CDK
The Story
For over thirty years, CDK has been all-in on dealers, building software, systems, and support that make running a dealership just a little bit easier. They get the grind. They understand what’s at stake. And even when it’s not always visible, they’re working quietly, every day, to help dealers grow — through better tools, smarter billing, and technology that actually helps people do their jobs.
And that’s where we come in.
Geletka+ has helped CDK tell that story for the past three years. We create campaigns, content, and messaging that connects with dealers, speaks their language, and shows them what CDK is doing to stay ahead of the market. It’s not about hype. It’s about showing up and delivering. Every single day.
How We Got Started
CDK wasn’t just looking for another vendor. They were looking for a partner who understood their business.
Running a dealership is hard. The pace, the pressure, the complexity. This is a business that demands resilience. Grit. And CDK gets that because they’ve lived it. Every day for decades, they’ve been right there with dealers, evolving with the industry, staying tough through every market swing, and helping stores stay connected, competitive, and profitable.
CDK is more than tech — it’s a commitment to every car dealer in the country. To power their business of fueling the second-biggest purchase most people will ever make.
So when CDK came to Geletka+, they weren’t looking for a pitch. They wanted a partner who understood the stakes, respected the hustle, and was ready to help them keep moving the industry forward.
Immersion Over Assumptions
Before we made a single creative recommendation, we got on the ground. We asked questions, shadowed teams, sat on dealership floors, and dug into the rhythms of the business. We approached the engagement more like a consulting partnership than a traditional ad campaign.
But we didn’t just talk to CDK leadership. We talked to the people who use the product every day, learning what dealers actually need, what frustrates them, and what earns their trust.
What we learned about dealers was eye-opening and humbling. These folks are tough, sharp, efficient, and allergic to anything that wastes their time. They’ve been through every twist and turn in this industry, and they know exactly what matters.
Starting With Simple
The First Annual Campaign
Dealers don’t respond to fluff. So for our first campaign, we stripped the message down to what matters. Big visuals. Minimal text. Clear value. It was the boldest, cleanest campaign CDK had ever run, and it stood out.
But we didn’t land it on the first try. Early drafts were too clever and felt disconnected from the real world. CDK called it out. We listened, regrouped, and came back with messaging that was tighter, more grounded, and deeply aligned with what dealers care about.
The result: CDK’s highest-performing campaign in five years.
Bringing It All Together
The Launch of Unify
Midway through the year, CDK launched Unify, a platform that brought fragmented tools and logins into one streamlined system. We supported the rollout with an integrated campaign across digital, social, direct mail, and even a custom game for the NADA Show — the industry's largest convention.
The message was clear: less friction, more focus, everything in one place. Dealers got it instantly.
Going From → To
Making Connections That Move Business Forward
Our second annual campaign was built around transformation. We introduced a flexible visual system that framed real dealer challenges against real product benefits.
“From 30 minutes on hold...
...to 30 more closed sales.”
We also supported the launch of the CDK Dealership Xperience, an industry-first fully integrated platform that evolved how CDK went to market — and helped shape the early positioning of CDK's approach to AI, ensuring the brand spoke clearly and credibly in a rapidly changing tech narrative.
Navigating Disruption
During a period of unexpected disruption, our team helped CDK pause, pivot, and protect the trust they had built with their customers. Messaging had to shift quickly. Creative needed to be updated across campaigns and platforms. We worked closely with internal teams to respond in real time, staying focused on clear communication and thoughtful adjustments while helping the brand move forward.
Through it all, CDK remained steady and resilient, and we stayed right there with them.
Focused on Growth
Sharpening Our Focus
By year three, the relationship was running strong. The creative got sharper. The campaigns moved faster. We focused on what mattered most: more clarity, more connection, and more confidence for CDK and the dealers they serve.
We tracked the numbers, stayed close to the headlines, and kept listening to real dealers. The work got better because the relationship got deeper.
Reflecting on the Engagement
We've learned a lot partnering with CDK:
- Be nimble and ready to change. The industry may look slow, but it moves fast.
- Know the business, do the work — and keep doing the work.
- Talk to dealers regularly. They’ll tell you what’s working.
- Push the creative in the right ways, and always stay grounded in what matters.
- Watch the numbers. Earn the trust. Repeat.
- This is what a true AOR relationship looks like. Not just showing up for the brief. Showing up for the business.
Impact
- Delivered CDK's highest-performing ad campaign in 5 years.
- Elevated the brand's perception as the industry leader through sharp, evocative campaign work.
- Helped CDK navigate the AI boom and launch its largest and most game-changing software releases in years.
- Improved engagement at industry trade shows through custom game development.
- Helped CDK respond to a major business disruption with clarity and confidence.
Credits
Joe Wangler + John Geletka + Amanie Safadi + Austin Bond + John DeLuca + Jack Connor + Allison Catuira + Jeff Walker + Spencer Sease + Jeremy Johnson + Cat Janky + Kristian Vazquez + Nancy Mines + Deb Pahl + Doug Leinen + John Scarpelli + Richard O'Donnell + Sheetal Meher + Chris Farrar + Josh Peterson + Frank Nazal + Matt Jordens + Aveline Hauser + Ron Gustafson + Michelle Vaccaro + Gina Caballeros + Mark Capapas + Adam Moorman + Lauren Moorman