The Road to NADA 2017 bus tour is rolling.

NADA week is well underway, and LotLinx and CBT News are on the road to New Orleans! On Monday, we kicked off the 2017 CBT/LotLinx Road to NADA 2017 Bus Tour. Our first stop: a visit with Vernon Marable, GM of Kia of Rainbow City Alabama.

In this interview, Vernon talked about some of the changes he’s seen over his many years in the auto industry. He points out how customers have become extremely knowledgeable about the cars they’re shopping for, and do a substantial amount of research before ever contacting a dealer. As he puts it, “Customers are sometimes more educated now than some of the people (from the dealership) who comes to greet them!”

Vernon notes how that new dynamic has put pressure on salespeople to make sure they’re ready for those smart buyers.

He also describes how LotLinx has helped make their transition to digital a success. “We’ve switched all our advertising to digital. LotLinx has helped with retargeting to…bring those shoppers into the store.” Vernon implements a 60% new/40% used strategy, which he’s seen increase exposure and bring buyers into the store.

The second half of the interview features LotLinx Co-Founder Denise Chudy, who describes the new LotLinx Turn platform. As Denise explains, LotLinx Turn is designed to give dealers complete control over which cars receive what percentage of their marketing budgets, in order to make sure each car drives a profitable return. Before, Turn, dealers had little understanding of how their spending impacted individual VINs. Turn allows dealers to plan out their budgets, VIN by VIN, so that they don’t overspend or underspend.

Denise also explains how LotLinx Turn enables dealers to better plan their marketing spend, control where their spend is going, and understand, channel by channel, how people are engaging with their cars.

For more insights from Vernon and Denise, watch the full interview now. And, to make sure you don’t miss a thing as we work our way to NADA, follow #LLTURN on Twitter.

Want to see for yourself how LotLinx Turn will change the way the automotive industry approaches  digital marketing? Join us for Turning Point 2017, on Saturday, January 28. Space is limited, so register today.