AET Automotive
By AET Automotive on October 10, 2025

October & Q4 Kickoff: Opportunities and Pitfalls for Dealership Marketing

October marks the beginning of the final sprint in retail automotive. For many dealerships, it’s the last, best chance to close the year strong. But with opportunity comes pressure: shifting incentives, seasonal service demand, packed inventory, and end-of-year sales goals all hit at once.

How you handle October sets the tone for Q4 — and determines whether your store is scrambling to keep up or confidently ahead of the market.


The Q4 Reality Check

By the time October rolls around, the rhythm of the year shifts. Summer traffic slows. Buyers settle into fall routines and start planning for the holidays. Football dominates weekends, and attention is harder to hold.

Meanwhile, sales teams push harder toward annual goals. Service lanes fill with seasonal work — tires, brakes, batteries, and “winterizing.” OEMs adjust incentives. Inventory piles up with new models waiting in the wings.

The pitfall for many dealerships? Waiting too long to launch or update campaigns while shoppers are still active.


The Opportunities in October

Q4 can be one of the most opportunity-rich times of the year if dealerships move quickly:

  • Fresh incentives. OEMs push hard with Q4 offers — dealers who promote early get ahead of competitors.

    FallSilverado (1)

  • Seasonal service. Shoppers shift focus from summer road trips to fall maintenance, making service specials a high-margin opportunity.

    2025_Chevrolet_Trax_1RS_Fixed Ops_Mon Jun 10 2024 14_47_38 GMT-0700 (Pacific Daylight Time)
  • Inventory management. Current-year models need to move now to make space for next year’s arrivals.

  • AET Inventory Studio

  • Digital attention. Fall brings more hours spent streaming, scrolling, and researching, giving dealers more chances to get in front of buyers.


Common Pitfalls That Slow Dealers Down

Even with opportunity, many dealerships stumble in October because of:

  • Slow vendor turnaround. Waiting days (or weeks) for new creative.

  • Mid-month incentive changes. Adjustments that take too long to go live.

  • Fragmented systems. Juggling multiple platforms for creative, email, and landing pages creates bottlenecks.

  • Over-reliance on spend. Throwing more dollars at ads without improving speed-to-market or creative flexibility.

These delays cost visibility — and sales.


How AET Helps Dealers Win Q4

This is where the AET Automotive Marketing Suite changes the game. Built specifically for dealerships, it eliminates delays and gives your team full control over execution:

  • Creative Studio Pro
    Update banners, specials, and promos in minutes. Automate edits across multiple formats at once. No waiting on an agency.

  • Inventory Studio
    Launch real-time vehicle ads across Meta, Google, and TikTok. Keep ads synced with what’s actually on your lot.

  • Email Studio
    Push out mobile-first campaigns that look sharp and reach buyers fast — perfect for seasonal offers and incentive changes.

  • Page Builder
    Create campaign-ready landing pages in minutes, no IT ticket required. Clean, responsive, and always on-brand.

  • Streaming Studio
    October isn’t just busy on the lot — it’s busy in living rooms. Fall viewership spikes with football, playoff baseball, and new show premieres. With Streaming Studio, you don’t buy expensive TV slots — you target real audiences, no matter what they’re watching. Campaigns launch fast, track engagement, and keep your brand in front of buyers during the busiest screen-time season of the year.

One platform. Built for dealers. Designed to help you move faster, stay in control, and keep your store top of mind through Q4.


Closing Thoughts

October is a sprint, not a marathon. Dealers who wait on vendors will lose time — and customers. Dealers who take control of their creative, ads, and campaigns in-house will be the ones who own Q4.

At AET Automotive, our mission is simple: help you cut delays, control your marketing, and finish the year strong.

 

Published by AET Automotive October 10, 2025
AET Automotive