In this episode of Inside Auto, host Ilana Shabtay speaks with Steve Schmith, Client Partner at Acxiom, about the gap in expectations that exists between retailers and consumers around data security and personalization and how the automotive industry can achieve both as we move into 2025.

In this episode of InsideAuto, Chris Colsant, SDR Manager at Fullpath, joins host Ilana Shabtay to discuss the importance of managing data holistically as we head into the new year. He also shares his experiences with the emergence of equity mining in the automotive industry and expresses his hopes for the future of leasing.…

In this episode of InsideAuto, Colin Day, EMEA Managing Director and VP of Business Development at Oktopost, chats with host, Ilana Shabtay, about leveraging AI for more efficient marketing and sales, the value of a strong social media brand presence, and the importance of having different digital marketing strategies depending on the company or pr…

In this episode of InsideAuto, Eitan Koter, co-CEO and co-founder of Vimmi, chats with host, Ilana Shabtay, about the diverse landscape of shoppable video content, how shoppable videos are revolutionizing online purchasing and automotive sales, and how individual marketing and AI is the future of digital marketing.…

In this episode of InsideAuto, Bek Abdullayev, CEO of Superdispatch, chats with host, Ilana Shabtay about transportation within the automotive ecosystem, how COVID sped up the industry’s digitization, and mitigating against fraud in auto transportation.

In this episode of InsideAuto, Faruk Heplevent, CEO at The Scope, chats with Ilana Shabtay about how CGI revolutionized the automotive photography and advertising industry, how CGI, AI, and other technologies can make it harder for creatives to enter the market, and how these technologies do in fact make for more localized marketing.…

In this episode of InsideAuto, Samantha Morrow, Marketing Director at Hello Auto Group, chats with Ilana Shabtay about the CDK outage, the major marketing changes Hello Auto has made over the past few months, understanding the demographics of each individual dealership, and leveraging AI-based marketing tools to improve results.…

Joe Barhoumi is the Internet Manager at Newbold Toyota BMW, Illinois, where he led the establishment of the Business Development Center (BDC), spearheading the vision and operational framework to enhance overall business and growth. Joe is also a strategic Digital Marketer and leads the digital marketing strategy at Newbold.…

In this conversation, Ilana Shabtay interviews Lindsey Shaker, a fourth-generation member of the Shaker Automotive Group and an expert in SEO. They discuss Lindsey's early experiences in the automotive industry, the importance of honesty and transparency in car dealerships, and the role of SEO in driving quality traffic to dealership websites.…

In this celebratory mashup episode of Inside Auto Podcast, we revisit some of the key moments and discussions we have had over the last 100 episodes that clearly highlight just how quickly the automotive industry is evolving, the growing importance of data and technology in driving dealership success, and learn some of the strategies that industry …

In this episode of Inside Auto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay speaks with Earl Wheless, Internet Sales Manager at Gaffney Buick GMC, to discuss the evolution of automotive marketing and operations over his 30-year career and the ways new AI technology has driven growth and success at his dealership.

In this episode of Inside Auto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay speaks with Prasad Chavali, the founder of AxelOne DDP, a dealership data platform. They discuss the challenges of data integration in the automotive industry and the benefits dealers can unlock by aggregating and activating their data.

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 centr…

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 journ…

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 lifeti…

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 t…

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 priori…

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 generato…

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 d…

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 st…

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, dev…

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 t…

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 a…

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 positi…

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 presente…

Russell Richardson is a Sales Associate at Biondi Lincoln, a family-owned car dealership serving the greater Pittsburgh area. Russell leverages social media to provide free, valuable content on Lincoln products, including vehicle purchasing and maintenance tips. His platform, RussFlipsWhips, through which he also shares funny car sales skits, has g…

Jordan Cox is the Digital Marketing Manager at Gates Automotive, a prominent automotive retail group located in northern Indiana. With a strong passion for innovative marketing strategies, Jordan plays a role in the company's success by overseeing various aspects of digital marketing, including social media, content creation, web design, user exper…

Rich McNulty is the CEO of Blue Whale EV, an advisory and service organization to the EV charging community. The company supports commercial and government clients through the entire EV charging adoption journey, from education to sales, installation, and maintenance. Rich joined the electric vehicle charging industry after years of executive leade…

Micah Birkholz is the Director of Sales at VistaDash, a marketing intelligence tool that enables dealerships to track the success of their online campaigns. With over 20 years of experience in sales, strategic marketing, and performance management, Micah is an accomplished business growth expert who helps dealers and agency partners optimize their …

Adam Dennis is the Founder and Principal of SurgeMetrix, a company that has provided software and service solutions to automotive dealers for over 20 years. He helps dealers build fast, bilingual, Google-optimized websites that drive car shoppers into a dealership's sales funnel. Adam entered the automotive space in 2000 when he founded a SaaS comp…

Eric Barbosa is the Vice President of Variable Operations at Cavender Automotive Group, a family-owned dealership selling Audi, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Land Rover, and Toyota brands. He is a multi-talented, top-tier dealership business leader known for having a strong ability to drive sales with experience in finance, budget management, an…

Josselyn Boudett is the Founder and CEO of STELLA Automotive AI, an AI-powered voice assistant that handles inbound calls, answers questions, and books appointments for businesses. As a serial entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in AI, Josselyn has led and advised technology companies that have helped large enterprises deploy AI. She has also …

Ben Hadley is the Founder and CEO of Auto Genius, a community of high-growth automotive marketing professionals. He has played a critical role in helping thousands of dealerships maximize their sales efforts by optimizing marketing channels and in-store sales processes. Ben's specialties include sales, digital retail, marketing, product and busines…

John Woodman is the Vice President of Business Development at AutoService AI, a company that boosts sales and service teams’ productivity with AI. The company's product, Allio, is a virtual customer assistant that uses cognitive conversational AI to answer phones, talk to customers, and set service appointments. Before joining AutoService AI, John …

Alan Krutsch is the Director of Marketing and Industry Relations at Fuse Autotech, a financial management system that consolidates online and in-store technologies for a seamless customer experience. Alan specializes in branding and identity, campaign strategy, creative services management, sales training, and process and change management. Before …

Melissa Cartagena is the Senior Director and Head of Digital Advertising at AutoNation, one of America’s largest and most recognized automotive retailers. She is a seasoned digital technology marketing professional, growth marketer, and growth hacker. Melissa has over 19 years of experience managing large-scale programs in paid search, content mark…

Kate Lumsden is the Director of Marketing at Walser Automotive Group. She has over 13 years of experience using brand management, data-driven marketing strategies, creative direction, and design to drive measurable brand equity and customer loyalty through both digital and traditional mediums. Before joining Walser, Kate was a Marketing Manager and…

Colby Joyner is the Vice President of Marketing and Strategy at Cavender Auto Group, a family-owned dealership. Before joining Cavender Auto, Colby was the Vice President of Sales at Konect.ai and an Air Traffic Controller in the US Air Force. He was also nominated for Automotive News 40 Under 40. Colby’s goal is to bring efficient processes into t…

Vasilios Lambos is the Co-founder and CMO of CognitionDigital.io, a company that provides tools and products to help businesses build campaigns on Amazon advertising. CognitionDigital.io is an Amazon Ads Verified Partner serving advertisers in the retail, automotive, healthcare, and other industries. Vasilios' experience in the automotive space inc…

Matt Lasher is the Director of Marketing at West Herr Automotive Group, the largest automotive group in New York with 39 locations. In his role, he manages and facilitates marketing efforts for the group. With over 14 years of marketing experience, Matt is also the President of Streamline Auto Solutions, an easy-to-use software solution that helps …

Tom Gregg is the Founder and CEO of Vehicle Acquisition Network (VAN), a proprietary software that helps dealers acquire private party vehicles by connecting them directly to private sellers. Tom's automotive experience began as a porter and evolved through several manager and director roles at dealerships in the Midwest. His entrepreneurial spirit…

Dave Warren is the Owner and Managing Partner at Dave Warren Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in New York. He has 30 years of experience in the retail automotive space specializing in advertising, budgeting, inventory management, leadership, and marketing. Dave is also the Owner of Argo of Westfield, which offers ATVs, XTVs, and UTVs, Bintelli of Westfield,…

Daniel Govaer, General Manager at Mercedes-Benz of Easton, is a seasoned manager in the auto retail space. Before joining Mercedes-Benz of Easton, he worked for Bernie Moreno Companies, McGrath Acura of Downtown Chicago, and Libertyville Toyota to name a few. In this episode… Do you invest in your employees' mental well-being? What can you do to pr…