Catalyst IQ

05/27/2026

New vehicle prices are approaching a record high. The average marketed price hit $51,610 on May 26, just $30 below the all-time record in July 2023. This time, prices may not come back down.

Higher prices are increasingly embedded in MSRP rather than driven by short-term inventory shortages, which means dealers need a different approach to pricing, inventory mix, and advertising.

Here are six strategies for operating in a higher-priced market: https://hubs.li/Q04hYL4L0

05/26/2026

Every month, Catalyst IQ publishes market data, expert analysis, and practical guidance for dealers who want to stay ahead of what's happening in their market.

Subscribe at the link below so you never miss an issue. → https://hubs.li/Q04hXwnQ0

05/21/2026

While other Hyundai dealers in their market saw sales drop 4%, this dealership grew sales 15% in their first 30 days with Catalyst IQ.

The broader market was flat, competitors were losing ground, and month one was no time for guesswork. MarketAI showed their Dealer Success Manager exactly where this store could win, and the campaigns followed that data across Paid Search, Performance Max, and Google Vehicle Ads.

One month later:
+15% increase in sales
+9% increase in turn rate
+2.4% increase in market share

See the full story: https://hubs.li/Q04hnrH10

05/19/2026

One month into working with Catalyst IQ, this Stellantis dealership outpaced their entire competitive set and grew sales +218%. Discover the strategy they used to do it:
https://hubs.li/Q04h64c_0

05/18/2026

Joe Beck joins Catalyst IQ as a Dealer Success Manager with a background in automotive digital marketing, campaign strategy, and performance reporting. Prior to joining Catalyst IQ, he supported dealership marketing efforts across the Northeast to help improve dealership performance and visibility.

Before automotive marketing, Joe served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force where he developed the leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills he now brings to dealer partnerships and client success.

We are very excited to have Joe join the team where he can draw on his prior dealership marketing experience and love for data to push the envelope for our clients. His mix of automotive knowledge, analytical mindset, and client-first approach makes him a great addition to the Catalyst IQ team. ✨

05/15/2026

Effective automotive SEO services today should cover three disciplines:

• Traditional search optimization
• Answer engine optimization
• Generative engine optimization

Together, they determine whether your dealership shows up in search results, AI-generated answers, and AI-driven conversations.

If your strategy only covers one of these, you’re leaving gaps in how shoppers find and choose your dealership.

Read the full blog to go deeper → https://hubs.li/Q04gFTrT0

05/13/2026

Display ads play an important role in modern dealership marketing, especially when they’re connected to your inventory.

When display campaigns feature real vehicles and align with shopper behavior, they help extend visibility, reinforce consideration, and support other channels already driving demand.

In our free inventory-based advertising guide, we break down how display ads fit into a smarter, inventory-first strategy, including what they’re best used for and how to think about them alongside search and VDP activity.

If you’re looking to make display more intentional, the guide is a helpful place to start. https://hubs.li/Q04glDHq0

05/11/2026

78% of vehicle shoppers find social media useful when deciding on a new vehicle purchase. It’s no surprise, then, that social media has moved well past the awareness stage to become one of the most active shopping environments in automotive.

As social plays a larger role in the buying journey, decisions about which vehicles appear in social ads and how often they are shown matters more than ever.

Our latest blog post explores how using market data to guide vehicle prioritization can help social ads align more closely with real shopper behavior. https://hubs.li/Q04f_VBc0

05/05/2026

Are new vehicle prices about to hit a new record?

Not yet, but they're close. On April 30, the average marketed price of a new vehicle climbed to $51,242, the highest point in more than two and a half years.

Unlike previous price spikes caused by supply shortages or incentive pullbacks, this increase is structural. Nearly half of the top 200 models have seen MSRP increases of 3% or more. And when MSRP prices go up, they tend to stick.

Our latest blog digs into what's driving prices up, why these increases are sticking, and what dealers can do about it.

Check it out →

New car prices are near record highs in 2026. Catalyst IQ's MarketAI data shows why MSRP increases are sticking and what dealers should do next.

05/04/2026

Your dealership's social ads should never promote a vehicle that sold yesterday. But without a live inventory feed powering your campaigns, it happens more than it should.

We put together a breakdown of how inventory-synced social ads work best and how VIN-level scoring helps you prioritize which vehicles get advertising support.

Read the guide: https://hubs.li/Q04fkfsx0

05/01/2026

Ford raised its 2026 profit outlook this week, but aluminum supply disruptions are putting pressure on production and margins.

Reuters reporter Nora Eckert turned to Catalyst IQ's real-time market intelligence to report that F-150 inventory dropped 38% in April compared to the prior year, largely due to two fires at Novelis, Ford's primary U.S.

A $1.3 billion tariff refund helped Ford's Q1 results, but rising material costs are already offsetting part of that relief.

Read the full story: https://hubs.li/Q04f7VHN0