“If you choose to use the same tool even after switching brands – it must be truly convincing.”
Lea is responsible for digital trade marketing at Kawasaki – a role she also held previously at Triumph Motorcycles. That’s where she first worked with socialPALS, successfully using the platform to support dealer campaigns. At Kawasaki, socialPALS was already in place, but Lea took it to the next level – refining and repositioning it strategically.
In an industry that relies heavily on local dealerships, strong brands alone aren’t enough. Simple, digital solutions are needed to drive local visibility – because in a market that depends heavily on local dealerships, strong brands alone aren’t enough. In this interview, Lea shares insights into the challenges of the motorcycle industry, the difference between national messaging and local activation – and her hands-on experience with socialPALS.
Lea Pursch
Marketing Coordinator| Kawasaki Deutschland
Lea, tell us a bit about yourself: Who are you, what’s your role at Kawasaki – and how did you end up in the motorcycle world?
My name is Lea Pursch, and since October 2023, I’ve been responsible for online marketing at Kawasaki Germany. I actually ended up in the motorcycle industry by chance – thanks to a tip from my father, who pointed me to an open position as Marketing Coordinator at Triumph Motorcycles Germany. At first, I was skeptical, but since starting in September 2017, I’ve been hooked. The products, the people, and the passion surrounding motorcycles have kept me in ever since.
You already knew socialPALS from your time at Triumph. What convinced you to continue using the platform at Kawasaki?
With socialPALS, dealers can gain online visibility even without their own marketing team – it’s simple, efficient, and fully in line with brand guidelines. At the same time, the brand benefits from consistent messaging across all channels. It’s a true win-win: maximum reach with minimal effort for both sides.
From your perspective, what has changed most in digital marketing within the motorcycle industry – especially in relation to the dealer network?
In the past, dealerships were mostly focused on brick-and-mortar business – but today, they’re much more integrated into the digital world. Websites, Google profiles, social media, and platforms like mobile.de have become essential touchpoints. Customers now research online, compare prices, read reviews – and only then head to the showroom with a clear idea in mind. That means the first impression is often made digitally, not in person. Dealers need to be visible, approachable, and up to date online in order to stay relevant. The lines between the physical showroom and digital presence are becoming increasingly blurred. From my perspective, those who use digital channels wisely gain a clear competitive edge.
What are the biggest challenges local dealers currently face when it comes to digital visibility and brand communication?
One of the biggest challenges for dealers is standing out in the digital space – especially against major online platforms and direct communication from manufacturers. Many dealers have limited resources for professional online marketing. At the same time, customers expect quick responses, up-to-date content, and a consistent brand experience across all channels. Managing reviews, building a strong online reputation, and maintaining digital touchpoints like websites, Google profiles, and social media accounts takes time and effort, but it’s essential. In short: high customer expectations meet limited capacity – that’s the digital challenge.
How does Kawasaki specifically support its dealers in staying digitally visible?
We take a multi-layered approach to help our dealers boost their digital presence. Alongside a monthly content calendar provided through socialPALS, we also run seasonal marketing campaigns that are fully brand-funded. In addition, we supply high-quality image and video assets, plus ready-to-use templates for social media posts and banners – all pre-formatted for the appropriate channels. We also host webinars on key topics like social media advertising and Google Business Profiles, offering dealers targeted support where they need it most.
What led Kawasaki to choose socialPALS – what was the deciding factor?
Our biggest challenge was that many of our partners hadn’t taken any digital action in the past, or the activities they did try weren’t very effective. This was often due to limited resources on their end, whether in terms of time, staff, or budget. socialPALS offered a clear solution to that problem, which made it an easy and convincing choice from the start.
Do you remember the first campaign you launched with socialPALS at Kawasaki? What surprised you most?
The first campaign I launched with socialPALS at Kawasaki was the monthly content calendar for December 2023. Until then, socialPALS had mainly been used for brand-funded, seasonal campaigns. But thanks to my experience with the tool, I knew how much potential there was in purely organic campaigns as well. We presented this approach at our 2023 Dealer Day, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. What really surprised me was that 60% of our dealers wanted to get started right away, even though they had never seen this kind of campaign before. That was a clear sign of the trust they have in us and their growing awareness of how important digital communication has become.
What do your dealers say about the platform? Is there any feedback that especially stuck with you?
The feedback from our dealers about socialPALS has been overwhelmingly positive! What they appreciate most is how easy the platform is to use, along with the ready-made text and image templates that save them a lot of time and effort. The socialPALS support team also gets a lot of praise – they’re always available and quick to help when needed.
What does “simplicity” mean to you in digital marketing – and why is it so important for dealers?
Simple, easy-to-implement measures allow dealers to act quickly and efficiently – without needing deep expertise or extensive external support. That not only reduces stress, but also ensures campaigns keep running consistently and can be adapted quickly when things change. In short, simplicity helps unlock the full potential of digital marketing while making the best use of limited resources.
How do you manage to make Kawasaki a strong, locally experienced brand – without losing sight of the central brand identity?
We place a strong focus on helping our dealers bring the Kawasaki brand to life at the local level. To do that, we provide a wide range of point-of-sale materials and customizable templates for download, enabling consistent, high-quality brand presentation in-store. On top of that, we use platforms like socialPALS to roll out centrally managed marketing campaigns that can be localized with ease. This ensures that Kawasaki’s brand identity remains consistent – while still resonating on a local level.
What role do platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google play in your local visibility strategy?
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google play a crucial role in local visibility, especially for businesses looking to reach their target audience within a specific geographic region.
How important are data and KPIs when evaluating campaigns – and what do you focus on in particular?
KPI analysis gives us an objective basis to measure and optimize a campaign’s success and effectiveness. The focus of such analysis depends on the campaign’s goal. Common KPIs include total budget, reach, impressions, cost per thousand contacts, and the number of clicks to dealer websites. Campaign performance tracking on socialPALS is very straightforward, with all KPIs clearly presented in a dashboard and instantly available in real time within the brand account. For us, though, dealer feedback is the most important factor: a campaign is truly successful when we get positive responses from our local dealer network.
What have you been able to achieve with socialPALS specifically?
With socialPALS, we’ve been able to establish consistent brand communication for Kawasaki across Germany and ensure a steady baseline of activity on our local dealers’ social media channels.
In your view, what’s the biggest difference between national brand communication and local activation through the dealer network?
The biggest difference lies in the target audience and communication channels. National brand communication aims to reach a broad audience via mass media and to build a unified brand identity. Local activation, on the other hand, focuses on specific regions or target groups, often through direct actions at the dealership or personalized events. It’s all about direct contact and tailored messaging for customers on-site.
What would you say to other brands considering starting with socialPALS?
Go for it! The platform saves dealers a lot of time and ensures campaigns are executed professionally and consistently. Beyond the software itself, socialPALS stands out with a great team that supports you with expertise and passion.
What do you hope to see in the future – in the collaboration between brand, dealers, and tools like socialPALS?
Looking ahead, I’d love to see even closer collaboration between the brand, our dealers, and socialPALS. Ongoing dialogue and regular feedback loops are key to making sure the platform continues to evolve and meets the needs of both the brand and the dealer network. Only through dynamic, flexible development can we ensure that everyone benefits from new features and that the platform stays ahead of the curve.
On a personal note: What’s been your most memorable “aha” moment with socialPALS?
One clear “aha” moment for me was hearing the positive feedback on our brand-funded recruitment campaign. Some of our dealers with open positions actually received several qualified applications through the campaign – a great confirmation of its success.
Stimmen aus dem Handel:
The collaboration with socialPALS as part of the Kawasaki campaign was a thoroughly positive experience for us. What impressed us most was how easy the platform is to use, along with the ability to deliver professionally prepared content directly to our regional audience. This not only helped us increase our reach efficiently but also allowed us to target new customer groups – a major advantage, especially when day-to-day business leaves little time for our own marketing ideas.
As a brick-and-mortar dealer, the biggest benefit for us is being able to use high-quality, brand-compliant campaign content with minimal effort. It keeps us visible and attractive online while allowing us to focus fully on what we do best – offering personal, in-store customer service.
The personal support from socialPALS was outstanding at all times: fast, competent, and hands-on. Whenever we had questions or technical challenges, we received prompt, solution-focused assistance.
We fully recommend socialPALS – especially to small and mid-sized dealers who don’t have the resources for time-consuming digital marketing. The platform is a huge relief in our daily operations and ensures a professional online presence.
Rolf Berentelg GmbH & Co. KG
Meppen-Versen
Marco Berentelg
Managing Director
Act today and use your trade marketing funds more effectively!
socialPALS brings brands and retail partners together, creating a win-win situation that unleashes previously untapped potential. The innovative software solution simplifies complex processes through automated retail marketing and strengthens stationary retail through regional brand campaigns. Get your obligation-free platform demo today and become part of the socialPALS success story.
