InsideAuto Podcast

In this episode of the Inside Auto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay speaks with Jacci Grillo Noto, Director of Sales Kelley Blue Book ICO & vAuto at Cox Automotive Inc., about the shifting automotive market and the challenges dealers are facing in their inventory management, and why customization, increasing efficiency, and maximizing ROI should be the central focus for dealers looking to thrive in this period of economic uncertainty.

In this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay chats with Dan Banister, owner of Banister Automotive, and Yaron Saghiv, CMO of UVeye. They delve into the transformative effects of AI and data analysis on automotive retail. Both guests discuss the importance of adapting to new technologies, engagement, and the overall service experience.

In this episode of Inside Auto Podcast, host Ilana Shabtay is joined by Colin Carrasquillo, Digital Marketing Manager of the Nielsen Automotive Group. Colin artfully outlines their forward-thinking strategy for 2024, with an emphasis on cutting-edge group advertising and the sophisticated cross-pollination of CRM data to tailor the customer's journey.

In this episode of Inside Auto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay joins April Simmons, Corporate Internet and Marketing Director at Horne Automotive, to uncover the secrets behind their growth to 14 stores. Discover how integrating technology can streamline your operations, freeing up valuable time for strategic initiatives.

In this episode of Inside Auto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay sits down with Dustin Schuler, Marketing Manager at Bud Clary Auto Group, to discuss the intricacies of dealership marketing strategies. Dustin talks about going back to basics in automotive marketing, using brand campaigns as a growth strategy, and how dealers can increase their customer lifetime value.

In this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay sits down with Ashley Cavazos, Marketing Director at DeMontrond Auto Group, to explore invaluable strategies and perspectives for thriving in the automotive landscape. Ashley discusses equity mining, building DeMontrond Auto Group’s brand image, and becoming the first Latina on the cover of the Digital Dealer magazine.

In this episode of Inside Auto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay hosts Melissa Cartagena, the Senior Director of Digital Advertising at AutoNation, to talk about the power of personalized video marketing. She discusses AutoNation's proactive stance on data privacy, the company’s collaboration with Epsilon and Flashtalking, and why your marketing should prioritize people over numbers.

In this episode of Inside Auto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay sits down with Ravin’s Co-founder and CEO, Eliron Ekstein, to talk about transforming auto transactions using AI. Tune in as Eliron discusses how Ravin simplifies trade assessment, Ravin’s position in the industry, and its integration with Orbee.

In this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay sits down with Rick Valenta, Director of Dealer Direct at Urban Science, to discuss how to leverage data and AI to drive auto sales success. Tune in as Rick discusses Urban Science’s 2024 outlook, streamlining your leads with Sales Alert, and why showroom traffic is an effective lead generator.

In this episode of Inside Auto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay speaks with Sandy Zannino, Founder and CEO of IAHR, about the work she is doing to create positive change and actively impact inclusion in the automotive industry through her work with the Inclusion Council. Sandy also discusses the steps she believes the industry should take in order to break down barriers and create a more inclusive and diverse environment.

In the latest episode of InsideAuto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay speaks with Venus Toro, CEO of WYN Solutions about how AI has impacted the way her company sources talent for the automotive industry and the importance of providing employees with AI training in order to prepare them for the continued advancements we expect to see in AI technology in 2024.

In the latest episode of InsideAuto, Joe Brown, CMO at Frank Lida Auto Group and Ilana Shabtay discussed the critical role of connected data in future dealership success and the importance of dealers holding their vendors to a higher standard when it comes to offering open APIs is so vital to the fight to eliminate siloed dealership data. 

In the latest episode of Inside Auto, Nick Williams, Digital Marketing Director at Banister Automotive, shares with Ilana Shabtay how he has harnessed the special culture and personas around him at his dealership and their deep community relationships to produce effective content that connects with his audience and drives them to take action.

In the latest episode of Inside Auto, Collin Davis shares with Ilana Shabtay the critical role consisten content creation plays in the current retail marketingplace, how dealerships can begin to successfully create a content strategy across multiple platforms, and the importance of connected data in building and maintaining a functioning content strategy. 

In the latest episode of Inside Auto, Tom Kline shares with Ilana Shabtay more about the specific behaviors that are being flagged as legally deceptive and the practical steps modern dealers should be taking to stay out of legal trouble - from purchasing the correct insurance policies to best practices around data protection and beyond. 

In the latest episode of InsideAuto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay speaks with Josh Detzel about how he scaled his vehicle acquisition operations into a full scale Vehicle Operations Center. Josh explains how in just two months of careful planning, he successfully scaled his acquisition operation from 8 vehicles to 28 by carefully allocating resources, developing internal work processes and leveraging the power of AI. Listen in now to learn exactly how he managed to accomplish this feat and how he plans to continue scaling and spreading his methodology to other dealerships in his auto group and corner the used car market in his area.

In the latest episode of InsideAuto Podcast, Anthony Cameron, Operations Director at Diehl Automotive Group speaks to Ilana Shabtay about the steps his automotive group has taken to try to mitigate the impact of rising interest rates on their business and his predictions for how interest rates will behave over the next few quarters. Listen in now to learn more about the light at the end of the tunnel!

In this episode of InsideAuto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay speaks with Jan Hansen, SVP Growth at FINN, to discuss the company’s car subscription model, the impressive success they have seen in the German market, and their plans to break into the US market over the next year. The pair discuss how the millennial market has embraced the subscription model and  how FINN is helping to simplify and take the work out of owning a personal vehicle in the current economic climate.

Don Erwin is the Director of Digital Marketing and Communication at Mtn View Auto. He started his career in the automotive industry in late 2001. He started in sales, and quickly moved up in the dealership, establishing a centralized BDC at Mtn View with 15 agents working leads and fielding incoming sales calls for 4 rooftops. In his current position, Don is responsible for all digital marketing and customer communication training for the auto group. Don is a proud grandparent to 8 grandchildren and is looking forward to his retirement in just 3 years.

In this episode…

Is your dealership using data and metrics provided by third-party vendors to improve your business? 

If not, your dealership is wasting valuable resources and missing out on a massive opportunity for growth. The data brought in by third-party vendors can help dealerships understand where there is room for improvement in dealership operations - from holes in the sales funnel to missed opportunities for followup and beyond. Understanding your data and being willing to make changes based on what that data shows can transform your business by helping you bring in more revenue through smart, data-backed business decisions. 

In this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay interviews Don Erwin, Director of Digital Marketing and Communication at Mtn View Auto about how data - both first and third-party - have impacted his marketing strategy and his decision making processes. They also discuss how Don is utilizing new AI technologies like ChatGPT at his dealership and what the future holds for the automotive industry when it comes to EV adoption across the US. 

Mike Dececco is the Vice President of Business Development at Fullpath. He is an entrepreneur, automotive technology veteran, and an early employee at Dealer.com, where he helped build the business into a billion-dollar company, holding management positions in sales, marketing, and business development. Mike is a strategic thinker, skilled presenter, and trusted leader with a deep knowledge of the automotive industry software on both the retail and wholesale sides of the business. 

In this episode…

What can dealerships do to streamline their business processes? How can you provide uniform customer experiences?  

To develop efficient business processes and serve customers better, dealerships need to leverage the power of technology. Automotive veteran Mike Dececco advocates finding the right mix of marketing technology tools to drive sales, improve business communication, and create a more engaging business environment for employees and customers. 

In this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay interviews Mike Dececco, the VP of Business Development at Fullpath, about leveraging technology to streamline business processes. They also discuss common challenges dealerships face with online marketing, the need for an open API marketplace and unified data sources, and Mike's predictions for the automotive industry.