Vanessa Lynch, Senior Strategic Sales Manager at Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book, helps unpack the findings of a new Cox Automotive by Perficient whitepaper on attribution blind spots in automotive retail. Vanessa explains how most dealers have a 96% blindspot, why CRM data alone is no longer enough, and how tools like weighted engagement are helping optimize ROI where multi-touch attribution is becoming essential for staying competitive in today’s market.
GUEST EXPERT:
Vanessa Lynch
Senior Strategic Sales Manager
Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book
The Whitepaper Mentioned in the Episode
Top Takeaways:
Dealers are missing 96% of the buyer journey: Most dealers only track 2 out of 62 consumer touchpoints, leaving major blind spots in attribution and ROI analysis.
CRM data alone is no longer enough: Broken processes and incomplete CRM entries mean dealers must look beyond traditional metrics to understand true marketing performance.
Weighted engagement is the new gold standard: Top-performing dealers are shifting from lead volume to lead quality, using tools to assess full-funnel engagement.
Omnichannel consistency drives differentiation: Dealers who replicate their digital experience in-store stand out and attract more engaged, ready-to-buy consumers.
Data-driven strategy is non-negotiable: Vanessa urges dealers to know where their money is going and to adopt multi-touch attribution or risk being left behind
Timestamps:
0:00 – 1:22 – Introduction
Jade Terreberry introduces the episode and guest Vanessa Lynch, Senior Strategic Sales Manager at Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book, and previews the discussion on attribution blind spots and marketing ROI.
1:22 – 3:11 – Why the White Paper Was Created
Jade explains the motivation behind commissioning an independent white paper with Clairvoy, revealing that most dealers only track 2 out of 62 consumer touchpoints.
3:11 – 4:40 – The Attribution Blind Spot
Vanessa shares how this blind spot shows up in daily dealership operations and why relying solely on CRM data can lead to inaccurate ROI assessments.
4:40 – 6:18 – Rethinking ROI and Lead Metrics
Jade and Vanessa discuss the shift from lead volume to lead quality, and how outdated cost-per-lead metrics are being replaced by engagement-based models.
6:18 – 8:43 – Weighted Engagement and the New KPI
They explore how the weighted engagement formula helps normalize and value different consumer interactions, enabling more accurate ROI calculations.
8:43 – 10:28 – From Omni-Channel to In-Store
Vanessa emphasizes the importance of aligning digital and in-store experiences to attract and retain more consumers.
10:28 – 11:58 – Tools That Drive Transparency
Vanessa highlights how tools like nVision and Clairvoy provide full-funnel visibility and help dealers understand shopper behavior across platforms.
11:58 – 13:33 – Embracing Multi-Touch Attribution
Jade explains how Cox Automotive was an early adopter of third-party attribution tagging and why dealers must evolve beyond first- and last-touch models.
13:33 – 14:11 – Final Advice from Vanessa
Vanessa urges dealers to know where their money is going, understand shopper engagement, and build a data-driven marketing strategy.
14:11 – 16:57 – Closing Thoughts
Jade wraps up the episode with a call to action for dealers to embrace data, protect their marketing spend, and prepare for the future of automotive retail.
