At RPA, we take a lot of pride in the strong relationships and long track record of success that we have with our Honda and Acura Dealer Ad Association clients. No other agency can offer the benefits and advantages to DAA clients that RPA does — combined with first-class service, local expertise, custom creative solutions and media strategy that reduces the cost of selling and drives margins.
For over a decade, RPA has partnered with numerous Honda and Acura associations across the country with the clear goal of increasing sales, market share and dealership profit for our clients. We are proud of the success we’ve had together, and our team is always thinking about how we can help drive dealer business to even greater heights. Our People First focus and top-notch field teams have resulted in a long track record of strong relationships with our DAA clients all over the country.
From editing to motion graphics to full-blown shoots on the Helium stage, here’s some of our favorite work.
Name?
Erin Lynch
What do you do?
I work closely with and support the entire field account team and media teams to coordinate efforts and keep communications and information flowing. I also work directly with Kym Landan and Matt Howell on any projects with American Honda, including supplemental commitments and media invoices, compliance and sponsorship submissions.
Why do you love working with the DAAs?
Every day is different. Each DAA is unique. I truly enjoy keeping the communications between teams flowing, solving problems and having such variety to the day!
How long have you been doing this?
I’ve been working on American Honda advertising and marketing in a variety of capacities for over 20 years. And I’ve been laser focused on the DAAs for 7.
Fun fact?
I was on the other side of advertising as a child — I was in commercials from the age of 6 months to 8 years old, in spots for brands like Scott T’s toilet paper, Mama Celeste frozen pizza, Raisin Bran cereal and Polaroid.
Name?
Paul Santello
What do you do?
I oversee media strategy on several retail businesses at RPA. As my focus is on retail-oriented businesses, I spend much of my time identifying how we can best use media to drive retail-specific KPIs for our clients.
Why do you love working with the DAAs?
I love working with the DAAs for the challenges it represents. Every DAA is different, and every dealer in each DAA has powerful voice and a point of view, and this brings wide and varied challenges to the table which makes things exciting for me. The experience keeps us constantly learning new things, thinking about staying ahead, and doing whatever we can to make sure we are growing their business and making them happy.
How long have you been doing this?
I have been in advertising for 32 years, and I’ve had a retail focus for the last 10. I have worked in automotive since 2003 and on DAA business specifically since 2012.
Fun fact?
I love fitness and I love raising money for charity, and I have combined the two for much of my adult life. If I am raising money, there is usually a physical event I am undertaking. I have ridden my bike 550 miles over seven days (several times), run 26 marathons all over the US and Europe, and too-many-to-count half marathons, 10Ks, stair climbs, Tough Mudders — you name it — all while raising money for various charities. The vast majority of my fundraising is for health and human services charities that fight cancer, hunger, homelessness, and HIV/AIDS.
Name?
Jeff Van Blarcom
What do you do?
I lead the Account Team based in Dallas, covering the Southern US — Texas, Oklahoma,Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi
Why do you love working with the DAAs?
I love the ability to connect with the dealers, listen and learn. Each market has their own unique media consumption habits, from Houston to Hattiesburg.
How long have you been doing this?
21 years!
Fun fact?
I'm a former drummer and live/studio musician. I love metal and country music (and everything in-between).
Name?
Tim Woo
What do you do?
I oversee the Marketing Intelligence Group at RPA that covers Media Research, Audience Intelligence, Ad Operations and Research, Analytics & Insights.
Why do you love working with the DAAs?
I enjoy learning about the intricacies of each market and how we can help solve their business needs. Using data and analytics, we can better understand the market dynamics and bring data-driven decisions to the forefront to ultimately drive vehicle sales.
How long have you been doing this?
I have been working in the automotive industry for over 18 years and have experience working with dealer ad associations for 10 years.
Fun fact?
I am an avid fan of punk rock music and in my spare time, I enjoy going to shows / concerts. Hearing aids are undoubtedly needed in my foreseeable future.
Name?
Danielle Myers
What do you do?
Local Media Director, Northeast
Why do you love working with the DAAs?
Each dealer group has their own objectives and needs. It’s fun to work with them to determine what those are, help them solve issues and meet their goals. The best part of my job is working with my incredible team across the agency to accomplish these goals for our clients.
How long have you been doing this?
I have been working in the industry since 1994, and on auto business since 1996.
Fun fact?
I love to see live music and have even traveled to England to see my favorite band!
Name?
Rich Bina
What do you do?
I lead Strategy Development on DAA business, with a special focus on understanding the customer journey to purchase and coordinating efforts to move shoppers into the showroom and driving off the lot in a new Honda or Acura.
Why do you love working with the DAAs?
Dealers are smart and very outcome-oriented, and the closer you get to final purchase, the clearer you can see the outcomes of successful advertising.
How long have you been doing this?
I've worked on Honda for 15 years, and 18 years in auto advertising overall.
Fun fact?
I produced a feature-length independent film — a noir thriller.
Name?
Lita Keller
What do you do?
As a Senior Regional Account Director, I manage six DAA accounts with a total of 14 individual markets.
Why do you love working with the DAAs?
I enjoy learning about idiosyncrasies of markets in my region and playing to the strengths to help my clients. No cookie cutter plans here! It tests my people skills as dealer management is always changing. Getting to know new clients keeps me on my toes.
How long have you been doing this?
27 years at RPA!
Fun fact?
I'm also a fitness instructor, certified to teach seven different formats — including lifting, dance, core and more.
Name?
Nichola Perrigo
What do you do?
I help sell cars! I do so by providing sound digital media strategy and investing our DAA clients' dollars in the most efficient way — using programmatic and social platforms to ensure we target the right people, with the right messaging.
Why do you love working with the DAAs?
I love helping to drive the larger business objectives for American Honda overall — and bringing that knowledge to our dealers in order to help them move actual inventory on the ground.
How long have you been doing this?
I’ve been working in some form of marketing my entire career — it pivoted from working closely with very needy celebrities, to working with industry-leading brands.
Fun facts?
I have a permanently broken right foot and am a dual citizen of England.
Name?
Tim Moran
What do you do?
VP, Director of Field Operations
Why do you love working with the DAAs?
I really enjoy the opportunity to impact things at a retail level, assisting in making recommendations and action plans that will directly impact the dealer on the showroom floor and in their store. I'm proud of growing and maintaining special relationships with unique clients that will last an entire lifetime.
How long have you been doing this?
I've been in the industry for 35 years — having spent time working on Hyundai, Nissan, Acura and the Honda Dealer Association business since 1986.
Fun fact?
I once scored a hole-in-one on the golf course I grew up on, in 1996.
Name?
Stephanie Kalahar
What do you do?
I manage the local media team out of our RPA Dallas regional office, along with negotiating a few local markets of my own.
Why do you love working with the DAAs?
I really enjoy how closely we get to work with our local RPA Account teams on the business. We stay in tune with our markets’ performance from a sales perspective, along with other dealer nuances, which gives us leverage as we implement the local media buys on their behalf. Attending DAA meetings and getting that face-to-face is another perk!
How long have you been doing this?
I’ve worked at RPA for 22 years and have touched the Honda business through Regional Marketing and/or the DAA business since my very first day with the agency.
Fun fact?
I went to the University of Kansas and am a big college hoops fan (my TXtags = ROCHLK). I have been to a total of 12 Final Fours dating back to 1991.
Name?
Gayle Gray
What do you do?
I manage media strategy development and execution for all Honda and Acura Dealer Associations handled by RPA.
Why do you love working with the DAAs?
Exploring market nuances and seeing all the different ways that campaigns with similar objectives can play out.
How long have you been doing this?
22 years at RPA and 7 focused on the DAAs.
Fun fact?
I lived in three different countries before I turned two years old.
Name?
Sarah O'Grady
What do you do?
I am the Director of the Atlanta office as well as a Director in the Local Media Services team. As part of the Local Media Services team, I work as a liaison between multiple departments across the agency to ensure all clients' objectives are being met.
Why do you love working with the DAAs?
I love to get to know the local market nuances to ensure that the market is being effectively reached.
How long have you been doing this?
I have been at RPA for 24 years!
Fun fact?
Growing up in Connecticut, I was raised as an avid New York Yankees fan. If you ever visit me in the Atlanta office, you will find a 6 ft. cut-out of Derek Jeter watching over things!
Name?
Mary Hoover
What do you do?
I manage the local investment team in Santa Monica. I also negotiate media buys for our local clients.
Why do you love working with the DAAs?
I love hearing input from the dealers and understanding their wants and needs for their individual markets. Assembling media buys with in-depth knowledge are keys to a success story.
How long have you been doing this?
I’ve been working on DAA business for 14 years.
Fun fact?
I’ve climbed to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa and been hiking all over the world including around Mt. Everest.
Name?
Mya Le
What do you do?
Media Planning & Strategy
Why do you love working with the DAAs?
Every DAA has unique challenges and it's absolutely rewarding to work alongside our clients to help overcome those challenges.
How long have you been doing this?
Approaching 9 years at RPA, with the past 5 years dedicated to DAAs.
Fun fact?
I love trying new cuisines and typically plan my travels around places with delicious food. In 2018, I had the opportunity to go truffle hunting in Tuscany and it was quite the experience!
If you’d like to learn more about how RPA drives success for our DAA clients, please reach out to Erin.
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