September 4, 2025 • 26 mins
Auto shows aren’t dead—they’re just getting started, and Jennifer Morand is helping to rewrite the playbook.
On this episode of Auto Collabs, the crew welcomes Jennifer Morand—the incoming chairwoman of the Automotive Experience Alliance (AEA) and powerhouse behind the Chicago Auto Show. She’s on a mission to make auto shows more than just shiny cars on display—instead, she’s building immersive, data-backed experiences that matter. Think ride-and-drives, EV demo tracks, overlanding zones, craft‑beer tastings, and “miles per hour” runs—all tailored to bring genuine engagement to both car lovers and the “not‑car‑people” among us.
Jennifer pulls back the curtain on how auto shows are evolving—and why it’s so much more than car shopping. She explains how shows drive real dealership traffic, why missing brands like Mazda or Buick spark concern, and how OEMs and local dealers can better collaborate through smart activations. The conversation meanders through the push–pull between tier‑one budgets and creative tier‑three marketing, touching on how human connection remains the ground floor of automotive selling.
Takeaways
00:00 – Why the first thing you do at a car show reveals everything
02:31 – The future of auto shows is experiential, not just presentational
03:57 – 20,000 consumers can’t be wrong: what the data says about ROI
06:26 – Dealers say shows work—so why are some OEMs pulling back?
07:56 – When Mazda skips a show, people think they’re going out of business
09:22 – The holy grail of auto marketing: tracking traffic after the show
10:37 – Gen Z loves live events—they just need a reason to care about cars
12:35 – Overlanding zones, EV tracks, beer tastings—this isn’t your dad’s auto show
13:33 – Want to speed up the buying cycle? Make the car experience fun
15:23 – OEMs blocking dealers from participating is hurting the brand
19:02 – Tier 1 meets Tier 3: how to stop leaving auto show potential on the table
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Paul J Daly (00:00):
Okay, I had a question for each of you.
Unknown (00:07):
This is auto Collabs.
You
Paul J Daly (00:09):
have to answer the question. You walk into a car
show, what's the first thing yougo see Kyle,
Kyle Mountsier (00:15):
the food stand.
Paul J Daly (00:16):
No, you don't Michael, I'm
Unknown (00:21):
finding the mini donuts. Okay?
Kyle Mountsier (00:29):
I mean, we're not car guys. We're like car
guys by default, you know, by byassociation, or,
Paul J Daly (00:35):
Oh, we're gonna be well, we go to car shows. Come
on, that's true. You know what Ilike to go see? I'm going to
tell you what I like to go see.
I like to go see the big like,the mountain displays where the
jeeps drive over.
Kyle Mountsier (00:47):
Oh yeah. Demo stuff, yeah, you want i That's
where I would go, wherever I cando a demo.
Paul J Daly (00:52):
You know exactly the demo stuff, the EV test
tracks were really cool. Theyneed, like, an EV test tech
track, drag strip is what theyneed not to, like, drive it in a
circle, which is really hard tonavigate when you're in when
you're inside a conventioncenter, I can understand why
they don't want, like, 6000pound thing you could do
professional
Michael Cirillo (01:10):
driving. I mean, the look the last auto
show I was at the TorontoInternational Auto Show, and it
was there, confirmed once andfor all, no contest that we all
turn into our parents. Why?
Because at every display, Iturned into the Italian car
shopper, like, Dad, you know,I'm like, open the door, close
Paul J Daly (01:30):
it. Oh. And I caught feels nice. It's got a
heavy it's got a heavy, heavyfeel to it.
Unknown (01:34):
Window frames. I'm like, and then I was like, What
am I doing? They're gonna thinkI want to buy this thing. He was
in a trench, right?
Kyle Mountsier (01:41):
Farm guy, or the whatever Farmers Insurance Guy
comes out, you know? Oh
Paul J Daly (01:45):
yeah, the parent coach. Like, how to not be your
friend.
Unknown (01:49):
I'm like,
Paul J Daly (01:51):
Oh, we're not commenting on how heavy the door
is.
Kyle Mountsier (01:55):
Well, today, we are hanging out with a new
friend of ours, Jennifer Moran.
She is responsible foraggregating a group of dealer
associations and people thatthrow these auto shows and
thinking about how to make theexperience one that more people,
more OEMs, more dealers, want tobe a part of. And we're excited
to kind of like, get into herbrain, get in the mentality of
(02:16):
what it takes to do that, tomake sure that Michael and I
just don't go to the food stand.
So we hope you enjoy thisconversation with Jennifer.
Jennifer,
Paul J Daly (02:31):
all right, so we love when there's a new friend
on a podcast, because we don'tknow everything about you. We
don't even know a ton about you.
So why don't we just let youjust give us the 30 to 62nd
summary of what you do and whyyou're so passionate about it?
Jennifer Morand (02:49):
No, absolutely.
Well, thanks for letting me havethe floor to do that. Well, I'm
thrilled to be here. I'm theincoming chairwoman of the
automotive experience Alliance,which is an association that is
driving innovation in theindustry. Auto shows are very
powerful platform to introducethe latest products to
consumers, and we always say,you know, they're actually
paying to come to the show andto see the latest vehicles. So
(03:10):
what a great opportunity formanufacturers to be present.
We're very passionate about whatwe do. The AEA is founded on two
basic core principles,transparency is number one, and
also benchmark data. So we runsurveys. They're the same
questions set across 28different markets, for example,
so manufacturers can reallyevaluate the ROI from what they
(03:31):
receive from auto shows. Sowe're heading into our second
year. We just concluded ourinaugural, our inaugural year,
and first time at a conferenceout in Montreal a couple weeks
ago. So we have momentum, andwe're excited as we head into
this next year.
Kyle Mountsier (03:46):
What got you interested in this level of like
experiential understanding forauto shows? Where has that like
passion come from? Yeah,
Jennifer Morand (03:57):
so you know auto shows, they truly serve as
such a dynamic platform tointroduce latest products to
consumers. And I run a show inChicago, the Chicago Auto Show,
and really it's a like mindedorganization of show producers
really coming together to driveinnovation for the industry. And
you know, we see it and live it,breathe it. Every day. We're on
(04:19):
our show floors, we see theconsumers there. They're
touching, they're sitting,they're test driving, you know,
and ride alongs as well. Andthey're experiencing these
vehicles, and that trulytranslates to influence when
they're considering purchasingvehicles. And what's happened in
the past, you know, five or 10years even, is manufacturer
support is starting to dwindle.
Has dwindled, really, from autoshows. They're investing in
(04:41):
different platforms. Maybethey're looking to do car
unveilings on YouTube, forexample. Is different than at an
auto show, but, but truly wherethe rubber meets the road is at
the shows. Like I said, webreathe that. We see it every
single day when we're producingour show. And it's just it's
amazing to see that. You knowwhen. The data is coming back to
us, so it's not just what webelieve and observe on the show
(05:02):
floor, but when we're actuallyrunning these studies. We heard
from 20,000 different consumersacross the country, across all
those 28 markets, and it's niceto be able to have that
validation when the data iscoming back in support of auto
shows. You
Paul J Daly (05:18):
know, a big part of our audience is auto dealers. So
they're on the front lines everyday. They they would love it if
someone paid them to come lookat the cars. That'd be amazing.
But we really, you've crafted anexperience right, where people
are paying to come look at cars,have experience, learn a lot,
and have some fun. What from adealer involvement? You know,
(05:40):
angle, have you seen thatincrease decrease? And what
would you say to the dealers outthere who maybe, like, don't
want to dedicate resources to acar show because maybe they
don't see value in it? I thinkthat's, that's a big part of how
we can kind of solve thiscustomer experience challenge.
Because we, I know I asked you aquestion now I'm going to talk
but, um, yeah, we're, just suchbig proponents of delivering and
(06:03):
bridging the gap between whatthe customers are thinking and
where they're at in their lifeand interaction with the
dealership, and showing thedealers in the dealership team
as an advocate for them, assomeone who they're real people.
And we feel like car shows arean amazing way to do that, where
you aggregate the people. Sowhat back to the question is,
what would you say, or what doyou see, as far as dealer
(06:25):
involvement in shows?
Jennifer Morand (06:26):
Yeah, absolutely. Well, we both share
a passion for the car business,but also for car dealers. I work
for car dealers. I run anassociation of 400 new car
dealers, and my counterparts atthe AEA all run car dealer
associations as well. So I thinkthat is important to note. It is
a group of individuals who workfor car dealers. So the ultimate
goal, right is to sell thevehicle. So, you know, we
(06:47):
produce auto shows to be able todo that and to serve our
dealers. But anecdotally, thedealers want the show to happen
because they know it's going todrive customers to their
showrooms. So of course, youknow, we're all advocating for
that, tier one support from theOEM level. However, there are
local marketing associationsthat have stepped in, LMA step
in also, in many cases, in somesmaller markets, the dealers are
(07:10):
the ones who are actuallyproducing the event in terms of
providing the vehicles and theshows, helping the signage, that
type of thing. So, you know,across the AEA shows, we really
do see a range of participation,from tier one, tier two to tier
three, support. And you know, Ihave a great story. Mazda has
been out of auto shows, andthey're trying different
experiential tactics to gettheir products in front of
(07:31):
consumers, and in recent years,and so finally, our one of our
largest dealers here in Chicago,the Naples and auto group, they
said we have to be in theChicago Auto Show. People that
come to the show think thatMazda is going out of business.
And I hear that from so manyother markets. It's the same
thing with, you know, othershows that are missing the
luxury brands. You know, we've alot of the German automakers
(07:53):
have pulled out of auto showsand, you know, but let's say,
Paul J Daly (07:56):
let's stay with Mazda just for a second, if we
could, right before we go pastthat, because Mazda is a brand.
Kyle worked at a Mazda store fora long time. We work with a lot
of Mazda dealers, and Mazda is abrand that is on the biggest
Upswing it's ever seen in itshistory. The product is amazing.
They've crafted so intentionalabout their experience and their
marketing and what the storeexperience is. It's really
(08:19):
surprising that they're notinvolved in the shows. And you
know, your friends at Mapleton,for them to say that consumers
think it's going out ofbusiness, it couldn't be further
from the
Kyle Mountsier (08:29):
truth. That's wild.
Jennifer Morand (08:30):
100% Yeah, it's just the perception that when a
brand's missing from the AutoShow, people wonder what's
happening to it. Is it notaround anymore? We heard the
same thing with Buick. You know,when Buick pulled out of some
auto shows across the country.
So, you know, it's, it'sunfortunate, because those
manufacturers kind of stand tolose it's especially when it
comes to customer shopping, but,but, you know, the dealers know
(08:52):
first hand that auto shows movethe needle. Because, you know,
in markets like mine and othersacross the country, there's an
uptick once the show ishappening, as well as after the
show, that there's moreconsumers that are being driven
to the dealerships, and the AEAis working on trying to figure
out how to quantify that. It'snot as easy as one would think,
and we always say that's theholy grail in terms of the
(09:13):
metrics and the ROI that we'retrying to prove. So we're trying
to dig into that. That'll be inour in our next year, in our
Phase Two
Kyle Mountsier (09:23):
well, and I, when I think about this, you
know, what we've been trackingover the last three to four
years, ever since kind of covidbegan waning, is there is an
intentional focus for retail,for any any industry, In
providing great experience inperson, because people are
craving that. They're cravingthose touch points, even though,
(09:46):
like digital is blowing up. Butpeople are headed back to malls.
People are headed back toshowrooms. People are headed
back to retail because wethey're understanding like that
experience that touch feel is sovisceral, it's so important to
our like, huge. In reality. Andso I think there's, there is
something to that auto show, youknow, and figuring out what's
(10:07):
the experience that people want.
Because, I mean, we had one ofour video editors, was just at
at, at a massive videoconference, video and social
conference, Vid Con. And, like,it's all Gen Z, right? And so
it's not, it's not like thesepeople don't go the place to
shows to find more about thething that they're most
(10:29):
interested in. It's not likethis is like an old, you know?
Oh, auto shows are for olderpeople that have been going
Paul J Daly (10:37):
forever, right?
Like, we're not, we're nottrying to go cross cultural,
right? And like or countercultural. We're not trying to
get them to do something thatthey don't already do, or enjoy
doing or like doing. We mightjust have a branding issue,
right? Like, I don't know whatit is like,
Jennifer Morand (10:53):
and that's exactly what the AEA is trying
to overcome. Is that thebranding issue that the auto
shows are, you know, have beenaround forever, but that's
there's probably a good reasonfor that, right? Because they do
move the needle, and they arerelevant, and people want that
experience. And I can share too.
You know, we're seeing acrossthe board just more experiential
type of activations taking placeat auto shows. So the ride and
(11:13):
drives are becoming huge andcontinuing to become huge,
because we know when people getbehind the wheel, they're more
likely to purchase that vehicle.
Education is big, especiallywith electrification. You know,
we developed our own brand of wecall it Chicago drives electric.
And in Chicago, many shows aredoing their own EV tracks. And
so, you know, it's a way toeducate the consumers, to get
(11:33):
them behind the wheel andexperience those vehicles. But
also, you know, it'sinteresting. You said, kind of
what was old is new again, andthis new crop of the Gen z's,
but we have to give him a reasonto come. And so something that
AEA is passionate about istrying to provide different
experiences. So it's not justokay the show's in town, come on
out, but maybe looking atdifferent experiences within the
(11:56):
auto show, for example, maybeit's a craft beer sampling event
one evening, or whatever it maybe, but to give people a reason
to come to the show that mightnot already consider coming to
the show, I know, you know, forexample, we, we also do a run.
We it's called miles per hour.
That's how many miles you canrun inside our Auto Show. And so
we are able to tap into thisfabulous that's awesome. So you
have to find ways to to bringpeople together, and if they're
(12:19):
they don't consider or selfidentify as car people. You
know, they're not carenthusiasts. Maybe they're not
in the market. Why would I go tothe auto show? Well, if you can
provide that unique experiencefor them and give them a reason
to come, you know, we'reconfident once they do, they
they'll come back. You
Paul J Daly (12:35):
know, that's when people say they're not in the
market. A lot of the time.
That's just because they don'thave a compelling reason to be
in the market. That's right,right? And we once had a
conversation with Ernie Garcia,the CEO of Carvana, and his
whole thesis behind making thecar buying experience, what it
is saying, like, you realize,especially, I mean, we're
talking about new cars here, butlike, people trade in used cars
(12:56):
and buy new cars. But he wassaying, if we make it easier and
more fun and more engaging tobuy a car, we can actually speed
up the timeline by which peoplebuy a car. And I think a car
show is a great like, someonecomes in because there's a
concert, or there's food, orthere's a run, and we get them
in all of a sudden, you know,like, which Kyle just traded in
his Sienna to get a new Siennaright? Because it has a vacuum,
(13:18):
because it has a vacuum, andthat's something that you see
when you're at a right you seesomeone demo in the vacuum, and
you're like, you mean all thoseCheerios could be gone, like
without me, and all
Kyle Mountsier (13:31):
of a sudden you're in the market again.
Yeah,
Paul J Daly (13:33):
so and so I like the idea of courting all of
these kind of subcultures thatthe market has already told us
are effective. People like togather around sports. Gather
around sports. They like togather around food. They like to
gather around entertainment. Andeven though they're not car
people, like they're all drivingcars, right, right? They are car
people. Liza Kyle and I aren'teven car people.
Kyle Mountsier (13:53):
Everybody names their first car. Well, not
everybody's their car person.
Are you kidding me? Absolutely.
Jennifer Morand (13:59):
And you mentioned those other touch
points, like, what's your takeon over landing? I mean, that's,
I mean, over landing has beenbecome such a huge culture,
right? And so we built our ownoverlanding area. And another
shows are doing the same thingto to be able to appeal to that,
that subculture of folks. And weheard it, you know firsthand
that they saw it on the news, orthey saw it on social media, and
(14:19):
they're like, Wow, we didn'trealize that that that was at
the show. So it's again, thosefighting those different areas
and those those pockets right ofinterest that drive people out
to shows. What do
Paul J Daly (14:29):
you think is holding back, um, more dealers
from being heavier, more heavilyinvolved in car shows? Like,
now, no, granted, maybe there'snot a big resistance to it, but
from your perspective, like,what, what is the, the biggest,
the biggest pushback that youhear why they don't send more
people spend more money on beinginvolved in the shows, because,
(14:50):
even though there's, like, OEMmoney, like a lot of these
dealers, have pretty substantialmarketing budgets, right? That
they could invest more in anactivation, yeah, but more.
Kyle Mountsier (15:00):
Or, like, the napleton group. I mean, they're,
they're, they're a greatexample, right? Have probably,
you know, a ton of themanufacturers that are already
going to be there, right? Theythey could, like, almost take
over the
Paul J Daly (15:10):
show. They could, right? They could. They could
hire an influencer. They couldbe doing activation to highlight
their group. What do you thinkare the biggest, you know,
perceptions or mindsets that arekeeping dealers from investing
more of their already existingmarketing budget. So
Jennifer Morand (15:23):
interesting.
Yeah, I have a, I do have aperspective on that. I believe
that, you know, there's thispush and pull, this, this tug of
war, if you will, between theretailers and their
manufacturers. And, you know,the hope is that the
manufacturers see the value inauto shows and that they're
going to foot the bill. Youknow, it's, it's always that
push and pull and this, thishappens. It's not just auto
shows. It's for everything,about the back and forth, about
(15:44):
who's paying for what. So Ithink that in many markets, if,
if we can hold on to the tierone support that's preferred, of
course, you know, dealers wouldrather the manufacturers spend
the money and really markettheir products. And you know,
the retailer's job is to sellthem the vehicles. But, you
know, at that high level, youknow, the hope is that the
manufacturers would see enoughvalue in auto shows and that
(16:04):
they really move the needle tobe able to invest in them and to
send their their displays, theirproperties. And believe it or
not, in some cases,manufacturers will not let the
dealer participate, because ofthe perception that if, if, say,
for example, your unfairadvantage from Ford, right?
You're say, You're a global autoshow, you're identified, you get
(16:25):
all of their bells and whistles,you get the test track. You get
the beautiful displays, youknow, the the different levels,
you know, the finishes that theyput in their exhibits. And then
you have same as the dealer thatsets up right next to them with
like one car and like abackdrop, right? And so it's
just, it's like, wait what youknow, and when you're at, when
the consumers at the show, youknow, you're kind of looking
okay, where do I spend my time?
(16:47):
Where do I spend my focus? Andyou know, Ford looks bigger and
more interesting, so I'm goingto head there. And so in most
cases, a lot of cases, rather,OEMs Do not let the dealers
participate. They literallyforce them to sit out because of
the perception that it wouldprovide, would they that they
wouldn't participate?
Paul J Daly (17:04):
So one thing that I'm thinking about, as you say
that are dealers not allowed tobe involved at all, other than
the the actual, you know, OEMdisplay, because thinking like
the napleton auto group couldopen like a barbecue stand as an
activation, and use that as aconnection point, person to
person, even though they're not,they don't have any cars there,
is that something they would beable to do? Or does the OEM say,
(17:24):
like, you can't be involved inany way?
Jennifer Morand (17:27):
You know, that's a great question. I don't
think it's ever come up, but Iwill say that I maybe, because
it's a different type ofactivation, it would be okay to
sponsor something like that. Butthat said, I'm not sure that the
dealer would see much value innot having the product. They're
not getting the people into thevehicles. I think that, you
know, if they're gonna invest inthe auto show, it would really
(17:47):
be to showcase their product. Soit's a great question. I don't
think it's come up in the past,but, you know, I do think that,
you know, it is unfortunate,especially in some of the
smaller markets where they don'thave the tier one support that
some markets do have, that themanufacturer would force the
dealers out. You know, it just,it to me, it just seems, and I
don't know how that, how thatcomes together, what that
conversation looks like, Iwould, I'm kind of, I'm not
(18:08):
involved directly within that,but I just, I just find that to
be very interesting. You tell
Paul J Daly (18:12):
them to come to us.
We'll help them figure talkinglike tier one at its best,
right? Like they do a lot ofnational advertising to bring
awareness to the brand overall.
But just by the nature of it,Tier one is reaching down into
tier three world when it'sliterally holding an activation
in your backyard, right? Ifthere was ever a point where it
(18:33):
was like, let's connect thesedots, because like people buy
from people they like. Theymight see a product they like,
but they might meet someone theyreally like, who can be like,
actually, I don't know that youneed the Ford. You can get a lot
more value from this Mazda. Andif you build the trust right,
like, you can take, like, tierthree. Can take a product out of
tier one's hands, if they were afour person, and now they're
(18:53):
going to be a whatever, Chevyperson. Or interesting, well,
that's an interesting dynamic,yeah, because at least tier one,
literally in your backyard.
Kyle Mountsier (19:02):
Yeah? That's such an interesting like, total
Yeah. And I think, you know, forlarger shows like a Chicago or a
DC, or an LA, or something likeor that, or a Detroit, you know,
it's a bit different than maybesome of the smaller shows, like,
I think, of the Nashville showright there, where I'm from.
It's, it's a bit smaller of ashow that, you know, some
(19:23):
manufacturers show up, like,decently sized but, but there's
no one like, really blowing itout of the water, like with huge
sets or anything like that. Butit's, it's a real opportunity
for, potentially, that pairingof the dealer and the OEM to
drive a bit more marketawareness on something like
that, in a market that maybeisn't too nut for an auto show,
because it's not, you know,carrying the weight of a major,
(19:46):
major metro,
Jennifer Morand (19:48):
yeah. And I believe too. And what was
unfortunate is, back in theheyday when, when auto shows
were, were, you know, huge, andeveryone they had it had
everyone's attention, really,was the media sites. So what
manufacturers would do is theywould produce these elaborate
press debuts, and, you know,they'd say millions of dollars
for not even an hour, 20minutes, right? And and so that,
(20:11):
to me, that's that, that'sludicrous. And some shows
expected that. And you know, youmentioned Detroit, and me,
Detroit had huge media preview.
I think many people remembervisiting that show. But
unfortunately, what happened wasthe perception that auto shows
are expensive, and manufacturersare trying to figure out where
to spend their money, you know,for the biggest, you know, bang
for their buck, and they're justlooking at their budgets, and it
was costing them so much moneyto do these press debuts at the
(20:34):
Auto Show. So of course, it's alot cheaper to do it on digital,
and of course, covid and allthat, and so that just, you
know, exponentially, just setthat, you know, set that on a
totally different track. So Ithink, though, that you know,
really, I hope manufacturersunderstand, is, like, you don't
need to do that. You know, youyou know, if you're going to be
(20:55):
at the shows, you do have theability to influence the people
who are there to get into yourproduct. And that's really the
opportunity. It's, it's notreally around, it's kind of two
separate things. Of course, youknow, we do pitch media all the
shows do on the manufacturersand dealers behalf, and you
know, you're going to get thatmedia coverage. And then, of
course, the digital combinationas well. But you just kind of
have to compartmentalize it alittle bit differently.
Kyle Mountsier (21:18):
Yep. Yeah.
Really thinking activations. Ilove I love that thought thread.
I think that activation andexperience are not dead. So I
love what you're doing andbringing together organizations
to solve a common problem isreally cool. Jennifer, it's been
really fun talking to you. It'sgot our wheels turning. We're
gonna have some conversations,and I'm sure us in the future as
well, but, but kudos to whatyou're building, and thanks for
(21:38):
joining us here on the show.
Jennifer Morand (21:41):
Thank you so much. Really enjoyed it.
Paul J Daly (21:47):
I just realized something, we forgot to ask
about the mini donuts forgot. Ithink the most valuable
takeaway, though, from thiswhole thing is the fact that
there is a measurable differencein showroom traffic after an
auto show is in town. And yeah,I didn't, I just wasn't thinking
(22:07):
of the complexity between thatwhole conversation. We're like,
well, auto the manufacturerstypically want the dealers to
stay away from the brand, butdealers need to be involved if
you're gonna, like, say peoplelike this is why you should buy
it, and my Ford store over thatFord store, right? That's in
their best interest. So there'sa lot more complexity in this
little ecosystem than I knewgoing into this conversation.
(22:30):
Well,
Kyle Mountsier (22:30):
it's, it's such a tier one play to be at an auto
show, but the auto shows in abackyard. It's in a space. It's,
it's not digital. It's not a,you know, a Super Bowl ad or
anything like that. It's verytier three in nature, right?
Because it's, it's thatinterpersonal connection that
people are getting with a brand,and I think that dealers and
(22:50):
OEMs would be good, would dogood to figure out how to
activate at that level. Weactually, we have a good friend,
aeroball, who a lot of you mayknow from nada. He was at a
souticon with us this year, andhe's like, Oh, no. People are
asking deep, detailed questionsthat sometimes you know only.
(23:11):
Like, if you've been educated ondeep details of these vehicles,
they would know. And I thinkthat you know these auto shows,
people are people are reallyfocused on what these cars
actually can bring, and it'skind of like a non intrusive
environment for them to researchand be educated.
Unknown (23:28):
There's a there's another element here, and the
best way I can explain it is theit the influence of feeling. So,
you know, I don't know if you'veever experienced this. You go to
a concert. You're there to seethe headliner. There's a couple
of opening acts you've neverheard of. You're not really
interested in it. And then theytake the stage, and you're like,
(23:50):
oh, wait, I kind of actuallylike, yeah, these people like
this, yeah. And then you leavewith their merch, and you leave
with like, you know,
Paul J Daly (23:57):
yeah. Then then they're on your playlist.
They're on your playlist, yourSpotify your app
Unknown (24:02):
exactly, and that kind of happens at auto shows. I saw
it for the first time when I wasin Toronto. The level of
attention that these OEMs,they're hiring architects to
design spaces that make you feela certain way, that highlight
the vehicle in a certain way.
And what that does is it opensup the consumers reception to
learning about that vehicle,feeling, feeling the vehicle now
(24:25):
in a light that they wouldn'tfeel it if they were just
walking the lot and and I thinkthat's so critical. You know,
I'm talking a lot about how, youknow, technology is advancing,
and there's all these this talkabout what's going to be
replaced. I love that we're kindof keying in on some of the
things that can't be replaced,which is human connection, human
(24:45):
feeling, and its influence onbuying cycles, and on where we
live and how we live, and allthose sorts of things. And I
kind of pick up on that as Ireview this, this podcast
episode. I. Well, the point is,
Paul J Daly (25:01):
support your local auto show. Get out there. Be
creative with your activations.
And we need more people, eye toeye, face to face with the sales
teams and the service teams andall the people, the wonderful
people that are inside yourstores. So on behalf of cloud
Mountsier, Michael Cirillo andmyself, get to an auto show. Eat
the mini donuts and thanks forlistening to auto Collabs.
Unknown (25:22):
Sign up for our free and fun to read daily email for
a free shot of relevant news andautomotive retail media and pop
culture. You can get itnow@asotu.com that's asotu.com
if you love this podcast, pleaseleave us a review and share it
with a friend. Thanks again forlistening. We'll see you next
time.
(25:53):
Welcome to Annika labs. You.
Okay, I had a question for each of you.
Unknown (00:07):
This is auto Collabs.
You
Paul J Daly (00:09):
have to answer the question. You walk into a car
show, what's the first thing yougo see Kyle,
Kyle Mountsier (00:15):
the food stand.
Paul J Daly (00:16):
No, you don't Michael, I'm
Unknown (00:21):
finding the mini donuts. Okay?
Kyle Mountsier (00:29):
I mean, we're not car guys. We're like car
guys by default, you know, by byassociation, or,
Paul J Daly (00:35):
Oh, we're gonna be well, we go to car shows. Come
on, that's true. You know what Ilike to go see? I'm going to
tell you what I like to go see.
I like to go see the big like,the mountain displays where the
jeeps drive over.
Kyle Mountsier (00:47):
Oh yeah. Demo stuff, yeah, you want i That's
where I would go, wherever I cando a demo.
Paul J Daly (00:52):
You know exactly the demo stuff, the EV test
tracks were really cool. Theyneed, like, an EV test tech
track, drag strip is what theyneed not to, like, drive it in a
circle, which is really hard tonavigate when you're in when
you're inside a conventioncenter, I can understand why
they don't want, like, 6000pound thing you could do
professional
Michael Cirillo (01:10):
driving. I mean, the look the last auto
show I was at the TorontoInternational Auto Show, and it
was there, confirmed once andfor all, no contest that we all
turn into our parents. Why?
Because at every display, Iturned into the Italian car
shopper, like, Dad, you know,I'm like, open the door, close
Paul J Daly (01:30):
it. Oh. And I caught feels nice. It's got a
heavy it's got a heavy, heavyfeel to it.
Unknown (01:34):
Window frames. I'm like, and then I was like, What
am I doing? They're gonna thinkI want to buy this thing. He was
in a trench, right?
Kyle Mountsier (01:41):
Farm guy, or the whatever Farmers Insurance Guy
comes out, you know? Oh
Paul J Daly (01:45):
yeah, the parent coach. Like, how to not be your
friend.
Unknown (01:49):
I'm like,
Paul J Daly (01:51):
Oh, we're not commenting on how heavy the door
is.
Kyle Mountsier (01:55):
Well, today, we are hanging out with a new
friend of ours, Jennifer Moran.
She is responsible foraggregating a group of dealer
associations and people thatthrow these auto shows and
thinking about how to make theexperience one that more people,
more OEMs, more dealers, want tobe a part of. And we're excited
to kind of like, get into herbrain, get in the mentality of
(02:16):
what it takes to do that, tomake sure that Michael and I
just don't go to the food stand.
So we hope you enjoy thisconversation with Jennifer.
Jennifer,
Paul J Daly (02:31):
all right, so we love when there's a new friend
on a podcast, because we don'tknow everything about you. We
don't even know a ton about you.
So why don't we just let youjust give us the 30 to 62nd
summary of what you do and whyyou're so passionate about it?
Jennifer Morand (02:49):
No, absolutely.
Well, thanks for letting me havethe floor to do that. Well, I'm
thrilled to be here. I'm theincoming chairwoman of the
automotive experience Alliance,which is an association that is
driving innovation in theindustry. Auto shows are very
powerful platform to introducethe latest products to
consumers, and we always say,you know, they're actually
paying to come to the show andto see the latest vehicles. So
(03:10):
what a great opportunity formanufacturers to be present.
We're very passionate about whatwe do. The AEA is founded on two
basic core principles,transparency is number one, and
also benchmark data. So we runsurveys. They're the same
questions set across 28different markets, for example,
so manufacturers can reallyevaluate the ROI from what they
(03:31):
receive from auto shows. Sowe're heading into our second
year. We just concluded ourinaugural, our inaugural year,
and first time at a conferenceout in Montreal a couple weeks
ago. So we have momentum, andwe're excited as we head into
this next year.
Kyle Mountsier (03:46):
What got you interested in this level of like
experiential understanding forauto shows? Where has that like
passion come from? Yeah,
Jennifer Morand (03:57):
so you know auto shows, they truly serve as
such a dynamic platform tointroduce latest products to
consumers. And I run a show inChicago, the Chicago Auto Show,
and really it's a like mindedorganization of show producers
really coming together to driveinnovation for the industry. And
you know, we see it and live it,breathe it. Every day. We're on
(04:19):
our show floors, we see theconsumers there. They're
touching, they're sitting,they're test driving, you know,
and ride alongs as well. Andthey're experiencing these
vehicles, and that trulytranslates to influence when
they're considering purchasingvehicles. And what's happened in
the past, you know, five or 10years even, is manufacturer
support is starting to dwindle.
Has dwindled, really, from autoshows. They're investing in
(04:41):
different platforms. Maybethey're looking to do car
unveilings on YouTube, forexample. Is different than at an
auto show, but, but truly wherethe rubber meets the road is at
the shows. Like I said, webreathe that. We see it every
single day when we're producingour show. And it's just it's
amazing to see that. You knowwhen. The data is coming back to
us, so it's not just what webelieve and observe on the show
(05:02):
floor, but when we're actuallyrunning these studies. We heard
from 20,000 different consumersacross the country, across all
those 28 markets, and it's niceto be able to have that
validation when the data iscoming back in support of auto
shows. You
Paul J Daly (05:18):
know, a big part of our audience is auto dealers. So
they're on the front lines everyday. They they would love it if
someone paid them to come lookat the cars. That'd be amazing.
But we really, you've crafted anexperience right, where people
are paying to come look at cars,have experience, learn a lot,
and have some fun. What from adealer involvement? You know,
(05:40):
angle, have you seen thatincrease decrease? And what
would you say to the dealers outthere who maybe, like, don't
want to dedicate resources to acar show because maybe they
don't see value in it? I thinkthat's, that's a big part of how
we can kind of solve thiscustomer experience challenge.
Because we, I know I asked you aquestion now I'm going to talk
but, um, yeah, we're, just suchbig proponents of delivering and
(06:03):
bridging the gap between whatthe customers are thinking and
where they're at in their lifeand interaction with the
dealership, and showing thedealers in the dealership team
as an advocate for them, assomeone who they're real people.
And we feel like car shows arean amazing way to do that, where
you aggregate the people. Sowhat back to the question is,
what would you say, or what doyou see, as far as dealer
(06:25):
involvement in shows?
Jennifer Morand (06:26):
Yeah, absolutely. Well, we both share
a passion for the car business,but also for car dealers. I work
for car dealers. I run anassociation of 400 new car
dealers, and my counterparts atthe AEA all run car dealer
associations as well. So I thinkthat is important to note. It is
a group of individuals who workfor car dealers. So the ultimate
goal, right is to sell thevehicle. So, you know, we
(06:47):
produce auto shows to be able todo that and to serve our
dealers. But anecdotally, thedealers want the show to happen
because they know it's going todrive customers to their
showrooms. So of course, youknow, we're all advocating for
that, tier one support from theOEM level. However, there are
local marketing associationsthat have stepped in, LMA step
in also, in many cases, in somesmaller markets, the dealers are
(07:10):
the ones who are actuallyproducing the event in terms of
providing the vehicles and theshows, helping the signage, that
type of thing. So, you know,across the AEA shows, we really
do see a range of participation,from tier one, tier two to tier
three, support. And you know, Ihave a great story. Mazda has
been out of auto shows, andthey're trying different
experiential tactics to gettheir products in front of
(07:31):
consumers, and in recent years,and so finally, our one of our
largest dealers here in Chicago,the Naples and auto group, they
said we have to be in theChicago Auto Show. People that
come to the show think thatMazda is going out of business.
And I hear that from so manyother markets. It's the same
thing with, you know, othershows that are missing the
luxury brands. You know, we've alot of the German automakers
(07:53):
have pulled out of auto showsand, you know, but let's say,
Paul J Daly (07:56):
let's stay with Mazda just for a second, if we
could, right before we go pastthat, because Mazda is a brand.
Kyle worked at a Mazda store fora long time. We work with a lot
of Mazda dealers, and Mazda is abrand that is on the biggest
Upswing it's ever seen in itshistory. The product is amazing.
They've crafted so intentionalabout their experience and their
marketing and what the storeexperience is. It's really
(08:19):
surprising that they're notinvolved in the shows. And you
know, your friends at Mapleton,for them to say that consumers
think it's going out ofbusiness, it couldn't be further
from the
Kyle Mountsier (08:29):
truth. That's wild.
Jennifer Morand (08:30):
100% Yeah, it's just the perception that when a
brand's missing from the AutoShow, people wonder what's
happening to it. Is it notaround anymore? We heard the
same thing with Buick. You know,when Buick pulled out of some
auto shows across the country.
So, you know, it's, it'sunfortunate, because those
manufacturers kind of stand tolose it's especially when it
comes to customer shopping, but,but, you know, the dealers know
(08:52):
first hand that auto shows movethe needle. Because, you know,
in markets like mine and othersacross the country, there's an
uptick once the show ishappening, as well as after the
show, that there's moreconsumers that are being driven
to the dealerships, and the AEAis working on trying to figure
out how to quantify that. It'snot as easy as one would think,
and we always say that's theholy grail in terms of the
(09:13):
metrics and the ROI that we'retrying to prove. So we're trying
to dig into that. That'll be inour in our next year, in our
Phase Two
Kyle Mountsier (09:23):
well, and I, when I think about this, you
know, what we've been trackingover the last three to four
years, ever since kind of covidbegan waning, is there is an
intentional focus for retail,for any any industry, In
providing great experience inperson, because people are
craving that. They're cravingthose touch points, even though,
(09:46):
like digital is blowing up. Butpeople are headed back to malls.
People are headed back toshowrooms. People are headed
back to retail because wethey're understanding like that
experience that touch feel is sovisceral, it's so important to
our like, huge. In reality. Andso I think there's, there is
something to that auto show, youknow, and figuring out what's
(10:07):
the experience that people want.
Because, I mean, we had one ofour video editors, was just at
at, at a massive videoconference, video and social
conference, Vid Con. And, like,it's all Gen Z, right? And so
it's not, it's not like thesepeople don't go the place to
shows to find more about thething that they're most
(10:29):
interested in. It's not likethis is like an old, you know?
Oh, auto shows are for olderpeople that have been going
Paul J Daly (10:37):
forever, right?
Like, we're not, we're nottrying to go cross cultural,
right? And like or countercultural. We're not trying to
get them to do something thatthey don't already do, or enjoy
doing or like doing. We mightjust have a branding issue,
right? Like, I don't know whatit is like,
Jennifer Morand (10:53):
and that's exactly what the AEA is trying
to overcome. Is that thebranding issue that the auto
shows are, you know, have beenaround forever, but that's
there's probably a good reasonfor that, right? Because they do
move the needle, and they arerelevant, and people want that
experience. And I can share too.
You know, we're seeing acrossthe board just more experiential
type of activations taking placeat auto shows. So the ride and
(11:13):
drives are becoming huge andcontinuing to become huge,
because we know when people getbehind the wheel, they're more
likely to purchase that vehicle.
Education is big, especiallywith electrification. You know,
we developed our own brand of wecall it Chicago drives electric.
And in Chicago, many shows aredoing their own EV tracks. And
so, you know, it's a way toeducate the consumers, to get
(11:33):
them behind the wheel andexperience those vehicles. But
also, you know, it'sinteresting. You said, kind of
what was old is new again, andthis new crop of the Gen z's,
but we have to give him a reasonto come. And so something that
AEA is passionate about istrying to provide different
experiences. So it's not justokay the show's in town, come on
out, but maybe looking atdifferent experiences within the
(11:56):
auto show, for example, maybeit's a craft beer sampling event
one evening, or whatever it maybe, but to give people a reason
to come to the show that mightnot already consider coming to
the show, I know, you know, forexample, we, we also do a run.
We it's called miles per hour.
That's how many miles you canrun inside our Auto Show. And so
we are able to tap into thisfabulous that's awesome. So you
have to find ways to to bringpeople together, and if they're
(12:19):
they don't consider or selfidentify as car people. You
know, they're not carenthusiasts. Maybe they're not
in the market. Why would I go tothe auto show? Well, if you can
provide that unique experiencefor them and give them a reason
to come, you know, we'reconfident once they do, they
they'll come back. You
Paul J Daly (12:35):
know, that's when people say they're not in the
market. A lot of the time.
That's just because they don'thave a compelling reason to be
in the market. That's right,right? And we once had a
conversation with Ernie Garcia,the CEO of Carvana, and his
whole thesis behind making thecar buying experience, what it
is saying, like, you realize,especially, I mean, we're
talking about new cars here, butlike, people trade in used cars
(12:56):
and buy new cars. But he wassaying, if we make it easier and
more fun and more engaging tobuy a car, we can actually speed
up the timeline by which peoplebuy a car. And I think a car
show is a great like, someonecomes in because there's a
concert, or there's food, orthere's a run, and we get them
in all of a sudden, you know,like, which Kyle just traded in
his Sienna to get a new Siennaright? Because it has a vacuum,
(13:18):
because it has a vacuum, andthat's something that you see
when you're at a right you seesomeone demo in the vacuum, and
you're like, you mean all thoseCheerios could be gone, like
without me, and all
Kyle Mountsier (13:31):
of a sudden you're in the market again.
Yeah,
Paul J Daly (13:33):
so and so I like the idea of courting all of
these kind of subcultures thatthe market has already told us
are effective. People like togather around sports. Gather
around sports. They like togather around food. They like to
gather around entertainment. Andeven though they're not car
people, like they're all drivingcars, right, right? They are car
people. Liza Kyle and I aren'teven car people.
Kyle Mountsier (13:53):
Everybody names their first car. Well, not
everybody's their car person.
Are you kidding me? Absolutely.
Jennifer Morand (13:59):
And you mentioned those other touch
points, like, what's your takeon over landing? I mean, that's,
I mean, over landing has beenbecome such a huge culture,
right? And so we built our ownoverlanding area. And another
shows are doing the same thingto to be able to appeal to that,
that subculture of folks. And weheard it, you know firsthand
that they saw it on the news, orthey saw it on social media, and
(14:19):
they're like, Wow, we didn'trealize that that that was at
the show. So it's again, thosefighting those different areas
and those those pockets right ofinterest that drive people out
to shows. What do
Paul J Daly (14:29):
you think is holding back, um, more dealers
from being heavier, more heavilyinvolved in car shows? Like,
now, no, granted, maybe there'snot a big resistance to it, but
from your perspective, like,what, what is the, the biggest,
the biggest pushback that youhear why they don't send more
people spend more money on beinginvolved in the shows, because,
(14:50):
even though there's, like, OEMmoney, like a lot of these
dealers, have pretty substantialmarketing budgets, right? That
they could invest more in anactivation, yeah, but more.
Kyle Mountsier (15:00):
Or, like, the napleton group. I mean, they're,
they're, they're a greatexample, right? Have probably,
you know, a ton of themanufacturers that are already
going to be there, right? Theythey could, like, almost take
over the
Paul J Daly (15:10):
show. They could, right? They could. They could
hire an influencer. They couldbe doing activation to highlight
their group. What do you thinkare the biggest, you know,
perceptions or mindsets that arekeeping dealers from investing
more of their already existingmarketing budget. So
Jennifer Morand (15:23):
interesting.
Yeah, I have a, I do have aperspective on that. I believe
that, you know, there's thispush and pull, this, this tug of
war, if you will, between theretailers and their
manufacturers. And, you know,the hope is that the
manufacturers see the value inauto shows and that they're
going to foot the bill. Youknow, it's, it's always that
push and pull and this, thishappens. It's not just auto
shows. It's for everything,about the back and forth, about
(15:44):
who's paying for what. So Ithink that in many markets, if,
if we can hold on to the tierone support that's preferred, of
course, you know, dealers wouldrather the manufacturers spend
the money and really markettheir products. And you know,
the retailer's job is to sellthem the vehicles. But, you
know, at that high level, youknow, the hope is that the
manufacturers would see enoughvalue in auto shows and that
(16:04):
they really move the needle tobe able to invest in them and to
send their their displays, theirproperties. And believe it or
not, in some cases,manufacturers will not let the
dealer participate, because ofthe perception that if, if, say,
for example, your unfairadvantage from Ford, right?
You're say, You're a global autoshow, you're identified, you get
(16:25):
all of their bells and whistles,you get the test track. You get
the beautiful displays, youknow, the the different levels,
you know, the finishes that theyput in their exhibits. And then
you have same as the dealer thatsets up right next to them with
like one car and like abackdrop, right? And so it's
just, it's like, wait what youknow, and when you're at, when
the consumers at the show, youknow, you're kind of looking
okay, where do I spend my time?
(16:47):
Where do I spend my focus? Andyou know, Ford looks bigger and
more interesting, so I'm goingto head there. And so in most
cases, a lot of cases, rather,OEMs Do not let the dealers
participate. They literallyforce them to sit out because of
the perception that it wouldprovide, would they that they
wouldn't participate?
Paul J Daly (17:04):
So one thing that I'm thinking about, as you say
that are dealers not allowed tobe involved at all, other than
the the actual, you know, OEMdisplay, because thinking like
the napleton auto group couldopen like a barbecue stand as an
activation, and use that as aconnection point, person to
person, even though they're not,they don't have any cars there,
is that something they would beable to do? Or does the OEM say,
(17:24):
like, you can't be involved inany way?
Jennifer Morand (17:27):
You know, that's a great question. I don't
think it's ever come up, but Iwill say that I maybe, because
it's a different type ofactivation, it would be okay to
sponsor something like that. Butthat said, I'm not sure that the
dealer would see much value innot having the product. They're
not getting the people into thevehicles. I think that, you
know, if they're gonna invest inthe auto show, it would really
(17:47):
be to showcase their product. Soit's a great question. I don't
think it's come up in the past,but, you know, I do think that,
you know, it is unfortunate,especially in some of the
smaller markets where they don'thave the tier one support that
some markets do have, that themanufacturer would force the
dealers out. You know, it just,it to me, it just seems, and I
don't know how that, how thatcomes together, what that
conversation looks like, Iwould, I'm kind of, I'm not
(18:08):
involved directly within that,but I just, I just find that to
be very interesting. You tell
Paul J Daly (18:12):
them to come to us.
We'll help them figure talkinglike tier one at its best,
right? Like they do a lot ofnational advertising to bring
awareness to the brand overall.
But just by the nature of it,Tier one is reaching down into
tier three world when it'sliterally holding an activation
in your backyard, right? Ifthere was ever a point where it
(18:33):
was like, let's connect thesedots, because like people buy
from people they like. Theymight see a product they like,
but they might meet someone theyreally like, who can be like,
actually, I don't know that youneed the Ford. You can get a lot
more value from this Mazda. Andif you build the trust right,
like, you can take, like, tierthree. Can take a product out of
tier one's hands, if they were afour person, and now they're
(18:53):
going to be a whatever, Chevyperson. Or interesting, well,
that's an interesting dynamic,yeah, because at least tier one,
literally in your backyard.
Kyle Mountsier (19:02):
Yeah? That's such an interesting like, total
Yeah. And I think, you know, forlarger shows like a Chicago or a
DC, or an LA, or something likeor that, or a Detroit, you know,
it's a bit different than maybesome of the smaller shows, like,
I think, of the Nashville showright there, where I'm from.
It's, it's a bit smaller of ashow that, you know, some
(19:23):
manufacturers show up, like,decently sized but, but there's
no one like, really blowing itout of the water, like with huge
sets or anything like that. Butit's, it's a real opportunity
for, potentially, that pairingof the dealer and the OEM to
drive a bit more marketawareness on something like
that, in a market that maybeisn't too nut for an auto show,
because it's not, you know,carrying the weight of a major,
(19:46):
major metro,
Jennifer Morand (19:48):
yeah. And I believe too. And what was
unfortunate is, back in theheyday when, when auto shows
were, were, you know, huge, andeveryone they had it had
everyone's attention, really,was the media sites. So what
manufacturers would do is theywould produce these elaborate
press debuts, and, you know,they'd say millions of dollars
for not even an hour, 20minutes, right? And and so that,
(20:11):
to me, that's that, that'sludicrous. And some shows
expected that. And you know, youmentioned Detroit, and me,
Detroit had huge media preview.
I think many people remembervisiting that show. But
unfortunately, what happened wasthe perception that auto shows
are expensive, and manufacturersare trying to figure out where
to spend their money, you know,for the biggest, you know, bang
for their buck, and they're justlooking at their budgets, and it
was costing them so much moneyto do these press debuts at the
(20:34):
Auto Show. So of course, it's alot cheaper to do it on digital,
and of course, covid and allthat, and so that just, you
know, exponentially, just setthat, you know, set that on a
totally different track. So Ithink, though, that you know,
really, I hope manufacturersunderstand, is, like, you don't
need to do that. You know, youyou know, if you're going to be
(20:55):
at the shows, you do have theability to influence the people
who are there to get into yourproduct. And that's really the
opportunity. It's, it's notreally around, it's kind of two
separate things. Of course, youknow, we do pitch media all the
shows do on the manufacturersand dealers behalf, and you
know, you're going to get thatmedia coverage. And then, of
course, the digital combinationas well. But you just kind of
have to compartmentalize it alittle bit differently.
Kyle Mountsier (21:18):
Yep. Yeah.
Really thinking activations. Ilove I love that thought thread.
I think that activation andexperience are not dead. So I
love what you're doing andbringing together organizations
to solve a common problem isreally cool. Jennifer, it's been
really fun talking to you. It'sgot our wheels turning. We're
gonna have some conversations,and I'm sure us in the future as
well, but, but kudos to whatyou're building, and thanks for
(21:38):
joining us here on the show.
Jennifer Morand (21:41):
Thank you so much. Really enjoyed it.
Paul J Daly (21:47):
I just realized something, we forgot to ask
about the mini donuts forgot. Ithink the most valuable
takeaway, though, from thiswhole thing is the fact that
there is a measurable differencein showroom traffic after an
auto show is in town. And yeah,I didn't, I just wasn't thinking
(22:07):
of the complexity between thatwhole conversation. We're like,
well, auto the manufacturerstypically want the dealers to
stay away from the brand, butdealers need to be involved if
you're gonna, like, say peoplelike this is why you should buy
it, and my Ford store over thatFord store, right? That's in
their best interest. So there'sa lot more complexity in this
little ecosystem than I knewgoing into this conversation.
(22:30):
Well,
Kyle Mountsier (22:30):
it's, it's such a tier one play to be at an auto
show, but the auto shows in abackyard. It's in a space. It's,
it's not digital. It's not a,you know, a Super Bowl ad or
anything like that. It's verytier three in nature, right?
Because it's, it's thatinterpersonal connection that
people are getting with a brand,and I think that dealers and
(22:50):
OEMs would be good, would dogood to figure out how to
activate at that level. Weactually, we have a good friend,
aeroball, who a lot of you mayknow from nada. He was at a
souticon with us this year, andhe's like, Oh, no. People are
asking deep, detailed questionsthat sometimes you know only.
(23:11):
Like, if you've been educated ondeep details of these vehicles,
they would know. And I thinkthat you know these auto shows,
people are people are reallyfocused on what these cars
actually can bring, and it'skind of like a non intrusive
environment for them to researchand be educated.
Unknown (23:28):
There's a there's another element here, and the
best way I can explain it is theit the influence of feeling. So,
you know, I don't know if you'veever experienced this. You go to
a concert. You're there to seethe headliner. There's a couple
of opening acts you've neverheard of. You're not really
interested in it. And then theytake the stage, and you're like,
(23:50):
oh, wait, I kind of actuallylike, yeah, these people like
this, yeah. And then you leavewith their merch, and you leave
with like, you know,
Paul J Daly (23:57):
yeah. Then then they're on your playlist.
They're on your playlist, yourSpotify your app
Unknown (24:02):
exactly, and that kind of happens at auto shows. I saw
it for the first time when I wasin Toronto. The level of
attention that these OEMs,they're hiring architects to
design spaces that make you feela certain way, that highlight
the vehicle in a certain way.
And what that does is it opensup the consumers reception to
learning about that vehicle,feeling, feeling the vehicle now
(24:25):
in a light that they wouldn'tfeel it if they were just
walking the lot and and I thinkthat's so critical. You know,
I'm talking a lot about how, youknow, technology is advancing,
and there's all these this talkabout what's going to be
replaced. I love that we're kindof keying in on some of the
things that can't be replaced,which is human connection, human
(24:45):
feeling, and its influence onbuying cycles, and on where we
live and how we live, and allthose sorts of things. And I
kind of pick up on that as Ireview this, this podcast
episode. I. Well, the point is,
Paul J Daly (25:01):
support your local auto show. Get out there. Be
creative with your activations.
And we need more people, eye toeye, face to face with the sales
teams and the service teams andall the people, the wonderful
people that are inside yourstores. So on behalf of cloud
Mountsier, Michael Cirillo andmyself, get to an auto show. Eat
the mini donuts and thanks forlistening to auto Collabs.
Unknown (25:22):
Sign up for our free and fun to read daily email for
a free shot of relevant news andautomotive retail media and pop
culture. You can get itnow@asotu.com that's asotu.com
if you love this podcast, pleaseleave us a review and share it
with a friend. Thanks again forlistening. We'll see you next
time.
(25:53):
Welcome to Annika labs. You.
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