#514 - 🕊 Calming Consumers

TOGETHER WITH

Welcome to Friday, Troublemakers!

We hear the best way to set the tone for your week is to set the tone for your weekend.

Think today about who you want to be by next Friday, break it down into steps, and start now.

Don’t let another Monday sneak up on you ever again. 🥷

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

TODAY’S LOT WALK

• DATA & INSIGHT: Confidently speaking to customers about the impacts of the UAW strike. 🪧

• BUSINESS: Jeep’s all-electric Avenger is a hit, VinFast is missing the mark, and Kia introduces a seven-seater EV. ⚡️

• CULTURE: Nerf goes college gladiator. 🔫

Reading time: 4 mins

DATA & INSIGHT

Soothing Customer Concerns

At this year’s ASOTU CON, the UAW strike was obviously a hot topic of conversation. Here are some valuable tips and tricks to assist your dealership in effectively communicating with customers during this tumultuous time:

👐 Dealership Doors Are Open: Customers are probably worried, so let them know your dealership is open for business. Unlike manufacturers, dealerships operate independently and are ready to serve.

🗝️ Adaptability is Key: Used car prices might go up during strikes, so stock up on those. Service operations will keep going, but parts might take longer, so some patience will come in handy.

🚧 Manage Expectations: If someone's keen on a particular model, tell them about potential availability issues. Encourage them to make decisions sooner rather than later. Flexibility with car models and colors could save the day.

⏰ Addressing Factory-Ordered Vehicles: For those who've custom-ordered vehicles, be transparent about realistic timelines. Strikes could mean waiting a bit longer.

🌻 Emphasize Brand Loyalty and Patience: Loyal customers who stick with your brand during strikes deserve some love. Offer incentives or promotions to show your appreciation.

TOGETHER WITH EFFECTV

The Right Audience

Getting your content in front of the right people is always a challenge.

Thanks to our friends at Effectv's lovely podcast stage sponsorship, hours of valuable ASOTU CON content will get in front of our community! 🎤

They are experts at getting information and opportunities into the hands — and in front of the eyes — of the right audience. Their expertise helps auto dealers like you reach their community and consumers every single day with data-backed, multi-screen TV targeting that forges real connections. 📺

Check out Effectv now and start reaching your community in an authentic way today!

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

David Longs All Things Used Cars

With two nets and a roll of tape, nobody could have caught everything available at ASOTU CON.

So, David Long and the All Things Used Cars community will share some time today to discuss their main takeaways.

Come share your takeaways, or join to listen in!

BUSINESS

Jeep Avenger Electrifies Europe!

• Reveal at the Paris Motor Show got over 40,000 orders.

• Sales Boost: 33.5% YoY increase in the B-SUV segment.

• 342-mile city range and quick charging. Starting at $43,500.

• Watch Out: Jeep's upcoming US electric models — Recon and Wagoneer S.

If Jeep people get into EVs, we expect solar-powered chargers to appear in the most remote parts of the world… also at Trader Joe’s.

VinFast's Big EV Goal Under Scrutiny

• 2023 Target: 40,000-50,000 EVs. Mid-year count? Only 11,315.

• Main buyer? A Vietnamese taxi company tied to the parent firm.

• Pricier than Tesla and has minimal US sales.

• Expansion Plans: Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Honestly, we support dreaming big. Inspired by this story, we’ve decided to 40X our Halloween costume collection. 💀

Kia's Electric Challenger

• A seven-seater EV at $54,900.

• Features: Dual 12.3-inch screens, rapid charging.

• Competition: Pricier than Tesla's Model X and Rivian's R1S.

• Bonus: The US assembly might bring tax credits next year.
  

  We really expected Kia to be on the side of cars you can own (and bench press) for under $20K. 🏋️‍♀️

CULTURE

What the Heck is "Nerfball?"

👩‍🎓 Who? Hasbro's Nerf and 12 college athletes.

🧠 What? Launching Nerf's first official sport, "Nerfball," that uses innovative foam to detect dart hits and keep scores. 🎾

⏰ When? The first exhibition match took place on September 22nd. 🗓

🗺 Where? Florida. (of course) 📍

🤷‍♂️ Why? To innovate within the Nerf brand and potentially revolutionize gameplay with the added tech. 🕹

How? Utah's XO-Nano originally designed the intelligent foam for football helmet impacts. Still, it's now integrated into lightweight jerseys for Nerfball. Players wear these jerseys, and when hit by a dart, the suit lights up red, signaling a point for the opposing team and sending the hit player back to respawn. The sport mixes elements of football, basketball, soccer, and Harry Potter's Quidditch. Players aim to get a ball through a hoop while tagging opponents with darts. Despite the advanced tech, there needs to be more certainty on whether non-Nerf brand blasters and darts will be compatible with hit detection. Future plans involve introducing the game to Nerf action parks globally.

Somebody's taking notes from Jesse Cole. 🍌 

Quick Hits

• Hospitality workers in Vegas vote to strike. 🎳

• Zuck is showing off his new Meta AI. Think it will be enough to grab GPT’s spot in our hearts? 💜

• Pudgy Penguins NFT’s creator has launched a toy series in Walmart. The NFTs heard y’all called them fake and are coming for vengeance. 🐧

History

• 1913: The inventor of the diesel engine mysteriously disappears. 🕵️1916: American oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller becomes the world's first billionaire. 💰

• 1988: NASA launches STS-26, the first Space Shuttle mission since the Challenger disaster. 🚀