OEM co-op marketing funds for automotive dealerships

OEM Co-Op Marketing: Are You Leaving Dealership Marketing Money on the Table?

Leave a Comment / OEM Co-Op & Stack / Marketing Mike

Stop treating OEM co-op funds like a rebate you might remember to claim later. Unclaimed co-op is one of the most expensive leaks in dealership marketing. An underperforming campaign at least produces data. An unclaimed co-op dollar produces nothing. It never reaches a shopper, never supports an inventory objective, and never reduces your dealership’s marketing […]

OEM Co-Op Marketing: Are You Leaving Dealership Marketing Money on the Table? Read More »

Dealership marketing spend per car sold in 2026 and Cost-Per-Vehicle-Sold strategy

How Much Should a Dealership Spend on Marketing Per Car Sold in 2026?

Leave a Comment / OEM Co-Op & Stack / Marketing Mike

Stop treating your dealership’s marketing budget like a fixed percentage pulled from an old spreadsheet. If you spend too little, your inventory sits longer, your service lanes lose visibility, and competitors capture the shoppers you paid to create. If you spend too much, your front-end gross gets compressed by campaigns that generate clicks but do

How Much Should a Dealership Spend on Marketing Per Car Sold in 2026? Read More »

Dealership seasonal marketing calendar for sales, service, inventory, and marketing campaigns

What Should a Dealership’s Seasonal Marketing Calendar Look Like?

Leave a Comment / OEM Co-Op & Stack / Marketing Mike

Stop treating your dealership’s marketing like a collection of disconnected promotions. A holiday sale runs in one direction. Your service department promotes something else. Your inventory team needs to move aging units. Your OEM announces a new incentive after the ads are already live. That is not a marketing calendar. That is expensive reaction. A

What Should a Dealership’s Seasonal Marketing Calendar Look Like? Read More »

Independent vs. Franchise Dealer Marketing: Key Differences & Budget Breakdown

Leave a Comment / OEM Co-Op & Stack / Marketing Mike

Automotive Marketing starts with understanding that your dealership cannot simply copy the marketing plan of the business across the street. If you’re a franchise dealer trying to run lean like an independent, you’re likely violating OEM compliance and missing out on co-op dollars. If you’re an independent dealer trying to mimic a franchise’s massive branding

Independent vs. Franchise Dealer Marketing: Key Differences & Budget Breakdown Read More »

Why Google’s “Ask Maps” Will Change the Way You Sell Cars

Leave a Comment / OEM Co-Op & Stack / Marketing Mike

Stop looking at your SEO report. It’s lying to you. While you’re busy celebrating a “page one” ranking for “Ford dealer near me,” the ground beneath your feet has shifted. The traditional search bar: the one you’ve spent thousands of dollars to con-quer: is becoming a relic Google’s “Ask Maps,” powered by the Gemini AI

Why Google’s “Ask Maps” Will Change the Way You Sell Cars Read More »

Fractional CMO for car dealerships compared with in-house marketing teams for dealer growth

Fractional CMO Vs In-House Marketing Team:

Leave a Comment / OEM Co-Op & Stack / Marketing Mike

Which Is Better For Your Car Dealership? Your dealership’s marketing isn’t working. You know it. Your sales team knows it. And your shrinking lead pipeline proves it. So now you’re stuck at a crossroads: hire a full in-house marketing team or bring in a fractional CMO to take the wheel? This decision can make or

Fractional CMO Vs In-House Marketing Team: Read More »

Struggling For Car Dealership Marketing Ideas?

Leave a Comment / OEM Co-Op & Stack / Marketing Mike

25 Examples That Actually Move Metal Your lot is full. Your sales team is ready. But the showroom traffic? Crickets. You’ve tried the same tired promotions. You’ve boosted a few Facebook posts. Maybe you even ran a radio spot that felt like throwing money into a black hole. Here’s the truth: most car dealership marketing

Struggling For Car Dealership Marketing Ideas? Read More »

Compete With the Big Groups: How Small Dealerships Get Expert Marketing Without the Six-Figure Salary

Leave a Comment / OEM Co-Op & Stack / Marketing Mike

You watch them. The big dealer groups with their TV spots, their billboards, their coordinated social media campaigns that actually look professional. They have marketing directors. Digital specialists. Entire teams dedicated to getting butts in seats. And you? You’re wearing ten hats. You’re the GM, the closer, the HR department, and somehow also the person

Compete With the Big Groups: How Small Dealerships Get Expert Marketing Without the Six-Figure Salary Read More »

Is Your Strategy Fragmented? How a Fractional CMO Aligns Your Social, SEO, and Sales

Leave a Comment / OEM Co-Op & Stack / Marketing Mike

You’re paying for social media posts. You’re paying for SEO. You’re paying for digital ads. Maybe you’ve got a website vendor, a reputation management tool, and someone running your email campaigns. But here’s the question that keeps you up at night: Is any of it actually selling cars? If you can’t answer that with confidence, your

Is Your Strategy Fragmented? How a Fractional CMO Aligns Your Social, SEO, and Sales Read More »

Fractional CMO vs. In-House Marketing: Which Is Better for Your Dealership?

Leave a Comment / OEM Co-Op & Stack / Marketing Mike

You need marketing leadership. Your current setup isn’t working, vendors aren’t aligned, campaigns don’t connect to sales, and you’re tired of stitching together reports that don’t tell you what actually drove deals. So you’re weighing your options: hire a full-time in-house Marketing Director, or bring in a fractional CMO for car dealerships? Here’s the truth: both

Fractional CMO vs. In-House Marketing: Which Is Better for Your Dealership? Read More »