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It's the first show of a new year, and with it, we’ve got predictions, predictions, predictions! Plus, we celebrate the arrival of the newest generation, Gen Beta!

Show Notes with links:

• Here are our predictions: 2025 will bring new norms in communication, marketing, and EVs
  • (Paul) More concerted effort to differentiate based on the individual people and personalities of stores/groups
  • (Kyle) Dealers will spend more on in house creative and social media than they ever have as a percentage of their marketing budget
  • (Paul) EV sales strategy and effort in new/used will no longer be just for early adopters
  • (Kyle) American-made OEMs will make R&D deals for EV technology to attempt to compete in the global EV race
  • (Paul) AI use in everything from strategy to marketing to analysis will skyrocket
  • (Kyle )AI will enable true digital finance application, approval, and recommendations for more seamless deal flow
  • BONUS: (Kyle) Automotive conferences will finally get better coffee

• Speaking of predictions, Steve Greenfield released his list for 2025, and there are some doozies!
  • He predicts huge moves in the OEM space, suggesting that VW will acquire Rivian, GM and Ford will merge to fend off Chinese OEMs, and BYD will acquire Stellantis to get around US tariffs. Amazon will add 10 OEMs to its program by the end of the year.
  • He sees several major companies going public, including Carfax, J.D. Power and Solera. M&A activity will be unprecedented under the Trump administration, and CDK and Reynolds will merge.
  • Looking for disruptors? Greenfield suggests to watch out for Foxconn, the world’s largest electronics manufacturer, who already purchased a former GM plant in Ohio.

• As we ring in 2025, meet Generation Beta—the latest cohort born into a world of rapid innovation and automation. These kids will grow up alongside AI and immersive technologies, shaping a future that feels straight out of science fiction.
  • Generation Beta covers children born from 2025 to 2039, following Generation Alpha (2010–2024). This marks the second generation born entirely in the 21st century.
  • Their parents are predominantly Gen Z and young Millennials, these parents will raise their kids amidst the most advanced tech yet.
  • Generation Beta may never know a world without autonomous cars, AI assistants, and immersive virtual environments. Many may even outlive the 21st century.
  • By 2035, Generation Beta is projected to represent 16% of the global population, according to demographer Mark McCrindle, who said “These generations will grow up in a world of total technological integration,”

Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.

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