For years, many companies saw the senior Marketing Executive as responsible for branding, advertising, trade shows, social media, creative campaigns, and making the company look good. Those things still matter. But that is no longer enough. The modern Marketing Executive needs to understand revenue. After spending most of my career in the automotive aftermarket working across sales, marketing, distribution, retail, OEM, and direct-to-consumer channels, I have become convinced

Having a Product on the Shelf Is Not the Same as Having a Sales Strategy In Topic #1 of this series, I discussed product development and why I believe great aftermarket companies should focus on solving real customer problems instead of simply improving someone else's gadget. In Topic #2, I moved into Pricing & Channel Pricing, and understanding your brand value, building enough margin into the product, and making sure everyone involved in selling it has a reason to participa

Before we get into inventory, it's worth looking back at where this series started. In Topic #1: Product Development, I focused on solving real customer problems instead of simply looking at a competitor's product and trying to make it a little better. The point was simple: strong products should start with an unmet need, not with a benchmark. In Topic #2: Pricing & Channel Pricing, I talked about building the right pricing structure around that product, understanding your br

In the first article in this series, I talked about product development and why I believe aftermarket companies should spend more time solving customer problems and less time building a slightly better version of someone else's product. But developing the right product is only the beginning. The second thing I would focus on is pricing. And I don't mean taking your cost, multiplying it by a factor, comparing it to three competitors, and calling it good. Pricing is one of the

Are you ready for AEO? For more than two decades, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has been the foundation of digital marketing. Businesses have invested heavily in optimizing websites, targeting keywords, earning backlinks, and creating valuable content to climb Google's search rankings. But the way people search for information is changing rapidly. Today, millions of users are asking questions directly of AI platforms like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Microsoft Copilot

Look around the room; AI sure does know me. I recently spent some time reviewing the 2026 SEMA Market Report, and there were several insights that stood out to me. The first takeaway is simple: the automotive aftermarket remains incredibly resilient. U.S. consumers spent just under $53 billion on vehicle accessories and modifications in 2025, which is a strong indicator that demand remains healthy despite a challenging economic environment. That said, the market is clearly se