The next individual award goes to a long-time dealer who’s now retired. Pete Franklin, founder of Pete Franklin’s National Auto Sales in Kansas City, Mo., is the second recipient of an individual award. Named for his unparalleled marketing ingenuity and prowess, Franklin pioneered the use of 30-minute infomercials in the late-90s to drive unheard-of levels of special finance traffic, instantly branding his independent dealer operations in the Kansas City market area and delivering hundreds of SF units monthly for years.
Franklin earned his first dealer stripes with a Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge franchise back in 1968. Over the years, he owned and operated many other franchise and independent dealerships and found success due to his ability to market to the customer with the right message at the right time.
Franklin was never afraid to spend money to make money, nor was he afraid to try something new to reach his customers. In September 1996, he did the unheard-of and launched 30-minute infomercials targeting subprime customers. His early telethon infomercials caused an immediate influx of phone calls to his dealership, and with that influx, he pushed his dealership unit sales higher than anyone could possibly imagine.
Several years later, he expanded these infomercials in both time and target. He pulled out all stops in creating his infomercials and laid the ground work for many dealers to follow in his footsteps. Today, his sons continue in their father’s footsteps. The subprime industry clearly owes the senior Franklin many thanks for changing the face of targeted marketing programs.