#611 - ❤️🆚🍫 Happy (?) Valentine's Day

TOGETHER WITH

The Super Bowl, Election Day, American Idol (is that still a thing?)…

Few things split American opinion quite like Valentine’s Day.

Let’s settle this once and for all: Is today about the LOVE? Or about the LOOT?

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

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BUSINESS

Valentine’s News

Today, we’re talking about relationships. This is essentially what we talk about every day—consumers with brands, dealers with manufacturers, nations with currency, whatever.

To honor the holiday, we made you a playlist; it’s like a mixtape in a post-cassette society.

Enjoy the news and spread the love.

--

F-150 Lightning Goes International

Ford is taking its new main squeeze out on the town for all to see. As of yesterday, the F-150 Lightning is international, with its first non-North American delivery taking place in Norway. 

Why Norway? Europe's EV adoption is increasing as the US cools, and Norway specifically had an 82.4% market share last year and is still aiming to reach 100% zero-emission car sales by next year. 

Who is the lucky Norwegian? Texans living in Oslo are running an American BBQ restaurant, actually. We will see if the Lightning gains the widespread reach of the F-Series, or at least of American BBQ. 

Stellantis Adopts Charging Standard

It's hard to be the last single one in your friend group; it's strange to be the last member of your friend group to date the same person. This metaphor is weird. 

Stellantis has become the last big-name auto brand to adopt Tesla's charging standard. All of their brands' (Chrysler, Jeep, etc.) EVs will feature the NACS tech starting in 2025, with adapters for existing EVs coming soon. 

Happily ever after? Stellantis also announced a $103M investment in electric drive module production in Hungary as part of their $50B plan to go all BEV in Europe by 2030. 

GM’s Affordable EV

Definitions change. Like, how "dating" used to mean overpaying for popcorn to sit silently next to a semi-stranger and hope they like you; whereas now it means...something with swiping on phones? Forgive us, some of us have been married for ten years.

"Affordability" has also changed. Aiming for the most affordable EV in the U.S., GM's 2024 Chevy Equinox EV will start at about $35K but qualify for the full clean energy vehicle tax credit, so some customers will get out for about $27K. 

Production of the 300-mile range 213-hp FWD and 288-hp AWD variants has begun in Mexico, with delivery expected to start mid-year. 

Daihatsu Leadership Change

Breakups hurt. But, breakups after lying, cheating, and a bit of safety test rigging are a little easier. 

Toyota announced the President and Chairman of the Daihatsu brand will step down as part of Toyota's work to restore the compact car maker's reputation with its Japanese consumer base. 

Gig Driver Strike

Opposites attract. At least when they want victory over a foe they must vanquish. Thousands of U.S.-based Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash drivers plan to strike on Valentine's Day. 

What do they want? Fair pay, as most of these things boil down to. Drivers express concern and discontent with decreased earnings and algorithmic pricing. 

When do they want it? Soon, we assume, but the strike is one day for now. Showing the companies how much they stand to lose from a longer strike is important, but losing a day of income is an expensive way to beg for an open and honest conversation.   

TOGETHER WITH SMEDIA

Elevate Your TikTok Game

Looking to make some heart-to-cart connections this Valentine's Day? 💘

With 5 million young buyers hitting the market in 2024, it's time to get in where all the action is – TikTok.

sMedia is the wingman your dealership didn't know it needed. Here's why:

😍 Love at First Swipe: Tap into TikTok's 1.5 billion users with sMedia's Dynamic Conquest Ads, tailor-made videos that showcase your dealership's inventory, ensuring your vehicles catch the eye of their ideal match.

💥 Personality That Pops: Beyond the metal and wheels, it's your dealership's values and vibes that draw people in. sMedia helps you highlight your unique personality to build trust and a genuine connection with your audience.

🎯 Cupid's Arrow: With targeted campaigns proven to make GenZ and Millennials' hearts race, you can expect to quickly convert those feels into deals.

Don't let your dealership get lost in the scroll. Connect with sMedia today to transform your swipes into sales.

/MTCM

Every day across this lovely industry and nation, you put your money where your mouth is. Or…your heart where your money is? Or, maybe your heart and money where your community is? Yeah, that’s the one!

We want to hear about your community and what you’ve participated in for the good of the people near you. 🕊️

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Coming Soon

You’re not going to want to miss ASTOU CON 2024 in Baltimore this May 14-17th!

Will Guidara will be sharing insights from his best-selling book “Unreasonable Hospitality,” how he transformed Eleven Madison Park into the world’s top restaurant, and how to utilize the same meaningful methods in any dealership across the country.

🎟️ Get your ASOTU CON ticket now! 🎟️

Join us on February 21st at 1pm EST to hear from our friends at Upstart about the data they collected and insights they’ve gleaned after surveying 100 dealers from across the nation.

👉 Register for the Webinar here! 👈

CULTURE

Green Means Go…But, Why?

Ever stumble across a topic that you didn’t even realize you wanted to know more about? One that made you stop and think to yourself, “yeah, why is that thing like that thing?!”

Well, that happened to us recently (shout out to Kelli’s dad for the inspo!) and it got us thinking about traffic lights — when they started, how they work, why those colors, and how they’ve stayed exactly the same for nearly a century.

We fell into the rabbit hole to get you all the answers. Learn all about them here! ❤️💛💚

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Traffic lights are red, yellow, and green,
Lots of things are colorful.

Quick Hits

• Judge rules negotiating with big pharma is constitutional. 💊

• Airbnb sees Q1 revenue climbing because of the influx of international travel. 📈

• GPT won’t forget you. Eventually. 🧠

• This year, Sweethearts released boxes of “situationship” candy hearts full of mixed and blurry messages for a very modern V-Day. 😵‍💫

History

• 1929: Sir Alexander Fleming discovers Penicillin. 💉

• 1948: NASCAR holds its first race for modified stock cars on a 3.2 mile-course at Daytona Beach. 🏁

• 2000: Chrysler PT Cruiser begins production. 🏭

Thank you for reading! Have a happy Valentine's Day, have a piece of candy, and read some sappy poems. Love ya, fam.