Building Both Ways With Jeff

The story of the US auto industry cannot be told from far away and high up. Maps and data can show what has happened, but you have to dig in and ask to find out what is happening.

The "More The Cars" premiere this week in Tampa, FL, is our most effective effort to date in terms of presenting the humanity holding up every inch of auto retail.

We hope to share the premiere with you, but if you cannot make it, look around. The story is telling itself all around you.

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, & Chris

INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHT

Jeff Revilla: Kick-Push, Marketing, and Being Excellent To Each Other

Jeff Revilla and ASOTU's Chris Reeves chatted a bit about Jeff's time in the industry and his work leading the Smail Auto Group marketing team in Pennsylvania.

Thank you for joining us today. Let's start by discussing how you got into the automotive industry.

Yeah, I started in another industry with four wheels - skateboards - in 2002. It also had its challenges in terms of attribution. For example, 13-year-olds will click your links but not buy anything. Over eight years, I developed a unique skill set by building websites, creating a social network, and producing videos.

Eventually, a job opportunity as a marketing manager for an auto group came up. I landed the position in 2010 with a pitch deck showing what I could do for them.

It sounds like you transitioned smoothly from skateboarding to automotive. Was it easy to see a common thread between the two?

I'm more of a marketing guy than a car guy, so I focus on studying consumer behavior, metrics, and conversions. My background in counterculture, punk rock, and skateboarding allows me to see outside the box, which helped me apply my skill set to any industry.

Is it ever hard to communicate your outside-the-box ideas to your team?

Definitely, I had to learn how to present my marketing ideas as business objectives first and marketing metrics second. It was essential to show the returns on our investments to gain their support.

As your role has evolved over the years, what does your current job look like?

I now lead a team of 10, and we function like a mini-agency for our 10 automotive brands. We have specialists in various areas, such as email marketing, photography, videography, content creation, Facebook ads, reputation management, and graphic design. We all work together to achieve the goals of each brand.

Do you get to spend much hands-on time with the content these days, or are your days filled with leadership tasks?

I do a lot of leadership through empowerment. I give my team the tools they need to create a video, for instance, we just did a two-part series on a local market that'll be coming out. We're telling the story of all these local vendors who are meeting on this back street of Greensburg. They're selling their candles and dips, doing face painting. The goal was just to be immersed in the community. So I give them the tools to go capture that story.

When we put our talent alongside their talent, everybody wins. We show up to build them up, and they build us up.

What are your thoughts on the future of the automotive industry and your role within it?

Short term, I see some challenges for marketing departments regarding OEM programs and compliance. However, I hope that dealerships will regain more control and be able to focus on promoting their brand within their local communities, rather than relying solely on national messaging.

Before we wrap up, do you have any final thoughts or advice for our readers?

I'd like to remind everyone to live by the gospel of Bill and Ted: "Be excellent to each other."

Big thanks to Jeff for talking with us, trusting us to share a piece of his story, and all he does to make automotive a bright place to work.

CONTENT RECAP

Let’s Summarize The Week

Email Recap:

• Landers Auto Supports Storm Victims.

• CMA’s Valley Subaru Supports Families Facing Transportation Troubles.

• Gault Hosts a Scavenger Hunt for Nonprofits.

• Giles Automotive Shares the Love.

• Used prices are going down, and people are traveling more.

• ATUC talked about perfecting appraisals.

• JD Power works on real-world EV battery measurements.

• People are still hesitant about EVs for a variety of reasons.

• Dune 2, Armored Core 6, and Black Mirror trailers dropped.

• Fashion keeps getting weirder, but the prices stay the same.

• A private company landed a payload on the moon but then lost contact.

• Want to get emails from Dracula? We have something that may scratch the itch.

Podcasts:

Paul got a few minutes with the President of Kain Automotive, David Kain, during the 18th Annual Client and Friends Digital Success Workshop. Make sure you listen to the end…

SOMETHING FUN

The Eliminator

Sometimes you just gotta find out how much "GO" you can fit on a go-kart.

Duffy Livingstone made a full-scale go-kart called the Eliminator to find out. It's like Frankenstein's monster, but instead of people parts, it's made with a Ford Model A frame, Model T bodywork, and a small-block Chevy V-8 engine.

The father of go-karting in many ways, Livingstone entered the Eliminator in contests against full-size race cars of the day and won. As his kart business grew, he had less time to feed people dust, and the Eliminator changed hands until now, where it is up for auction on the Bring a Trailer site.