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Welcome back Insiders.
Thank you to those who tuned in to the last issue for the release of The REV.
The results have been amazing but…at first glance somewhat unexpected.
Although the data behind The REV and the Automotive Reputation Index is 100% from automotive dealerships, many are tuning in from other industries.
And when I think about it, that’s smart. Going outside one's industry to grab insights and use them to gain an edge.
I do it all the time for this newsletter.
We found some exciting angles for REV #001 and REV #002 is coming together nicely for 11/30. Subscribe via email or Subscribe on LinkedIn.
The OpenAI Keynote
A little over a week ago, OpenAI, the developer of the ChatGPT tool, hosted its first developer day — an event to launch new dev tools and build hype around their products.
There was a lot of hype around the event, pundits calling it very “Steve Jobs-like,” viewing OpenAI CEO Sam Altman as the next stratospheric tech icon. Then, as you probably heard, Altman was fired 11 days later. Now with Microsoft, Altman’s story continues.
I watched the keynote and wanted to highlight a condensed list of new things OpenAI is doing that could prove useful for local marketers.
First, GPT-4 Turbo
“Turbo” is OpenAI's latest model. There are several improvements, but these three are notable to the LMI audience.
It’s cheaper.
OpenAI is slashing costs. In marketing speak, they describe it as “3x cheaper.” This is particularly relevant when you’re running a lot of requests for commercial purposes. The consumer tool is still $20/month.
Better info.
One, the content cutoff has been improved to include information as recent as April of 2023, as opposed to the previous cutoff of 2021. The model is now mostly caught up on time-sensitive topics and Altman stated the company is continually focused on bringing that cutoff up to the present day.
Two, you can now connect the model to outside documents or databases. If your business has a specific resource or database that you’d like ChatGPT to summarize or pull answers from, for example, that is now supported.
Text to voice.
This was a small piece of the presentation but it seemed notable.
Any text can be turned into audio, and the output sounds good. Hear it. For me the first thing that came to mind was creating voiceovers for content pieces.
Spotify is currently piloting a program to translate podcast episodes into other languages using the technology.
Credit: OpenAI
“GPTs” - A Customized Version of ChatGPT for a Specific Purpose
A “GPT” is like an app.
OpenAI will be launching a GPT store where you can access custom GPTs – think a creative writing coach, a startup advisor or a travel assistant. Canva GPT, which can suggest a design and Zapier GPT, which can connect and enrich your calendar are two real examples that made their debut.
Credit: Canva
The true difference maker here is any program can be built with natural language. You can create a GPT by just telling the “GPT Builder” tool what you want it to do and what material you want it to reference.
Here’s a screenshot showing how simple it is to provide instructions that create GPTs like this Calendar GPT:
Credit: Zapier
It’s dramatically more accessible than anything I’ve seen.
I’m excited to see how many useful tools come out of these features and how GPT will improve our marketing strategies.
Alright, housekeeping. More releases coming!
We will release two new automotive reports powered by the Widewail Automotive Reputation Index in December and January.
On 12/14, we will be launching the 2023 Automotive Voice of the Customer Report. The VOC Report will tell us what drives positive or negative sentiment (i.e. staff, communication, price, etc.), featuring a unique dive into EV customer experience. We’re excited about this one.
In late January, we’re launching what we’re calling the Automotive Brand Reputation Scorecard. We will be stack-ranking and cross-comparing automaker reputations and customer sentiment.
If you sign up for the Index or the REV, you’ll get an early copy of the report. Or just keep an eye on it here.
Happy Thanksgiving to our readers in the US.
See you in 2 weeks - Jake, Marketing @Widewail