Driving Sales and ROI with Catalyst IQ’s AI-Powered Insights

Catalyst IQ: A New Era of Automotive Marketing Intelligence

Written by Andy Lobred, President | January 14, 2026

When you've spent decades serving the automotive industry, you learn something important: the best solutions aren't built by starting from scratch. They're built by bringing together the right expertise at the right time.

That's the story behind Catalyst IQ—the uniting of four established automotive marketing leaders: Adpearance, Fox Dealer, Search Optics, and ZeroSum.

More Than a Merger—A New Beginning

Rather than just combining forces under one existing brand, we saw an opportunity to do something bigger: Break down the silos that often hold dealers back and build a truly integrated platform designed to drive faster sales for dealerships.  

Dealerships don't have time to stitch together disconnected tools. You need to see what's happening in your market right now, understand what actions to take, and move fast before opportunities disappear. You need clarity on what's working and what's not. And you need a partner who understands the automotive business inside and out. 

That's why we built Catalyst IQ: To unify data, AI technology, and human intelligence into one platform that accelerates your sales. 

The Power of Bringing the Best Together

Catalyst IQ is uniting a powerhouse team of automotive marketing professionals who know this industry inside and out. We are certified by 22 OEMs and help dealers navigate the complexities of digital marketing. Our deep partnerships with OEMs and dealer groups mean Catalyst IQ is uniquely positioned to deliver marketing intelligence at scale. 

By bringing four proven companies under one roof, we are eliminating the friction points that slow dealers down. No more waiting on lagging reports from one vendor while another vendor tells a different story. No more guessing which marketing tactics are actually moving metal off your lot. Instead, you get a single source of truth powered by MarketAI®—our proprietary intelligence engine that combines real-time market data with AI-driven recommendations and human expertise. 

The depth of MarketAI's intelligence comes from tracking nearly 20,000 franchise dealers across the US and 99% of independent dealers. Since 2014, we've tracked over 1.5 billion Vehicle Detail Pages, giving us over a decade of data and insight into market dynamics, pricing trends, and inventory movement.  

What This Means for Your Bottom Line

With that kind of market intelligence and an integrated platform behind you, the advantages become clear.  

  • Turn Data into Action Instantly: Vehicle demand shifts, inventory ages, and competitor strategies change weekly. Catalyst IQ gives you real-time intelligence that tells you exactly what to do next, so you can act with confidence while opportunities are still fresh. 
  • Gain Complete Visibility and Control: With Catalyst IQ, you get complete transparency into what's working and what's not. You can see which inventory is being promoted, understand performance across every channel, and adjust strategies instantly. 
  • Accelerate Revenue Growth: Our platform removes friction from your entire sales process, connecting every touchpoint from initial interest to final purchase. When advertising, websites, SEO & AEO, and lead nurture work together seamlessly, powered by the same market intelligence, you shorten your sales cycle and close deals faster. 
  • Amplify Intelligence with Human IQ: Technology is powerful, but it can't replace the strategic thinking that comes from deep automotive expertise. We combine AI precision with human intelligence; the algorithm handles complexity while our team brings automotive knowledge that helps you make smarter, faster decisions. 

An Automotive Marketing Company Built for Your Reality

Catalyst IQ was built for speed, scale, and adaptability. Whether you're responding to a market shift, launching a new campaign, or trying to move aged inventory, our platform moves at the pace your business demands. 

We also designed Catalyst IQ to work the way you work. Need just SEO? We can help. Want to integrate advertising, website optimization, and lead nurture into one seamless system? Even better. Our platform scales to your needs. 

Moving Forward Together

As we step into this new chapter, we're excited about what we'll accomplish together—helping OEMs, dealer groups, and dealerships navigate an ever-changing market with confidence, clarity, and the tools to win. The future of automotive marketing is here, and we're building it with you.

About Catalyst IQ

Catalyst IQ is an integrated automotive marketing platform that helps dealerships make smarter decisions and sell more cars using real-time data, AI-powered insights, and expert human support. From digital advertising and web presence to SEO/AEO and engagement, every solution works together to drive measurable growth.