Kevin Parlett has spent most of his life in the automotive industry. Growing up in a drag racing family, he developed an early passion for motorsports that eventually led him to competitive racing, running his own marketing agency and working with major automotive brands. Today, he serves as director of marketing at Kahn Media and helps lead TREAD Agency.
On the latest episode of the “Only The Strong Survive” podcast, host Dan Kahn sat down with Parlett to discuss his career, lessons learned throughout his time in the industry and their recent experience at the 2026 SEMA Show. The conversation also explored Kahn Media’s latest automotive aftermarket industry research report and what its findings reveal about how consumers discover, research and purchase products.
Click the icon above to listen to the entire episode, and here are our top five takeaways:
A passion for racing can lead to unexpected career opportunities.
Understanding the consumer is essential to effective marketing.
SEMA 2026 showcased the diversity of the automotive aftermarket.
The work doesn’t stop when SEMA ends.
Automotive buyers are taking different paths to purchase.
Building a Career Around Racing
Parlett grew up surrounded by motorsports. His father founded Computech, a company specializing in weather stations for drag racing, and Parlett attended his first Performance Racing Industry (PRI) trade show at just 12 years old. He eventually began competing in autocross and time attack racing, building an Infiniti G35 that he continues to race today.
His racing experience also opened the door to professional opportunities, including working as a crew chief for Nissan Motorsports North America. Alongside his racing career, Parlett founded Apex Marketing, managing clients across multiple industries before eventually joining VP Racing on the brand side. His experience as a racer, business owner and marketer helped shape the approach he brings to his current role at Kahn Media.
“If it’s a challenge that needs to get the right message to the right people, I enjoy doing it no matter really what the topic is,” said Parlett.
Understanding the Consumer
Throughout his career, Parlett has learned that effective marketing begins with understanding the audience. While technology and marketing platforms continue to change, brands still need to know who their customers are, what matters to them and what influences their purchasing decisions.
For automotive aftermarket companies, Parlett believes that understanding the enthusiast is particularly important. Brands may know the technical specifications and benefits of their products, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they understand why consumers want them. As audiences become more segmented, companies need to adapt their messaging to address the different needs and interests of their customers.
“Brands have been losing their identity, I think, over the last decade in the automotive aftermarket,” said Parlett. “And I think the brands who have stuck with that identity and can still put themselves in the enthusiast shoes are the ones that are really winning.”
A Diverse Showing at SEMA 2026
Having recently returned from the 2026 SEMA Show, Parlett shared his observations about this year’s event. Kahn Media had 18 team members on the ground supporting seven clients, giving the team opportunities to participate in product launches, media events and brand activations throughout the week.
One of the biggest highlights for Parlett was the variety of vehicles and enthusiast communities represented at the show. He was particularly impressed by the lowrider displays, expanded powersports presence and the number of classic trucks throughout the convention center. He also noted the quality of conversations happening between exhibitors and attendees, along with the growing use of content creators in brand activations.
“For the first time probably in my career going to SEMA, I felt like every piece of the industry was truly well represented,” said Parlett.
Making the Most of SEMA After the Show
Although SEMA remains one of the automotive industry’s most important annual events, Parlett emphasized that companies need a plan to maintain momentum once the show ends. Product launches, media coverage and conversations with potential customers can create valuable opportunities, but brands must continue engaging those audiences throughout the following months.
Parlett explained that trade shows have evolved considerably over the years. Rather than relying primarily on orders placed during the event, companies now need to incorporate SEMA into their broader marketing strategies. That includes following up with leads, creating relevant content and using digital marketing to keep products in front of potential buyers. With automotive and motorsports events taking place throughout the year, he believes the weeks immediately following SEMA are especially important.
“If you’re trying to strike the iron while it’s hot, now is the time to do it,” said Parlett. “If you’ve got engine components that you’re trying to sell to somebody, this is the time where they’re building those things.”
The Changing Path to Purchase
One of the major topics discussed during the episode was Kahn Media’s latest automotive aftermarket industry research report, which examines how enthusiasts discover, research and purchase products. The research included thousands of consumer survey responses and interviews with automotive industry professionals, providing insight into how purchasing behavior is changing.
One of the most significant findings was the lack of a dominant channel for product discovery. Consumers are gathering information through search engines, AI tools, social media, content creators, online communities and brand websites. They are also using customer reviews, installation videos and product information to validate their decisions. Parlett explained that this creates a challenge for marketers, who must ensure their messaging remains consistent across multiple channels while providing the specific information customers are looking for.
“You have to be consistent. So that’s the biggest one, right? It’s consistent messaging,” said Parlett. “That’s why we talked about, you know, making sure your PDP landing page matches your retailers. Making sure that the questions that you’re asking or answering, I should say, on those pages are the ones that people are searching for.”
