All posts by Chanté O’Neill

As we enter the end of the year (and holiday sale season), auto marketers are motivated to deliver “Hail Mary” plays —bold, high-impact campaigns designed to resonate with today’s consumers and drive last-minute wins. This post is the third installment in our Experian Automotive Series, spotlighting what leading marketers are prioritizing in the second half of the year. Our first post unpacked how to measure marketing effectiveness using GA4 and attribution strategies. The second post focused on consumer communication—highlighting how texting, direct mail, and zip code targeting are reshaping engagement. Now, we turn our attention to building Fourth Quarter wins with a marketing playbook. From assigning a campaign “Quarterback” to leveraging CPO and service strategies, this post outlines four actionable plays to help you finish the year strong. Playbooks aren’t just reserved for football season. Well-prepared auto marketers are leveraging strategic frameworks to execute their marketing campaigns seamlessly. Whether it’s navigating inventory shifts, optimizing service campaigns, or refining audience targeting, building a marketing playbook tailored to your goals can turn fourth-quarter pressure into performance. Before you close out 2025, make sure the following plays are called: 1) Appoint a Dedicated in-house “Product User” (aka ‘Quarterback’) Just like a winning football team assigns key roles to execute plays seamlessly, successful marketers must have a go-to leader who knows the tools and resources they’re leveraging. This designated resource can rally your team, collaborate on the right plays, and determine the audiences to target—ensuring your products score big with every campaign. Pro-Tip: With Experian Marketing Engine, success comes when a dedicated Lead user can view their AutoInsights and consistently download AutoAudiences. 2) Data with Direction: Guide Every Play The best football players and the best marketers don’t just ‘set’ a plan and ‘forget’ it. They study footage or analyze trends and adjust based on the challenges they face. As a result, marketers need more than one data source. Passes and assists matters—Autotrader notes, "Today's average car buyer has 62 touchpoints on the path to purchase, but the average dealer only tracks 2.” 1 Dealers, Agencies, and OEMs need to interpret multiple data sources, adopt multi-touch attribution (MTA), and adjust their marketing plan. Being data-guided means using insights with context, deploying targeted campaigns, estimating ROI across touchpoints, aligning with all available data sources— and knowing when to call an audible. Pro-Tip: Stay ahead of the curve and measure the effectiveness of your automotive campaigns with Experian Auto Solutions. 3) Consider CPO and Service as Part of Your ‘Special Teams’ Just like kick returns and field goals can decide a game, your CPO and service strategies can create a margin of victory for a dealership. CPO and Used vehicles are in high demand. Review the stats: CPO sales increased 7% MoM from August and are running 2.6% higher YTD when considering the same period from last year 2 Used cars outsell New ones 2:1 3 When it comes to Service, the cost of a repair order (RO) is increasing, and dealers need to stay agile. According to Car Dealership Guy, “The next era of [Service department] growth probably won’t come from charging more —it will come from operating smarter and more efficiently” 4 Pro-Tip: Explore Experian’s CPO Affinity Audience and Service Affinity Audience to identify customers likely to make a CPO purchase or schedule service within a given timeframe. With a Service Affinity, try:(1) Promoting bundled offers tied to seasonal repair (Cold Weather Readiness Check: Tire rotation + Cabin Air Filter Replacement)(2) Sending timely service coupons or Miles Driven reminders.Encourage customers to choose your dealership. 4) Transparency with Data Integration can make a Dealer an MVP with Customers Between a strong omnichannel experience, Vehicle History Data, and truly understanding customers’ needs, each dealer has to have a competitive edge. Cox Automotive’s, Lori Whittman emphasizes, 80% of Consumers expect to work with a dealer...[customers] want to figure out what they can afford. 5 Create a personalized experience by connecting data and reducing customer frustration. Pro-Tip: Experian is the only primary data source for vehicle data, consumer data, and credit data. Experian Marketing Engine helps dealers reach (I)n (T)he (M)odel (M)arket (ITMM) customers where they are in their purchase journey. With a decline in financing incentives and loan & lease payments increasing 6 lean into EME’s Sales Affinity Audience. Consider targeting customers that have a propensity to lease, finance, or trade in their vehicles (amongst other purchase type options). Key Takeaway: Whether you are a Dealer, OEM, Agency, or Lender, as you close out 2025, remember that success in automotive marketing requires both strategic planning and adaptability with compliant data that fits your unique needs. Remember these 4 Pro-Tips when optimizing your playbook: Assign dedicated platform users Integrate multiple data sources to deliver targeted, effective campaigns Include CPO and Service strategies as essential game-changers Transparent integration can keep your dealership in the end zone Decide where you can capture valuable margins based on trends, consider your data consultants, and collaborate on seamless experiences that meet consumer expectations. Ready for Growth Opportunities with Experian Data? Find out more about the data and solutions you need to make critical business decisions. Connect with Experian Automotive and start engaging with the right audiences at each stage of their car buying journey. Learn More Sources: https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights-hub/autotrader-finds-dealers-miss-key-sales-and-wasted-ad-budgets-with-92-of-vehicle-sales-untraceable/ https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights-hub/used-retail-vehicle-sales-august-2025/ https://news.dealershipguy.com/p/used-car-pipelines-are-transforming-here-s-how-dealers-are-building-multiple-buying-channels https://news.dealershipguy.com/p/service-profits-soar-to-record-highs-but-dealer-pricing-power-has-its-limit-report-2025-08-19 https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights-hub/watch-now-2025-cox-automotive-leadership-roundtable-sessions/ https://www.experian.com/automotive/auto-credit-webinar-form

Continuing our in-depth exploration of what automotive marketers are prioritizing, we’re taking a closer look at how refining communication and messaging strategies can help enhance the connection with consumers.  As communication preferences continue to evolve for consumers, businesses have to rethink how they engage.  By creating strategic plans to stay ahead, dealers, along with their advertisers and agencies, can build stronger relationships and drive better outcomes across various departments. Here are three ways to align your messaging with today’s consumers:   1. Leverage the Preferred Method of Communication for Consumers:  Text messages are read 98% of the time and within 3 minutes 95% of the time, while answer rates for phone calls from unknown numbers have dropped below 15%. ¹  When it comes to Fixed Ops, Derek Simonds, Executive VP of Automotive at Numa,  quotes Cox Automotive and CDK, “Over 90% of service customers would rather text with the service department than they would talk to them.” ²    According to J.D. Power, client retention is key, with 82% of consumers choosing to cut ties with a dealership due to poor communication alone.  2. Assess Your Local Audience and Use Direct Mail to Connect:  Rural markets may still appreciate traditional direct mail in smaller marketers. ³  When used strategically, direct mail could remind consumers of a dealer's presence and offerings.    Dealers in these areas may find that physical mailers are still effective, especially when paired with offers or event invites that speak directly to the needs of the community.  3. Generate Offers by ZIP Code:  Consider a ZIP code strategy and monitor local trends to move inventory with offers that focus on affordability for consumers.  Do what makes sense for your ZIP, dial in what’s moving, what’s not, and experiment with messaging.4  Let your ZIP code data guide you: spot trends, adjust offers, and refine your message accordingly. This kind of geotargeting ensures you’re marketing to the right audience.  Key Takeaway:   Having a strong understanding of your consumer base and how they prefer to communicate is essential. Leading dealers and marketers constantly test, learn, and evolve.  Right now, texting might be a preference for most consumers and direct mail could work in remote areas but be sure to pair these insights with a strategy that creates a well-rounded, responsive experience.  Need help getting started?  The Experian Marketing Engine can help with ZIP code targeting and unlock more meaningful consumer engagement. We empower automotive marketers to identify the right audience, uncover the most appropriate communication channels, develop messages that resonate, and measure the effectiveness of their marketing activities.  Our data driven and predictive modeling audiences can identify consumer preferences and needs proactively. Connect with Experian Automotive and start reaching in-market consumers today!    Discover More Sources:  https://news.dealershipguy.com/p/dealers-are-saving-thousands-in-labor-in-fixed-ops-2025-05-30 https://news.dealershipguy.com/p/customers-calling-the-service-deptartment-best-dealerships-are-evolving-longo-toyota-numa-2025-07-18  https://news.dealershipguy.com/p/the-road-to-40-stores-within-10-years-proven-frameworks-to-scale-effectively-2025-07-25 https://news.dealershipguy.com/p/new-vs-used-car-sales-how-zip-code-specific-strategies-are-shaping-dealer-results-07-29-2025

This is the first in a series that will highlight auto marketing trends to help you drive more effective marketing campaigns. With the second half of the year underway, one theme continues to prevail in conversations among auto marketers: measurement. With more focus to prove ROI, optimize campaigns in real time, and understand the full consumer journey, marketers are doubling down on attribution while sharpening their analytics tools.    One of the most widely adopted platforms in this space is Google Analytics 4 (GA4). Since its full rollout, GA4 has replaced Universal Analytics for digital measurement. Its event-based model offers new ways to track behavior and measure performance, especially in complex, multi-touch journeys like auto shopping.  Let’s break down four quick tips to help you unlock the full potential of GA4—plus a quick summary to dial in this type of measurement.  GA4 Tune-Up Tips for Smarter Auto Marketing: 1. Event-Based Tracking Offers Full-Funnel Visibility  Unlike Universal Analytics, GA4 focuses on events (rather than sessions) by tracking actions such as scroll depth, video views, CTA clicks, and more, giving you detailed insights into how users engage with your site. It’s especially helpful for A/B testing and understanding micro-conversions across the buyer’s online journey.  2. Use Clean, Consistent UTM Parameters  UTM parameters tell GA4 “where” your traffic comes from. However, if they’re inconsistent or overly complex, your reports will be too. Use a simple naming convention for channels and campaigns so you can easily see what’s working.  See example chart below:  3. Set Up GTM to Capture the Key Events  Google Tag Manager (GTM) tells GA4 “what” happens once a consumer arrives to your website.  Ensure GTM is set up to record important on-site actions—including page views, form submissions, phone clicks, or test drive bookings.  Start with GTM testing by using Preview Mode and Tag Assistant.   4. Extend Your Data Retention Window  By default, GA4 only stores user-level data for 2 months. If you want to track long buying cycles or compare year-over-year trends, go into your GA4 settings and extend the retention period to 14 months.  GA4 Tune-Up Tips Summary:  GA4 is Google’s enhanced analytics platform, built to give marketers a more flexible, cross-platform view of user behavior by using an event-based model designed for the future of measurement.  With industries like automotive — offline interactions, third-party sites, and long purchase paths are common. GA4 often needs to be supplemented with additional tools or CRM integration to capture the full buying journey. According to Neilsen, measurement of ROI across channels is more important than ever and marketers have an opportunity to fine tune it.  Discover how Experian Automotive can help measure your marketing performance with solutions like OmniImpact for Automotive™ and an Auto Response Analysis.  Next Up...  From personalized follow-ups to omnichannel messaging, forward-thinking retailers are evolving how they communicate with today’s car shoppers, and measurement is just one piece of the puzzle. In our series, we’ll explore another focus for Auto Marketers in the latter half of 2025: Messaging and Communication with your consumers.

Without data, anticipating buyer behavior in the months ahead can be challenging. While some OEMs had record sales¹ this spring, it remains critical to identify who’s in the market—whether to purchase or service their vehicle. With tax refund season in the rearview mirror and summer promotions approaching, consumers may be weighing their next move. Some could have “one foot in the showroom door” while others are waiting to see which dealer delivers the most compelling offer. Meanwhile, 41% of drivers choosing to keep their vehicles longer² are likely focused on maintaining them. So how can you best position yourself?  Explore These 3 Strategic Moves to Navigate This Summer:  Firm up your Service Marketing Plan: With summer road trips on the horizon, your customers may be in the market for services like A/C repair, wheel alignment, tire rotation, engine cooling, oil changes, multi-point inspections, and more. Discover who’s most likely to need service in the next 30–60 days with Experian Automotive’s AutoAudiences. Understand Customers’ Communication Preference: To effectively target your audience, start by understanding how they would prefer to communicate. As Car Dealership Guy puts it, “The shift in consumer preferences is undeniable and generational.”³ Experian Automotive’s Product Management Director, Kirsten Von Busch echoes this, adding, “Understanding generational differences is crucial to developing effective marketing strategies that resonate with each group’s unique preferences”. Experian’s Automotive Consumer Insights support this approach with data-driven messaging and communication channel recommendations.  Focus on Growing Market Share with Mid-Year Auto Trends: Two purchase types that are trending in the beginning half of the year include Leasing⁴ and Trade-In. Whether you have EVs or AWD vehicles on your lot, consider (A)ll (W)eather (D)eals that can (1) Supersede those in your backyard as part of your Conquest strategy and (2) Build upon your “Why Buy” dealer loyalty.  Experian Marketing Engine powers automotive marketing by helping automotive marketers identify the right audience, uncover the most appropriate communication channels, develop messages that resonate and measure the effectiveness of their marketing activities. Timing is everything, so start Targeting and Conquesting in your Market today!  Sources:  http://www.autonews.com/retail/sales/an-april-us-sales-2025-0501/  https://news.dealershipguy.com/p/3-real-time-shifts-in-car-buying-behavior-post-tariff-announcements-2025-05-01  https://news.dealershipguy.com/p/dealers-are-saving-thousands-in-labor-in-fixed-ops-2025-05-30 https://www.experian.com/blogs/insights/auto-the-current-state-of-ev-financing-why-more-consumers-are-choosing-leasing/