On this episode of Inside Automotive, Jim Fitzpatrick speaks to Glenn Pasch, CEO of PCG Digital and automotive marketing expert. They discuss topics like the NADA Show, strategies in dealer marketing, and the upcoming Digital Marketing Strategies Conference.
Glenn mentions the energy and feeling of relief at NADA Show, and the dealers who attended were engaged and had a purpose. Talk at the show was permeated by electric car news, although dealers tend to lean toward a slower rollout than the manufacturers are targeting. He identifies that training and adoption is important, and the process to bring EVs to market by carmakers is a hot topic. 
Economists in attendance at NADA gave a consensus that gross profits will remain high and sales will be robust. For dealer marketing, Glenn acknowledges that in many cases, those who have the inventory get the sale. Customer experience is at risk, though, and diligence is required. He encourages his dealers to remain aggressive in marketing, but refocusing their efforts in areas they can differentiate.
Glenn recognizes that careers in the auto industry are misunderstood, and that many identify sales as the only entry point when there are so many other aspects. He emphasizes the need to attract talent with as much vigor as advertising cars. “I ask the dealers… are you advertising working for your dealership with the same focus that you’re advertising buying a car? Where are your testimonials from your employees who have been with you a long time to say, ‘this is a place to build a career?’”
With the Digital Marketing Strategies Conference coming up in Napa Valley, Glenn remarks that it’s a different type of conference; more intimate, where attendees can have one-one time with presenters. “We are talking this year about EV and this conversation about dealers and OEMs, and about data privacy, and marketing on it.”
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