The KPI Cafe: Recent Episodes

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The marketing world has been changing at a blistering pace. There are privacy updates that have reduced targeting and audience capabilities, the deprecation of the cookie, new advertising entrants, changes to current platforms, and so much more that you have to contend with in order to market effectively. Things will only become more complex just as the customer journey has these past few years (expedited by COVID-19).

In this KPI Cafe, DrivenIQ's CEO Albert Thompson provides a full view of what customers are doing, better ways to market to them, and more context around the value and source of data. You'll have food for thought on how to future-proof your marketing efforts powered by reliable information that you own.

In addition to the primary interview, Charisma! Communication's Laurie Halter is back to dive into "What's Going on in Auto?".

If you have any thoughts or questions, please reach out to host Dane Saville at dane@reunionmarketing.com to join the conversation.

As always, please subscribe to the KPI Cafe on your favorite podcast platform!

Here's what you can expect from today's episode:

Opening Comments

What's Going on in Auto? w/ Laurie Halter

Introducing DrivenIQ's Albert Thompson

Albert's Automotive Origin Story

What Today's Buyer Journey Looks Like

• COVID Transitions
• Rinse and Repeat Actions
• Research Intenders

How Can We Market Better to Today's Buyer?

• Top-of-Mind: The Journey
• Data Protection
• "My Data"
• Outreach vs. In-reach
• Custom Audiences
• "Digital Up"

Insights on Customer and Contextual Journey

• Hyper-Segmentation
• People-Based
• Loyalty

The Starting Point for Dealers

How to Find a Reliable Data Partner

• Asset
• Rights

Last Insights or Tips for Future-Proofing Marketing

To Learn More About Albert and DrivenIQ Previewing Next Week's Episode
Looking for an award-winning digital marketing agency partner? At Reunion Marketing, we offer boutique-style services in SEO, SEM, and Social Media that have origins from our founder's work at a 33-store automotive group's marketing department. Reach out to our host Dane Saville at dane@reunionmarketing.com to set up a demo today.

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The past few years have heralded major changes in automotive retail: direct-to-consumer models and new entrants, EVs, supply constraints, GA4, and, of course, a pandemic, are a few of the myriad things to navigate. It's important to take a moment to reflect on the good that has come out of it, including both what good has already happened and what good lies on the horizon.

In this KPI Cafe, Automotive State of the Union's (ASOTU) Paul J. Daly and Kyle Mountsier dive into these changes -- past, present, and future -- to get you excited about how adaptable automotive retail is and how much more incredible it can be if it meets the moment.

In addition to the primary interview, host Dane Saville also dives into "What's Going on in Auto?".

If you have any thoughts or questions, please reach out to host Dane Saville at dane@reunionmarketing.com to join the conversation.

As always, please subscribe to the KPI Cafe on your favorite podcast platform!

Here's what you can expect from today's episode:

**Opening of the Show

Used Car Marketing E-Book Offer (*Located Here*)

Some Conversation and Context

What's Going in Auto? w/ Yours Truly

Introducing Paul Daly and Kyle Mountsier

What Exciting Changes in Automotive Retail Has Paul Seen?**

• Coming Together
• Solutions

What Excites Kyle Most About Automotive's Future?

• Energy and Enthusiasm
• Pop Culture
• Customer / Employee Experience

How Will Dealers Meet the Moment?

• Mass Consolidation

Dealership Experience / Random Pronunciation Challenge

• Xvetriaus
• L-A
• 5-10-Year Prognostication
• Experiential
• Audi Center Example
• Interactivity
• Service Experience
• Patrick Abad's Story

ASOTU CON

• What, Why, When
• ASOTU's Focus on Value

Preview Next Week's EpisodeLooking for an award-winning digital marketing agency partner? At Reunion Marketing, we offer boutique-style services in SEO, SEM, and Social Media that have origins from our founder's work at a 33-store automotive group's marketing department. Reach out to our host Dane Saville at dane@reunionmarketing.com to set up a demo today.

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Risks -- some big and some small -- are quite a common life occurrence. They come in the form of dating, employment, entrepreneurship, hobbies/activities, and so much more. Sometimes a risk pays off, and sometimes is doesn't. That's often the allure of a risk: the potential it has. We, however, don't want to blindly take risks as our chances of failure increase. It takes deliberation: we want it to be a measured risk.

Dane Saville, Co-Founder of and Brand Manager for Reunion Marketing, takes us through the notion of a measured risk and uses both actual company stories and personal anecdotes to demonstrate the benefits that a measured risk can yield.

In addition to the primary interview, we also have Friendemic's Hannah Lifson to discuss "What's Going on in Auto?".

If you have any thoughts or questions, please reach out to host Dane Saville at dane@reunionmarketing.com to join the conversation.

As always, please subscribe to the KPI Cafe on your favorite podcast platform!

Here's what you can expect from today's episode:

**Used Car Marketing E-Book Offer

What's Going on in Auto? w/ Hannah Lifson

Context and Conversation**

• Belief, Changes, Happiness

The Measured Risk

• Defining Risk
• Parlaying into Measured Risk
• Types of Measured Risks
• Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

Examples of Companies That Took Risks

• Apple, Microsoft, Whole Foods, Charmin, Google, FedEx

Revisiting Personal Risk: Happiness and Trust

• Broken Trust?
• Risk and Trust

Sharing a Personal Story of Measured Risks

• Voluntary Resignation from DoD Contractor
• Unemployment
• 33-Store Automotive Group
• Advertising Agency
• Started Reunion w/ Others

Shifting Roles: Another Story of Measured Risk

• Content Director to Brand Manager
• Speaking
• KPI Cafe
• Network of Friends

**Another Benefit of Measured Risks

Previewing Next Week's Episode**Looking for an award-winning digital marketing agency partner? At Reunion Marketing, we offer boutique-style services in SEO, SEM, and Social Media that have origins from our founder's work at a 33-store automotive group's marketing department. Reach out to our host Dane Saville at dane@reunionmarketing.com to set up a demo today.

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Amazon offers a prime opportunity for advertisers in automotive retail to reach a multitude of local consumers who can help satisfy all profit centers of a dealership, as well as help dealers with inventory acquisition. This platform, including its Amazon Garage, and all of its network partners create a powerful programmatic channel that offers audiences and targeting to address consumers in the Awareness, Consideration, and Conversion stages of the path to purchase.

Vasilios Lambos, CMO for Cognition Digital, navigates us through how your dealership's advertising strategy can leverage Amazon: from audience and targeting layering to streaming audio ads to aligning with customer intent, and much more.

In addition to the primary interview, we also have Reunion Marketing's own Emily Usher on to discuss "What's Going on in Auto?"

If you have any thoughts or questions, please reach out to host Dane Saville at dane@reunionmarketing.com to join the conversation!

As always, please subscribe to the KPI Cafe on your favorite podcast platform!

Here's what you can expect from today's episode:

**Opening Comments and Context

What's Going on in Auto w/ Emily Usher

Introducing Vasilios and His Origin Story

Vasilios' Origin Story

The Why of Amazon

The 101 of Amazon Garage**

• Parts/Accessories
• Year-Make-Model Upload
• Availability for Advertisers
• Amazon DSP: 1st-Party Data

Can Amazon Hit All Dealer Profit Centers?

• At the Start: Impression Delivery for Variable Ops
• Flexibility in Criteria
• Vehicle Acquisition

Amazon Audiences and Targeting

• Amazon-owned 1st Party
• Combine/Segment
• Lifestyle Example
• Layering

Amazon Goals and Objectives

• All Available Upper-Funnel Metrics
• Offline Attribution
• No Attribution Window Limitation

Does Amazon Offer a Full-Funnel Opportunity?

• Awareness-Consideration-Conversion
• Think of Who an Amazon Customer Is
• Consumer Intent / Business Objective Alignment

Inventory Feed Details

• Variables

A Dive into Streaming Audio Ads

• Logged User
• Device Ownership
• Full-Funnel Attribution

**Final Tips About Amazon Advertising

Connecting with Cognition Digital

Previewing Next Week's Episode**

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The Business Development Center (BDC) continues to be a point of conversation for automotive retail. It turns out that there are more options, more nuance, and more best practices to consider and implement based on a dealer's individual needs because, after all, one size does not fit all. To help us dive more into this topic, we have Wendy Reeves, Founder of BDC Angels, to walk us through a high-level perspective on the BDC, then a quick pivot into many more of the details.

If you've never utilized a BDC or felt a BDC just won't work for you, Wendy creates a compelling case on how this can be a vital component to your dealership's processes and customer experience.

If you have any thoughts or questions, please reach out to host Dane Saville at dane@reunionmarketing.com to join the conversation!

And, of course, we have good friend Dave Foy coming to share "What's Going on in Auto?"

Here's what you can expect from today's episode:

**Opening the Show

What's Going on in Auto? w/ Dave Foy
Wendy's Origin Story**

Tips to Help Ensure the BDC is Successful

• Dedicated Onsite Manager
• Close Trio
• Relevance

Various Types of BDC

• One-Size-Doesn't-Fit-All
• Determining Your BDC Type
• Onsite
• Outsource
• Centralized
• Offshore

Final Tips from Wendy

Contacting Wendy

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For today's episode, we continue our foray into artificial intelligence (AI) with Konect.ai's Colby Joyner. In this Part 2, we go beyond setting the context of AI and into setting actual expectations, including its parameters, capabilities, limitations, integrations, and final tips for dealers considering this technology.

We hope you enjoy as Colby navigates us through specific, real-world applications of AI and the obstacles he's encountered in his new role at Konect.ai.

There will be no "What's Going on in Auto?" segment today, but we highly encourage you to check out George Nenni's insights in Part 1 if you missed them.

Here's what you can expect from today's episode:

How AI Can Pivot to Send Customer to Real Salesperson

• Specific Parameters
• Notification Process

AI as Part of the Dealership Workflow

• Future: Outbound
• Now: In the Beginning
• Task Reduction / Streamlining
• Eventual Omnichannel

How is the Industry Reacting to AI in Customer Journey?

• Hesitancy
• Utilizing Dealers and Data to Enhance

Final Tips/Insights for Considering AI

• Integrity of Intended Information

**How to Learn about Konect.ai and Connect with Colby

Previewing Next Week's Episode**If you like what you heard, please remember to subscribe to the KPI Cafe on your favorite podcast platform!

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) has quickly emerged as a primary subject in automotive retail over the past few years. For this KPI Cafe, we take our first sojourn into discussing AI with Colby Joyner, Vice President of Sales at Konect.ai. Throughout the episode, which has been divided into two parts, has Part 1 setting the context of what AI does, what it doesn't, and how to tell the difference between a true, transparent partner and those "other guys."

As expected, Colby lays out myriad insights for dealers and vendors to make informed decisions regarding this emerging technology. If you have any thoughts or questions, please reach out to host Dane Saville at dane@reunionmarketing.com to join the conversation!

And, of course, we have long-time friend George Nenni coming on to share "What's Going on in Auto?".

Here's what you can expect from today's episode:

What's Going on in Auto? w/ George Nenni
**Colby Joyner's Automotive Origin Story

Setting the Context for Today's Episode

210,000-Foot Perspective on AI Integration w/ Automotive Retail**

• Basic Introduction
• Customer Journey Comfortability
• Follow-up / Enhancement

Balance Between Feeling and Fooling

• Sticking to the Gist
• Natural Language
• Store Identity
• Accepting Limitations

What Does AI Engagement w/ Customers Look Like?

• Qualifying Questions
• Good Experience
• Keep Customers Engaged
• Pivot to Real Salesperson

Concluding ThoughtsIf you like what you heard, please remember to subscribe to the KPI Cafe on your favorite podcast platform!

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In this KPI Cafe, we return to the conversation of Google Marketing Live with Colin Carrasquillo, Digital Marketing Manager for the Nielsen Automotive Group. In this second part, Dane and Colin continue their dive into different elements, strategies, and updates shared during the most recent GML event.

Here's what you can expect:

Conversation and Context

Deprecation of the Cookie

• First-Party Data
• Insights
• Audience Segments

Performance Max Campaigns

• Ease of use
• Automation w/ Human Oversight
• Data to Mine
• Info. from Website
• Relevance

Dealership Digital Side Door

Google EAT Thought

Automation

Closing ThoughtsIf you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to the KPI Cafe on your favorite podcast platform.

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In this KPI Cafe, Colin Carrasquillo, Digital Marketing Manger for Nielsen Auto Group, dives into some of the latest Google innovations with host Dane Saville. This discussion come on the heels of the 2022 Google Marketing Live event from Tuesday, May 25th. While the GML event helps guide the conversation, Dane and Colin discuss current usage of tools and products referred to during the event, as well as hits on a few more general topics based on what was presented.

You'll hear perspectives and alignment on topics that are — and will be — impacting your dealership's digital marketing from both a dealer and a vendor in automotive retail across a variety of hot topics in a speed-round discussion that is now divided into two parts.

Add your voice to the discussion by reaching out to host Dane Saville at dane@reunionmarketing.com to have him share your feedback on the next KPI Cafe, which will feature Part II of the interview with Colin.

Here's what you can expect:

Conversation and Context for Today's Episode

What's Going on in Auto? w/ Wendy Reeves

Catching Up with Colin Carrasquillo

Context on the Nielsen Automotive Group

Format of Today's Show

Google Vehicle Listing Ads

• Love-Hate
• Pre-Owned
• 100% Coverage
• Exposure
• Variance on Metrics

GA4

• Events/Actions for Ads
• Different Paths to Purchase
• Using Data
• Analyses

Video

• Tying to Visual Mode at Google
• Tangible Need
• Google Asset Library
• Quality?
• Facebook Brand Awareness

Closing Thoughts and Preview of Next Week

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In this KPI Cafe, Ken Mauldin, Corporate Fixed Operations Director for Purdy Group USA, offers up insights about the small change that he and his team made that created big results for the dealership: more trade-ins from the service department.

He explains the balance of data analysis and observation that lead to a verbiage change in one of the questions consumers were asked to answer that now generates a reliable and consistent source of used inventory. The question, however, is just a cog in an entire framework and process that makes it all work.

Here's what you can expect:

**Opening Comments and Context

What's Going on in Auto? w/ Dave Spannhake

Disclaimer About Audio!

Kicking Off the Interview w/ Ken Mauldin

Ken's Origin Story**

Details and Trends to Watch in Fixed Ops Reports

• 3 Primary Trends
• Reversed Focus
• Time and Expectations

The Change to Get more Trades

• "Inspect What You Expect"
• Brainstorm from Observation
• The Process
• 10% Goal: 15% Reality

Kiosk Process

• Concierge
• It's All About Time
• Uniformity

Other Impacts of Using Service for Trade-Ins

• Familiarity
• Sales-Service Synergy

Closing Tips for Fixed Ops Directors

• Listen!

If you like what you've heard today, please be sure to subscribe to the KPI Cafe!

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In this KPI Cafe, host Dane Saville uses his conversations with Reunion Marketing's Social Media Department to bring insights and actionable tips that will help your dealership maximize the potency of your Facebook ads.

With the Apple iOS 14.5 privacy update, you're losing 70%+ of your data on shoppers by sending them from Facebook to your website. You need a strategy that will feed your decision-making with precise data that you can analyze granularly with confidence. The path forward to accomplish this is by embracing a fully native funnel from brand awareness to qualified lead generation.

You will learn how to create that funnel from top to bottom, the four buckets of audiences that you'll want to leverage for optimized reach of actual shoppers, and the way to bridge the gap between media metrics and actual dealership impact.

Here's what you can expect:

What's Going on in Auto? w/ Hannah Lifson

Context for Today's Episode

• Challenges
• Platform Reactions
• Facebook's Influence
• Thanks to Giancarlo and Arunmani
• Industry Landscape

Creating a Full Funnel on Facebook

• Consolidation (Not Fractional)
• Brand Awareness / Reach Ads
• Role of Video (Bonus Tip)
• Mid-Funnel: AIA, Agile Ads, Fixed Ops
• Lead Generation Ads

The 4 Buckets of Audience Targeting

• Signalless
• First-Party
• Facebook Pixel
• Native Targeting

Bridging the Gap between Media Metrics and Dealership Impact

• Mid-Funnel Barometer
• CRM Matchback
• Market Sales Tool
• CPL

Closing Thoughts and Preview of Next Week

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In this KPI Cafe, Kaylee Felio, Sales & Marketing Manager for PartsEdge, dives into a topic that we've not previously broached before: the Parts Department. When the pandemic shut down sales, your fixed operations holistically became a profit center that finally began receiving it's much-deserved attention. As a result, there was more investment in marketing, tools, and staff; however, as with all things, there's still room for improvement.

Kaylee helps us understand where some of the biggest opportunities and most difficult obstacles lie within Parts. She outlines how her conversations have evolved from when she started six years ago and provides perspective on a number of items, such as metrics, training, and more. If you're looking for a great jumping off point to dive deeper into your Parts Department, this is it.

Here's what you can expect:

What's Going on in Auto? — Fixed Operations w/ Laurie Halter

Dealership's Biggest Opportunities w/ Parts?

• Process
• Inventory Management w/ DMS
• Training/Support

What Training is Most Needed?

• Individualized

Hot Topics / Major Issues in Parts

• Shift in Conversations
• Coaching
• COVID Impact on Conversations

Did Lack of Access Make Improving Parts Harder?

• Referring Back
• Speaking the Language
• Obstacle of Job Context

What Impact Can Championing Parts Have?

• Security
• Consistency

Data Points to Analyze in the Parts Department?

• Sources/Categories
• True Demand / Pricing
• Types of Categories
• Is More Better?

Concluding Thoughts from Kaylee on Parts

• Obsolescence
• Proactive Assistance

Parts Girl Podcast

Previewing Next Week's Episode

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In this episode of the KPI Cafe, Dr. Scott Garlock, the Executive Director of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, shares his insights and passion for the only true American art form. Whether you're an avid jazz listener or have never really witnessed the beauty of this form of musical improvisation, there is plenty to glean: the history of jazz, introducing yourself to jazz through fusion and funk, the way players meet creatively while playing, and much more.

You'll also get to learn more about the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra itself, including the wonderful work they do in taking musical instruments as donations, refurbishing them, and providing underprivileged middle-school and high-school students an opportunity to discover the joy of playing.

I promise that you'll break out the vinyl (as I do) or pop on some downloads or streaming to jam out to some tunes -- and, hopefully, they'll be to one of the greats like Coltrane, Brubeck, or Davis.

Here's what you can expect:

Casual Conversation and Context

• The Batman
• Jazz Appreciation Month

What's Going on in Auto?

• Digital Dealer

Dr. Garlock's Introduction and Jazz Origin Story

How to Draw Yourself into Jazz Music

• Funk / Trombone
• Importance of Live Jazz
• Dave Brubeck / John Coltrane / Miles Davis
• Fusion

How Do All Pieces Coalesce into Jazz?

• First, a Fusion Caveat
• New Orleans: Walking Groups
  • African-American
• 1930s: Formulation
• Peculiar Sounds

Are Music Sheets a Basic Recipe for Jazz?

• Melody and Chords
• Make Arrangements / Mores
• Experiment but Sound Polished

What the CJO (Cleveland Jazz Orchestra) Has Been Up To!

• Season Series
• Best Jazz Ever Heard, Best Jazz Never Heard
• CJO in the City
• Educational Outreach
• Instrument Donation

What's Happening at the KPI Cafe

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In this KPI Cafe, the CEO of Step One Automotive, Fernando Arellano Geddes, shares perspective on the ongoing education that he provides to folks across his organization.  Throughout this episode, you'll hear about how "normal can do outstanding " with a formalized training process that not only focuses on the hard KPIs but also uplifts leadership skills and capabilities.

That's not all: Mr. Geddes dives into the impact the learning has made on his people, as well as the tangible and intangible tracking that demonstrates how the learnings are applied.

You'll also get some fantastic perspective from Hannah Lifson of Friendemic for "What's Going on in Auto?". 

Here's what you can expect:

What's Going on in Auto? w/ Hannah Lifson

Types of Educational Opportunities at Step One

• Normal Doing Outstanding
• NADA Academy
• "Owners of the Future"
• 1/2 Day of Training per Month
• Service Included
• Partnership / Goals
• Cooking Analogy

Impact of Ongoing Learning

• Ongoing Review of KPIs
• Motivation
• Changing Culture

Tracking the Application of Ongoing Learning

• Hard KPIs: Volume, Gross Profit, Etc
• Reconditioning Process Story
• What to Measure? What Training?

Fernando Arellano Geddes' Origin Story

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In this episode of the KPI Cafe, Hannah Lifson, Marketing Director at Friendemic, leverages her deep and extensive experience at trade shows to lay out a pathway to optimizing your time spent at the various automotive conferences, including the big one: NADA.

You'll get tremendous insights for all three stages of the conference process, which Hannah lays out for both vendors and dealers: (1) there's the planning stage that requires a number of steps for alignments, goals, and more; (2) you then need to have a plan of action for getting as much as you can for relationship building and checking on progress; (3) finally, you have some follow-up, both vendors and dealers, to ensure you get the best return on investment.

Here's what you can expect:

What's Going on in Auto: Digital Marketing Edition w/ Dane Saville

Hannah's Origin Story

Setting the Context of the Episode: Conferences

Getting the Most Out of Conference Planning

• Scale of Event?
• Timeline of Engaging Team
• Pre-Scheduled Meetings
• Event Workshops
• Jarrod Kilway Example
• Tips Specific for Dealers

Making the Most of Being at the Conference

• Location?
• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Happy Hour
• Relationships, Relationships, Relationships
• Tips Specific for Dealers

Maximizing the Post-Show

• Starts with Pre-Show Efforts
• Review of Touch Points and Direct Revenue
• 30, 60, 90, 180
• Retention
• Tips Specifics for Dealers

Closing Remarks

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In this episode of the KPI Cafe, host Dane Saville dives into a solo act to highlight five -- of the many -- core tenets of effective copywriting. These were hand-selected based on a look across websites, paid search copy, social media copy, and more; all five need a little extra attention because they are still pervasive in automotive digital marketing; however, these can apply and are beneficial to any small business seeking to improve their messages with extra nuance.

Whether you're a Dealer Principal, Marketing Director, or digital marketing for an agency in automotive, these are easy-to-remember and important-to-apply best practices but are certainly not the only to consider. In a twist of irony, though Dane underscores just how much those who work in dealerships do (and don't have the time to prioritize reading about copywriting), he offers up some books that will further sharpen your understanding of this important and often ignored aspect of your marketing.

In addition to these insights, we have another installment of What's Going on in Auto: SEO Edition.

Here's what you can expect:

What's Going on in Auto: SEO Edition

Negative Priming

• What is it?
• Examples
• Carvana

The Power of "You" and "Me"

• The Effect
• Context of Variability: Wordstream / Reunion

Power Words

• "Obligation" Mistake
• Teaser, Exclusivity, Slogan, Comfort, Excitement
• Aquire, Retain

Clarity, Intentional, Directional

• Don't Overestimate Consumer Understanding
• The Process: Drafting

Consistency of Voice

• Across Channels
• Market-Oriented
• Who Are You?
• Localize

Book Recommendations

Recap, Context, and Concluding Remarks

Previewing Next Week's Episode: Hannah Lifson

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In this KPI Cafe, Greg Davison, an automotive leader for the past 15 years, offers up insights about leveraging his history to create a new schedule at the dealership. This episode covers the schedule he created, the impact on his team, the impact on his recruitment, how the scheduling works, and much more! If you need to hear a first-hand experience at how a change like this can greatly improve the morale of your people and benefit the dealership's retention and operation, Greg makes a very solid case.

In addition to these insights, we have another edition of What's Going on in Automotive: Paid Search with Reunion Marketing's own Director of Paid Search Jessica Dee, who dives into some of the latest trends and updates for automotive SEM.

Here's more detail on what you can expect:

What's Going on in Automotive: Paid Search Edition w/ Jessica Dee

The Schedule Change Itself

• Work-Life Balance
• Impact of COVID
• Team Structure
• Impact on Competitiveness

The Reaction

• Limitations on Sunday
• Schedule and Relax
• Talent Pool / Recruitment

How the Scheduling Works

• 3 Teams
• Continuous Rotation
• Manager Expectations

Looking Back on His Days of Selling

• When Did I Have Time to Enjoy?
• End of the Month / First of the Month

Closing Thoughts and Preview of Next Week

If you like what you heard, be sure to subscribe to the KPI Cafe on your favorite podcast platform and leave a review with what you've learned or general thoughts about our content!

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Paid search in automotive retail seems to have always been a point of contention. We often discuss wasted budgets, targeting issues, and reporting, which compels agencies and internal teams to continually try new products, lean into automations, and find nuances to optimizations.

In this KPI Cafe, we invite Sarah Ciociola, PCG Digital's Media Director, to offer up a high-level look at their new approach to paid search, which tasks you to take on a fresh look at your Google Analytics Views, Google Ads Accounts, and bidding strategy.

While this is not an endorsement from Reunion Marketing or the KPI Cafe, we always strive to share new ideas for discussion that can help elevate our industry by challenging the status quo. We hope that you find value in this information to drive more conversations with your own teams and agency partners.

So, here's what you can expect:

What's Going on in Auto: Social Media Edition w/ Giancarlo Montenegro

Google Analytics Views

• Signals
• No Standardization
• Sales / Service Goals

Impact on Reporting

• Budgets
• Optimization Hard / Soft Goals

What Makes This Change Worth It to PCG?

• Clarity

Google Ads Accounts

• Sales/Service-Centric Goals
• Co-Op Question

Bidding Strategy Recommendations

• Value-Based
• Does It Really Parlay into Automotive?

Methodology for Budgeting

• Two Budgets
• Co-Op Issues?

Managing What Spend is New Car vs. Fixed Operations

• Separating Driving Outcomes

Closing Thoughts from Sarah Ciociola

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Can you define your organization's culture?

Is the culture creating positive outcomes for your business?

Culture is often a difficult aspect to manage because there are so many elements that comprise it, both tangible and intangible. While it starts at the top of the organization to align culture with core values, ever single member of your organization contributes towards culture and participates within it.

To discuss this in greater detail, the KPI Cafe brings two new guests to share their perspectives built from years as leaders inside the automotive industry: April Simmons, Corporate Internet and Marketing Director at Horne Automotive, and Troy Scheer, an agile Chief Marketing Officer and dealership consultant.

From building culture to identifying red flags to ensuring more inclusivity, April and Troy offer up myriad perspectives and insights that can help you simply just assess if your culture's effectiveness or even help you ask the right questions to start building a true culture that serves your people.

In addition to insights from these two, we're continuing with our new segment "What's Going on in Auto?" with Reunion Marketing's CEO Dave Spannhake diving into the many big changes in automotive at large.

Here's what you can expect to learn:

What's Going on in Auto?: At Large w/ Dave Spannhake

• 2020-2021
• 16-17 Mil Projections 2023
• Similar Lessons to Great Recession
• Position to Anticipate
• Abandonment of FLOC
• Building Ecosystems to Combat Reduced Targeting
• Fixed Operations Marketing

Catching up with April Simmons

What Troy Scheer Has Been Up to in 2022

From Where Do You Derive a Business' Culture?

• Top-Down

Seeing People Impact Culture

• Sprinkles, Not the Core
• Not Training Managers to be Managers
• One Perk Doesn't Fit All
• One-on-One Time
• Cut the Cancer

What Can Be Done to Improve Culture?

• Treat Employees as We Want Customers Treated
• "Parenting" / Human Principles
• "I Work for My Team"
• Coaching Perspective
• Cause-Effect of Retention
• COVID Story

Identifying Culture Red-Flags / Re-Fresh

• Catch While Small
• Never Step Too Far Away
• Numbers Never Lie
• Walk Through

How to Make Sure Culture is Inclusive

• Mini-Mentorship
• Understanding Role in Organization
• Clarity

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Are you a digital marketing coordinator being elevated to management?

Perhaps you're a digital marketing manager/director moving from a single-point store to your first dealership group?

Or maybe you're a seasoned digital marketing manager/director coming from a different industry?

Regardless of the answer, you're taking on a role with unique challenges and myriad tasks that require the right tools, the right balance of time management, the right vendor partners, and the support of your leadership team.

Jarrod Kilway, Director of Digital Strategies and Solutions at Germain Automotive Partnership, joins the KPI Cafe to help you navigate this new role. With more than 15 years in automotive, including the last 6 overseeing the digital marketing of 13 rooftops, he has built the expertise to share so you can expedite your growth and streamline change.

In addition to the insights from Jared, the KPI Cafe's new segment "What's Going on in Auto?" offers up this first installment focusing on the automotive community and brought to us by the CEO of Charisma! Communications, Laurie Halter.

Here's what you can expect to learn:

What's Going on in Auto: The Community? w/ Laurie Halter

• Frictionless Experience
• UVeye Technology
• Transparency
• MotorMinds (Greg Ross): Connected Car

Setting up Today's Episode

Essential Tools for Automotive Digital Marketers

• Utility
• People and Process
• Timing is Key
• Changes

Balancing Time and Resources

• Picking Objectives
• NADA Sprint Planning Example
• Equal Allocation Among Various Teams
• Building Processes / Guides
• Role of Culture

Putting Together a Vendor Vetting Process

• Brian Kramer's Store Tagline: Simple, Fast, Easy
• Las Vegas Slot Machine
• Brand/Culture Identity Importance

Building Brand/Culture Identity

• Organizational Alignment
• Culture Team
• Mission Brand Statement
• It's Not Static!

Getting Leadership Buy-in for Changes

• Clarity and Simplicity
• Action Plan: Have, Show, Measure

Insight on Vendor Reporting: A Challenge

• "What is important?"
• End-Goal Alignment

Advice Today's Jarrod Would Give 6 Year's Ago Jarrod

• Plan, Plan, Plan

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In this episode of the KPI Cafe, we offer up our second-ever VIP Spotlight episode that features "General Motors Jeff" of Prouse Chevrolet. You have an opportunity to learn about a fellow automotive professional who has built a YouTube channel that boasts (at this point) 20,000 subscribers and more than 5,000,000 views.

In addition to learning about Jeff, you get to learn from Jeff. He offers up insights, best practice, and more on creating video content for your YouTube channel, which can honestly be applied to video content you create for yourself on most social media platforms.

Here's what you can expect:

Jeff Before He Was "GM Jeff" (2:30)

1. Yamaha
2. Learning Industry/Product
3. "Let's Do Some Videos"
4. 2018 Chevrolet Traverse
5. "Put Yourself Out There More"
6. Facebook to YouTube

Why Pivot from Power Sports Retail to Car Retail? (7:25)

1. Truck/Tow
2. Financial
3. Passion

"I'm Canadian! I Have to be a Hockey Fan!" (9:52)

Building Product Knowledge Comfort (10:50)

1. A Lot of Training
2. Years Committed
3. "I'm New Here"
4. Aligning Needs w/ Product/Service

How Did Jeff Get Buy-In for His Evolving Role? (14:22)

1. Dealership Operational Knowledge
2. Actual Leads

What Was Catalyst That Sold Dealer Principal? (18:08)

1. Not Just One Thing
2. Own Analytics

Is There a Set Evolution of "General Motors Jeff"? (19:34)

1. So Many Variables
2. Understanding Evolution of Automotive Retail

Contextualizing Jeff's Role (22:22)

1. Relational, Not Transactional
2. Being Conscious of Everything
3. Deliberate / Intentional
4. Dealer's Own Resources

Pivot to Jeff's YouTube Content (28:50)

1. Almost 20k Subscribers
2. 5,000,000 Views
3. Provide Value

Tips for Starting Your Own Video Content (31:53)

1. Consistency
2. Authenticity
3. Questions Asked Dealership
4. Cadence

Best Practices for Video Creation Strategy (36:37)

1. Say and Deliver
2. Be Dynamic
3. Hook
4. Variances

Time Investment from Conception to Posting (39:11)

1. Chevy Silverado EV Example
2. Editing/Post-Production

Recommended Tools (42:57)

Expectation Setting for Leads (47:21)

What Motivates Jeff Hunter? (51:27)

Following "General Motors Jeff" Content (53:04)

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There are few things more important for your dealership than effective leadership. With a historical precedent of high turnover coupled with a greater ability to build networks across social media, it's important to understand how you affect your staff and the impact you can make by being an effective leader and building effective leaders across your operational departments.

To help with that, we have the opportunity to learn from Brian Alvo, founder of the NextGen Center that focuses on building effective leaders through myriad proven principles, strategies, and trainings. This episode of the KPI Cafe dives into these to help us take a more introspective look at our own leadership skills and offers actionable takeaways.

Here's what to expect:

Brian’s Origin Story (1:30)

Core Principles of Effective Leadership (4:08)

• Others
• Impact
• Potential
• Self-Awareness

Are Principles Sequential in Nature? (6:28)

• Theory vs. Real-World
• Context/Variables

Why “Effective” Leadership? (7:58)

• Re-Framing
• Binary of “Good”
• Neutrality

Missing Ingredient(s) to Become Effective (10:22)

• Manage Change
• Set Direction
• Align People
  • Growth Path?
• Inspire/Motivate
• Listen

High-Level Tips on Establishing Growth Paths (13:49)

• What Do “You” Want?
• Work Backwards from End Goal

High-Level Tips for How to Actively Listen (17:07)

• Self-Audit
• Intent

Benefits of Effective Leadership (20:30)

• Reaching Potential
• Growing Talent
• Uncertainty vs. Trust

Assess Now for Success Later (24:58)

• Where to Begin?
• Lay of the Land
• Actionable/Demonstrable

Frameworks for Leadership (28:49)

Contacting Brian Alvo (31:27)

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There's been a lot of recent discussion in automotive retail around wasted spend in paid search strategies. While there is a lot of truth to this claim, we also need to take deeper looks at different tactics within paid search that boast efficiencies and effectiveness. One tactic is the Display Ad, which is often dismissed because of claimed issues like a high bounce rate or a low lead count. Is this fundamentally true or is it possible your internal team or agency partner is not quite getting the setup or audience targeting right?

Jessica Dee, Director of Paid Search at Reunion Marketing, steps in to discuss Display: objections to, merits of, types of, methodology for, and expectations for -- the full gamut! So join us in this deep dive and see if it's time to reassess your position on Display.

Typical Objections to Leveraging Display Ads and How to Overcome (1:07)

• High Bounce Rate
• Low Lead Count
• 40,000,000 Website Opportunities
• 9-12 Different Ad Placements
• Audiences and Targeting

Setting the Context (2:35)

High-Level Overview of Display Ads (3:18)

• Visually Based

Methodology Behind What Visual Type (4:07)

• 3 Types
  • Static
  • Responsive Display
    • Rotate Information to Get Best Performance
    • Includes Video
    • 4,500 Opportunities w/ Rotation
  • Custom HMTL 5
    • Create Template
    • Inventory Feed
      • Year, Make, Model, Price Point, Actual Images
• All 3 Available Across Display Types

In-Market Display (6:45)

• Type of Audience
  • Google-Based (Signals, History)
  • 123 Unique In-Market Audiences for Automotive
    • Sales, Service, and Parts Opportunities
    • 30-60 or 60-90 Days
• $10 per Day Minimum
• As Low as $12 CPL

Competitor Display (9:57)

• No Fewer Than 5 Competitor URLs as “Audience”
• Not Cookie-Based or IP-Based
• Unique Audience Bucket
• Cross-brand or Third-Party Dealers
• Good to Leverage for Any Dealer
  • Meets All Compliance Regulations

Custom Intent Display (12:55)

• Combined Search and Display
  • Works Off Keywords
    • Use Lists
  • Pulls All Search History for Targeting
  • 75% Less CPC
  • Runs Congruently (Doesn’t Compete with Search)
  • Ideal for Conquest, Trade-In, and SubPrime
    • Competitive Bids on These Keywords (Sign of the Times)
    • Cost Savings

Smart Display Ads (16:40)

• Two Targeting Methods
• “Mid-Funnel” Campaign
• Great Lead Volume
• Feed Ad Copy: It Goes!
• Funnels to Specific User That Converts
  • Starts High-Funnel
  • Ends Low-Funnel
• Must Have the Budget
  • At Least on Front End
  • Must Find Right Audience
  • $2,000 per Month
  • Sales Match-back
    • 16 Cars on $2,000 Budget
      • California Dealer

Which Display Type Will Get Most Buy-In? (19:20)

Remarketing Display: Methodology of Audiences (20:10)

• New, Used VDPs
• SRP
• Service

How Work Intensive Is Setting Up Display Ads? (22:05)

Is There a Threshold of Spend for Display? (24:02)

Ranges of ROI Expectations with Display (25:01)

• $30 CPL Average
• Impressions
• CPC (Well Under $1 per Click)

Closing Thoughts from Jessica Dee on Display Campaigns (26:22)

• Unbounce Session: 16 Minutes
  • Filter Out Accidental Clicks

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Although SEO is not a novel concept in automotive retail, there are still a number of issues that we, as an industry, need to overcome. Whether it is an antiquated way of measuring or setting false expectations or a sole focus on variable operations, dealers and agencies need to have open lines of communication and collaboration to help elevate the industry and rid it of these bad practices and bad actors.

Greg Gifford, Vice President of Search at SearchLab, joins the KPI Cafe to discuss what should be happening, shouldn't be happening, and definitely shouldn't be happening with the strategies and tactics your internal team or agency partner is implementing. If you're seeking candid insights about automotive SEO, you won't want to miss this episode.

Here's what to expect:

Greg’s Origin Story (2:03)

Primary Issues Plaguing Automotive SEO (7:40)

• Things Outdated
• Co-Op System
• Afterthought
• Conference Microcosm
• Been Burned in Past

Why Aren’t Best Practices Still Holistically Embraced? (12:40)

• Esoteric ROI
• Outside 30-Day Cycle
• Big Agencies Overloaded
• Cost-Savings Complication
• Contemporary Example
  • COVID / Inventory Shortage Pivots
• All of the Channels, Strategies, Tactics, Platforms
• Possible Conflation: SEO/SEM (Light switch)
• Contemporary Example
  • Dealer Pushback: But Other Operations/Strategies
• Overlooked Component: CRO

Red Flags to Identify Bad Actors in SEO (25:06)

• Guaranteed Ranking
• No Access
• Expectations
• No Content
• Infrequency
• Client Load?

Best Practices in Automotive SEO (29:37)

• Technical
• Intentionality of Content
• GMB (Now Google Business Profile)

Issue of Content and Other Considerations (32:14)

• Volume
• Length
• Contemporary Examples
  • Homepage Banners / Homepage Images
• Word Count

Link Building Tips (41:00)

• Community Involvement Advantage
• Purposeful

Conference Recommendations (43:38)

SearchLab Video Content (46:39)

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Your Google Business Profile listings are an integral part of your digital marketing strategy. There are a number of components that your dealership needs to ensure are leveraged to maximize your potential for visibility in non-branded category searches for your vehicles and services.

George Nenni of Generations Digital joins the KPI Cafe to talk about the fundamentals of your listings to help you make smart, strategic decisions about updating and maintaining your Google Business Profiles across you dealership's operations. In addition, he tosses in a number of insightful tidbits that he's gleaned from being in the weeds, building his expertise for this particular strategy.

Here's all of what you can expect:

George Nenni’s Origin Story (2:25)

GMB Listings 101: Crash Course (4:28)

• Listings
• Categories
• Customer-Facing Profit Center

Importance of Images for GMB (6:32)

• Owner vs. Customer
• Google
• Image File

The Play of Citations (8:29)

• NAP
• Moz
• Educate the Internet
• Primary Number on GMB

Deep-Linking on GMB (10:45)

• Orange Notification

Q&A on Your GMB (11:59)

• Wild West
• George’s Suggestion
• 3 Likes

Best Practices for Managing Reviews (14:34)

• Subscribe to Platforms
• 1-on-1 Engagement
• Keywords

Impact of GMB Posts (16:41)

• Frequency
• Indexation
• Evergreen
• Keywords

Getting Your GMB to Populate for the Right Searches (17:46)

• Category Best Practices
• Google Knowledge Graph
• Selecting Primary Category

Role of Attributes (19:56)

• Consumer-Connected
• Confirm or Deny

What Does Automotive Retail Still Not Get Right? (21:30)

Is There a Cadence of New Content for GMB? (23:59)

Sources to Help Dealers Manage GMB (25:07)

Final Tips on GMB from George Nenni (27:14)

Connecting with George (28:17)

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Brian Ortega, Creative Director of Valley Hi Toyota, joins the KPI Cafe to jam about the creative process -- from conception to execution, including production tips -- in generating fun content for the dealership. Whether you're a Marketing Director who's not sure where to start in generating more creative messaging or a Dealer Principal who's hesitant because of perceived costs, this episode will provide plenty of value across the spectrum of objections, challenges, and uncertainties.

From failures to fabulous evergreen content, Brian shares his experiences and perspective acquired from years of employing a really creative approach to engage consumers.

Here's all of what you can expect ...

Brian Ortega’s Origin Story (2:15)

How to Begin the Process of Ideating Creative Content (5:35)

• Gumption
• What’s Goin’ On?
• Bouncing of Ideas

Tips to Produce Creative Content with Costs in Mind (9:28)

• Talent
• Location
• “Check Out What’s Around You”

What Should Dealers Look for in a Production Company (12:55)

• Hesitancy of Ideas?
• Stick to Your Standards
• Make Sure Things Translate

“We Don’t Hold Anything Back” (14:56)

• 8 Seconds
• Immediate Visual Impact
• Multiple Pieces of Content in a Shoot

Content Intentionality (16:38)

• Wire-framing
• Notes for Editor/Producer
• Self-Editing from Raw Footage
• Behind-the-Scenes
• Thanksgiving Spot Example
• Humanizing / Authenticity

Editing Software Insights (20:28)

• iMovie, YouTube Shorts
• Doesn’t Need to be Perfect
• You Sell Cars — Not Production
• Donuts - Specials in Spots

Importance of Being Evergreen (22:35)

• Story Attached
• Arc
• COVID/Drive-thru Example
• Tell the Story / Promote the Product

Can Some Ideas Work More than Once? (24:45)

• More True Life Examples
  • Some Work
  • Some Don’t
• Organic Growth
• Ask / Team with the Community

Aligning Expectations between Digital and In-Store (31:52)

• Be Genuine
• Leadership Support
• Reputation Management

Most Challenging and Fun Content (34:00)

• When You Must Adapt
• Embrace Who You Are
• Example of Adapting in the Moment
• Legal

Creative Approval Process (41:46)

How to Check Out Valley Hi Toyota Content (43:55)

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In this episode of the KPI Cafe, our guest is Brian Kramer, General Manager of Germain Toyota of Naples. He's been a vocal thought leader in automotive retail on how to break the status quo and embrace methodologies that champion consumer expectations and shopping behaviors, as well as apply the best of what disruptors like Carvana are doing -- that many dealerships are not. You'll hear perspective on sourcing vehicles, digital retailing, reducing friction, and much more.

By the end of the episode, we hope that you'll have some constructive challenges to ensure that you're doing what you say and doing what you're not (today).

Here's what you can expect:

Show Opens

How is Brian an Ohio State Fan? (3:20)

A Breakdown of Carvana (5:04)

• Vehicle Sourcing
• Branding
• Advertising
• Transparency/Fairness

Distilling It All Down: What Do “They” Get Right? (12:58)

• Clarity
• “Doing What We Said We Would Do”

Dealer Mindset to Embrace These Changes (17:27)

• Culture
• “Put It in the Slow Cooker”

Why Haven’t Dealers Dominated Sourcing Local Vehicles? (20:08)

• Consistency
• “I’m the Only One”
• Short-Sighted Fixation

What Should Dealers Model in Digital Retailing After Carvana? (24:16)

• What You Can Do, We Can Do, Too
• First-Party Data
• Instacart Comfortability
• Pay for Time

Cautionary Tips in Embracing Digital Retailing (31:49)

• Stress Testing
• Work on Inefficiencies
• Focus on Top 3 Things

Prognosticating the Importance of Brick’n’Mortar (37:08)

• The Meeting Place
• Disney Club Example
• Innovation/Leveraging Networks
• Service/Body Shop/Parts

Reducing Friction Points in the Dealership’s Purchase Process (41:33)

• Airborne, Not Chairborne
• KPIs vs. Customers
• “Why Can’t You Do It Like Germain?”

Lessons Learned from Today Applicable to Service? (50:12)

• Why We Did It
• Training Staff and Customers
• Need the Data

Connecting with Brian Kramer (56:08)

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To round out this batch of KPI Cafe episodes, host Dane Saville takes a dive into building a tribe, using his own experience as Reunion's Brand Manager to provide a personal (and vulnerable) perspective on what this process feels like. From content creation and content reaction to authenticity to sweat equity, Dane gives a full view of building a tribe, including the doubts and reservations he still has about his own work on the KPI Cafe.

Here's what to expect:

Defining the Tribe (1:27)

• Sports/Movie Reference
• Common Goal
• Leveraging Network
• Be a Facilitator; a Consigliere

"Do Your Part" (3:16)

• Personal Story
• Content Creation
• Content Reaction
• Value is Traction
• Tips for Time Constraints
• Tribe Small as Necessary
• Real Connection = The Exchange

Why Even Build a Tribe? (8:22)

• Trust
• Revenue and Relationships
• Competitors Can Be a Part
• It's About the Tribe
• Examples of People with Tribes

Tribe Goals Can Evolve (11:45)

• KPI Cafe
• Dilution?
• You Need to be YOU
• Sweat Equity

Concluding Thoughts (13:45)

• Dane's Own Doubts

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In this episode of the KPI Cafe, Reunion Marketing's Director of Social Media Giancarlo Montenegro dives into the weeds to clarify some confusion and misconceptions around Apple's iOS 14.5 update. Though this update has been implemented for a bit of time, there still seems to be some demystifying regarding what exactly it means for your Facebook advertising and retargeting strategies. 

Here's what you can expect:

Giancarlo's Origin Story (3:12)

Does iOS14.5 Affect Ad Delivery Across Facebook's "Network"? (4:50)

What Does a Retargeting Strategy Now Look Like? (6:00)

To What Degree Does GA Still Help Inform Social Strategies? (9:22)

How Does Measuring Ads Differ Between GA and Facebook Data? (11:34)

Loaded Question: Vanity Metrics? (113:53)

One Holistic Way to Advertise on Facebook or Different Ways? (16:31)

Giancarlo's Final Thoughts on This Update (19:10)

Biggest Challenges in Automotive Retail with Social Media (21:43)

Biggest Opportunities in Automotive Retail with Social Media (23:30)

As always, please be sure to subscribe to the KPI Cafe on your favorite podcast platform.

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In this episode of the KPI Cafe, Reunion Marketing's Director of Paid Search Jessica Dee dives into a recent update to features for Responsive Search Ads: Ad Customizers. Though long-available for Expanded Text Ads, Ad Customizers provide additional relevance with new layers of information that can populate in the ad based on the consumer's actual search. 

Here's what to expect:

What Are Ad Customizers? 4:57

• Dynamic Attributes
• Relevance
• VIN, Mileage, Days of Lot, etc.
• Process of Selecting

Initial Data to Ad Customizer Effectiveness 7:21

• For Expanded Text Ads
• High CTR
• Comparable CPC

What Triggers Ad Customizers? 8:42

• Keywords
• Ad Groups

How Do You Optimize Ad Customizers? 9:27

• All Dynamic
• Reset Static Text

Goodbye to Expanded Text Ads? 10:53

Budget Impact of Efficiencies of Ads? 12:27

Types of Ad Customizers 14:02

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In this episode of the KPI Cafe, we're introducing a new style that will be featured each season: an industry spotlight. Our team wants to celebrate great folks across the industry with interviews that focus more on the people and less on strategies and tactics. This inaugural episode features Sean Welsh, an automotive retail veteran who founded Car Biz Done Better approximately 8 years ago. 

Cheers to getting to know you better, Sean!

Here's what you can expect:

Where Sean Draws His Passion for the Car Business (3:48)

• Professional Growth From Men's Warehouse (9:36)
• Sean's Motivation Changed: What Happened? (13:51)
• Where Sean Is When Not Working (17:44)
• Collaboration with Wife (22:39)
• Car Biz Chronicles - Some Perspective (26:18)
• What Sean Loves Best About Automotive Retail (30:57)
• Biggest Challenges in Automotive Retail (32:22)
• Comparing Process: A Reality Check (36:14)
• Review of Buzzwords with Sean (41:39)

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In this episode of the KPI Cafe, Matt Wilson of Silverback Advertising takes us back into the Wild, Wild West of OTT. He and host Dane Saville cover a full gamut of topics to help dealers be able to ask the right questions of their vendor partners by building a fundamental understanding of this strategy. So whether you're a novice who wants insights on why you should leverage OTT or have been using it and want more in-depth perspective on optimizing your campaign, there's actionable tidbits for everyone.

You'll even learn some brand new vocabulary in the episode, like "inmarketedness."

Here's what you can expect:

Matt Wilson's Automotive Origins (2:48)

Defining the Purpose of OTT (6:11)

• TV Programming to Cableless Folks
• Devices, OTT, CTV

Dealer Objectives to Help Make Strategic Decisions (8:25)

• Campaign Goal
• "Legitimate" Content
• Audience, not the Program
• Placements
• Wild, Wild West

How OTT Stands Out from TV (12:26)

• Vanity Metrics
• Targeting
• Traffic
• Anecdote

How Does Audience Building Happen for OTT? (18:34)

• No Consistency Across Platforms
• "Inmarketedness"
• Data Source

Adding Layer of Depth to Strategy (21:23)

• Geofencing
• Fixed Ops

Breakdown of OTT Ad Types (22:45)

• Buyback, Lease, Brand, QR Codes

Optimization in OTT (24:36)

• Silverback Example
• Machine Learning
• Ad Duration Recommendation

Ability to Optimize Quickly? (28:29)

• Creative Production Barrier
• Template Approach
• Quick Upload

How to Develop Creative from Audience (30:10)

Biggest Challenges in Dealers Using OTT Correctly (32:30)

• Perception
• Branding AND Low-Funnel, Results-Driven

Is OTT Accessible to Dealer's of All Market Conditions? (35:17)

• Costs/Minimums
• Big Span

Questions Dealers Should Ask OTT Providers Before Doing Business (37:54)

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In this episode of the KPI Cafe, Nielsen Automotive's Colin Carrasquillo joins Dane Saville to discuss the many opportunities across the spectrum of social media channels, including the increasing importance of branding and organic in your content planning. Throughout the episode, Colin offers several real-world examples of how he has leveraged different platforms to mine opportunities for his dealership group. He and Dane also explore what the future may hold for Facebook, as well as take a relatively deep dive into the value of Pinterest.

Here's what to expect:

Colin's Automotive Origin Story (4:27)

• Ad Agency Experience (Auto Retail)
• Freelance
• Financial Sector (Auto Loans)
• 9-Store Dealership Group

Role of Branding within Marketing Efforts (7:00)

• Facebook Auto Marketing Collective
• Digital Competition
• Group Message/Marketing
• "Your Key Community" Branding Example
• Retention / Lifetime Value of Customer

Does Organic Social Media Still Work? (14:43)

• HIP: Happy Customers, Informative Posts, Promotion
• 80:20
• Video
• Salespeople on Social
• Group/Store vs. Salesperson

Evergreen Advertising Opportunities (21:20)

• Buyback
• Your Value Propositions
• Build the Pool
• What's It Worth to You?
• Porsche Blog Anecdote
• Website Traffic Caveat

Anticipation of Facebook's Evolution to Meet Dealer Needs (30:58)

• Walled Gardens
• AIAs and Marketplace
• Some Fun Pontification

Any Concerns About Facebook's Influence Waning? (38:32)

• Facebook's Properties

Other Platforms Dealers Should Test (41:43)

• Snapchat
• TikTok
• Pinterest
• Example of Using Pinterest

How to Allocate Time and Resources? (48:56)

• What Gives You Best ROI
• Finding New Channels/Strategies

Experimarketing Podcast (59:23)

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In this episode of the KPI Cafe, Nelson Automotive Group's Kyle Mountsier offers myriad insights on how to recondition the conversations they're having with customers. Since time immemorial, many people shopping for cars have been forced into negotiating on price because of a lack of transparency, a lack of trust, and a lack of consistency from first point of contact to purchase. Though automotive retail has progressed, the stigma still lingers, and there needs to be a deliberate process in place to help move the conversation away from price and toward inventory and needs. Kyle not only offers actionable tips on how to do this, he also talks about the benefits, one of which demonstrates his genuine care and concern for others.

Here's what you can expect:

Kyle's Automotive Origin Story (3:30)

• Music Major
• Pensacola, Florida
• Selling Cars
• Nissan
• Now Mazda

Did the Industry Condition Consumers to Ask for Best Price? (8:30)

• Only Industry to Request Price
• "Fight Harder" and "Fight Well"
• Fear of Losing Customers
• Need to Recondition
• Short-term Pain

Best Practices to Help Redirect Price-Driven Customers (13:40)

• Right Out of the Gate
• Ease of Transaction
• Stop "Let Me Get My Manager"
• Empower Salespeople

Marketing Tactics to Get Off "Best Price" (20:11)

• Go-to-Market
• Psychology of Language

Benefits of Reconditioning Consumers' Mindset (24:51)

• Sentiment
• Ease of Sleep

Can These Strategies Work with Fixed Ops? (27:58)

• Things in Process

Kyle's Podcast: Contagious Podcast (32:02)

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The KPI Cafe returns with Facebook's Head of Automotive Retail Bob Lanham. The inspiration behind the episode stems from the disjointed approach to defining two key terms used in digital marketing: measurement and optimization. How you define these will help change your perspective on how to approach your digital strategies, budgeting, and benchmarks for success. It's time to start thinking about how to spend better, not spend more, by asking "Why?" more often and leveraging the right Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to make well-informed decisions.

Here's What to Expect:

Bob Lanham's Origin Story (and Some Other Cool Background) (2:10)

Biggest Challenges in Digital Ecosystem (12:00)

1. "too many"
2. ad spent to sales
3. media mix model problem-solving
4. marketing cut first

What Does "Measurement" Mean? (18:06)

1. Defining of Success
2. PVR
3. "Delivered" on Empty/Wrong Metrics
4. Platform Synergy

If Digital Is More Efficient, Why Is Cost-Per-Car Sold Stagnant? (23:20)

1. Inefficiencies of Spend
2. Understand What and It's Return
3. Vendor Change: Incrementality or Simple Replacement

How Should We Define "Optimization"? (28:26)

1. Maximizing Return to the Model
2. Breaking Out Results of Platforms
3. "Digging into the Platforms"
4. Buy Strategy, Not the Product

"The Why" (36:51)

1. A Huge Gap
2. Sales Mindset vs. Marketing Mindset
3. What Will This Do for Me?

The Bet from Facebook (41:10)

What Should Dealers Understand About Facebook Measurement? (42:32)

1. Wrong KPIs
2. Full Funnel
3. Sales Matchback
4. BRANDING

Facebook As a Branding Play (49:30)

1. Platform vs. Television / Traditional
2. Programmatic Efficiencies

Concluding Thoughts (55:43)

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In this episode of the KPI Cafe, Reunion Marketing CEO Dave Spannhake offers insights about how dealers and their digital marketing vendor partners can best navigate the evolving digital marketing landscape through understanding the changes the industry is currently undergoing. From his work at a 33-store group in North Carolina that culminated with his role as Marketing Director, Dave has been a dealer advocate since 2005. That's how he's able to give some historical perspective on digital marketing changes that impacted retail automotive, then pivot to all of the challenges we face as an industry moving forward.

If you want some serious food for thought, join Dave and Dane in this conversation that covers consumer behaviors, platform changes, and new strategies and tactics, as well as some predictions, that will have real-world implications for your dealership.

Here's what to expect: 

Changes Dave Has Seen Over 16 Years in Retail Automotive (1:01)

Rise of Third-Parties

PPC

Attention to Websites

Consumer Behaviors

Cable to Satellite to CTV

Impact of Pandemic and Privacy Updates on Digital Landscape (4:40)

Digital Retailing

Data Sharing Opt-In Issue

Facebook

Examples of Real Results

Google Tests

Recapping On-Facebook AIA Highlights

What Must Dealers Know, Do, Ask to Navigate New Digital Ecosystem? (17:38)

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In this episode of the KPI Cafe, Sandie Olive, our Production Manager and one of Reunion Marketing's first employees, shares insights about our Culture Committee. You'll get to learn applicable insights on how to establish a committee at your dealership or company, ways to structure it and the meetings you'll hold, and at least one concrete example on how it has made a difference in our community.

There is also one simple truth that you'll learn: culture doesn't come easy. It takes work and persistence — even then, you'll still have some detractors. At the end of the day, however, things like a Culture Committee make a net positive impact on your employees and the good that your organization can do.

Here's what you can expect:

2:42 Sandie's Origin Story

5:45 What is a Culture Committee?

All Departments

Issue Solving

Types of Problems Addressed

A Vehicle for Transparency

Types of Outcomes

Four Categories of the Committee

10:35 Committee Structure and Process

Room for Change

Pillar Leaders / Ownership

L10 / Scorecard

Meeting Susan B. Anthony (the Chicken)

Origin of Issues List

Meeting Fanny Lou Hamer

20:07 How Does Each Meeting Operate?

Check-Ins

Keeping Focus

To-Dos

26:53 Feedback on the Culture Committee

Net Positive Influence

Example of Impact It Can Have

30:47 Let's Play Pittsburghese

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In this episode of the KPI Cafe, Founder and Managing Member of Borden Media, LLC, Melanie Borden joins host Dane Saville to get insights and best practices on personal branding. She uses her first-hand experience to help dealers not on social media understand how to begin, scale, and measure their efforts no matter the depth of their skills with platforms like LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and more.

Whether you want to understand what tools are best to use or the advantages of getting more staff involved with personal branding — and its effects for your dealership holistically — there are actionable tips peppered throughout the entire episode.

Here's what you can expect:

2:50 Melanie Borden's Automotive Origin Story

4:06 How Do You Set a Foundation to Build Your Brand?

Goals

Find the Opportunities

6:10 Best Platform to Begin Branding

LinkedIn

Evaluate Other Channels

Comfortability

7:50 How Do You Scale Your Brand?

Develop Your Process

Content Library

9:19 Melanie's Recommended Tools

Canva (and Its Capabilities)

DropBox

Direct Posting

11:24 Building Audiences Across Channels

Attempt Platform-Focused

Website with Social Links

Opinions on New Platforms

Using Other Industries

16:34 Balancing Your Brand and Dealer's Brand

Celebrity Motor Cars Anecdote

Interweaving You and the Business

18:23 Who Should Create a Brand?

All Operations

Inherent Advantages

20:03 Measuring Success

Engagements

Driving Opportunities

Long-Term

22:06 Melanie's Recent Authorship

24:48 Let's Play Pittsburghese!

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The KPI Cafe returns to the BDC in this episode with Marija Cvetkovska, formerly of the Suburban Collection and current member of PCG Digital. With years of experience both as an agent and manager in a dealership's Business Development Center, she and host Dane Saville dive into what it really means to leverage this operation to actually develop business.

Marija offers up robust morsels regarding touchpoints, products expertise, lines of questioning, the handing off of warm leads, and much more. Along the way, she'll share her issues with how dealers can significantly undervalue the work accomplished in a BDC. If you're looking to up your game to get better metrics out of your own department, this one won't disappoint.

Here's what you can expect:

4:33 Marija's Automotive Origin Story

8:59 BDC for Sales and Service

Skills Differences

Service Acquisition (Development)

Marketing Strategy Support

Lifetime Customer Value

17:36 Touchpoint Strategy for Appointments

Lead Source Differentiation

Filter Wisely

"Call Center" Treatment

Pandemic Effect

23:04 BDC Agents as Product Experts

Trims, Payments, Et Cetera

Consequences and Outcomes

26:20 Guiding Customers

Questions, Questions, Questions

Back to Basics

Sell Brand, Sell Store, Sell Self

30:31 The Handoff Process

Warm Transfer System

Variables

Do More, Get More

35:32 Level of Collaboration between BDC and Marketing

Avoid Disconnect

Cross-Departmental Knowledge

38:54 BDC Reps to Establish Customer Book?

Turnover Rate

Role Presentation and Pay Issues

43:40 Marija's Ideal BDC

48:26 In-House vs. Outsourced BDC

50:29 Tools for Your BDC

55:26 Let's Play Pittsburghese!

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This KPI Cafe brings a sort of legacy guest to the podcast. Robert Sneed of Power Ford — brother of previous guest Matt Sneed — joins host Dane Saville to discuss the three "Ps" that drive his dealership's success: people, process, and product. Throughout the episode, you'll hear a perspective that truly embraces the new (and growing) outlook on culture through varied lenses across the dealership's operations.

Robert shares insights on his approach to promotions, establishing and maintaining processes, how to view the idea of "product," conjectures on the future of automotive, and so much more. It's time to, once again, challenge your status quo as a leader — or future leader — to see what you might be able to do that elevates your dealership as a great place to work.

Here's what you can expect:

2:00 Robert's Origin Story

3:36 How Power Ford Operates Differently Today than 1 Year Ago

Thoughts, Actions, Engagements

4:48 Challenges for Dealers in 2021

Inventory Levels

Lean'n'Mean Challenge

Marketing

Online Shopping Impact Brick-and-Mortar

10:33 Your People

Right People, Right Position, Right Time

Defining Objectives/Goals

Transitions and Timing

Defining Leadership (Role and Mindset)

Self-Reflection / Accountability

18:30 The Concept of Process

Consistency

Saying versus Receiving

Mission Statement Woven Throughout

The Process of Process

Red Book: Documenting Process

Football Analogy

Cadence of Trainings/Meetings

31:28 Unique Approach to "Product"

How Power Ford Differentiates Itself

Importance of "Feeling"

Ownership Journey

Dealership-Level Brand Connection

40:22 Let's Play Pittsburghese!

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This week's KPI Cafe brings a topic novel to the podcast: advertising liability. Dealers manage a myriad of tasks and responsibilities among all operations, and many of those are a result of regulations and mandates from OEMs, state legislatures, and the federal government. Since dealers are continually investing in their advertising, Tom Kline joins host Dane Saville to dive into the causes of and mitigation solutions to violations that you may have — or might eventually — commit.

You'll hear an anecdote that drives the episode forward with valuable insights that can help you avoid litigation and other consequences from the many nuances of what constitutes an advertising violation, including where to find resources on what you need to know — beyond this episode, of course!

Here's what to expect:

2:55 Tom Kline's Automotive Origin Story

3:55 Context for the Episode

4:30 Lollipop 1 Story and Lessons Learned
False Lease Promotion
Blame Game
Does "Starting At" Disclaimer CYA?
How Prevalent are These Promotional Violations?
Examples Consequences

13:30 Most Glaring Disclaimer Violations
Readability
Comprehension / Clarity
Solutions to This Issue
OEM is Not a Safeguard

17:00 How Common Is Litigation Against Dealers?
Traditional and Non-Traditional
Compounding Issues
CFPB

20:45 Mitigation Steps with FTC
Solve the Problem
Where to Start

23:45 Best Approach to De-Escalate Negative Reviews
36 Websites
A Little Sleuthing
Genuine Helpfulness
Appropriate Requests

27:00 Resources for Compliance Regulations

29:05 Other Significant Regulations for Dealers
Customers, Employees, Advertising
First Loss is Your Best Loss

32:20 General Resolution Options for Dealers
Documentation
Standard Process

35:35 Circling Back to Lollipop 1
It's Not Complicated

37:55 Information on Better Vantage Point
Dispute Resolution
Compliance
Risk Mitigation

43:40 Let's Play Pittsburghese!

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This episodes kicks off the KPI Cafe season, featuring the show's first-ever panel of experts on three stigmas that still affect retail automotive: gender, pressure, and sales. To help discuss the problems — and solutions to — Fleming Ford, Sabrina Erskine, and Laurie Halter join host Dane Saville to offer real-world perspective and actual solutions to help dealers break the chains that may be holding back diversity in their employment, causing issues with recruitment, and overcoming the caricatures companies like Vroom paint them to be.

Throughout the content, you'll hear ideas that should challenge and inspire you to elevate how you approach dealership operations. Whether you're a Dealer Principal or have aspirations to run or own a dealership, the insights within will provide genuine benefits for running a modern, inclusive business.

Here's what to expect:

4:45 Automotive Origin Stories

Sabrina Erskine

Fleming Ford

Laurie Halter

7:00 Context of the Episode

7:40 The Gender Stigma

Biggest Obstacle to Gender Equitable Employment

Ways to Ensure Comfortability in the Dealership

Is the Gender Imbalance Felt at the Dealership Level?

Resources Dealers Have to Ensure Diverse Employment

Other Diversification Tactics

Establishing a Positive Connection with Interviewees

Removing Bias from Promotion Process

25:02 The Pressure Stigma

Policies or Processes to Communicate a Positive Culture

The Changing Retail Automotive Landscape

Understanding Individuals

30:30 The Sales Process Stigma

Ways to Combat a Negative Image (Think Vroom)

Marketing's Role in That Battle

Teaching Fundamentals to Salespeople

Other Tactics to Promote a Positive Image

Embracing the Evolution of Consumer Shopping Behaviors

The 5-Hour Process Issue (and a Defense of!)

A Discussion of Dealership Processes

Educating Consumers

How to Upend the Process

53:00 Let's Play Pittsburghese!

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This episode of the KPI Cafe brings this batch of episodes to a conclusion. The theme prevalent throughout this season has been the elevation of people and strategies, and this interview with John Resurreccion is sure to help dealers elevate their own video content strategies.

Whether you're just dabbling in video as an amateur or have a serious video content strategy built out, there are challenges, insights, and perspectives for all levels of learning.

Here's what to expect:

3:29 Context for the Episode

• Doing Great Work
• Catch You Sleeping

7:01 Automotive Origin Story

10:57 "Buy Here" Video Content Creation

• Replicating OEM and Regional Issue
• The People Spotlight

14:59 Evergreen-Fresh Video Content Balance

• Anchor Video
• Transitional Period Play
• "Look at What We Do Here"

18:16 What Does an Anchor Video Accomplish?

• Physical Space
• The Assumption Problem
• Setting Up Expectation

22:17 Creative Video Content for Fixed Operations

• Many Stories / Many Characters

25:56 Storytelling for New and Used Cars

• Factors to Consider for Used
• CPO, Too!
• Switch Car Role

28:44 Days-on-Lot Cutoff?

• Hotcakes and Problem Children

31:40 What Does It Mean to Contextualize a Brand?

• Toyota Camry Story
• Combining Brand and Community
• Your Tribe

37:59 Where to Find Inspiration for Storytelling

43:24 What is Content?

• The Message
• Just Do It

47:30 What Holds Dealers Back from Breaking Away from Incentive-Driven Marketing?

• Demonstrable Truths
• "Satisfy This but Focus on That, Too"

52:50 What Vanity Metrics Drive John Crazy?

57:19 Concluding Thoughts

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The KPI Cafe returns to the BDC (Business Development Center) with Sarah Force, who leads a highly successful team that boasts high morale to boot. In this episode, you'll hear unique perspectives on how to better retain BDC staff, training, processes, and more that can help shape or updated how you approach your dealership's BDC. Whether you're a Dealer Principal or a BDC Director/Manager, you'll hear a range of insights that are applicable and can make true change in the metrics -- and the intangibles -- that will drive more opportunities for you to sell cars and book service appointments.

Here's what you'll hear:

5:03 - Sarah's Automotive Origin Story

8:16 - Context for Guest Invite

8:50 - Where Should You Source BDC Talent?

• Role of Retention
• Recruiter Advantage

11:12 - Expanding on Importance of Retention

• Growth Path
• Flexibility
• Scepticism Gives Way to Opportunity

13:36 - BDC Training

• Documented Process
• "Magic Words"
• Ongoing Tweaks/Maintenance
• What-If Scenarios

11:55 - Process of Appointment Setting

• Keep It Positive
• Keep the Momentum
• Consider Variables

20:12 - Strategy for "No Shows"

• Appointments Review
• Touchpoints
• Incorporate Salesperson
• "Is Everything Okay?"

21:55 - Universal Truths to Get People to Show?

• "Test Drive" Language

24:16 - Things Dealers Can Do with Their BDC They Aren't

• Handling the Phone!
• Be Sure to Know the Metrics
• Service?

28:38 - Scenarios a Service BDC Can Cover

• Genuine Concern Trumps All

30:53 - Calls: Quality vs. Quantity

33:32 Ideal BDC

• Happiness Factors

300 Leads per Month Each BDR

35:13 - How to Create Positive Culture

• Be the Hub

39:34 Contacting Sarah Force

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With a market penetration of just, approximately, 30%, there is plenty of room to grow the service-side of your dealership. In this episode of the KPI Cafe, Herb Anderson joins host Dane Saville to talk about the tactics and strategy of your your fixed operations, diving into specific actionable takeaways that you can analyze for your dealership to help challenge your internal marketing team or marketing partner by asking the right questions while equipped with the right knowledge.

Here's what you can expect:

3:40 Lessons Learned About the Importance of Service Marketing?

• Differentiators are now common practice
• Educating/Re-Educating Consumer
• Being More Purposeful

7:20 Tactics and Strategies to Build Relevancy for Service

• Speak to the customer
• Transparency
• Cohesive website
• Google My Business
• More than incentive-based

11:57 Importance of Breaking Out GMB Listings

• Information
• Planned vs. Emergency
• Proper Routing

14:02 Content for GMB Listings

• Alignment across channels

16:25 Is Paid Search Channel for Service Marketing?

• Coverage
• Understand Your Performance

19:34 Still Room for Social Media?

• Omnichannel
• Consistency

22:20 Other Methods to Promote Service

• YouTube
• Be the Resource

26:20 Dealer Talk Podcast

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You know that more people are shopping online. You know that the majority of the purchase process has shifted online (at least for most industries). So why are there still website providers for retail automotive who are not championing today's consumer behaviors? You need to ensure that you offer a frictionless experience across your site for both sales and service. 321 Ignition's CEO Lyamen Savy joins host Dane Saville to offer insights about issues you may be having with your current website provider, tips on how to ensure that your website is truly mobile-first, actionable items to make immediate improvements, and much more. If you want some perspective on whether or not your website is working -- like, really working -- for you, today's episode is for you.

Here is what you can expect:

4:39 1986 Pontiac Sunbird Story

6:26 Lyamen's Automotive Origin Story

9:51 Tech Legacy Issue Among Automotive Website Providers

• Stockholder Obstacle
• Jack of All Trades, Master of None

12:07 What Have Automotive Website Providers Been Getting Wrong?

• Mobile-First

13:44 What Does It Mean to be Mobile-First?

• Mobile Native Features
• Less is More

15:15 How Do You Orient a Website to Mobile-First?

• Importance of Graphics (html5)
• Placement

17:15 What Demonstrates 321 Ignition Works Better for the Dealer?

• Visualizing
• Compare to Ecommerce
• Calls-to-Action Overload

20:15 Process for Working with 321 Ignition

• Dealer Backend
• Balance of Customization and Templatization
• Expertise Not Found in Dealership

24:01 Immediate Website Improvements Dealers Can Make

• Anxiety Elements
• Value Propositions
• Friction Elements

28:14 321 Ignition the First to Offer...

29:16 What Does It Mean to be "Dealer-First"?

• Transparency
• Fees and Strategy
• Lyamen's Example of Shady Practices

33:51 What Excites Lyamen Most About 2021

35:14 Contacting Lyamen Savy / 321 Ignition

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The original title for this episode was "Onward and Upward: Digital Marketing in 2021." This conversation, however, turned out to be much more than just digital marketing. Jason Harris and Dane Saville dive into myriad topics surrounding dealerships with lessons learned from navigating COVID-19 for nearly an entire year. From marketing mixture to BDC expectations to internal promotions and more, there is a lot to be learned, analyzed, and said about where the industry is now at the beginning of 2021 and how it can be elevated by challenging current conditions.

Here's what you can expect:

5:25 Catching up with Jason Harris

8:15 COVID and Canada

• Similarities and differences with the United States

10:07 Balancing Act Coming Out of COVID

• Managing our changing environment

14:01 Operation Marketing: Variable vs. Fixed

• New appreciation for all operations in a dealership
• How to balance a marketing budget for them

16:45 People Will Pay for Comfort and Experience

• It's not just about lowest price
• Dealer differentiators

18:37 Lessons Learned from COVID to Maintain Profitability

• Better margins
• Supply chain / auction effects

23:18 BDC: Volume vs. Customer Experience

28:25 Process? Process. Process!

• Playbook

35:43 The Promotion Problem

• Who's the best to LEAD your dealership?

39:30 Recommendations on OEM Dollars

43:00 Building a Tribe

• Dealer qualities to build their own

48:29 Most Important Moves for 2021

50:24 Where Does Brand Building Begin?

52:50 Concluding Thoughts

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In this episode, host Dane Saville is joined by Brian Toole to talk all-things Over-the-Top. This is an opportunity for every dealer to target local consumers who use streaming apps, which is a fast-growing trend among American households as more broadcasting companies push their original content to be exclusively streamed. Now is the time to get a grasp on what this strategy is, how well it can target, how to budget, and what success looks like.

3:55 Brian Toole's Automotive Origin Story

5:58 OTT Overview

• Over-the-Top Explanation

8:57 Balancing the OTT Segments

• 3 Segments Dealers Can Leverage

10:55 How Geofencing with OTT Still Gives You an Opportunity

• People Visit Fewer Dealerships, But...!!!

14:30 Social Media is the Precursor of OTT

• Programmatic Media
• Being Set Up for the Future

16:07 How to Approach Creative for OTT Advertising

• Crafting Video for Audiences

19:37 OTT for Fixed Operations?

• Ways to Promote Your Services

20:53 Lifetime Customer Value: Retention vs. Acquisition

• The Benefits of Keeping Customers for Returned Business

22:50 Budgeting for OTT

• How to Allocate Among Your Segments

27:28 Focus on the Person, not the Domain

• Worrying about the Who, not the Where

30:45 What Does the OTT Data Inform You for Strategy?

• Learning How to Make Decisions Based on What You See

34:25 Look at Things with a Holistic Perspective

• Tactics vs. Strategy
• 10,000-Foot View : Get Out of the Weeds Sometimes

35:24 Categorize Consumer "Intent"

• Breaking Out Your Audiences by Varied Needs

39:48 Final Piece of OTT Insight from Brian Toole

42:27 Contacting Brian Toole

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In automotive retail, we often hear a lot of buzzwords and phrases. These can often be misunderstood or even misused as people latch onto them. In this episode, Dan Moore and Micah Birkholz join host Dane Saville to help clarify and even dispel what it means when you "hustle and grind" or when companies claim to be "data-driven."

Throughout this episode, you'll get insights on healthier perspectives on motivating dealership staff, misleading data claims and key performance indicators, addressing the disconnect between marketing data and sales data, and much more -- plus, hopefully, a few laughs along the way.

4:01 -- Introducing Micah Birkholz and Dan Moore

4:32 -- Automotive Origin Stories

• Legacy
• Guidance from Family

5:52 -- Misnomer 1: Should We Really Embrace "Hustle and Grind"?

• Negative Connotation
• But ...
• False Expectation
• Is There a Healthier Perspective?
• Social Media "Superstar-ism"
• It Takes Hard Work
• Your "Why"
• People and Process
• Want You Broke
• A New Way to Phrase "Hustle and Grind"
• Understanding Your Employees

14:00 -- Misnomer 2: What Does "Data-Driven" Really Mean?

• Superficiality
• Teaching All the Wrong Things
• Buzzword Issue
• Analyze to Move the Ball
• Traffic Versus Conversion
• Quality Versus Quantity
• Most Misleading Data / KPIs in Automotive Retail
• Signals Versus Holisticism

30:55 -- Chasing the Silver Bullet

• Following the Big Names
• Do As You See
• Strategy
• You Have to Market It

32:39 -- Tell the Story of the Brand

• Selling Fulfillment
• Polaroid Example
• Tie Emotion to Experience
• How Do You Solve a Problem?
• The About Us Page

38:18 -- The Danger of Good Digital Metrics and Flat Sales Disconnect

• Introspection
• Dealer Example
• Dissect the Problem
• TRM: Time, Resources, Money

44:15 -- Is 30 Days Truly Long Enough to Identify Waste and Have Perspective?

47:17 -- Obvious Data Red Flags

47:55 -- Highest Converting / Best Opportunities in Digital Marketing

51:53 -- Concluding Thoughts

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Laurie Halter, CEO of Charisma! Communications and host of Carearing, joins the KPI Cafe to talk about creating a balanced work and home life. As an entrepreneur herself, Laurie brings plenty of perspective from her own experiences, but she also leverages conversations with other industry leaders to further the discussion and provide concrete examples. Throughout this episode, you'll hear insights on myriad ways to not sacrifice your career or family time: routines versus spontaneity; staying connected when traveling or working long hours; what companies can do to be competitive to bring in and keep talent.

So many in automotive retail live the entrepreneurial life. Whether you're on the floor as a salesperson or in the office as a General Manager or Dealer Principal, this episode has plenty of insights to help all of us do better with managing our home and work responsibilities.

Here's what you can expect:

5:30 Introduction of Laurie Halter

• Owner of Charisma! Communications
• Host of Carearing Podcast

6:07 Laurie Halter's Automotive Origin Story

• Chrome Data

8:20 What Does It Mean to "Have It All"?

• Doing What You Want, But Not at Once

9:34 Why Do Women Often Feel Overwhelmed Their Goals?

• Traditional Roles
• Inherent Guilt

11:22 Setting Up Today's Content

11:47 Tips for Entrepreneurs to Plan a Balanced Work Life

• Scheduled Time
• Establishing Space / Boundaries

14:35 Routine vs. Spontaneity

• Daily Needs
• New Pursuits

16:48 How Smaller Companies Can Compete to Bring on Experienced Professionals

• Flexibility

19:21 Ways to Stay Connected to Family When Traveling

• Amy Hughes Example

22:04 Diving into Carisma Communications

• Public Relations for Automotive Industry
• Digital Content Producer

23:37 Most Poignant Takeaways from Carearing, Laurie's Podcast

• Giving and Guilt
• Perspective on Enjoying Career

28:26 Diving into the Carearing Podcast

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In this episode, KPI Cafe Host Dane Saville discusses the concept of "letting go of the vine." He uses his experience as Co-Founder of and former Content Director for Reunion Marketing prior to the company's evolution that saw the Content Department transform into the SEO Department. Throughout this episode, Dane shares what it means to let go, how to let go, and the benefits of letting go of the vine, including real-life examples of it. This is an opportunity to engage about beginning true leadership and empowering your team -- that can start today.

0:20 Context for the Episode

• Founding Reunion
• Solo Act on Content
• Set in My Ways

1:53 Things Change as You Build a Team

• Now There’s a Content Team
• The Obstacle
• The Missing Pronoun

3:07 Traction: Letting Go of the Vine

• Our Department
• Take the Ball and Run
• Work Smarter, Not Harder
• Asana
• The Benefits

5:08 How to Let Go of the Vine

• This Works for Anyone
• The Process to Let Go

9:00 G.W.C.

• Get It, Want It, Capacity to Do It

9:56 How This Helps Build True Leadership

• Your Time
• Empowerment
• Not Simply Being a Boss

11:19 Honest Introspection

• Letting Go of the Vine is Ongoing
• Take the Time to Do This
• Find the Right Seat

13:40 Concluding Thoughts

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In this episode of the KPI Cafe, one of Reunion's Co-Founders and Client Success Manager Andrew Kocha dives into a recent analysis he conducted to accurately calculate lifetime customer value (LCV) for automotive retail. After explaining the importance of why dealers need to understand lifetime customer value, Andrew leverages a report by The Appraisal Lane to walk through the calculation, laying out actual numbers for consideration.

He and host Dane Saville also address the obstacles dealers face when calculating LCV and advantages they have over other organizations that offer vehicle service and repair.

Here's what you can expect:

3:12 -- Why Understand Lifetime Customer Value?

• Familiarity
• Advertising Cost Efficiency
• Family Business
• Word-of-Mouth
• Google Search

5:35 -- Current Marketing Cost Per Car Sold

• Shift to Digital
• Inefficient Strategies?
• Mandated Events

7:50 -- Calculating Lifetime Customer Value

• Shoutout to Appraisal Lane
• Sales and Service Revenue
• Average Lifespan
• Average Duration between Purchase
• Average Services

11:15 -- The Role of Team Mentality

• Cross-Department Rewards
• Breaking Down Silos

12:05 -- Ideal Profit from Repeat Customers

13:12 -- Dealer Obstacles Calculating a Realistic Number

• Many Line Items - All Variables
• Things Outside Dealers' Control
• Things Dealers Can Control

22:04 -- What Can Dealers Do They Currently Aren't?

• Do Things Jiffy Lubes Can't
• Andrew Turns the Table on Dane

26:39 Andrew's Final Thoughts

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In this episode of the KPI Cafe, Reunion's Director of SEO Chelsea Nodine and Local SEO Specialist Brian Brockman join us to talk about all things Google My Business. This piece of your SEO is a crux to the strategy for being found from non-branded searches, offering up separate listings for the different operations within your dealership. From setup to content to common issues with GMB, this episode covers a large swath of what you need to know in order to ensure your visibility in search.

Here's what you can expect:

2:40 Brian Brockman and Chelsea Nodine's Reunion Roles

3:30 What Suggests GMB Is So Important

• Traffic Driver
• Conversion: Phone Calls, Directions

4:34 Why Should Dealers Separate Listings?

• Dealer and Customer Wins
• Keywords
• Citations
• Relevance

6:23 How Many Categories Can Dealers Use?

• Needs to be an Entity in the Dealership
• Be Wary of Dilution

8:43 How to Create Relevant Visibility of Your GMB

• Keyword Listing
• Categories and Secondary Categories
• Business Description

10:32 What Content is Good for GMB?

• Products/Services
• Images
• GMB Posts
• Q&A

12:42 Common Issues with Dealer GMBs

• Attributes
• Q&A
• Existing Unclaimed Listings
• Mistaken Categories

15:50 Clarifying "Attributes"

17:10 Building a Keyword List

18:23 Local Map Pack Rank Factors

19:28 Answering Q&A

20:35 Concluding Thoughts

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In this episode of the KPI Cafe, "Playground Director II" Jeff Elhart of Elhart Automotive joins host Dane Saville to discuss how he managed to navigate the pandemic, laying off nearly 75% of his staff, and his efforts to lead with compassion for his people and community with Good Grief. In addition to that, Mr. Elhart opens up about his family's tragic loss of his brother and how that lead him to implementing the Be NICE program that helped steward Elhart Automotive's mental health awareness.

Here's what you can expect:

5:54 Origins of Jeff’s Title “Playground Director II” and Role in Automotive

• Managing the Fun in the Sandbox
• Family Business

10:00 Context of Today’s Episode: Compassionate Leadership

• Laying off ¾ of staff
• Concern: mental well-being
• Good Grief

12:10 Highlights of Good Grief

• Background of Losing His Brother, Wayne
• Distribution of Copies
• Examples of the 10 Steps of Grieving Well

13:55 The “BE NICE.” Program

• Mental Health Foundation of Western Michigan
• BE NICE. Acronym Breakdown
• How to Learn More About BE NICE.
• Letter from Wayne

15:44 Reaction to BE NICE. and Compassionate Leadership

• Those Reaching Out to Jeff
• Various Issues Affecting the Community

23:12 What Can Dealers Do to Begin Leading with Compassion

• Be the “Lifeguard”
• Don’t Have to Invent the Wheel
• How to Launch the Program
• The BE NICE. Champions

28:48 True Story from the Dealership

• Service Technician
• Underlying Cause

32:08 The Benefit of Today’s Technology for Mental Health

34:55 Concluding Thoughts

All content provided in these videos, publications, and interviews were created for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of rendering medical advice. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you read or viewed as part of this content. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately.

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In this episode of the KPI Cafe, Stephanie Singletary of Covideo and Steve Roessler of Drive Centric offer up their insights on leveraging video. Whether you're just considering integrating video into your sales and service strategies or have already begun using it, there's definitely value here for you: getting more buy-in to have more people adopt video, the balance of canned versus truly personalized videos, where to start, which have the greatest impact, using it for service customers, ideal video length, and so much more.

Here's what you can expect:

3:37 Stephanie Singletary’s Automotive Origin Story

4:43 Steve Roessler's Automotive Origin Story

6:18 Dealer Apprehensions to Fully Adopting Video

• Resistance
• Uncomfortability
• “Hollywood”

9:50 Balance of Canned vs. Personalized Video

• Variables
• Situational
• Awareness

14:30 Other Means of Personalizing

16:00 Secret Shopping Example

• Best Practice with Texting
• Phone Security

18:10 Where is Best to Start Video Strategy?

• Early Adopters
• Cognizant of Process
• Plan, Plot, and Execute
• Metric Samples
• Dealership Accountability

22:15 Video Types with the Most Impact for Salespeople

24:10 Video Types with the Most Impact for Fixed Ops

27:00 Other Opportunities to Engage Members Across Dealership

• Ubiquity
• How Video Makes Customers Feel

30:24 Results from Leveraging Video for Service

32:43 Rental Example

33:44 Managing Any Disconnect Between Video Vendor and Dealer

38:45 Parameters for Video Length

41:34 Reaching out to Stephanie and Steve

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In this episode of the KPI Cafe, Laurie Foster of Foster Strategies Group challenges the status quo to dealerships' sales process. With compressed margins, increased competition from new players like Carvana, and the fluctuating circumstances of the economy, it's more important than ever that your process gives you more at-bats with every opportunity.

Part of that means activating your finance managers earlier in the process because you know that in-market car shoppers have questions regarding financing and leasing; part of that means thinking about your Business Development Center as more than a call center.

Laurie also gives insights about how to get buy-in from your team with these fundamental questions, as well as some tips about compensation for the new duties assigned. In the end, it's all about alignment.

Here's what you can expect:

3:22 Laurie’s Automotive Origin Story

• Furniture Sales
• Projected Growth Path in Automotive
• Possibilities

4:45 Foster Strategies Group

• Leadership
• Serving Others
• Maximize Management Potential
• Vendor Partnerships

6:37 Context for the Episode

• Inventory
• Margin Compression
• Issues

7:03 Activating Your F&I

• Role Redefinition and Clarification
• Current Process and Its Issues
• A Fresh Approach

16:40 Good Customer Experience. Better Results

• Customer Intent
• Friction
• Dollars and “Sense”
• PVR
• Less Time
• Product Penetration and Revenue Projections

21:18 Getting Buy-In

• Know Your Audience
• Measurement

24:00 Training for Comfortability

• Roleplay
• Priming the Customer

25:26 Managing Other Staff Concerns

• Getting the Help Wanted
• Greater Communication

27:53 What Does the Whole Process Look Like

• Forward Momentum
• BDC Statistics

29:40 Optimal BDC

• Break It Down
• Current Role / Responsibility

31:41 Alignment on Shifts in Roles

• Top-Through
• Cohesion
• Tap the Brakes

33:51 Perception vs. Reality

35:43 Customer-Centric. Dealer-Centric.

• Good Experience Across Touchpoints
• Dealership Customer

37:17 Better Together

• More Opportunities
• Market Statistics
• The Right Principles

38:45 Breaking Down the Silos

• Value and Elevation
• Business. Development. Center.
• Football Analogy

44:06 The Hiring Process

• Change Our Words

46:01 What’s Coming Up with Laurie

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In this episode of the KPI Cafe, Matt Sneed from Power Ford joins Host Dane Saville to dive deep into the weeds about the proper way to leverage Facebook advertising. In this hour-long session, a great number of topics from Facebook's purpose to traditional advertising to the strategy itself to measurement; literally, no stone is left unturned in this discussion about how your dealership can benefit by following the guidelines laid out.

Here's what you can expect:

4:53 Guest Introduction: Matt Sneed

5:25 Matt’s Automotive Origin Story

7:57 Context to Set Up the Episode

8:45 Transition of Ad Dollars from Traditional to Digital

• 2017: How to Market and Sell Cars?
• Mustang Example
• AIA (Automotive Inventory Ads)
• Moneyball Effect / Cost per Sale
• Vendor Evaluation

13:20 The Inherent Waste of Traditional Media

• Not Your Buyers
• Not in Market
• But the Feel Good Factor

16:21 Facebook Being an Intent and Stimulus Channel

• Influence the 98.8%
• More Control
• Doing Social Media vs. “Doing” Social Media

19:10 Getting to the Land of No Competitors

• Your Website | Your Inventory
• Marketing to Everyone | Marketing to No One
• Full Funnel Strategy
• Quality Content

23:55 Two Trends in Automotive Marketing

• Quality > Quantity
• Relevance is King
• People are Finicky
• Click-to-Marketplace

27:30 Managing Organic in Conjunction with Paid Ads

• BDC
• Podium
• The Challenge

29:39 Importance of Branding

• Consistency
• Tone of Voice
• Reputation Management
• Brand Evangelism

36:00 Breakdown of a Facebook Advertising Campaign

• Sales and Service
• Birthday, Inventory, Thank You, Lost Customers, Et Cetera
• The Association with Programmatic
• Dealer Distinctives
• It’s About Them

46:14 A Quick Review of Niche Budgeting

• Historical Sales Data?
• Incentives

49:20 Other Cool Facebook Ad Capabilities

• Oracle
• Retargeting
• Inventory Feed

51:50 How to Measure Your Facebook Ads

• Sales Matchback
• DTSC
• Cost per Sold Unit
• Attribution

56:01 Final Thoughts: Getting Dealers to Buy Into It

• Sales Effectiveness
• Go All In

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In this return episode of the KPI Cafe, Dane Saville and Brent Wees start off discussing how much car dealers are expected to multitask, even in the face of "right-sized" staff, but quickly dive into different paths of thought as unexpected insights, questions, and concerns pop up throughout this hour-long session of impactful takeaways will have you thinking about your own dealership's internal processes.

Here's what you can expect:

Catching up with Brent

• Active VP of Marketing for ALC Schools
• Quick Quote
• Other software (October launch)

Brent’s Entrance to Automotive Retail

• Graphic design
• Manta Ray magazine
• Dashboard’s “Glovebox”
• Toyota relationships

Interesting Journeys into Automotive

Context for the Episode: Solutions | Multitasking

• People business
• Tools and software to do tasks
• Complication of multitasking

Brent’s Presentation in the United Kingdom

• Applause Example: Golf Marshall
• Application to Automotive: Focus on the Job/Simplicity
• Complication: Wear More Hats
• The Truth About Multitasking

Cancellation Culture of Services and Technology

• Panic to the Bottom Line Budget
• The Ask to “Do More”
• Moving Forward from Major Cuts

How to Look at Technology and Services That Multitask on Our Behalf

• Automation | Human Team
• Will This Actually Help People? — The True Question for Leadership
• The What, Not the Who

The Role of Leadership

• 30-Day Timecrunch
• Commitment | Compassionate Leadership
• Happiness Factor
• Software / New Partnership Adoption
• Internal Mentorship Among Staff
• Management Teams

“Their Process” Issue

• Fluctuations in Performance
• Same Ole’, Same Ole’
• Accountability and Hard Sponsorship
• The Guidebook
• Blow a Dealer Principal’s Mind
• Talk is Cheap Until the Data Supports It

Balance of Vendor Services: One Vendor vs. Many Vendors

• Intention vs. Efficiency
• Foundation of Good Partners
• “Board of Directors”
• Advantages of Small Agencies

Jumping Vendors: Being Deliberate with Assessment

• Empathetic for Comfort
• Dollar Amount Attributed to Transitions/Changes
• Data Tells the Story
• Automotive Retail is a Mix of Alcoholism and Central American Politics
• Hit Pause

Companies, Strategies, or Types of Products/Solutions to Reduce Multitasking

• Quick Quote and Roadster’s Mitigation of Back-and-Forth
• Centralizing Workflows with Agencies
• Role of Networking

Lessons Learned from the Artificial Intelligence Craze

Concluding Thoughts with Brent Wees