Like taking a trip to the future
I’m recently back from the CADA Study Tour in China, so I thought I’d share some initial thoughts. This won’t be a deep dive. Look for that to follow in upcoming issues. It certainly warrants a deeper dive and far …
Category: Opinion
Dealers have a used advantage
One challenge dealers have is that most have spent a lifetime inside the auto industry — they drive dealership demo vehicles, and don’t have a current sense of what it’s like for a consumer to shop for or purchase a vehicle, …
Dealers have a great hand
As the circus surrounding tariffs, counter-tariffs, annexation threats, and concerns over the collapse of Canada’s auto industry swirl around them, car dealers are faced with the same dilemma they always face. Many of these issues are simply outside of their …
Time to go see for myself
I’ve spent almost three decades in the automobile industry. And I’ve never been to the country that has the largest automotive industry on earth, at least in terms of manufacturing. Time for that to change. By the time you read …
Big enough to make a difference
As I write this, some of the U.S. tariffs aimed at Canada are temporarily on hold. What’s next? Things will continue to evolve on that front. That’s about all we know. There are so many lenses to aim at what’s …
Don’t be the sub guy
As an occupational hazard, and it truly can be hazardous to my health, I can’t just turn off the news. For the better part of 30+ years, I’ve had to stay abreast of current issues, report on them, and even …
Be the “I” in DEI
These are scary times. I’m not impossibly naive enough to believe that progress on social issues, like diversity, equity and inclusion, will always move steadily upward, and that any gains that are realized will be maintained. The truth is, human …
Strange and concurrent realities
We’ve just come off my favourite weeks in the automotive calendar. The second week of February includes the CADA Summit, media day at the Canadian International AutoShow and VIP night, perhaps the most concentrated networking event of the year. It …
Are you the next Brian Benstock?
There aren’t too many people who can be the last presenter at a two-day conference with eight hours plus of speakers a day and can still energize and light up a room. Mix in all the networking, social events, late …
Year-end musings
My last publisher’s note of the year. Another year in which it’s been my great pleasure to work in and contribute to this amazing industry. So what’s on my radar at year end? I’m just back from the Los Angeles …
Get an AI information edge
There has been a lot written about how the auto retail world will be impacted and disrupted by artificial intelligence, or machine learning. With so many overly-hyped predictions, amid some self-serving promises of tech vendors hoping to make a quick …
A little bit of, well, a number of things
Iattended the Empowering Automotive conference last week in Toronto. Empowering Automotive has the mission to recruit, retain, and grow women and their allies in the auto industry. They seek to accomplish this through the annual flagship conference, mentoring, student outreach, …
