Autoconverse :: Future Of Mobility

In this episode from our live weekly webcast your host Ryan Gerardi is joined by two special guests from Dealer Teamwork - Co-Founder Eric Miltsch and Chief Sales Officer James Klaus. The two are embarking on a quest to enhance the way auto retailers connect with consumers, and they discuss their strategy for connecting with these retailers to get their message out. The crew also cover a few elements from Eric's annual 'Automotive Predictions' release. View the original video stream on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autoconverse.substack.com

This week on the show we have a special Double Header edition where feature two different guests back-to-back. First up is Dane Saville Host of Reunion Marketing's new Automotive B2B media initiative - KPI Cafe. After that is flexdrive Senior Vice President Stephane Ferri talking about vehicle subscriptions, the automotive consumer experience, and flexdrive's newly formed partnership with Hyundai Capital America. Watch the original live stream recording on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autoconverse.substack.com

What did the used-car market look like after the first full month of Spring? Slower than March, but still above 3 million unit sales for the month, with a seasonally adjusted annualized rate north of 39 million, according to one industry observer. In this monthly update on the used car business we welcome industry veteran Stu Zalud to opine on supply and demand, auctions, used Tesla vehicles, and what a customer is worth. View the original live stream on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autoconverse.substack.com

In this episode we meet with RelayCars Head of Business Development Dave Weber to talk about the new Virtual Reality automotive experience that puts consumers in the driver's seat of hundreds of vehicles. With RelayCars, shoppers have the power to choose their vehicle category, year, make, and model from an extensive VR library and explore vehicles inside and out in full 360° stereoscopic 3D. Lots of visual in this episode which you can view in the original recording on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autoconverse.substack.com

Your host Ryan Gerardi shares his thoughts and insights on the Kid Rock Chillin' the Most Flying High Island Jam from the Hard Rock Hotel and Resort from Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. From brand loyalty to the consumer experience, this special episode is a fresh take for the AutoConverse Podcast as we head into our 4th season. View the video here on YouTube.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autoconverse.substack.com

Revenue from new car sales and collision repair is softening and dealers are saddled with the pressure to grow service and parts sales. Finding new revenue channels and maximizing existing ones is critical to hitting 100% absorption in the dealership. In this episode, we welcome industry experts Ibrahim Mesbah and David Rozek to discuss solutions for achieving profitability in the fixed ops department through establishing an eCommerce presence, specifically by selling parts online, forging wholesale relationships, and best practices to capture the most selling opportunities. Mesbah is CEO of RevolutionParts and Rozek is an Automotive E-Commerce Specialist. View the original live stream on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autoconverse.substack.com

In this mashup of personalities and subjects, we close out Season III with a zany nutty bang. Your hosts Ryan Gerardi and Terry Lancaster are joined by Special Guests Amanda Ryan and Steve Roessler for a whirlwind of conversation that opens up in Season 8 of Game of Thrones and ends with a conversation about Marriott and Airbnb. Along the way we talk about rogue employees, banning gossip, and dystopia, and bizarre Google Maps street images. View the original live stream on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autoconverse.substack.com

Auto shows have been around more than 100 years now. And they have long since been a main stay for auto makers to attract new customers. But with auto makers experimenting more recently with the idea of not exhibiting at select auto shows, are they making a mistake? In this episode of our live weekly webcast, the original live stream that you can view here on YouTube, we welcome Chicago Automobile Trade Association Director Mark Bilek to share with us just how much impact the Chicago Auto Show alone can have in the consumer marketplace.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autoconverse.substack.com

Most dealers would agree that when it comes to the acquisition of used cars, the sourcing challenge isn’t necessarily a scarcity of volume. It’s acquiring the cars that sell the fastest and with the best potential margins. In this episode, we sit down with industry veterans Jasen Rice from LotPop and Gary Wade, a retired automotive executive to discuss the different ways dealers can source wholesale used vehicles with dependability. View the original live stream recording on YouTube.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autoconverse.substack.com

In this Special Anniversary Episode we welcome 3 familiar faces - Mike "The Car Guy" Correra, Mike Phillips, and Terry Lancaster for a candid conversation about Uber's IP filing, Disney's new streaming TV service DisneyPlus, Verizon 5G, and the ramifications of government regulation in big tech and social media. View the original live stream on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autoconverse.substack.com

This episode includes an update and conversation on the Boeing 737 Max planes being grounded, a conversation about the idea of regulating social media that stems from Great Britain's new plans to to do, and a conversation about bringing business media television programming to Smart TV. Hosted by Ryan Gerardi during our live weekly webcast and featuring Special Guests Dan Vega and Michael Garrison from BLU Success Television. View the original live stream recording on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autoconverse.substack.com

After providing an update on the grounded Boeing 737 Max planes, Host Ryan Gerardi explores the state of the trucking industry, and its future around self-driving trucks, with Special Guest Ian Coburn, Author of the soft skills sales education book - The Customer is Never Right. View the original live stream on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autoconverse.substack.com

In this episode, ProSource Finance Director Julie Yatchak joins us for a special edition of Video Marketing Hacks for Auto Retail to share some of her tips, tricks, and best practices with the use of video in the F&I department. ProSource provides F&I services for automotive retailers, RV dealers, motor sports, heavy duty truck, marine, and avionics dealers. View the live stream recording on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autoconverse.substack.com

In this episode we have an in-depth conversation with retired automotive executive Gary Wade about the used cars business, specifically in how startups such as Carvana are have the luxury of satisfying investors by assuring market share growth over profit. View the live stream recording on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autoconverse.substack.com

This week on the show we welcome special guest Jude O'Connor from AdColony to talk about the company's 2019 Global Car Buying Survey of more than 600 participants worldwide to learn about behavior, dealership visits, device usage, and ad engagement. AdColony provides mobile in-app video ads for app developers and advertisers. View the full video replay on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autoconverse.substack.com

When we think of video, we typically think of the video content itself. What is the video about? Who is meant to view the video? And unless you’re in the advertising business, you’re not necessarily thinking about where it’s hosted and what is going on behind the scenes. In this episode, we talk with Tim James, COO of Flick Fusion, the auto industry’s most robust video marketing platform that provides about video hosting, streaming, syndication, and AI-driven video creation. View the live stream recording here.   This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autoconverse.substack.com

SpaceX and NASA look to bring human spaceflight back to the USA. FedEx following suit with Amazon and UPS on delivery drones. BMW introducing Natural Interaction (gesture and voice command) in the 2021 iNext. But that's only the half of it. The other half is three guys in MarTech talking about tacking and incentivizing consumers to do wild and crazy things - SHOP! View the full video replay on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autoconverse.substack.com

Carmax is an undisputed leader in the used car business who also has freedoms in vehicle acquisition that the average dealer does not. Carvana on the other hand is a newbie player in the space, but one that seems to be embracing the importance of vehicle acquisition. In this episode we feature a panel of used car industry veterans to discuss what's behind this move by Carvana and what it might mean for franchise dealers. View the full video replay on YouTube.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autoconverse.substack.com

This Week in Mobility Tech: Elon Musk Gets in Trouble for Tweeting BMW Wants You to Talk with Your Car; BMW and Daimler Team Up As a One-Stop Mobility Shop; Peugeot Plans to Re-enter US market, and VW Unleashes a Pissed Off Toaster. Read blog and/or view full video replay. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autoconverse.substack.com

Auto shopper behavior is no doubt an elusive activity to understand, and respond to. Marketing metrics and analytics tell us a lot, yet waste in dealer ad spend seems rampant. In this session we bring together two dealers and a direct target marketing specialist - for a conversation about consumer behavior, third-party automotive advertising providers, dealership website analytics, and ROI on ad spend. View the full video replay. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autoconverse.substack.com