We talk to Ben Sullivan Head of Automotive Services at Potentiate and CEO Ad Clarity. Ben shares insight into how to understand and interpret automotive customer data. He delves into the need to better understand the customer data and the impact this can have on key decision making. He makes suggestions on managing the OMNI channel and the need to ensure online marketing and advertising is effectively integrated with bricks and mortar and the car showroom. He delves into some of the key metrics in terms of new car buyer profile, and types of buyers and what percentage of the market they make up. He makes suggestions on some of the impacts this may have on the way dealers and OEM's should approach marketing and advertising. He also shares some of the challenges that need to be overcome by automotive companies in dealing with an older buyers and different customer categories. He addresses the topic of vehicle service levels and vehicle quality has improved substantially, but how perception "feeling", is resulting in dealers losing customers during the customer life cycle. He delves into customer retention and how the length customers are keeping cars and the impact of this. Lastly he looks at dealer satisfaction and what impact unhappy dealers has on customer satisfaction. He emphasises the importance of dealer profitability, the need for a partnership and clear communication between dealer and OEM.