The History of the Stephen Wade Red Tag Sale
Every summer, as temperatures rise in Southern Utah, prices drop during the Red Tag Sales Event at Stephen Wade Auto Center. On top of the red-hot deals that customers have come to expect, the dealership continues to sweeten the pot by giving away $1,000 every week during the month of July.
“Our team looks forward to the sales event because it involves the community, and there’s a fun energy at our dealerships during the month of July,” said Jamie Bahlmann, public relations director for Stephen Wade Auto Center. “I began planning Red Tag in 2015. Each year, it has evolved with new promotions and gets better and better.”
Here’s a look back at the history of Red Tag.
2015-2018
Red Tag started as a way of driving traffic to the auto mall during the summer, historically a slower time for car sales.
Stephen Wade Auto Center marked down every vehicle on every lot, both new and used, and offered free items from participating food trucks to any customer that took a picture with a red tag or shared the promotion on social media. Red Tag steadily gained momentum as Southern Utahns realized they could score unbeatable savings on new and used cars by braving the heat.
Red Tag giveaway winner Ron Johnson with Jamie Bahlmann and 99.9 KONY Country’s Amy Chesley at Stephen Wade Auto Center, St. George, Utah, July 11, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Brent Rowe, St. George News In 2017, Stephen Wade Auto Center partnered with Canyon Media’s radio stations to give away cash. A red key with a secret code was hidden on the dealership’s website every day; customers could then call in to one of the stations and provide the code for a chance to win $100. Additional prize giveaways were offered at WadeRedTag.com the following year.
2019
Stephen Wade Auto Center took Red Tag to the next level by giving away $15,000 in 15 days. Three different $5,000 winners were selected, with customers earning entries by purchasing a car or calling in to Canyon Media’s radio stations. 2019 also saw the introduction of Red Tag selfie stations around town, making it easier than ever before to enter by sharing a photo on social media.
“By this year, most of Southern Utah knew that during the month of July, they would receive savings and have the opportunity to win cash and prizes from Stephen Wade,” Bahlmann said.
2020-2021
Amid the global pandemic, Stephen Wade Auto Center continued to offer Red Tag discounts on all new and used vehicles. The dealership also gave away $1,000 every Saturday in July.
Supply chain shortages and delays continued to plague the automotive industry in 2021. With less inventory available, Stephen Wade Auto Center took the summer off from Red Tag and instead hosted a buy-back event, offering customers unprecedented trade-in values for their vehicles.
Red Tag is back by popular demand! Now’s the time to buy the car or truck you’ve been wanting thanks to unbeatable savings on more than 1,000 used vehicles throughout Southern Utah’s auto mall. Customers will find scorching deals at every Stephen Wade dealership all month long.
“Our sales team has worked extremely hard to have the largest number of vehicles for customers to purchase anywhere in Southern Utah,” Bahlmann said. “The new car market still isn’t at pre-pandemic levels, but we missed hosting Red Tag, so we built up our inventory to offer discounted prices on all used vehicles.”
Along with taking advantage of huge discounts, everyone in the community can participate in weekly sweepstakes for cash and prizes. Stephen Wade Auto Center is giving away $1,000 every Friday in July, and Southern Utahns are invited to play along even if they’re not planning on buying a car. There are three ways to enter, and participants can enter using all three methods each week:
Purchase a vehicle at any Stephen Wade dealership and receive 10 entries. Follow the clues and find the red key hidden on StephenWade.com to earn seven entries. Visit the auto mall or any Red Tag selfie station around town and share a photo on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #WadeRedTag for five entries. Listen to your favorite Canyon Media radio station for more details and giveaways over the airwaves. Play their game to get one entry into the $1,000 weekly sweepstakes. Red Tag is just one more reason why “you’ve got it made at Stephen Wade.” Browse deals online or by visiting Southern Utah’s auto mall.
