AI and Email: Smarter Retention Starts with Retain

Email still works when it’s done right. The difference between ignored inbox noise and messages that actually drive clicks, appointments, and sales comes down to who you’re emailing and why. That’s where Retain changes the game. 

Retain is Strong Automotive’s audience management platform built specifically for dealerships that want better results from email, digital ads, and remarketing. It turns anonymous website traffic into real, verified people and uses AI-driven insights to help you send the right message at the right time. 

Why Retain Makes Email Perform Better 

Traditional email blasts rely on static lists that age fast. Retain works differently. 

With advanced identity resolution, Retain converts website visitors into verified names and email addresses, capturing 80 to 90 unique data points per profile. Those profiles refresh every 24 hours, so your messaging stays accurate and relevant. 

What that means for email: 

• Fewer generic sends 

• More personalized messaging 

• Stronger engagement from real shoppers 

• Automated updates as customer behavior changes 

Better data equals better email performance, plain and simple. 

The Simple 1, 2, 3 Approach to Using Retain 

Retain is built to solve a real dealership challenge: staying connected to shoppers after they leave your website. Instead of relying on static lists or guesswork, Retain uses real behavior and AI-driven insights to turn interest into action. 

Step 1: Identify Real, High-Intent Shoppers 

Every visit to your website tells a story. Retain turns anonymous traffic into verified names and email addresses, then layers in dozens of behavioral data points. This allows dealerships to move beyond page views and see who is actually shopping, researching, or preparing to take the next step. 

Whether it’s a shopper browsing new inventory, comparing models, or returning multiple times, Retain helps surface real intent so your marketing speaks to people who are already interested. 

Step 2: Build Audiences that Match Buying Behavior 

Not every shopper is the same, and Retain makes it easy to separate casual browsers from serious buyers. Using AI-driven audience building or custom logic, dealerships can group customers based on real actions and attributes, such as: 

Recent inventory searches 

• Credit range indicators 

• Sales or service activity 

• On-site engagement patterns 

This allows dealerships to send more relevant emails, offers, and follow-ups that match where shoppers are in the buying cycle, without overwhelming them with generic messaging. 

Step 3: Activate Smarter, Always-Updated Marketing 

Once audiences are created, Retain puts them to work immediately. These dynamic segments can be activated across email, SMS, and digital advertising channels, ensuring consistent messaging wherever shoppers spend time online. 

Because audiences refresh automatically, dealerships don’t have to manage outdated lists. As new shoppers meet your criteria, they’re added in real time, keeping campaigns timely, accurate, and effective. 

AI-Powered Email that Stays Relevant 

Retain’s AI goes a step further by identifying active “intenders,” shoppers currently researching vehicles in your market. These insights help power automated email campaigns that stay aligned with real-world behavior, not assumptions. 

The result is email marketing that: 

• Feels timely instead of intrusive 

• Reinforces dealership value at the right moment 

• Keeps your brand visible throughout the decision process 

When emails reflect what shoppers are actually doing, engagement improves, and opportunities don’t slip through the cracks. 

How Strong Automotive Brings It All Together 

Retain provides the intelligence. Strong Automotive helps turn that intelligence into strategy. From audience planning and campaign execution to aligning email with digital ads and messaging, Strong helps dealerships get more value from every interaction. 

With Strong Automotive guiding your digital marketing approach, Retain becomes more than a platform; it becomes a smarter way to connect with shoppers, improve retention, and drive long-term results.