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Streaming is splintered, AI is the new TV guide, and last-click is dead—Michael Kraut lays out the dealer playbook for what’s next.

Auto Collabs history: our first ever in-studio guest! Experian’s Michael Kraut sits down with Paul to map the new media reality—where streaming splinters attention, Yahoo and Amazon quietly re-emerge as ad heavyweights, and AI agents become the front door to what we watch and how we buy. Marketing isn’t just media, it’s math—and Michael explains how identity, enrichment, and hygiene turn messy dealer data into competitive advantage.

We dig into practicals dealers can act on today: service as a growth engine, outcome-based measurement borrowed from retail media, and the signals that actually predict lift. We also get real about affordability, totaled-vehicle dynamics, fewer true “new” model launches, and a Gen Z buyer who cares more about tech than badge. Plus a little Syracuse nostalgia and a hot take: we may all be headed back to a cable-like bundle (with AI riding shotgun).

Takeaways

0:00 — Our First In-Studio Guest & Why Being In-Person Changes the Conversation

0:58 — “We’re Building More Sets”: The Plan to Bring Dealers to Syracuse

3:17 — From Circuit City to CarMax: Why Adaptation Beats Legacy Every Time

4:11 — LinkedIn’s Organic Reach Is Gone: What We’d Do Differently (x5 Harder)

6:42 — Your Ads Are Everywhere (and Nowhere): The Platform Explosion No One Can Manage

8:32 — Streaming Fatigue Is Real: Why “Cable 2.0” Might Win the Sunday Sports Fight

10:32 — AI As Your TV Guide: Voice-In, Watch-Now, With Ads Baked Into the Agent

12:46 — Your Best Data Isn’t for Sale: CRM/DMS Hygiene as the Unfair Advantage

16:33 — Stop Worshiping Last-Click: How Outcome-Based Marketing Actually Looks in Auto

18:32 — Measuring Lift the Real Way: Service RO Signals, Search Intent & Scheduling

24:07 — What We’ll Talk About at NADA: Fixed Ops as the 2025 Growth Thesis

25:22 — Affordability Won’t Blink: Totals, Insurance, and the Case for Keeping Cars Longer

26:32 — Fewer True Launches, More Rebadges: Why Creative Has to Sell Utility, Not Novelty

27:17 — Gen Z Isn’t Loyal to Badges: If the Tech Works, They’ll Switch

29:23 — From 13 Subscriptions to One Bill: The Bundle Is Coming Back (With Hyper-Personalization)

Connect with Michael Kraut at https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-kraut-1b9b3/

Learn more about Experian Automotive at https://www.experian.com/automotive/

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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

⭐️ Love the podcast? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your LinkedIn or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally!

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What if the real reason car buyers feel frustrated has nothing to do with price?

David Thomas has spent decades shaping how consumers understand and experience buying a car—from the early days of Autoblog to his current role unpacking research at CDK Global. In this episode, David joins Michael and Paul to talk about the hidden frictions of automotive retail and the disconnects that most dealers don’t even know they have.

He also breaks down why Gen Z wants more in-person experiences, not fewer, and what sports talk radio taught him about content that actually matters. With a sneak peek at CDK’s latest workforce study and a fresh take on how EV adoption is misunderstood, David brings insight without the ego.

Takeaways:

00:00 – The Case of the Missing Co-Host

01:45 – The Craigslist Ad That Launched an Auto Empire

03:29 – Why EV Riders Get Hooked Instantly

04:43 – How to Turn Boring Data Into Dealer Gold

06:27 – What Pearl Jam and Sports Burnout Taught Me About Content

10:56 – Dealers and Employees Are Not Worried About the Same Things

14:38 – Gen Z Doesn’t Want Less Human Interaction—They Want More

15:14 – EV Demand Is Real—Stop Pretending It’s Not

17:08 – Ford’s $22K EV Loss Might Be the Best News Yet

20:06 – Inventory Isn’t Just About Volume—It’s About Trust

24:13 – Millennials Are Shopping Online—But Still Want to Test Drive

Learn more about:

Connect with David Thomas at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davelikescars/

Learn more about CDK Global at https://www.cdkglobal.com

⭐️ Love the podcast? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your LinkedIn or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally!

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https://www.asotu.com

✉️ Sign up for our free and fun-to-read daily email for a quick shot of relevant news in automotive retail, media, and pop culture.

🎧 Like and follow our other podcasts:

1. Automotive State of the Union
2. ASOTU CON Sessions