If you haven’t already, now is a great time to take advantage of the Mazda co-op program. This program allows you to promote your dealership while getting reimbursed for eligible ad campaigns, boosting your sales and saving you money. In this article, we’ll discuss how the program works, why it’s worth your time, and how Dealer Stream’s automotive advertising co-op solutions make it easy for you to use your co-op funds effectively. 

What is the Mazda Co-Op Program?

The Mazda co-op program allows you to run approved ads and submit the proof, and then Mazda will reimburse you for a portion of the cost. It’s part of a larger automotive marketing strategy that Mazda uses to keep its dealers in line with their image. They want your ads to be consistent with their national campaigns, using the same tone and same visuals, while still allowing you to promote your local offers. The benefit of Mazda co-op campaigns is that you can increase your budget and try more creative automotive marketing ideas without risking as much of your own money.

Should You Consider the Mazda Co-Op for Your Dealership?

Dealership marketing is expensive, especially if you’re using a mix of multiple channels like OTT ads, streaming radio, paid search and social media campaigns. The Mazda co-op program helps take some of the burden off your shoulders, and there are many great benefits to joining their program. 

Better Reach

Since your budget will stretch further with the financial help from Mazda, you can run bigger campaigns.

Flexibility 

As long as you’re following their brand guidelines, there’s still a lot of room to get creative with your ads. 

Cost Savings

If your campaign qualifies, you’ll get back a percentage of your advertising costs. 

Better Brand Alignment

Mazda’s brand guidelines help you keep your messaging professional and recognizable, which can impact sales.

Better ROI Tracking 

Since you’ll be submitting for reimbursement, this will force you to track what you spend and where.

What Qualifies for Mazda Dealer Advertising Reimbursement?

Not every ad qualifies, and Mazda has some of the more specific rules. They generally allow digital advertising including paid search, display ads and social media campaigns, streaming ads, radio ads including digital platforms like Spotify or Pandora, TV ads for local broadcasting, and print ads, which include newspapers, magazines and direct mail. The main thing to pay attention to is that your ads must follow Mazda’s branding guidelines for logos, taglines and sometimes even specific images. They can be fairly strict about this, which is why it’s always best to create your ads only after you have a full understanding of their dealer advertising reimbursement requirements. 

How Can You Make the Most of Your Mazda Co-Op Funds?

If you want to get the most value out of the Mazda co-op program, you’ll want to plan your automotive advertising so it meets their rules, but at the same time, also speaks to your local audience. 

Know the Rules

Before you spend any money, download the current Mazda co-op guidelines from your dealer portal. They outline what qualifies and how much Mazda will reimburse you for. This will save you from producing a great ad only to find out it’s ineligible. If you’re not sure whether your ad qualifies, we suggest working with an agency that’s already familiar with Mazda’s co-op requirements.

Define Your Strategy

Put together a plan that matches Mazda’s brand messaging with marketing ideas that are relevant to you. By paying attention to both branding and your local market, you’ll be able to attract more relevant buyers. 

Choose Your Marketing Channels

Mazda’s co-op funds cover both traditional and digital media, but we generally suggest prioritizing streaming platforms and digital media due to their ability to target specific audiences. 

Use Mazda’s Creative Assets

Mazda often provides ready-to-use creative in the form of images, videos and ad copy that already meets their standards. Start with these assets and customize them with your dealership’s offers and contact info.

Keep Records

In order to be reimbursed, Mazda requires proof. Save all invoices and performance reports for every campaign you submit. 

Submit Early 

Dealer advertising reimbursement isn’t instant. The sooner you submit your invoices and proof of performance, the sooner you’ll get paid. Keep all documentation organized and ready to submit to make this process smoother. 

What are Common Mazda Marketing Mistakes? 

Even with a great system in place, dealerships sometimes miss out on co-op funds because of preventable Mazda marketing mistakes. Here’s what to avoid. 

You Miss Deadlines

Mazda usually has a set submission window. If you miss it, you won’t get reimbursed.

Your Ads Don’t Comply

Using unapproved logos, colors, or taglines can disqualify an ad.

You Keep Poor Records

You’ll need proof of placement like screenshots to submit for reimbursement. 

You Overestimate Coverage

Co-ops won’t cover 100 percent of your ad spend, so be sure to budget accordingly.

Dealer Stream Offers Automotive Advertising Co-Op Solutions for Mazda

Here at Dealer Stream, we help our clients spend their Mazda co-op dollars by taking the most confusing, time consuming parts of the process off your plate and making sure every campaign is compliant and driven by results. We do this in a few steps. 

Navigate Mazda’s Rules

Mazda has specific co-op guidelines. We keep track of these rules for you to make sure your campaigns pass approval quickly.

Build Creatives

We produce ads that already use the approved brand assets, voiceovers and layouts Mazda wants, saving you from last minute revisions or rejected claims.

Choose the Right Platforms

We only work with platforms that meet Mazda’s co-op eligibility so you’re not wasting money on placements that won’t be reimbursed.

Manage Campaigns 

We handle media buying, audience targeting, ad trafficking and reporting so you don’t have to coordinate multiple platforms yourself.

Faster Reimbursements

Because everything’s compliant and documented upfront, your claims will be approved and paid faster.

Learn More About Automotive Advertising with Dealer Stream 

Ready to get started? At Dealer Stream, we help dealerships manage their co-op advertising dollars by taking over the process, making sure your campaigns are compliant and driven by results. If you’re interested in learning more about our car dealership marketing services, contact us today.