2022 Dealers United Wrap Up

Company and Events

Wow, what a year.

It’s safe to say a lot happened in 2022. The days seemed to fly by as fast as minutes, and I think we are all asking the same question: “Where has the time gone?”

The biggest lesson from the year is also a great reminder for 2023: Stay 👏 Resilient👏.

As the automotive industry evolves and customer behavior changes, so do our processes and strategies. In the words of Friends’ Ross Gellar, “PIVOT!” 🤣

However, there is a ton to celebrate!

At Dealers United, this Annual Wrap Up blog is one of our favorite end-of-year traditions. Thank you for being a part of our year, and enjoy seeing how our team spent 2022!

January

    • We officially launched Omnichannel Advertising so that our dealers can advertise on ALL available channels: Meta (Facebook & Instagram), Pinterest, Snapchat, and TikTok. 🚀

    • We started a monthly wine club, where our team sips and streams for a virtual Tasting Room. 🍷

    • Our team onboarded 2 new members to help our dealer-partners grow! MJ Belada and Aleena Bowman both joined the DU Customer Experience Team!

February

    • Launched a brand-new format of Partner Updates! Instead of a live webinar, we now offer a short video + blog! Watch or read, your choice: See “What’s New At DU” here.

    • We welcomed Mitch Lucky to the DU Customer Experience Team! 👋

    • Eric Lichon, Operations Specialist, welcomed baby girl, Claire Elizabeth, into the world! 
    • What an HONOR it was to be recognized by #GrowFL as one of “Top 50 Companies To Watch!”

March

    • While in Las Vegas, DU sponsored a GROW! Women’s Leadership Luncheon. 💃🍴 

    • Our entire team flew down to Sarasota, FL for a 3-day company retreat, where we held team-building exercises, workshops, outdoor activities, and more! 🤩 🌴

April

    • Andrew Rogers, Director of Customer Experience, officially passed his Meta Blueprint recertification! Great job AR – way to #learnandlead
    • We released our 30th Dealer Success Story 🤯 with Nelson Auto Center! Check it out here!

    • An eggciting spring tradition: egg painting competition! Each team member painted an egg and we voted on the best…Social Media Designer Samantha’s “Mon-egg Lisa” took 1st place! 🥚🖼

May

    • Justin Friend, DU’s VP & GM, co-hosted a breakout session at Digital Dealer Tampa with Allison McConeghy, Senior Partner Manager, from Pinterest: “How to Sell Where Your Customers Are Shopping with Dealer Inventory Feeds on Pinterest.”

    • The morning of our Digital Dealer session, we learned Healey’s Shopping Ads Pinterest Case Study was featured by Adweek!

June

July

August

    • Our Director of Ad Operations, Phil M, tied the knot and took on another role as “husband!” 🔔
    • We welcomed Carrie Zaydel to the Customer Experience team!

    • Awesome press highlighting Healey Brothers Automotive’s success with Pinterest in Auto Dealer Today!

    • We published our *First* Omnichannel Success Story 🏆🔥 South County Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram leveraged Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat to drive some impressive Q2 results. Download your copy here!

September

    • Hurricane Ian hit South Florida, the hub of Dealers United’s team…thankfully the non-Floridian team-members embodied our “Jump In” core value to help the team with tasks where needed…everyone stayed safe and even made the best of it!
    • Performance Manager Alix Knox became a proud homeowner! I mean… could the house (and the couple) be any more adorable?

October

    • What a month for leveling up our skills! Aleena Bowman, Mitch Lucky and Bryan Moore passed the Meta Blueprint certification! 😱 🥳
    • Huge shoutout to Allison McConeghy from Pinterest and Jay Healey of Healey Brothers Auto Group for joining Justin Friend on the Digital Dealer keynote stage! Their session focused on how to diversify messaging and ad strategy on Pinterest: “Yes, Pinterest Can Sell Cars…But That’s Not All!”

    • The DU Culture Club hosted a virtual Murder Mystery Party! The crew dressed to impress for the Speakeasy theme, and had a blast acting out their characters.

November

      • DU proudly sponsored the University of South Florida’s “Brunch on the Bay” that raised funds for the construction of a planned Nursing/STEM building.

      • Our VP of Marketing, Brooke J, got ENGAGED to her Man! 💍
      • We launched the annual State of Automotive event in a big way! Justin Friend and Molly Dennehy produced 12 on-demand interviews with some of the biggest thought leaders in the Automotive and Digital Marketing industries. PLUS produced over 35 actionable resources to help auto dealers go into 2023 strong.

December

        • To celebrate the holidays, the entire team joined in on a virtual White Elephant gift exchange.
        • The Annual Gingerbread Contest was a HIT! And wow do we have some talented, creative people on our team…but Meg Hughes-Ritter’s “Hagrid’s Hut” took first prize! 🥇

        • While we enjoy being a remote company, it’s always a treat to meet up in person! Justin Friend had the opportunity to visit with our partners at Zeigler Automotive Group (check out that studio!), and join Ali Fawaz with our partners at Pinterest!

And that’s a wrap!

We are so lucky to work with the best team and coolest clients. Thank you for being along for the ride!

(Not yet part of the DU community yet? Find your solution today, help us grow by reviewing us or referring a friend, or check out our available careers!)

Blog Author - Molly Dennehy

Written By Molly Dennehy
Molly Dennehy is a marketing expert who has evidenced effective digital marketing strategies across six different industries. Now, she brings her diverse experience and creativity to automotive dealers. From audience targeting, campaign set-up, and content creation, Molly is passionate about sharing new and innovative ways to drive results.

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