Car dealer marketing in Montreal, Quebec

Dealers in Montreal sell into a market with its own seasons, events and communities. The best campaigns follow the weather and the local calendar, so the right vehicles and offers are in front of shoppers when they’re thinking about them.

What to promote in Montreal

• Winter tire packages before the December 1 deadline
• Compact cars, hybrids and EVs for city driving and Quebec’s EV interest
• French-first ads and captions (required by law)
• Rust protection after salty, snowy winters

A seasonal plan for Montreal

The full month-by-month plan, including Canadian holidays, is in the car dealer marketing calendar.

Local dates to plan around

• Winter tire deadline (December 1): changeover campaigns in October and November
• Canadian Grand Prix (June): performance and sports cars
• Moving day (July 1): many Montrealers move house at once, a good time for practical vehicles
• Fête nationale (June 24) and Canada Day (July 1): long-weekend sales

Make the posts a week or two ahead so they’re ready to go. The seasonal ad ideas have ready-made themes for the big national dates.

Get found on Google in Montreal

Shoppers search for dealers on their phones, and your Google Business Profile is often the first thing they see. Post an update each week with a vehicle, an offer or a service special, and reply to every review. People also search by their own community, so name the places you serve in your posts and captions: Laval, Longueuil, Brossard, the West Island, Terrebonne and the South Shore. Here’s how to post on Google Business Profile.

Ads, email and print for Montreal dealers

Shoppers in Montreal see your dealership in more places than social media. Use the same look and the same offer everywhere, so each place backs up the others:

• Social and Google posts: a vehicle spotlight, an offer or a service special every week. Social media posts come in every size, with captions written for each platform.
• Email campaigns: new arrivals, service reminders and seasonal offers to past customers, following Canada’s anti-spam law (CASL): get consent first and include an unsubscribe link. Here’s how to plan dealership emails.
• Print and showroom materials: postcard mailers, flyers, showroom posters and window stickers with a QR code that counts every scan, so you know which vehicles shoppers look at on the lot. See print ads.
• Video: short Reels, TikToks and YouTube Shorts from your own vehicle photos. See video ads.
• Weather-timed ads: have the ad ready before the forecast turns: batteries and tires ahead of a cold snap, AC service before a heat wave, storm-ready checks before severe weather. More in weather and winter marketing ideas.

Rules to know in Quebec

Quebec dealers follow the Consumer Protection Act, enforced by the Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC): advertised prices must include every charge except GST and QST, and credit and lease ads need their full terms. Under the Charter of the French Language, ads must be in French; another language can appear alongside it, as long as the French is at least as prominent. Winter tires are required on passenger vehicles from December 1 to March 15. Follow Canada’s anti-spam law (CASL) for email. The guide to advertising payments, rates and leases covers the disclosures to include, and DealerAdGen’s compliance check flags a payment or lease offer that’s missing them as you type.