In today’s fiercely competitive automotive landscape, fixed ops marketing is more than an afterthought — it’s a primary growth strategy. As margins on new car sales continue to narrow, service and retention are now the heartbeat of dealership profitability. To succeed, dealers need a marketing partner that offers more than static campaigns and generic outreach. They need targeted, automated, multichannel solutions that reach customers where they are — via direct mail, email, and SMS text messaging.

Two players in the automotive marketing space, Dealerwing and Affinitiv, offer service marketing solutions aimed at helping dealerships increase retention and service revenue. But there’s a clear winner when it comes to modern execution, personalization, flexibility, and ROI: Dealerwing.

In this article, we’ll explore how Dealerwing compares to Affinitiv and why more dealerships are choosing Dealerwing as their fixed ops marketing partner of choice.

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1. Service Marketing vs. OEM Lifecycle Programs

Affinitiv is widely used across OEM-certified programs and excels at maintaining brand consistency through manufacturer-approved campaigns. However, its rigid templates and limited flexibility often hinder fast execution, dealer customization, and personalization beyond surface-level details.

Dealerwing, by contrast, is engineered specifically for fixed ops marketing — not OEM compliance. It empowers dealers to:

• Launch service campaigns rapidly
• Customize messaging, creative, and offers by market, brand, or season
• Target both current and conquest customers using real-time behavioral data
• Personalize every communication based on vehicle and service history

This direct focus on fixed ops gives Dealerwing an edge when it comes to boosting service lane traffic, RO value, and retention.

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2. Multichannel Execution That Drives Results

Affinitiv delivers messages mostly through email and print campaigns, with less emphasis on integrating SMS text messaging or building seamless omnichannel journeys.

Dealerwing leverages all three channels — email, SMS, and direct mail — to engage customers in the most responsive ways:

Direct Mail

• VIN-personalized mailers with QR codes and offer codes
• First-class delivery for urgency and professionalism
• AI-powered timing based on service intervals and inactivity
• Fully tracked and matchback to RO revenue

Email Marketing

• Lifecycle automation (30K/60K/90K milestones, loyalty offers, service follow-ups)
• Dynamic content blocks personalized to vehicle and RO history
• A/B testing to improve subject lines, send times, and offers

SMS Text Messaging

• Real-time, opt-in campaigns with mobile scheduling links
• High response rates (often over 30%)
• Triggered messages tied to email/mail engagement and RO activity
• Perfect for urgent offers or last-minute bay fills

Affinitiv may offer elements of these, but Dealerwing’s execution is faster, more flexible, and built around ROI.

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3. Smarter Targeting Through Audience Curation & AI

Affinitiv’s segmentation typically relies on CRM rules, DMS data, and OEM schedules, often resulting in time-based reminders with minimal behavioral targeting.

Dealerwing uses AI for car dealerships to power smarter audience curation, leveraging:

• Vehicle service history
• Estimated mileage and usage frequency
• Customer engagement trends (email/SMS clicks, prior redemptions)
• Lapsed customer scoring
• Likelihood to respond to specific offer types

This allows you to send the right message to the right customer at the right time, driving more ROs per campaign while reducing waste.

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4. Transparent Attribution Tied to Revenue

Affinitiv’s reporting typically focuses on campaign metrics like sends, opens, and bookings — useful data, but often lacking the RO-level attribution needed to connect marketing directly to revenue.

Dealerwing delivers transparent attribution reporting that tracks:

• Revenue per campaign, per customer
• Conversion rates by channel (email, mail, SMS)
• RO value vs. campaign cost
• Customer journey insights (who opened, clicked, scheduled, and redeemed)

With Dealerwing, you don’t just track activity — you track profit. That’s why Dealerwing clients consistently see 6x–10x ROI on service campaigns.

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5. Flexibility That Matches Your Service Lane Needs

Affinitiv’s campaigns often follow OEM marketing calendars, limiting your ability to:

• Pivot quickly for weather or regional promotions
• Customize creative to reflect your brand
• Conquest local service customers
• Launch emergency win-back campaigns

Dealerwing removes the red tape. You control your campaigns — from offer type and target segment to timing and channel mix.

Want to launch a regional tire special in two days? Dealerwing can do that.
Need to fill open bays with an SMS blast to inactive customers? Dealerwing has you covered.
Want to run a loyalty program that tracks retention over time? Dealerwing makes it simple.

That agility is critical when conquest vs. retention efforts need to shift quickly based on local demand.

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6. Conquest & Reactivation Campaigns That Deliver

Affinitiv focuses primarily on customer retention within your DMS. While that’s important, it leaves growth potential untapped.

Dealerwing builds high-performing conquest campaigns that include:

• Data acquisition and geo-targeting by ZIP code
• Personalized direct mail to vehicle owners who haven’t serviced with you
• Email and SMS journeys for conquest conversion
• Offer strategies based on competitive positioning

Dealerwing also excels in reactivation, targeting lapsed customers with:
Timed offers based on last RO date and vehicle mileage

• Incentives tied to loyalty status
• Multichannel nudges over 30/60/90 day intervals

These tactics consistently convert dormant or new prospects into loyal service customers.

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Real-World Example: Dealerwing in Action

Campaign Goal: Re-engage lapsed customers and boost revenue from high-mileage vehicles
Dealerwing Execution:

• AI segmented 1,800 customers who hadn’t visited in 9+ months and had over 50K miles
• Sent VIN-personalized direct mail with $60 off 60K-mile service
• Followed up with email reminders and scheduling links
• Triggered SMS text messaging 48 hours before expiration
• Tracked all conversions through transparent attribution reporting

Results:
21.4% response rate
Over $86,000 in RO revenue
9.1x ROI
28% rebooking of dormant customers

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Final Verdict: Dealerwing Outperforms Affinitiv for Service Marketing Execution

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Final Thoughts: Choose the Right Partner for Fixed Ops Performance

If you want to grow service revenue, retain more customers, and create a scalable fixed ops marketing machine, Dealerwing is the clear winner.
With:

• Personalized direct mail, email, and SMS
• AI-powered audience curation
• Transparent RO-based reporting
• Campaign flexibility dealers control
• Purpose-built service marketing strategies

Dealerwing delivers the complete package for dealerships serious about fixed ops success.

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Ready to Build Your Best-Performing Service Campaigns?

At Dealerwing, we help dealerships like yours increase service appointments, win back lapsed customers, and grow retention with smarter, faster, and more measurable marketing.

Let’s fill your bays with campaigns that work. Contact Dealerwing today.