Introduction
In this episode, Danielle Sandoval, Director of Marketing at Prestige Auto Group, shares how modern automotive marketing blends data, customer experience, and trust to drive real growth. She breaks down how dealerships must manage the full customer journey—from digital discovery to in-store conversion—while balancing brand alignment and lead quality. Danielle dives into the importance of SEO, AI-driven search visibility, and reputation management in high-stakes purchases like vehicles. She also reveals how website optimization, heatmapping, and continuous testing improve conversion rates.
This conversation is packed with practical insights for marketers looking to connect data, experience, and performance across every funnel stage.
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Hey everybody, welcome back to another episode of Pathmonk Present. Today we’ve got Danielle Sandoval, Director of Marketing at Prestige Auto Group Ontario. Danielle, how are you doing today?
Danielle Sandoval: I’m good. How are you?
Kevin: Doing great. Let’s start with the basics. Tell us a bit about Prestige Auto Group and what you guys are up to.
Danielle Sandoval: Absolutely. Prestige Auto Group is a multi-rooftop dealership group located in the GHA and GTA. We’re a people-first organization. Yes, we sell cars, but our goal is to ensure customers have an amazing experience—from walking into the dealership to interacting with our digital environment.
My role is to make sure that entire holistic experience is top-notch.
Kevin: I like that you mentioned the “holistic experience,” because the journey doesn’t just start when someone walks into the dealership.
Danielle Sandoval: Exactly. You have high, mid, and low funnel touchpoints, and we need to capture consumers at every stage—without being intrusive.
Word of mouth and referrals are also key. If someone has a great experience, we want them to share it.
Kevin: Attribution must be tricky in that kind of journey.
Danielle Sandoval: It definitely is. One of my main focuses is bridging OEM to retail marketing—making sure leads are high quality and actually convert.
We look at website performance, CRM data, and ensure alignment across sales, service, and leadership. Marketing brings people in, but everything has to be mapped, planned, and results-driven.
Kevin: Marketing isn’t just “cupcakes and rainbows,” right?
Danielle Sandoval: Exactly—but it helps bring people in.
Kevin: Let’s talk about acquisition channels. Where are your leads coming from?
Danielle Sandoval: Search and lead generation are big for us. SEO is critical, and AI-driven discovery is becoming huge—people are using tools like ChatGPT instead of Google.
Reputation management is also key—Google reviews, Yelp, DealerRater. Every channel contributes to how we’re perceived.
Kevin: Do you think reputation matters more in automotive than in other industries?
Danielle Sandoval: It’s extremely important. Buying a car is a major life decision—it needs to be safe, reliable, and fit into someone’s lifestyle.
People need to trust both the product and the people selling it. That’s why reviews and referrals are so powerful.
Kevin: Let’s talk about your website. What role does it play?
Danielle Sandoval: It’s our most important “employee”—it works 24/7.
User experience is everything. You need to reduce cognitive load—too many popups or distractions will drive people away.
We also rely heavily on A/B testing. With multiple rooftops, we can test different approaches and optimize based on performance.
Kevin: What makes a website convert well?
Danielle Sandoval: Heat mapping is key—understanding where users look and click.
Design matters too—colors, layout, and ensuring key elements are above the fold.
Also, get multiple perspectives. What looks good to you might create friction for someone else. At the end of the day, data drives decisions.
Kevin: What tools do you use for that?
Danielle Sandoval: Our website provider includes heat mapping tools. Every month we analyze performance—where users click, where they drop off—and adjust accordingly.
Kevin: Let’s talk about your day-to-day. What does it look like?
Danielle Sandoval: It starts with coffee.
Then I check CRM data—how we’re performing, whether leads are converting, and if we’re hitting KPIs.
From there, it’s strategy, content creation, and working across departments—sales, service, parts—to understand how things are running.
I spend a lot of time in GA4 analyzing funnel performance, and I also meet with vendors to ensure everything is aligned.
Kevin: Sounds like a lot more than just marketing.
Danielle Sandoval: In automotive, we wear all hats. It’s part of the job—and part of the fun.
Kevin: How do you keep learning and staying up to date?
Danielle Sandoval: There’s a lot of noise out there, so I focus on high-quality sources.
Matthew Kobach’s newsletter is great—short, practical, and global.
I also rely on AI tools and strong relationships with partners. Having open conversations with vendors helps us stay ahead.
Kevin: I like that—learning from people around you.
Danielle Sandoval: Exactly. Information coming from people you trust is more valuable and easier to absorb.
Kevin: Let’s do a quick rapid-fire. What’s the last book you read?
Danielle Sandoval: Tongue: A Cognitive Hazard. It’s about how language shapes perception. It really changed how I think about marketing—because marketing is language at scale.
Kevin: I love that phrase.
If you had a magic wand—what would you fix in marketing?
Danielle Sandoval: End-to-end attribution. Absolute clarity on where every customer comes from.
Kevin: That would be a dream.
What’s one repetitive task you’d automate?
Danielle Sandoval: Manual data reconciliation.
Kevin: Straight to the point. And if you could give your past self advice?
Danielle Sandoval: Trust your instincts sooner. Sometimes your first idea is the right one—you just need to believe in it.
Kevin: That’s a great one. Finally—where can people find you?
Danielle Sandoval: Prestige Auto Group Ontario, with locations across the GTA and GHA.
You can visit:
- oakvillenissan.com
- oakvilleinfiniti.com
- woodbinenissan.com
And feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn—I’m always happy to help.
Kevin: Amazing. Thanks for your time, Danielle.
Danielle Sandoval: Thank you!