On The Rhoad

Davin and Chris determine when and how automotive companies can start selling again without appearing tone deaf. Tag Along with Studio Rhoad: InstagramYoutubeFacebookTikTokWebsite

Back in February, when it was still safe to travel, Davin and I visited a media agency in LA. This isn’t like any other media agency though. They have completely flipped the traditional agency model upside down by operating out of a garage space which acts as a hub - connecting artists, innovators, industry insiders, and brands around a shared passion for contemporary car culture. By doing so, they have worked with the likes of Samsung, Michelin and most recently, Formula 1. That agency is Race Service and today we are going to chat with its co-founder and long-time friend, Jacob Agajanian. His wealth of knowledge will give you some insight as to what’s happening on the media landscape and tips you can apply to your own media strategies. Follow Race Service: InstagramYoutubeFacebookWebsite Tag Along with Studio Rhoad: InstagramYoutubeFacebookTikTokWebsite

If you’ve been listening to this show for a while, then you know how much I love good design and aesthetics in general. Logos, package design, typography, photography. All of it. And that’s why I’m very excited to have on today’s guest, Jarrett Seng. He owns and operates Raceseng which produces high-end (dare I say luxury) automotive parts. For example, one of the marque products is a set of titanium lug nuts that sell for $900. You’re probably thinking what lunatic would pay $900 for lug nuts. The answer is they aren’t buying lug nuts. They are buying the experience that the Raceseng team have designed. And that’s why Jarrett is on the show. He’s going to share how they take a seemingly commoditized product and created a lucrative business around selling high-end experiences. Show Links: Marty Neumeier books Stalk Raceseng: InstagramYoutubeFacebookRaceseng Website Tag Along with Studio Rhoad: InstagramYoutubeFacebookTikTokWebsite

We're talking to David Gibson, Business Development Manager of MoTec USA. Like many of us, MoTec have had to adapt to the ever changing requirements with customer support and supply chains. So he’ll give us some insight on how MoTec is handling that. David will also touch MoTec’s North Carolina office and it’s relationship with NASCAR despite the sport’s decreasing numbers. Lastly, we will hear that one piece of bad advice that you shouldn’t take. Show Links InstagramYoutubeFacebookMoTec USA Website Tag Along with Studio Rhoad: InstagramYoutubeFacebookTikTokWebsite

One of the most well known automotive photographers on the planet who’s best known for his work with SpeedHunters and more recently Jay Leno. Larry Chen is joining us and we cover a lot. Everything from the business value of photography to what he would put on a blank billboard. Stalk Larry: InstagramYoutubeFacebookWebsite Tag Along with Studio Rhoad: InstagramYoutubeFacebookTikTokWebsite

It’s being said that the manual transmission is going extinct. Between the adoption of electric cars which don’t utilize a transmission in the traditional sense. And more and more consumers considering driving to be a chore, clutch companies are keeping a very close eye on the market shift. So we’ve invited David Norton of SPEC Clutch onto the show. He’s going to give us some insights as to how they have adapted to market shifts over the last two years and how they plan to stay ahead of this one. SPEC Clutch specclutch.comSPEC InstagramSPEC Facebook Tag along: studiorhoad.comInstagramYoutubeFacebookTikTok

With any marketing initiative, you want to take advantage of underpriced attention and esports are ripe for the picking. More specifically, online racing which is wildly in expensive to sponsor. With everyone in stay-at-home mode, we are filling the void for racing with simulators like iRacing, Asseto Corsa and Formula 1 2019. Some of which are being broadcasted on national TV networks to the tune of 800K viewers. So Davin and I are going to give you some tips and suggestions on how get your foot in the door, then take advantage of this surgence in viewership. Tag along: Instagram: https://instagram.com/studiorhoad Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/studiorhoad Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/studiorhoad Website: http://www.studiorhoad.com

If you’ve purchased anything online in the last few weeks, then your experience was inevitably different than that of pre-quarantine. And you likely asked yourself questions like, - Is this company even operational right now? - If they are, when will I get the product I want to purchase? Those same questions are creating doubt in your purchase is happening in minds of your customers and hindering eCom sales. The fix is very simple and on this short episode, we’ll tell you how. BTW, we’re making some studio and equipment changes so please excuse the poor audio quality. Website Notification Links: powr.ioWordpress: Hello Bar: https://wordpress.org/plugins/hellobar/ https://apps.shopify.com/quick-announcement-bar-always-keep-your-customers-informed/reviews?page=50&rating=5 Tag along: Instagram: https://instagram.com/studiorhoad Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/studiorhoad Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/studiorhoad Website: http://www.studiorhoad.com

This is a special episode for Davin and I. With the Coronavirus in full swing, a lot of friends, clients and colleagues are facing tremendous adversity and not quite sure what to do. Since recording this episode, we got word that Accuair was forced to close their doors due to the pandemic. With this episode, we hope to play a small role in preventing other companies falling to the same fait. So we’re going to talk about how your company should tread lightly during these tough times and I’ll provide 4 ways you can execute on today which will allow you to not only survive but to come out on the other end in a better position prior to the crisis. Tag along: Instagram: https://instagram.com/studiorhoad Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/studiorhoad Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/studiorhoad Website: http://www.studiorhoad.com

Marketing is who you are, not what you sell. What we mean by that is, Your brand represents the culture of your company which in turn is represented in the soft service that you provide. So when you think about it, the marketing of a lot of automotive companies is trying to inspire the customer to enter the fold and be a part of the company’s ethos beyond the product itself. Today, Davin takes the reins on this one and provides three really good examples of companies that take this approach to heart. Each of which, we can all learn a thing or two from. Links mentioned in show: https://www.instagram.com/black/https://www.instagram.com/white/https://www.instagram.com/raceseng/ Tag along: Instagram: https://instagram.com/studiorhoad Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/studiorhoad Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/studiorhoad Website: http://www.studiorhoad.com

Many times on this show we’ve advised you not to emulate Apple or similar companies because of their sheer size, resources and ability to fail forward. However we are going to contradict that statement in reference to Tesla and their launch of the Cybertruck. Love it or hate it, Elon’s launch of the truck is a masterclass in branding. Today Davin and I will unpack the 5 steps Tesla used to launch the Cybertruck which were inspired by Apple. Instagram: https://instagram.com/studiorhoad Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/studiorhoad Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/studiorhoad Website: http://www.studiorhoad.com

This week we speak with someone who I’ve wanted to have on the show for quite some time. Mark Arcenal. If that name rings a bell it’s probably because he’s worked for and built some of amazing brands over the years. Nike, Fatlace, Illest, Hypebeast and RWB just to name a few. Through those experiences Mark has perfected the return on good design and visual branding. Follow Mark on IG: https://www.instagram.com/mrk.rcnl/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/studiorhoad Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/studiorhoad Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/studiorhoad Website: http://www.studiorhoad.com

This week we are talking about Apple and why you shouldn’t be using them as your guiding light. Or any business of their level. Primary because they have resources and safety nets in place that allow them to fail forward. So we’ll unpack those scenarios and give you some alternative approaches when looking for business inspiration. Instagram: https://instagram.com/studiorhoad Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/studiorhoad Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/studiorhoad Website: http://www.studiorhoad.com

This week we are talking about ROI - Return On Investment But not in the way you might think. This won’t be a numbers or data conversation but rather an overarching dialogue about setting expectations and how it relates to ROI. Trust me. It’s not as boring as it sounds. Matter fact, I’m pretty sure we used a circus as a metaphor for automotive businesses. I’m not quite sure how that happened.

Welcome to Episode 18 of On The Rhoad. A weekly podcast where we discuss the art and business of the automotive market. Well ladies and gentleman, I think we have official broken Davin. This week we are talking about sponsorship from the brands perspective And if you know anything about us then you know how easy it is for us to get triggered on this topic. I’ve included the PG13 version of this in the main show, where we unpack sponsorship strategy and how to approach that part of the business. But if you want to hear Davin lose his mind over this, keep listening after the outro. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…. Studio Rhoad Links: Instagram: https://instagram.com/studiorhoad Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/studiorhoad Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/studiorhoad Website: http://www.studiorhoad.com

Today we’re going to a break from Davin and I babbling and speak with Andrew Rains. He’s the Marketing Director and Co-Founder of Apex Pro who build motorsports data acquisition products. They are one of the few companies I’ve seen to successfully use a mobile app that’s integrated with a hardware element. I’ll include a link to their site in the show notes if you want to take a look. Keeping that in mind, we talk to Andrew about two primary subjects. Customer Loyalty and his advice on introducing an app-based company into the automotive market. Apex Pro Links: Website: https://apextrackcoach.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialapexpro/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialapexpro/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp1gjrm-7rAKen3KN70HBFw Studio Rhoad Links: Instagram: https://instagram.com/studiorhoad Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/studiorhoad Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/studiorhoad Website: http://www.studiorhoad.com

Today we're going to discuss a topic that we see very often and have touched on briefly in previous episodes. And that is ego in relation to success. It might be fun to win an award or dominate your category in terms of market share, but what's it worth if it doesn't support the actual goal? Marketing in the automotive space is more powerful than ever and we have more leverage than ever before. This makes picking your milestones and your goals more critical than it has ever been. So on this episode, Davin and I discuss what success actually looks like and how to ensure your ego doesn't pull the rug out from under you. By the way, Davin gets really fired up about this topic. Links Instagram: https://instagram.com/studiorhoad Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/studiorhoad Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/studiorhoad Website: http://www.studiorhoad.com

Ladies and gentlemen…. We’re back. That’s right, after taking a few days…. Well months off, we are officially starting Season 2 of On The Rhoad with a little bit of a twist. You all have requested that we do less interviews and have more discussions between Davin and I. So, that’s what we’re going to do. Although we do have a few very good interviews scheduled, you will be hearing a lot more from us over the coming weeks. To kick things off, we talk about the importance of the Chief Marketing Officer role and how automotive brands can acquire one without the $200k price tag. Show Links: https://www.spencerstuart.com/research-and-insight/cmo-transitions-the-shuffle-continues Studio Rhoad: http://www.studiorhoad.com/ Feel free to let us know what you think about the show by rating or writing a quick review. To be a guest on the show or would like Chris and Davin as a guest on your show, visit http://www.studiorhoad.com/podcast/

Today we’re talking with Tim Coltey, the Performance Marketing Specialist of a brand that we all know and love …. Garrett Turbo. When we think of Garrett we imagine large corporation but in fact, they are quite small. So they use some very clever approaches when it comes to media production. All of which are based in a quote, “Don't’ let the product be the hero. Your customers are the hero of the brand” Links Instagram: https://instagram.com/studiorhoad Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/studiorhoad Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/studiorhoad Website: http://www.studiorhoad.com

This week we have a very, very special guest with us. The Founder of AEM Electronics, Mr. John Concialdi. He provides some insight and a peak behind the curtain on how he started this iconic brand. One topic in particular was how we grew the business by decreasing the size of the business. Links Instagram: https://instagram.com/studiorhoad Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/studiorhoad Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/studiorhoad Website: http://www.studiorhoad.com