Steve Pearson is the CEO at Friendemic, a company that specializes in online reputation tools for car dealers and automotive brands. Before joining Friendemic, Steve spent several years working in the digital space. At McKinsey and Company in Silicon Valley, he consulted with some of the largest players in the industry and focused on process changes to improve customer experience.

Steve also spent time at Vector Capital in San Francisco and most recently, he was part of the Channel Sales group at Google, helping small and medium-sized businesses access and profit from digital marketing. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Brigham Young University and a Master's of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

In this episode…

For any car dealership to attract more customers and increase sales, it's important to use the right lead generation strategies. Some of the platforms that dealers use to market their business include their own company websites as well as other sites like Google My Business, Yelp, Car.com, and social media sites like Instagram and Facebook.

Using platforms like these allows customers to leave reviews after purchasing from a car dealer, although there may be concerns with information transparency. Enter, Friendemic. The team at Friendemic has created a model where they help customers provide reviews or feedback for products they've purchased while also ensuring that customer service and reputation is maintained.

In this week's episode of the Inside Auto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay talks to Steve Pearson, the CEO at Friendemic, about the social and reputation management impacts of car dealerships. They discuss the importance of responding to online reviews, how COVID-19 has shifted customer behavior—and consequently, Friendemic's business, and how to improve a dealer's online presence.