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filler@godaddy.com
Welcome to Auto matters (It does)
The auto category is one of the strongest in our company and the auto business continues to evolve. We must keep up with what dealers are struggling with, so we can be the solution to help them.
$10 Billion on Advertising
73% of the total money forecasted to be spent on digital tactics, including OTT/CTV in 2026. A lot of money flowing from our local dealers...
Texas Dealerships
Over 1,250 auto dealers in TEXAS alone. 7% of the US auto dealers are in the Lone Star State. If we take 7% of the total ad spend, that's roughly $700M we have access to!
Region Auto Revenue Reality
In 2019, the Texas region billed $44M in auto dealer business with our stations. Last year, it was $29M. We've lost $15M in our region alone within this category over 5 years. (-35%) Total ad spending by dealers has gone up 8% since 2019. Let's get that back in 2026 with an intentional strategy!
Region rank by Tier 3 Revenue (5-28-26)
Pace is strong, but a big hill to climb to finish ahead
Tier 2 money is a touch stronger to start the year pacing at 114% for the region. Some markets have a lot more upside and should be watching this category and how they can continue to grow. We will be in touch with those markets first to develop a back half strategy with Ken.
our auto guru
Ken Friend - Director, Automotive Sales and Strategy
Ken Friend joined Nexstar early in the year and has been traveling around the country helping us grow our auto business. You and I can work together to utilize his expertise on calls and even a market visit, but he's booked out, so let's plan ahead before reaching out to him.
Ken spent 15 years as a dealer GM and knows the business intimately, as he ran several stores in his career. Most recently, Ken was the Vice President of Automotive for iHeart (8 years) and is very familiar with how to navigate advertising conversations with dealers that makes him a huge asset for us.
AUTO cna starter questions from ken
Sales Performance
- How are your new vehicle sales performing?
- Do you have sufficient new inventory to meet your sales targets?
- How are your used vehicle sales trending?
Inventory Strategy
- Are you consistently able to maintain optimal inventory levels?
- How are you currently sourcing your used inventory?
- Trade-ins
- Auctions
- KBB ICO
- CarGurus
- Data mining
Marketing effectiveness
- What marketing channels are you leveraging today?
- SEO / SEM
- Social media
- Email marketing
- Display / targeted ads
- CTV
- How would you evaluate the performance and ROI of each channel?
- Are you currently using third-party marketplaces (AutoTrader, Cars.com, etc.)?
- How effective have they been?
lead management & conversion
- How are inbound leads and calls handled?
- Dedicated BDC vs. sales team
- What is your website conversion rate (visitor-to-lead)?
- Industry benchmark: ~3–5%
- Where do you see breakdowns in lead conversion today?
sales organization
- How is your sales team performing?
- Do you have the right headcount to meet demand?
- How would you assess overall team effectiveness and engagement?
service department
- How is your service department performing?
- Do you have the right staffing levels (technicians, advisors)?
- Are there any capacity or retention challenges?
customer retention strategy
- What tools or channels are you using to follow up with existing customers?
- Direct mail
- Postcards
- How effective is your retention strategy today?
customer acquisition / conquesting
- How are you attracting new customers outside your base?
- Geo-fencing
- Social media
- Email campaigns
- What’s delivering the highest quality traffic and leads?
optional closing pivot (value)
Based on everything we discussed:
- Where do you see the biggest opportunity for growth?
- What would have the most impact on sales volume and efficiency right now?
Printed Version of the Questions
You can take a printed version with you or one to study for integration into the rest of your CNA.
NADA Trends
The average revenue size of Texas dealerships is $108M.
- 55% of dealer top line revenue is from New Vehicles
- 32% Used Vehicle Sales
- 13% Parts and Service
GM has greatest market share for new light vehicles at 17.5%, followed by Toyota at 15.5%. Ford is 13.1%
Link to to full NADA report below
