Reflecting on the past is paramount to planning for the future. On today’s episode of Inside Automotive, Colin Carrasquillo, the Digital Marketing director for Nielsen Automotive Group and Host of Marketing Matters, shares insights on what worked last year, what didn’t, and how his team is adapting.
Carrasquillo describes 2024 as a tough year for Nielsen Automotive Group, marked by lower-than-expected sales and challenging conditions for some of their key OEMs, including Chrysler, Dodge, and Nissan. He highlights how these struggles were compounded by increased floor plan costs and reduced credits, creating a difficult financial situation for dealers.
Additionally, Carrasquillo discusses the charning approach to automotive sales and marketing, stressing the importance of transparency when dealing with customers. He critiques the “sell, sell, sell” mentality often taught to younger industry professionals, suggesting that the best customer interactions mirror natural, open conversations.
Despite the challenges of last year, Carrasquillo stresses the significance of becoming more efficient with marketing budgets rather than simply cutting costs. He emphasizes the need for dealers to revisit foundational marketing strategies in 2025, focusing particularly on SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and the strategic use of paid media (SEM) to create a solid online presence. He likens the goal of achieving a strong SEO foundation to becoming a “digital land baron,” aiming to dominate the search engine results through organic listings, Google business listings, and paid advertisements.
Looking ahead, Carrasquillo expressed excitement about embracing automation and AI in digital marketing. He believes that these technologies will allow dealers to cater more effectively to specific customer queries and stay ahead in a competitive market. He also pointed out the importance of understanding manufacturer marketing efforts and ensuring that dealers continue to expose their entire vehicle lineup, even when a manufacturer is focusing its advertising on a single model.
He concluded by stressing the need for dealers to adapt quickly and efficiently to the evolving landscape, with a focus on smarter spending and a comprehensive digital strategy to capture more market share.
"One of the things that I will take away from 2024... is becoming way more efficient with our ad dollars, with our expenditures. Don’t expense your way to a profit, sell your way to a profit." – Colin Carrasquillo
