OPE Marketing: 6 Major Downsides of a Disconnected Strategy

As an outdoor power equipment (OPE) dealer, your focus is on selling top-quality lawn and landscape equipment—not managing a complicated web of marketing vendors. But too often, that’s exactly what happens.

Many OPE dealers work with multiple vendors for different marketing services: one company handles their website, another runs paid ads, a third manages social media, and someone else takes care of local SEO. At first, this might seem like the best way to get specialized expertise, but in reality, it often leads to disorganization, inefficiencies, and wasted spend.

If your marketing efforts feel disconnected and hard to measure, it may be time to rethink your approach. A unified marketing strategy can simplify your efforts, drive better results, and help you get the most out of your budget.

Why a Unified Approach Works Best for OPE Businesses

When different vendors handle different parts of your marketing, it’s easy for things to get out of sync. Here’s what that can look like:

1. Ad Cannibalization and Google Policy Violations: If different vendors are running digital ads for your dealership, they may unknowingly compete against each other in the same market—causing your cost per click (CPC) to skyrocket while reducing ad effectiveness. Even worse, if multiple vendors manage paid search ads from separate Google Ads accounts (MCCs), you risk violating Google’s policies on duplicate advertising. This could result in disapproved ads, lower ad performance, or even your account being blacklisted—effectively shutting down your ability to run paid search ads at all.
2. Inconsistent Branding and Messaging: Each vendor has their own style, strategy, and goals. That means your ads, website, and social media might all look and feel different, leading to a disjointed brand experience. If a customer sees a promotion in a Facebook ad but can’t find it on your website, they may lose trust and move on.
3. Inefficiencies and Overlapping Efforts: When multiple vendors work independently, you may end up paying twice for the same work—or worse, seeing different strategies conflict with each other. For example, one vendor may run Google Ads while another manages SEO, but if they don’t coordinate efforts, they could be competing for the same keywords and driving up your ad costs.
4. Lack of Clear Data and Performance Insights: Each vendor reports on their own metrics, but no one is looking at the full picture. This makes it difficult to track where your leads and sales are really coming from. Without a single, integrated reporting system, you may struggle to see which marketing efforts are actually delivering ROI.
5. Delayed Response Times and Missed Opportunities: When you work with multiple vendors, communication takes longer. If you need to make a quick adjustment—like updating a seasonal promotion—you may have to coordinate between multiple companies, causing frustrating delays and missed sales opportunities.
6. Wasted Co-Op Funds: Many OPE dealers rely on co-op advertising funds from manufacturers, but using them effectively requires strategy. When multiple vendors handle different manufacturers’ budgets, co-op funds can be underutilized or mismanaged, leaving valuable marketing dollars on the table.

The Power of a Unified Marketing Approach

A better way forward is to use a single, integrated marketing solution that brings everything together under one roof. Here’s why that works:

• A Consistent Brand Across All Channels: With a unified strategy, your branding, messaging, and promotions remain consistent everywhere your customers interact with you—from your website and social media to paid ads and local search.
• Maximized Efficiency & Reduced Costs: By consolidating marketing efforts, you eliminate redundancy, reduce wasted spend, and get more value out of every marketing dollar. Instead of vendors working against each other, an integrated strategy aligns all efforts toward a shared goal: driving sales for your dealership.
• Clear, Actionable Performance Insights: A single, centralized marketing partner gives you access to all your performance data in one place. You can see which campaigns drive the most leads, which promotions work best, and how to adjust your strategy for even greater success.
• Faster Adjustments and Better Support: Working with a single marketing partner means you can make updates and changes quickly—without the back-and-forth between multiple vendors. Need to launch a new promotion or adjust your budget? A unified team can make it happen in real time.
• Smarter Use of Co-Op Funds: With a single system managing all your co-op-eligible advertising, you can ensure every available dollar is being used effectively. A streamlined approach makes it easier to plan ahead, use funds before they expire, and maximize your return on investment.

What to Look for in an All-in-One Marketing Solution for OPE Dealers

When choosing a unified marketing solution, OPE dealers should look for:

✔ Expertise in the OPE industry: Your marketing partner should understand the seasonality, co-op programs, and customer behaviors unique to OPE dealerships.
✔ Integrated digital marketing services: Your website, paid ads, SEO, social media, and co-op fund management should work together seamlessly.
✔ Easy-to-understand performance tracking: You need clear reporting that shows what’s working and what’s not.
✔ A single point of contact: Instead of juggling multiple vendors, you should have one team managing all aspects of your marketing.

That’s exactly what OPEMax offers.

Simplify Your Marketing with OPEMax
Instead of managing multiple vendors, OPEMax brings everything under one roof—website management, digital advertising, local SEO, and social media marketing—all optimized for OPE dealers like you.

With OPEMax, you get:

✔ A single, streamlined strategy tailored to your dealership
✔ Smarter co-op fund management that maximizes manufacturer dollars
✔ Integrated performance tracking so you always know what’s working
✔ A team that understands OPE marketing inside and out

Stop wasting time and money juggling multiple vendors. Discover the power of a streamlined approach with OPEMax. Talk to an expert for a free market fit analysis today!

Justin Kahan is the Director of Channel Marketing – National Accounts at Mediagistic with more than a decade of experience. For the past 10 years, he has been focused on managing the relationships and campaigns across multiple national franchises within the fitness, QSR, and FEC industries. He specializes in helping both the national franchisor and local franchisee to plan and activate cross-channel, multi-funnel marketing campaigns. Additionally, he’s managed national campaigns for Home Services, Outdoor Power Equipment and Power Sports manufacturers. Connect with him on Linkedin.

Featured image via iStock