The top-performing dealerships are exploring the intersection of targeted marketing, predictive outreach and AI-driven processes to create more effective marketing campaigns to stay ahead. In today’s episode of Inside Automotive, Erick Kirks, marketing director at Johnson Automotive, shares how his dealership stays ahead of consumer trends, particularly with electric vehicles, hybrid adoption, and service retention.
EV demand has surged as customers seek to take advantage of expiring federal incentives. The dealership’s urban markets, surrounded by technology hubs and colleges, naturally drive higher EV interest. Plug-in hybrids also perform strongly, offering a transitional option for traditional internal combustion engine buyers, with some models even seeing waiting lists.
Kirk’s team’s marketing strategy focuses on consistent, relevant communication while avoiding redundancy across multiple channels. Customers often receive overlapping messages from sales teams, OEMs, lenders, and aftermarket providers, creating frustration and wasted marketing spend. Johnson Automotive’s team is working to cleanse its database and streamline touchpoints, ensuring that messages reach the right customers at the right time. Predictive outreach and early engagement with customers ahead of lease-end are key tactics to retain loyalty in a competitive market.
"You tend to step on yourself a bunch of times if you don't clean it up. We're breaking apart all of the different touch points that happen through all of those channels and deciding who's going to say this and from what platform."
AI integration is central to the dealership’s approach, particularly in sales and service communications. Tools automate workflows, enhance inventory merchandising, and create better vehicle descriptions. Generative AI is transforming SEO and organic traffic capture, as customers increasingly rely on AI tools to research vehicles during their shopping journey. AI also enables targeted service marketing, including recall campaigns and follow-ups for declined warranty work, helping the dealership recover additional revenue from service opportunities.
Fixed operations marketing has gained new prominence at Johnson Automotive. By emphasizing service experiences and long-term customer follow-up, the dealership strengthens relationships and maximizes lifetime customer value. Focusing on previously overlooked opportunities, such as declined service, has become a “gold mine” for additional revenue, especially when paired with AI-driven outreach and centralized service BDC operations.
Beyond technical strategies, Kirk’s team continues to leverage creative marketing for brand engagement. The group gained industry attention years ago with its humorous Badger commercials, which helped set a tone for engaging, memorable campaigns—a tradition now evolving through social media and short-form video content.
By combining predictive marketing, AI-powered automation, and a strong service culture, Johnson Automotive is positioning itself to thrive in a market defined by rapid EV adoption, changing incentives, and shifting customer expectations.
