The Marketing Playbook for Dealership Success

Special Guest - John Fitzpatrick

John Fitzpatrick, President & CEO of Force Marketing, joins the podcast to share insights on marketing trends in 2026, the future of AI and technology, customer engagement opportunities and strategies for dealership growth.

In this episode you'll hear:

Current trends for dealership marketing and customer engagement in 2026
Using first-party data, AI and technology to engage customers
Common marketing mistakes dealers make and strategies to maximize ROI

Episode Breakdown

00:00 - Meet John Fitzpatrick!
01:58 - Trends in Dealership Marketing and Customer Engagement
02:28 - The “4A” Strategy (Audience, Attention, Automation, Attribution)
04:54 - The Importance of Consistent Messaging and Response Time
08:52 - AI in Dealerships: Progress Over Perfection
12:15 - Treating Marketing Expenses Like Investments
14:51 - Marketing Opportunities in Fixed Ops and Service Retention
18:25 - “Bet It or Forget It” Segment
18:54 - AI Chat & Automation Replacing BDC Roles
19:40 - What is a Dealership’s Most Valuable Asset?
20:15 - Local Brand Awareness vs. Vehicle Inventory
22:12 - The Power of TikTok