We had a great week in Atlanta at the 2023 Aftermarket Technology Conference! MEMA organized the event to connect with manufacturers and hear firsthand from GPC executives and other industry leaders on the latest trends and topics in the aftermarket. Thank you to MEMA for bringing us together and organizing such a valuable event and to GPC for hosting. Here’s a quick recap of our week. 

Meeting with Leading Aftermarket Manufacturers

Throughout the week, we met numerous aftermarket manufacturers, learning about their business goals and discussing their increasing need for high-quality product content to stay competitive and drive revenue growth.

Panel Discussion Highlights

In collaboration with Classy Llama and BigCommerce, PDM Automotive hosted a panel discussion, Scaling a Successful Omnichannel Strategy for the Automotive Aftermarket.

• Johannes Crepon, Co-founder and CEO, PDM Automotive
• Juan Jacinto, Sr. Channel Manager, Agency Partnerships, BigCommerce
• Will Stone, Solution Architect, Classy Llama
• Eric Lough, VP of Customer Experience, All Star Auto Parts

We covered a lot of ground during the conversation, but a few themes stood out:

• Phased Growth: The importance of creating a structured roadmap for sustainable growth.
• Legacy Systems: Rethinking the implications and costs associated with outdated systems and manual processes.
• Brand Presence: The significance of brand presence online, even if direct sales aren’t a priority.
• Channel conflicts: While selling on your website doesn’t have to be a goal, maintaining a brand presence is important for controlling your brand experience.
• Direct to consumer: The considerations of adopting a direct-to-consumer approach. 

• “You’re not alone.” – Will Stone, Classy Llama
• “Champion your brand.” – Johannes Crepon, PDM Automotive
• “While D2C is important, B2B is still in the early innings.” – Juan Jacinto, BigCommerce

BTC Technology Innovation Award

We are honored to receive the 2023 BTC Technology Innovation Award for our AI-powered content generation for improved SEO, efficiency, and product discovery. The BTC Aftermarket Technology Innovation Award recognizes technology solution/service providers that introduce innovations that support, enhance, and advance aftermarket business processes. “AI is the hottest topic in technology today,” said Chris Gardner, senior vice president of programs and technology at MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers, “and PDM Automotive’s application of this revolutionary technology appears to be a tremendous benefit for aftermarket suppliers.” Check out MEMA’s official announcement.

We’re proud to be recognized alongside the other finalists DPFTRAC, Epicor, Partium, Vertical Development/ShowMeTheParts, and ZF Grou.

Next stop: SEMA 2023!

Heading to SEMA? Swing by PDM’s booth (11847 in the North Hall). We’d love to meet you! While you’re there, grab some freebies and enter to win a TAG Heuer Formula 1 watch. We’ll also showcase our latest product features, including award-winning AI-generated product descriptions.