Stay Calm and Carry On
Head of Growth
I had the pleasure of attending the CADA Summit earlier this month in Toronto, Canada. The topics and speakers were wide-ranging and covered relevant information for dealers across North America. Leaders from all corners of the industry were tackling subjects like competition from new markets, prioritizing the 3 C’s (Cost, Competition, & Consolidation), demographic changes, and of course the uncertainty of 2025.
One of the highlights of the day was a panel of the ‘Big Detroit 3’. For the first time ever, the leaders of Ford, GM, and Stellantis Canada were on a panel taking questions together.
They had different viewpoints on some topics, but were unified on several points.
- The importance of communication with dealer partners being a true dialogue, not a monologue.
- These are challenging times, but we can’t waste time on the things we can’t control. It’s about figuring out how to overcome challenges and stay transparent about them.
- Affordability is on everyone’s mind.
- We all still have to do business. Drivers need vehicles, OEM’s need to supply them and educate, and dealers need to market and sell them. Keep moving forward.
You can read about this and so much more in our CADA Takeways blog.
TikTok Automotive Inventory Ads (AIAs)
LAUNCH GLOBALLY!
TikTok AIAs may have launched globally, but they are not new to us. We’ve been working with TikTok as a beta partner for the last 12 months, gaining us a ton of experience on the platform ahead of this launch.
This auto-focused format is INCREDIBLE, and you need to see why! Compared to the original ad format, AIA’s are seeing higher click-through rates, and lower cost-per-click and cost-per-thousand-impressions.
As a partner, we can offer our expertise and enhanced support from TikTok when it comes to running and properly optimizing these campaigns. To help you dig in further, we posted a blog on AIA’s that breaks them down in detail, which you can read HERE.
Any gaps in your marketing?
Are you getting the reporting and service you need? Are you running strong Google VLA campaigns? Do you have a TikTok strategy? Are your lead forms converting? How do you stack up versus the competition organically… is your SEO on life support? Is co-op reporting a real pain? Could your ads use some extra punch with eye popping video? Maybe we should talk… At sMedia, we build strong partnerships with dealers because we genuinely care about your objectives
This blog topic and so many more are available on our site
Tackling the challenges ahead: CADA Takeaways
Learn More About TikTok AIA
NADA 2025 Highlights
Increase your Impact with Creative Video
Boosting engagement through creative ads
Getting Started with TikTok for Dealerships
SPOTLIGHT
Jen Jamieson
Meet our newest Customer Success Manager!
Jen is originally from Sudbury (“The Big Nickel”), splitting her time between there and Barrie, before settling in Toronto. She went to aesthetics school before her passion for marketing led her to pursue education in digital marketing.
She has worked as a Marketing Ops Manager in a full-service agency, and as a trainer for SaaS products.
She was recently at the Canadian International Auto Show where she snapped a pic of her dream car, a Bugatti Chiron. She’s got a need for speed! She comes by it honestly, as she grew up around the industry with family members working in automotive.
You can find her snowboarding on the slopes in winter, and biking in the summer, and in the gym or cooking up a delicious dish in the kitchen in-between.
She’s thrilled to be at sMedia, where she feels like she can take pride in our clients’ successes, and loves the results-driven approach taken here.
INDUSTRY NEWS
- Reciprocal Tariffs: Automakers Face the Brunt of Trade War
- Edmunds highlights the top car-tech trends from CES 2025
- Stellantis launches first in-house automated driving technology
- Future Electric Vehicles: The EVs You’ll Soon Be Able to Buy
- Samsung SDI recalls high-voltage batteries installed in 180K vehicles
- Honda posts positive US sales growth in Q3, but global declines impact profit
- Honda and Nissan Break Up In Time for Valentine’s Day
