The Future of Automotive Marketing: AI, Video, and Seamless Integration

Walking the Floor with Matthew Davis, CMO of TradePending at NADA 2025

The energy at NADA 2025 was electric—sensory overload in the best way possible. I had the pleasure of taking a walk and talking with Matthew Davis , CMO of TradePending, about the biggest shifts happening in automotive marketing and technology. From AI to CDPs, video marketing to seamless integrations, our conversation shed light on where dealers should focus in the coming year.

2024: A Year of Integration for TradePending

Looking back at 2024, Matthew highlighted that it was a year of integration for TradePending . After acquiring SnapSell and Fixed Ops Digital in 2023, the company spent the year ensuring a seamless consolidation of processes and platforms. True integration, as he pointed out, is more than just bringing products under one umbrella—it’s about making them work together efficiently so that dealers truly benefit.

Now, in 2025, TradePending is ramping things up, leveraging those integrations to bring new solutions to market.

AI & CDPs: The Buzzwords That Still Need Maturity

AI is everywhere, but Matthew made a great point—it’s still in its infancy. “We’re in year one of what’s going to be a 30 to 40-year maturity cycle,” he explained. Think about the early days of email and mobile phones. It took time for those technologies to fully develop and deliver on their promises. AI in automotive marketing is no different. While dealerships are experimenting with AI-powered tools, the reality is that it’s still evolving.

And then there’s the CDP (Customer Data Platform) conversation. For larger dealership groups with sophisticated teams, CDPs can be a game-changer. But for smaller dealerships, the complexity and cost can make them difficult to implement effectively. It’s a tale of two worlds—either you have the resources to make a CDP work for you, or you don’t.

Video Marketing: Still the Most Personal Way to Connect

If you thought video marketing was just a passing trend, think again. Video remains the most powerful tool for connecting with customers, and yet, adoption in the dealership world is still catching up.

“Video allows customers to see body language, hear tonality, and get a real sense of authenticity,” I mentioned during our conversation. As humans, we’re wired to detect sincerity, and nothing communicates trust like a well-executed video.

TradePending is taking video beyond the typical walkaround or lead response video. At NADA, they announced a new feature integrating video directly into the trade-in process. Here’s how it works:

1. Customers get their trade-in value in seconds—no friction, no lengthy forms.
2. Then, they’re invited to send in a video of their vehicle.
3. Sales teams and used car managers get notified instantly, allowing for quick action on high-intent leads.

This approach flips the script. Instead of forcing customers through a tedious trade-in process, it keeps them engaged while providing dealers with better insights into potential inventory.

The Real Value of Integration

One of the most important topics we covered was integration. Dealers have been burned too many times by great products that don’t talk to each other.

“I’ve bought into cool products, only to find out they don’t integrate with my existing systems,” I shared. It’s a common frustration—dealers end up with disconnected tools, leading to inefficiencies and bottlenecks.

TradePending is committed to fixing that. Their goal? Seamless integration that allows dealers to move between systems without disruptions. As Matthew put it, “Nobody likes janky.”

2025: The Year of Smarter Consolidation

One of the biggest takeaways from our conversation was the idea of intentional consolidation.

Dealers don’t want 40+ vendors, but they also don’t want to put all their eggs in one basket. The key is strategic consolidation—finding partners that integrate well while maintaining flexibility. In 2025, dealerships should be asking their partners hard questions:

• How does your product integrate with my existing tools?
• Are you committed to making cross-platform functionality a priority?
• How will this solution improve my customer experience and streamline my operations?

If your vendors can’t answer these questions, it might be time to reevaluate.

Final Thoughts

The automotive industry is evolving fast, and 2025 is shaping up to be a year of smarter AI adoption, stronger video marketing strategies, and more seamless integrations. TradePending’s approach to trade-in video, platform integration, and customer engagement is setting a great example for the industry.

As we wrapped up our walk, Matthew left dealers with one last piece of advice: push your partners to do better. Demand integration. Demand innovation. And above all, keep focusing on the customer experience—because that’s what ultimately drives success.

What do you think? Are AI, video, and integration top priorities for your dealership in 2025? Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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