200. Crucially, leaflet distribution reaches households before they begin their online search — putting the dealership in front of potential buyers at the very start of their purchase journey, rather than competing with dozens of other listings at the point of active search.

What type of dealerships benefit most from leaflet campaigns?

Independent and franchise dealerships of all sizes benefit from leaflet distribution, particularly those looking to build local brand awareness and drive showroom footfall. The channel is especially effective for used and nearly-new car dealers who want to reach local buyers before they commit to an online-only search process.

What budget is recommended for a motor dealership leaflet campaign?

Given the high average transaction value in automotive, even a modest campaign budget of £2,000–£5,000 can deliver exceptional ROI. Apex Motor Group's £4,800 campaign generated £127,000 in revenue — a 26x return. Leaflet-Delivery.co.uk can design a campaign scaled to your budget, target area, and stock profile.

Case Study

How a Leeds Motor Dealership Generated 38 Showroom Visits and 9 Car Sales from One Leaflet Campaign

A targeted direct mail campaign that put a local car dealership in front of thousands of in-market buyers — at a fraction of the cost of digital advertising.

Motor Dealership & Automotive

Leeds, West Yorkshire

3 Weeks

Showroom Visits

Cars Sold

22,000

Leaflets Distributed

£127,000

Revenue Generated

The Challenge

Apex Motor Group, an independent used and nearly-new car dealership based in Leeds, was facing increasing competition from national online car retailers such as AutoTrader and CarGurus. While their online listings were generating some enquiries, the cost of premium placement on these platforms was rising sharply, and the dealership was struggling to differentiate itself from competitors offering similar stock at similar prices.

The dealership's management team wanted to take a more proactive, local approach — reaching households in the Leeds area who were likely to be in the market for a vehicle, before they started their online search. They needed a channel that could build local brand awareness, drive footfall to the showroom, and generate qualified leads at a cost that made commercial sense against their average vehicle margin.

The Solution

In-Market Household Targeting

Leaflet-Delivery.co.uk used demographic and lifestyle data to identify households across Leeds most likely to be in the market for a vehicle — targeting postcodes with higher car ownership rates, households with two or more adults, and areas with above-average household income. This ensured the campaign reached people with both the means and the motivation to purchase.

Royal Mail Door-to-Door Distribution

A Royal Mail Door to Door campaign was selected to cover 22,000 homes across key Leeds postcodes including Roundhay, Moortown, Horsforth, and Headingley. Royal Mail's trusted delivery network ensured reliable, comprehensive coverage, and the credibility of arriving alongside the regular post reinforced the dealership's professional brand image.

High-Impact DL Mailer Design

The campaign used a premium DL-format mailer — larger than a standard leaflet — featuring high-quality photography of the dealership's current stock, a headline offer ('0% finance available — drive away today'), and a clear call-to-action directing recipients to visit the showroom or call a dedicated campaign number. The premium print finish reinforced the quality of the vehicles on offer.

Dedicated Campaign Tracking

A unique campaign phone number and a specific showroom offer code ('APEX22') were included on every mailer. This allowed the dealership to track every inbound call and showroom visit directly back to the leaflet campaign — providing clear, attributable ROI data throughout the three-week campaign period.

“We were spending a fortune on AutoTrader and getting average results. Leaflet-Delivery.co.uk suggested a Royal Mail drop targeting the right postcodes in Leeds and within three weeks we had 38 showroom visits and sold 9 cars. The ROI was extraordinary — we've already booked our next campaign.”

Sales Director

Apex Motor Group Leeds

The Results

Within three weeks of the Royal Mail drop completing, Apex Motor Group recorded 38 showroom visits directly attributed to the leaflet campaign — visitors who quoted the campaign code or called the dedicated number. Of those 38 visits, 9 resulted in vehicle purchases, generating £127,000 in revenue against a total campaign spend of approximately £4,800.

The cost per showroom visit of £126 compared extremely favourably against the dealership's AutoTrader spend, where cost per lead had been running at over £200. The campaign also generated a significant uplift in brand awareness across the target postcodes, with several buyers mentioning they had kept the mailer for several weeks before deciding to visit — demonstrating the lasting impact of physical marketing materials in a high-consideration purchase category.

Key Highlights

38 showroom visits directly attributed to the campaign
9 vehicles sold — £127,000 revenue generated
£126 cost per showroom visit vs £200+ on AutoTrader
22,000 homes reached across Leeds
26x return on campaign investment

Frequently Asked Questions

Leaflet-Delivery.co.uk used demographic and lifestyle data to identify households across Leeds most likely to be in the market for a vehicle. This included postcodes with higher car ownership rates, households with two or more adults, and areas with above-average household income — ensuring the campaign reached people with both the means and the motivation to purchase.