CitNOW Group has been shortlisted in two categories at the AM Awards 2026: Supplier of the Year and Best New Product/Service.

In 2025, we worked hard to continually innovate and maintain a strong focus on supporting our customers to deliver measurable results. A key highlight has been the launch of CitNOW Marketing360, our advanced marketing automation platform developed in partnership with Salesforce. Designed specifically for automotive retail, Marketing360 enables our customers to connect data across systems, deliver personalised customer journeys, and achieve clear, measurable ROI – earning its place on the shortlist for Best New Product/Service.

Alongside this, we have remained dedicated to enhancing our wider ecosystem across showroom, marketing, and aftersales, so we can help retailers streamline operations and improve performance.

Across our ecosystem in 2025, we have enabled our customers to:

• Reduce days to sell by up to 48% through advanced imaging solutions
• Improve customer response times with enhanced 2-Way Messaging
• Access actionable benchmarking and insights through our CitNOW Insights solution
• Benefit from a growing number of seamless integrations

We remain committed to ensuring our customers achieve success from day one. Our onboarding, training and ongoing support continue to be a cornerstone of our offering, with expanded Academy programmes, tailored learning pathways, and close collaboration with our partners and customers.

Today, we support over 11,000 dealerships globally, and we would like to thank everyone for their continued trust and collaboration, which has played a vital role in us securing these nominations.

Our mission remains unchanged – to help retailers operate more efficiently, connect with customers more effectively, and drive measurable performance at every stage of the customer experience.

We look forward to the awards ceremony and wish the best of luck to all finalists!

Data visibility crucial to unlocking growth in automotive retail

Customers expect speed, personalisation, and consistency. Dealerships rely on a growing ecosystem of digital tools to meet those expectations. For these systems to function cohesively, two capabilities are essential: robust data visibility and functional, purpose‑built CRM platforms.

Yet despite industry consensus about data’s importance, dealerships are not capturing the full value of the vast information they hold.

A critical yet underrated advantage

There is a universal agreement on the value of data. Survey respondents from our Time to Shift Gears reports 2025, overwhelmingly agree that customer data (99.6%) and vehicle data (98%) are essential to meeting their business goals. However, only 26% say they currently get excellent value from customer data and only 42% say the same about vehicle data. This highlights a significant issue – dealers have the data, but not the visibility or integration to truly leverage it.

Lack of data visibility is seriously costing dealerships, with 89% of our survey respondents agreeing they’re losing revenue because of poor data availability. 86% say they lack a complete view of customer data across channels and systems, while 88% say the same for vehicle data. Dealers recognise that multiple, separate systems lead to missed opportunities, duplicated work, and inconsistent experiences.

Why functional CRMs are more essential than ever

Modern automotive CRMs do far more than track leads. They serve as a hub unifying customer interactions, automating workflows, and bridging siloed systems. CRMs have the power to centralise and humanise the customer experience.

Purpose‑built automotive CRMs provide complete records of vehicle history, service interactions, communications, buying preferences, lead sources and behaviours. Having this complete picture enables highly personalised, consistent engagement, crucial when customers expect near‑instant, tailored communication. With data split across DMS, marketing tools, websites, and third‑party systems, the right CRM can bring everything together into one coherent, actionable view. They support faster decision‑making and accurate forecasting, while eliminating manual data stitching that’s slowing teams down.

Fully integrated CRMs help dealerships:

• Respond to leads faster
• Maintain consistent follow‑ups
• Identify warm opportunities
• Reduce missed sales
• Improve pipeline forecasting
• Build long‑term customer relationships

When combined with complete data visibility, CRMs become the engines that translate information into revenue.

What are the true benefits to the dealer?

A dealership with visibility can:

• Gain complete, real‑time views of every customer and vehicle – no more incomplete histories.
• Unlock insights to drive enquiries and conversions – smarter targeting, faster responses, better personalisation.
• Eliminate redundant systems and streamline operations – less logins, lower costs, easier processes.
• Create value – better decisions, better service, revenue increases.

CitNOW Auto360: The impact of integration proven

CitNOW’s Auto360 demonstrates the measurable benefits of unified systems and complete data visibility:

• 20%+ increase in recovered lost customer engagement
• 40% faster campaign creation
• 30% reduction in call times

CitNOW Auto360 shows what happens when dealerships achieve integrated, real‑time data visibility. Not just a CRM – it’s an engine for faster growth, efficiency, and better customer experiences.

Making an Impression: From First Click to Final Handover

In a market where vehicles, pricing, and customer expectations are constantly shifting, the real differentiator for dealerships is how customers feel at every stage of their journey. First impressions shape trust, influence buying decisions, and lay the foundation for long term loyalty.

By aligning people, culture, and technology, Automotive retailers can deliver scalable excellence and stand out in an increasingly competitive market.

Beyond systems and processes lies something even more powerful: the human connection. The moments that make customers feel valued and leave your team proud of the service they deliver. It’s that emotional resonance that transforms good experiences into great ones.

Inside the Guide

Discover the importance of memorable customer experiences and the four essential levers of customer experience success:

• Technology & Enablement
• People & Culture
• Loyalty & Long Term Value
• Measurement & Continuous Improvement

These pillars help dealerships build trust, reduce friction, and deliver the “magic moments” that leave a lasting impression.

Ready to elevate your customer experience?