#440 - 🤠 Bringing It Back To Branding

TOGETHER WITH

On one hand, we believe that retail auto dealers are the best way vehicles are sold and serviced based on a consumer first mindset.

On the other hand, we know the bad actors in our industry have been both given a pass for too long and highlighted more often in mass media.

We want to highlight the dealers in this community that are caring for their employees, customers, and communities every day! If you know a story of an incredible dealer (or you are one), would you be willing to share your story with us??

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, & Chris

DEALERS

All Things Branding Pt.2

Last week David Long and the All Things Used Cars community spoke again about personal branding and its impact on sales. As illustrated by many success stories, the ability to effectively cultivate a personal brand can forge deeper customer relationships and drive sales.

Here are some exciting tips that we snatched from the talented voices in attendance:

• 🤘 Rock your Unique Brand: Be distinctive! Think TV characters. Your brand should make you unforgettable.

• ⛹️‍♀️ Social Media is your Playground: If you have fun making it, they will have fun watching it.

• 🚫🤖 Don't be a Robot, Be Human: Let your audience see who you are beyond a salesperson. Transparency starts with you.

• 👒 Put on your Entrepreneur Hat: Treat your brand like a business within your company. You're the boss and employee of the month!

• 🕺 Master the Social Media Dance: Understand what content is appropriate for each platform. Don't be two-stepping in a waltz-y setting.

• 🧶 Keep the Ball Rolling: Regularly share updates to keep customers engaged with your brand.

• 📸 Customer Storytelling: Encourage customers to share their experiences. It brings authenticity to your brand!

/Positivity

Do you have a story showing the positive impact dealerships have on their community? Let us share it!

TOGETHER WITH LEDGER

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AUTOMOTIVE

Motor Morsels: Startup Surge, Fake Transmission, Hydro-Royce, and Demand and Demand

EV startups, including Nikola and Lordstown Motors, saw a surprising rally in their share prices, despite no clear news or catalyst. This surge, partially fueled by investors, helped the companies make significant gains. Notably, Nikola, facing a possible Nasdaq delisting due to previously low share prices, experienced a doubling in value.

👍🤔🌭

Finding surprise groceries in your fridge wouldn't be bad, but not knowing where they came from would be unsettling.

Automakers like Toyota and Dodge are integrating artificial manual transmissions and engine sounds into their electric vehicles to retain traditional driving experiences amidst electrification. These attempts have been met with skepticism and criticism.

🥸🤑⚙️

Who is worse — liars or people who willfully pay for lies? Asking for a friend.

Rolls-Royce is considering replacing all-electric powertrains with hydrogen fuel cell technology in zero-emission models. Hydrogen combustion engines are ruled out, while the feasibility of home hydrogen charging remains a potential hurdle.

💰🎨🍷

If you got Rolls-Royce money, we assume you also have "home hydrogen charging station" money... and an art collection, for some reason.

Tesla has raised the price of its home charging station from $425 to $475. Despite the increase, it remains one of the most cost-effective stations. The move follows major companies like Ford and GM adopting Tesla's NACS connector, potentially standardizing it in North America.

📈🪡💸

Ah, the old "Unite and Conquer" method.

TL; DR – EV startups have mysterious good times, automakers are still talking about putting fake sound and shifters in EVs, Rolls-Royce may ditch BEVs for hydrogen, and Tesla upped the price of its charging standard.

CULTURE

Wes, Monty, and Uber

🎥 Wow... When we say "Wes Anderson," most people think about hipsters and Owen Wilson. His new movie, 'Asteroid City,' seems to add "LAYERS" to the recipe. It's set in a visually vibrant 1950s desert town and packed with emotion. At its core, it is a story about love, loss, and human connection, but it is packaged as a play within a TV show within a movie. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♂️🤷

Now, at the very least, you can say, "Oh yeah, I've read about that one," when somebody asks if you've seen the movie.

🤴 Not feeling modern movies? A 15th-century manuscript is reminding folks of the cult classic, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." A scholar named James Wade discovered a manuscript that gives a rare look at medieval minstrel performances. It contains low-brow nonsense verse, a mock sermon, and a burlesque romance featuring characters such as killer rabbits. 🐇🔪

It would seem something in the human psyche has evolved to be at least a LITTTTLE bit terrified of rabbits.

🙈 Love ‘em or hate ‘em, old or new, movies are at least better than being forced to watch ads. Uber plans to introduce full-length video ads on ride-hailing, food, and alcohol delivery platforms. Targeting users based on location and preferences, these "Journey Ads" will play during ride waits and journeys, with optional in-car tablets also displaying ads. Users can opt out of demographic targeting but not the ads entirely. 🚗📺

Is anybody else tired of ads coming with something you already paid for?

Quick Hits

• Reddit’s drama continues. CEO says it will pass (because they can remove community leaders), but Redditors say it is only beginning. 😡

• Amazon is going to buy iRobot. Will they add Alexa to Roomba and bring DJ Roomba to life?! 🤖

• This headline suggests energy drinks may be a key to a longer life. We stopped reading after that because the secret to happy endings is knowing when to roll the credits. ⚡️

History

• 1846: The first official baseball game is played in Hoboken, New Jersey. ⚾️

• 1911: The General Motors Export Company is founded to handle international sales of GM products. 🚢

• 1966: The 24 Hours of Le Mans ends with a Ford GT40 in first, second, and third place. 🥇🥈🥉

• 1978: The first Garfield comic strip appears in 41 US newspapers. 😻