Top 10 Questions to Ask Digital Advertising Vendors at Digital Dealer

Digital Dealer 2025 is fast approaching, and with it comes the opportunity to evaluate new digital advertising partners that could elevate your dealership’s marketing performance.  

With expanded expo hall time and a plethora of vendors showcasing their solutions, having the right questions prepared will help you cut through the noise and identify partners who can actually move the needle on your sales goals. Adpearance will be at the event in booth 429 (view expo hall map) ready to demonstrate how real-time market intelligence can transform your marketing approach. 

Whether you’re focused on improving inventory turn rates or seeking tools that make your job easier, these 10 essential questions will help you separate vendors with real capabilities from those offering empty promises. 

What are your AI capabilities? 

Many vendors will start with high-level descriptions of their AI, which is normal. The key is whether they can back up those claims with specific details about functionality and outcomes. 

What to look for: 

• Specific AI functions with measurable outcomes 
• Real-time data processing capabilities 
• Concrete examples of how AI improves your results 
• Vendors who welcome detailed questions about their technology 

Gut Check: Any vendor you work with should be able to walk you through specific examples, key data inputs, and the decision-making process for their AI. Watch out for vendors who don’t thoroughly understand their own technology. 

The Adpearance Difference: Our MarketAI technology processes billions of real-time data points to score every VIN in your inventory against market conditions, automatically prioritizing which vehicles need marketing support and creating shopper-specific ads for the vehicles on your lot.  

What specifically does your AI do that I can’t do myself? 

This question separates vendors with true competitive advantages from those offering basic automation. 

What to look for: 

• On-the-fly, shopper-specific ad creative based on real-time inventory data 
• Tracking all vehicle sales in the market down to VIN level to ensure top-notch turn rate vs. competitors 
• Real-time AI scoring of your live inventory to ensure ads are created directly in line with vehicles needing more or fewer shoppers to sell 
• Capabilities that would be impossible or extremely time-consuming to replicate manually 

Gut Check: The best vendors process data you don’t have access to and make decisions faster than humanly possible. If you could easily replicate their “AI” manually, it’s probably not true artificial intelligence. 

The Adpearance Difference: MarketAI tracks every vehicle sale in your market down to the VIN level, comparing your inventory turn rates against competitors in real-time. We create dynamic campaigns that automatically adjust based on which specific vehicles need more visibility to sell. 

Can you show me a live demo of your AI in action? 

Any vendor claiming AI capabilities should be able to demonstrate them in real-time, not just show you screenshots or prepared presentations. 

What to look for: 

• Live access to their platform showing real AI decisions 
• Real-time data processing and campaign adjustments 
• Specific examples of AI recommendations being generated 
• Transparency about how their AI actually works 

Gut Check: Real AI should be making decisions right now, not just during pre-recorded demos. If they can’t show you live decision-making, question whether their AI is actually running. 

The Adpearance Difference: We can demonstrate live VIN scoring, real-time competitive pricing analysis, and show you exactly why our AI prioritized specific vehicles in your inventory for marketing support. 

What metrics do you use to measure success, and how do they connect to my business goals? 

Look for vendors who focus on meaningful business outcomes rather than vanity metrics that look impressive but don’t drive sales. 

What to look for: 

• Focus on metrics that directly impact your profitability 
• Understanding of automotive-specific KPIs like turn rate and days-to-move 
• Ability to connect digital metrics to actual business outcomes 
• Reporting based on your specific goals 

Gut Check: Impressive-sounding metrics like “impressions” and “engagement” don’t help you sell more cars. Focus on vendors who measure what matters: vehicle sales, turn rates, and profit margins. 

The Adpearance Difference: Our team measures success by vehicles sold, inventory turn rates, and profit margins. Our comprehensive monthly reporting shows exactly how our campaigns impact your bottom line and competitive position. 

How quickly can your system adapt campaigns when I get new inventory or reduce prices? 

Speed matters in today’s market, especially when inventory moves fast or pricing changes frequently. 

What to look for: 

• Automated systems that react to inventory changes within hours, not days 
• Real-time price monitoring and campaign adjustments 
• Clear processes for handling new inventory arrivals 

Gut Check: Your marketing should adapt as fast as your inventory changes. If it takes days to reflect a price reduction in your ads, you’re losing money every hour. 

The Adpearance Difference: Our system detects inventory and pricing changes within hours and automatically adjusts campaigns. New inventory gets scored and prioritized for marketing support immediately upon arriving on your lot. 

Do you track my competitors’ inventory levels and movement? 

Understanding your competitive landscape is essential for strategic marketing decisions. 

What to look for: 

• Comprehensive tracking of competitor inventory and pricing 
• Insights into which vehicles are moving fast or slow in your market 
• Ability to identify competitive opportunities 

Gut Check: Competitive intelligence should give you actionable insights, not just general market trends. Look for vendors who can tell you exactly what your competitors are struggling to move. 

The Adpearance Difference: MarketAI tracks inventory movement across your entire market, identifying which vehicles your competitors are discounting, how long they’ve been sitting, and which segments are moving fastest in your area. 

Can you demonstrate VIN-level attribution for the specific vehicles your campaigns helped move? 

The most sophisticated vendors can tell you exactly which vehicles sold as a result of their advertising efforts, not just lead generation numbers. 

What to look for: 

• Ability to track individual vehicle sales back to specific campaigns 
• Clear reporting that shows which ads led to which vehicle sales 
• Integration with your DMS to verify actual sales data 
• Examples of VIN-level attribution in action 

Gut Check: Anyone can track clicks and leads. The real question is: Can they prove which specific vehicles sold because of their advertising?  

The Adpearance Difference: We provide VIN-level attribution showing exactly which campaigns drove sales for specific vehicles. Our reporting connects individual ads to actual vehicle deliveries, not just website visits or leads. 

How do you integrate with my DMS and CRM systems? 

Modern dealerships use multiple systems to complete a sale. Your marketing vendor should integrate seamlessly with your existing technology stack, not create additional complexity. 

What to look for: 

• Direct API integrations with major DMS and CRM systems 
• Real-time data synchronization capabilities 
• Clear setup process with defined timelines 
• Experience with your specific technology stack 

Gut Check: A vendor relying purely on manual data uploads is a red flag in 2025. Your vendor should integrate directly with your systems to ensure accurate, real-time data flow. 

The Adpearance Difference: MarketAI integrates with dozens of DMS and CRM systems through direct API connections, enabling real-time data synchronization without manual uploads or complex workarounds. 

Who will be my main point of contact? 

Understanding your support structure is crucial for responsive service. 

What to look for: 

• Dedicated account managers rather than ticket-only systems 
• Clear escalation paths for urgent issues 
• Consistent points of contact who understand your business 
• Proactive communication and regular check-ins 

Gut Check: Ticket systems and rotating support staff mean you’ll spend more time explaining your business than optimizing it. Demand dedicated support from a company that knows your goals. 

The Adpearance Difference: Every Adpearance customer has a dedicated strategist as their single point of contact, with guaranteed response times and no ticket systems. Your strategist is in your account daily and knows your market, your goals, and your challenges. 

What is your minimum contract term?  

Understanding contract flexibility helps you assess risk and maintain negotiating power.  

What to look for:   

• Month-to-month options or short-term contracts  
• Clear cancellation policies and notice requirements  
• Reasonable terms that protect both parties  
• Flexibility to adjust services as your needs change  

Gut Check: Long-term contracts with hefty cancellation fees are often a sign that vendors aren’t confident in their ongoing value. The best partners offer flexible terms because they know you’ll want to stay. 

The Adpearance Difference: We offer month-to-month agreements because we’re confident in our results. No long-term contracts, no cancellation fees—just consistent performance that keeps you choosing us every month. 

Make the Best Decision for Your Business 

The best digital advertising partner for your dealership should be able to answer these questions confidently and provide specific examples of their capabilities. Don’t be afraid to ask tough questions—the right vendor will appreciate your thoroughness and be eager to demonstrate their value.

Print this vendor scorecard (or bookmark it to save the fillable version) and bring it with you to Digital Dealer. With hundreds of vendors and limited expo hall time, having a structured evaluation tool will help you make objective comparisons and ensure you capture the details that matter most. 

And if you want to see in real time how your dealership measures up in the market, book time with our team on the ground at Digital Dealer to get a personalized assessment of your market position. Visit us at booth 429 or schedule a meeting to discover how Adpearance’s VIN-level intelligence can transform your advertising performance.