Gubagoo at NADA 2026 with More Than Cars

[...8.6s]All right, we're here at the gooba goo booth. I have some new friends and some old friends are an old friend, not that you're old. Yeah, brad tidal presidency, president, founder of goobago. And i'm gonna let carlito and stephanie introduce themselves.Yeah, carlito, mohica, la fontaine automotive group retail development senior manager, [...0.9s] stephanie skinner, la fontaine automotive group are corporate marketing director.All right, stephanie just give me a little overview of the group for people who probably [...0.6s] know already, but we're gonna assume they don't, assuming they don't know, tell me about la fontaine. So we've got forty five locations across michigan. [...1.5s]Majority of those are in southeast michigan, the detroit area, but we've got [...0.7s] mid michigan, lansing and grand rapids, pretty much all of your. We have every domestic brand, all of the imports where we're, we're growing still is in the highline luxury side of things. So got it, just a little mom and pop shop, perfect. Got that.So we're here at the show, [...0.5s] lots of traffic, lots of conversation around data and ai. Everyone's got questions. Brad, you've had so much traffic in the booth. When people come in, what are the things you're hearing most and what are you telling them?So there's a lot of good conversation with all the stuff that we're promoting and pushing this year. I think that one of the biggest topics around curator, this activation of the data, explain what curator is.Let's, let's start at the beginning, carriers anybody silver data platform. And it, you know, consolidates all the instruction data so that it can normalize the information across and enterprise and create unified profiles.And what makes it highly unique is the fact that it can inject the profile back into the crm, into the dms with all these additional benefits like unified data hygiene that updates the [...0.6s] duplicates and enriches the information. So that the crm has [...0.4s] data sets that they don't usually possess today.Like the remaining payments, the equity, all the event marketing and actions of the consumer. So that, you know, the salespeople, the people that live in this era, they have all the key information that curator needs in the tool where they live, not as a silo solution.So, you know, activating is a very big common theme [...0.4s] and really breaking the silos and trying to figure out how to bring that really important information into the tool where everybody lives and resides.Yeah i mean, that is the theme is legendary issue inside the auto industry. And, you know, speaking with some engineers that have come from outside auto into the auto industry, and i said, you guys were probably really confused when you showed up, weren't you? Like, why is that there and why does that talk to that like that and how come that can't do that?And so it's nice to see that we're starting to catch up with how data is moving outside the industry through tools like this. I love to talk about [...0.4s] how you all are deploying this in the operations standpoint, but also in the marketing standpoint.So let's start with operations. How are you deploying curator and what are the differences it's making?Well, i think the biggest thing is that it gives us a full sense of each client in our dms, our first party data. So [...0.5s] when you have a larger enterprise with multiple stores, now there's one client record and you can see all the client records across the entire enterprise.So you're not seeing, you know, fragments and trying to do the math, right? It's showing you [...0.4s] all the soul vehicles, all the parts that were ordered and purchase, all the service history.So in how that works out for the salesperson now i have a better conversation about the opportunity, [...0.5s] right? And it's not just wondering or guessing or have to go to the office to pull whole deal. You have all that information that cascades in that.I think the third [...0.4s] thing that, you know, how we start to get this thing going is [...0.4s] making sure the seals people don't have to log out to another system [...0.6s] to grab everything. Everybody loves doing that, but it's so fun.Yeah. Everyone wants just one system where they can see the holistic picture, understand it, actionize it, you know, with [...0.4s] very curated experience to the guest.So how is that? You know, we've been talking a lot about ai [...0.7s] enhancing what your staff is able to do and what you just mention, one of those when all these platforms logging in and out, it just creates so much brain damage that by the time they get in front of a customer, right, they're exhausted. So have you seen a measurable noticeable differences you've implemented?Yeah, i think so. I think it's [...0.8s] more refining as, you know, our salespeople, they know they have [...0.5s] very few chances to create a good impression.Why not be prepared for that experience, right? And if you're able to do that by put, you know, piecing together the puzzle and hopefully anticipate any issues that might be going down the road, having that up front really gives them the confidence when they're selling vehicles and servicing vehicles.You're one of the benefits of having everything in one place, able to talk to each other is that [...0.5s] it can affect the operation side in a meaningful way, but also marketers drool over this kind of data.So, so talk to me about how how from the marketing side, you're taking the platform you're using to inject data into your efforts and what the results are.Yeah, it's been my patching project for quite some time. So [...0.7s] from the marketing weekend, it's it's, it goes even further than just injecting the data into the marketing and market.I mean, people have been, we've been able to utilize data, create audiences, market to those people. The biggest benefit that i see with this is we're able to actually track the customer journey.So now you just talked with carlos about the operation side of it that salesperson doesn't just see what that customer has in their garage, what they've done with us in the past.That salesperson gets to see what that customer has been doing for the last thirty, sixty, ninety days. I mean, every single vdp that they visit, what marketing pieces they've interacted with, how they've engaged with it.If they've switched interests in a vehicle, so you might look at their garage and think, oh, there are driving minivans not anymore, [...0.6s] they're looking for that sports car.Look at what they're going to on our website. So we're able to tie that entire marketing journey [...0.6s] to the customer. That salesperson has a full view of what do they have in their home, what have they done with us in the past and now how are they engaging with the marketing materials that we're pushing on in front of them. So it's really that part's awesome.You also asked about the ai, i get super excited about this, i can't tell. [...1.3s] So [...0.5s] the sales for, for a salesperson, [...0.6s] they are looking at this customer, they've got a lead that's come in.Now we've got, maybe they haven't even submitted a lead yet, but we've got a data up that comes in. We know the customers on our website, the customers engaging with emails that we've sent out or text message sms, whatever it is that, that customers looking at.The ai within the platform generates a script, whether the salesperson wants to send out a text message, they wanna send out an email, they wanna pick up the phone and call.They can literally read through [...0.4s] a script [...0.9s] in seconds and be prepared for that phone call, and quickly start to engage with different types of vehicles to know the key talking points to engage with that customer.So overall for the customer, it should provide a really quick and seamless experience, and for the salesperson, [...0.5s] like carlos said, gives them the confidence to have everything right in front of them and make those phone calls.And then [...0.5s] i get to tie directly back to you. Like, you think your marketing isn't working. Let me show you how it is.Yes, every marketers dream, right, i can actually show you that, and everybody can be as articulate as their mother always wish they would be, right when they graduate. Um, brad, [...0.5s] what are some of the things that are coming over the horizon? How are you gonna be implementing in a deeper way in the next few months? Uh, that's a great question.So, uh, what we have a more modernized and improved c r m platform that's being released at amplify, uh, with the new year's experience, wanna amplify this year, uh, it's in august, [...0.5s] and, uh, with the entire native integration of the unified profile within the crm.We're gonna streamline the entire best practices for the bdc sales managers at the desk with desk in [...0.4s] the desk log.I'm enriching the phone ups, the walk in logs, the appointment logs, so that every opportunity is kind of like a, [...0.6s] i need on a haystack. You know, the appointments that [...0.6s] you have coming in that are about to be in market.They're gonna be buying from somewhere where before a name and an email and appointment doesn't give it enough cleaners to make sure you're not missing those opportunities or people with their payoffs on their trade.The second thing is with ask gray and ai, they have to really connect across all the different platforms where i might be looking at a vehicle on a trade.They came in as a lead from through a, through a curator, [...0.5s] and then to know the condition of the car, how long it'll take to recon, should we be putting it on our lot or different stores lot, because the amount of time i have to sell, it isn't enough.So really using ai to be able to bring a level of intelligence that's reputable and consistent across leadership, sales organization. Again, the lead nurturing using ai to help in the response management while assisting the salesperson.So they're still involved. You don't wanna remove them a hundred percent from the equation, never as much as i'd like to say, yeah, it's perfect. It's not yes, but, but it's certainly highly assistive, and you can make a cross functional for the different users and departments.As i think about all of these things and all the silos breaking down in operations and marketing, really the sum of all that [...0.4s] should be retention, [...0.6s] right?Because we have better client experience, um, people are getting the information they want, it's relevant information, it's timely, they're not getting barrage.So [...0.4s] have you seen a tie back to retention and is that something you're trying to operate, rationalize in a deeper way? I think in the early, [...0.5s] early times, it was really hard to recognize that, right? And i think now we're starting to create some data sets where we can identify the trends now.So it's something to be discovered if you will. What we see though, is just different ways that we can be creative about retention. What really matters to the guest? How do we make it more convenient?How do we, you know, reduce the friction, right? And have a better sense of communication that's consistent, [...0.5s] right? If we're able to do those things, i think we can see that trend go exactly where it needs to go.That that, that's kind of plays in line with our entire vin analysis where, you know, when you turn on a cdp of sort, you got forty thousand vids, how many of them are sold only, customer service only where they bought service? Are they active or the inactive?If they're inactive, how do we reactivate while we manage the, the one to one relevant messaging on the retaining of customers?So you can see and that all ties into audience management, how to generate the right audiences [...0.6s] for all these different segments, to make sure that you're talking to the right person at the right time with the right message.And it's relevant where a lot of tools, they're very generic within the audience models. They become more campaign like this is designed to make sure we are talking to every vin in the dms, every customer in the sierra [...0.5s] stephanie.Uh, we're going a few minutes left here, but talk about how you view and how you execute retention [...0.6s] and nurturing across the marketing ecosystem used some of this data.Yeah. So we're able to, we generate our audience, so we [...0.4s] essentially go in and select like, what types of criteria do we want for [...0.5s] specific campaigning?So we generate that audience and then we curate with the help of the ai in the platform, we curate campaigns that are general, that are set up to go out and deliver to these customers at the right moment, like red just described, we're talking about them to the specific need at that moment.So once we know that customer is purchased [...0.7s] and gone and they come into our service cycle and we're able to communicate with them to bring them back, we need them to come back into our service center.We lose them to our, [...0.4s] we lose them out of our service lane, we're likely gonna lose them as [...0.5s] a sales customer down the road.So we're able to send out communication that's relevant to them, but based on where they're at and that journey keeping them in our service lane, but then also [...0.6s] giving them options that they might need when it comes time to look at trading up, trading in, [...0.4s] turning in their lease, regardless of whether it's a purchase or a lease customer were able to address the needs that they have at that moment.So [...0.5s] i mean, it sounds like there's something for everybody for paying attention to long term value and making sure the data is doing everything that you needed to do.Stephanie carlito, [...0.5s] brad, [...0.4s] thank you so much for building tools. Thank you for sharing your time and how you're executing those. I know it's helpful to so many people out there. And i do believe that when we execute better with unified data across platforms, i think the customer experience [...0.4s] overall and the customer perception of our industry overall gets better, which is what gets me excited. So thanks for giving us a few minutes today. Thank you. Thank you. [...8.4s][...8.4s]