“You’re Getting the Diluted Version”: How Dealers Are Being Underserved by Their Own Ad Vendors | Subi Ghosh, EVP Partnerships at fullthrottle.ai

Dealers are spending more on advertising than ever… and according to Subi Ghosh, many of them are still playing the game wrong.This conversation from NADA 2026 might be one of the most important shifts we’ve discussed on The Dealer Playbook.She believes the real issue in automotive advertising isn’t traffic. It isn’t creativity. It isn’t even budget.It’s fragmentation.In this episode Subi Ghosh who is the Head of Partnerships at Fullthrottle and one of the driving forces behind Auto Media Marketplace breaks down why dealers are often buying media in silos, relying on diluted data, and unknowingly limiting their own performance. She explains how platforms fighting each other instead of aligning is quietly costing retailers reach, influence, and ROI.And here’s the part that hits hard.While many dealers are still pouring money into search and social the way they always have, behavior has shifted. Discovery has shifted. AI has changed how people find information. And the brands that understand how to unify premium media, activate real data, and collaborate across channels are starting to pull ahead.Subi makes the case that this is no longer about buying ads.It’s about infrastructure.It’s about coordination.It’s about influencing buyers before they ever type into a search bar.If you’ve felt like your ad spend isn’t stretching as far as it used to…If you’ve noticed performance becoming harder to maintain…If you’ve ever wondered whether the platforms are truly working together for you…You need to hear this conversation.Because the shift is already happening.And the dealers who recognize it early will not just compete better. They’ll operate at an entirely different level.Timestamps00:00 Intro02:57 Auto Media Marketplace Explained04:57 Why Streaming + Premium Inventory + Data Layers Are Changing Advertising05:41 From Search & Social to Full-Funnel Media: Staying Top of Mind in a New Era06:47 Real-World Targeting Story: ‘Landman’ Ads, Audience Data & Influence in Action09:24 Competitors as Allies: How to Align, Take on the ‘Big Fish,’ and Win Together11:52 Unity on the Show Floor: Building a Cohesive Strategy Across Channels13:43 Connect with Subie + Final Wrap-Up and Podcast Outro