Barb Edson

When you live and breathe the industry you work in, you tend to get a little protective of your colleagues and customers from an outside world that simply misunderstands what you do, or even why you exist.

This has definitely been true during my time in automotive retail. It’s an industry that from the outside might seem antiquated but, as we know from the inside, is a vibrant, cutting-edge ecosystem that's moving at light speed.

The elevation of electric vehicles (EVs) to the top of the automotive food chain has been taking its time. On some sides, it seems like the inevitable is already here while on others, we still seem far away. Some say that we’re in an EV bubble that may lead to a major bump in adoption.

Today’s communication opportunities coupled with expectations of at-your-fingertips convenience mean consumers are demanding more from every company. In this world, traditional marketing practices are all but out the window. No longer can we simply push out our message across every channel imaginable.

We need to switch from broadcasting our products’ value to creating a valuable connection with customers to capture their trust in our products.