How an ex-Hyundai CMO is taking on her biggest challenge yet... X

Welcome to another edition of expert insights from the Car Dealership Guy Podcast, an episode recap that breaks down the high-level takeaways from the conversation.

In this episode, Angela Zepeda, former Hyundai CMO and current Global Head of Marketing for X (formerly Twitter), sits down to share her insights in the auto business and how social media is transforming the marketing landscape. Angela is a veteran executive, with years of experience leading successful marketing initiatives for automakers. Her journey with X began this Aug.

You can stream the full episode now on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple.

1. How Angela got her start in the car business.

Angela was born and raised in southern California. During her childhood, she recalls wanting to be a fashion designer but decided to pursue advertising once she went to college. At the time, she notes that there was great demand for advertisers in the auto industry, especially in her region. During her time working for marketing agencies, Angela began to work with a variety of car manufacturers, one of which was Hyundai. When an opening appeared within Hyundai, Angela jumped at the chance, eventually leading to her becoming the company’s CMO with José Muñoz’s endorsement.

2. Hyundai’s astronomical growth.

Hyundai has grown from a relatively small, inconsequential brand to a massive, overwhelmingly successful automaker with a large presence in most market segments. Its dealers have also benefited heavily from this change in prospects, with many stores receiving strong valuations in the buy-sell market.

Angela believes the brand’s transformation began sometime around 2018, with the ascension of Euisun Chung, the grandson of Hyundai founder Chung Ju-Yung, into the role of executive chair. José has also played a big role in the company’s development, first as CEO of Hyundai’s American operations and now as its president and global COO.

Angela also believes José and Euisun made valuable investments in electrification, which has boosted the brand’s long-term value and strength.

3. Hyundai’s brand evolution.

While the Hyundai of the past was the “cheap choice” brand, the company is now focused on value, making high-quality vehicles at a price consumers could reasonably afford.

This, coupled with its strong vehicle warranty, has given it an edge over the competition.

4. The Hyundai and Amazon partnership.

Angela played a role in the collaboration, developing the go-to-market strategy and the marketing creative for the launch. She explains that co-op wasn’t nefarious, but was rather intended to open up another channel for dealers to engage with consumers.

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5. Building brand awareness for Hyundai.

One of the surprises that Hyundai encountered when building up its marketing strategy in the U.S. was how little consumers understood about the brand. Angela explains that most buyers at the time didn’t know the company was based in South Korea or that the family of its founders was still heavily involved in the business. Teaching consumers about the automaker’s history, as well as its values, would become a central part of its marketing messaging.

6. Hyundai’s 100,000-mile warranty.

This was a strategy that few other brands were willing to try. However, Angela notes that it paid off very well, becoming a key driver of purchases for many consumers. She notes that there was some misunderstanding about its purpose, with some buyers believing the initiative was necessary to make up for poor quality, but most understood that the automaker’s actual intent was to demonstrate its faith in the products it sold.

7. In-store vs. digital car buying experiences.

Angela believes that the car market’s current balance between in-store and digital shopping will remain steady for the foreseeable future. While more consumers are warming up to online retail, the overwhelming majority still prefer to buy cars at dealerships.

However, she urges dealers to offer an omnichannel experience, one that gives customers the ability to choose how they want to shop. Above all, dealers should avoid forcing buyers to repeat steps that they already completed online. Implementing a streamlined purchase experience with zero roadblocks between online and offline shopping is crucial for success.

8. Joining X.

This year, Angela decided to transition from her role at Hyundai to work for X (formerly Twitter), which appointed her as the platform’s Global Head of Marketing. When the opportunity for X came up, Angela realized it was now or never.

She says that her job at X is even more difficult than it was at Hyundai, as the site has undergone extensive changes since its purchase by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. However, she is excited at the prospect of using the knowledge she obtained during her time in the car business at her new role.

9. Working with Elon.

Angela admits that she hasn’t met Elon yet, but she respects what he has done across his companies.

As a marketer, Angela believes that X is where people go to find out what’s happening in the world. This, on top of the innovation that Elon is introducing as the company’s CEO, will make the experience more immersive. While Elon is a polarizing figure, Angela notes that many people are still interested in hearing what he has to say, which is why the platform has 570 million active users.

10. Dealers and X.

Angela believes that dealers will soon begin to advertise on X.

She adds that X is continuing to add innovations to its platform that will make it easier for advertisers to reach local users and believes this will be a huge help for dealers looking to reach nearby car buyers.

You can stream the full episode now on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple.

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