Marc Cannon Reflects on AutoNation’s Year Thus Far and What’s In Store for the Future

In the midst of the pandemic, the customer experience in dealerships has experienced various changes and challenges. Marc Cannon, EVP Chief Customer Experience Officer at AutoNation joins us on the show to discuss how the customer experience is transforming, and the future of the company.

On April 29, 2020, AutoNation announced that Marc Cannon would be transitioning from his role as EVP Chief Marketing Officer to EVP Chief Customer Experience Officer. In this segment, Jim and Marc begin by discussing what responsibilities he has in the new position and his goals for AutoNation in this area of business. This announcement came at height of the COVID-19 pandemic and Marc discusses the impact it has had on AutoNation’s business with regard to unit volume, headcount, profits, and losses.

The pair also tackled the long-term effect that COVID-19 will have on the way consumers purchase vehicles, especially in regards to digital retailing. Marc shares his thoughts on how shoppers currently want to buy cars, and the programs AutoNation is implementing to support digital retailing.

Marc and Jim then discuss the recent changes in AutoNation leadership. Just after COVID-19 hit, AutoNation’s first female CEO, Cheryl Miller stepped down for health reasons and Mike Jackson resumed his former position as CEO to run the company until 2022. We find out how Cheryl is doing and discuss the controversial cartoon that Automotive News ran on July 27, 2020.

While it has been an eventful and challenging year for the industry so far, the future looks bright for AutoNation. Marc discusses expansion plans for the number of its franchise stores and intention to grow its used car brand, AutoNation USA, to as many as 20 other markets.

With over 300 locations across 18 states, AutoNation has become a household name. The company is an industry leader in a field easily dominated by family-operated dealer groups. Marc Cannon has been with AutoNation for over 20 years, and held several different roles in the organization. Prior to joining the company, he served as CMO and Senior Vice president of Marketing for Blue Dot Services as well as Vice President of Advertising for Alamo Rent A Car.

Did you enjoy this interview with AutoNation’s Marc Cannon? Please share your thoughts, comments, or questions regarding this topic with host Jim Fitzpatrick at jfitzpatrick@cbtnews.com.