Success Story

Virtual Dealer Product Launch for an Automotive Brand

A national automotive brand needed to launch a new all-weather tire to its dealer network when a traditional in-person ride-and-drive event was no longer possible. A straight product presentation would not have been enough. The launch needed to carry some of the value, energy, and exclusivity of the original dealer program. ELP helped shape the launch into a virtual dealer event with a broadcast-style format, pre-event communications, product storytelling, audience incentives, and content that could extend beyond the live program.

The Mandate

The client’s traditional product launch was built around an exclusive in-person ride-and-drive event. Dealers would travel to a track, test tires on luxury vehicles, learn from product experts, and spend time with professional drivers.

COVID-19 restrictions made that format impossible. The new challenge was to create a virtual dealer event that could still feel important to the dealer audience.

The event needed to support the launch of a new all-weather tire, educate dealers on the product, build brand confidence, and motivate the sales channel. It also had to stay under 60 minutes and avoid the feeling of another standard online meeting.

The Challenge: Replacing A Live Ride-And-Drive Event

A standard webinar would have missed the point. The audience was used to a high-touch, incentive-style program with cars, drivers, hospitality, and hands-on product testing. The dealer group was mostly male, between 25 and 60, with a strong interest in motorsports, rally-style experiences, luxury driving, and practical product performance.

The client also saw a new opportunity. The in-person format had traditionally been limited to about 120 top dealers. A virtual format could reach a larger audience across Canada, including loyalty program participants, retail partners, smaller dealerships, journalists, and influencers.

The task was not to recreate the track event on screen. It was to build a virtual product launch that gave dealers a real reason to watch, learn, and stay engaged.

ELP’s Approach

ELP approached the project as a full dealer engagement program, not just a one-hour broadcast. The creative direction moved away from back-to-back presentations and toward a show-style format with hosts, short segments, automotive content, and audience incentives. The idea was to build anticipation before the event, hold attention during the broadcast, and create content that could be used afterward.

The early creative spark came from automotive entertainment and lifestyle programming, but the goal was practical: make the product launch easier to watch, easier to remember, and more useful for the people responsible for selling the product.

Building Interest Before The Broadcast

A strong virtual launch starts before the audience logs in. The program planning included a branded email series, registration experience, trailer-style video teaser, targeted outreach to key dealers, and a watch-party box to help the event feel more intentional than a typical online meeting.

If dealers were being asked to make time for a virtual launch, the event had to feel different before they even logged in.

How The Virtual Format Expanded The Opportunity

Moving the launch online changed the reach of the program. Instead of limiting attendance to a smaller group of invited dealers, the virtual format made it possible to connect with a broader dealer audience across Canada. It also gave the brand more ways to communicate before and after the event.

The production plan had to account for bilingual accessibility, captioning or translation, speaker support, rehearsal, video production, broadcast design, music, graphics, registration, and a reliable event platform.

The platform had to work, of course. The harder job was making the launch feel worth showing up for.

What Success Looked Like

More than 600 dealers tuned into the event, expanding the reach well beyond the traditional in-person format. The virtual approach allowed the brand to support product education, dealer motivation, and sales channel engagement with a larger audience than the original live event could accommodate.

The result was not just a workaround for a live event. It gave the brand a different way to reach dealers, share product knowledge, and keep the sales channel connected during a difficult period.

FAQ

Can ELP produce virtual product launch events?
Yes. ELP can help plan and produce virtual product launch events that include broadcast production, product storytelling, speaker support, audience engagement, registration, pre-event communications, and post-event content planning.

How do you make a virtual dealer event engaging?
A virtual dealer event works better when it is planned around the full audience experience, not just the presentation. That can include a pre-event campaign, short broadcast segments, strong hosts, product demonstrations, audience incentives, Q&A, and content that gives attendees a reason to stay involved.

Can a virtual product launch reach more people than an in-person event?
Yes. A virtual launch can expand reach when the audience is not limited by travel, venue capacity, or regional attendance. In this case, the virtual format helped the brand move beyond a smaller invited dealer group and reach a much larger audience.

What does ELP consider when producing a virtual automotive event?
ELP considers the audience, product story, broadcast format, speaker needs, platform reliability, accessibility, language requirements, pre-event communications, visual design, content pacing, and post-event use of recorded material.

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