The History of Mudd Advertising at NADA

When Mudd Advertising started in 1981 out of Jim Mudd Sr.’s basement, not even he could predict the success that would lead the company to where it is today. The opportunity to speak at the National Automotive Dealer Association Conference in February of 1986 was a huge break, as his new and radically different approach to marketing and advertising drew interest from dealers everywhere. Although the business was still young and money was tight, Jim’s oldest son and a friend who was joining Jim’s company drove a motor home down to New Orleans to attend the convention. This was the start of an ongoing relationship with the NADA that grows stronger every year. After Jim spoke at the convention in 1986, as well as the following year, the phones were ringing off the hook. Jim had acquired countless leads and closed about 20 accounts in 24 months resulting directly from his words of advertising wisdom. While the company still works with around 80 percent of those clients today, Jim also addressed the audience in 1990, 1991 and 2000, paving the way for a much larger scale of accomplishment. Jim, along with Clifton Lambreth later went on to write an extremely insightful book about the ups, downs, joys and challenges of creating a family business and learning culture called, “The Ad Man.” Presentation Schedule - NADA 2000 The company’s dedication to providing clients with consistent, measurable success is what makes Mudd Advertising so extraordinary, and one thing that has never changed is the power of relationships. People buy from people they like. That’s why the importance of attending the NADA Convention each year cannot be overstated. You never know who will walk by, who you will meet on the bus riding to the convention or who you will sit next to on the airplane. Seeing old friends and re-kindling relationships is something special that the NADA Convention provides, and it has had a tremendous impact on the way we do business. Mudd NADA Booth - 2000 One of Jim’s sons, Rob Mudd, spoke at the conference in 2007 and will speak again in January of 2014 about the secrets of CPO science. Developed exclusively for NADA, Rob’s seminar will reveal how retailing is a science not an art-form. We are extremely excited to continue the 28-year tradition of attending the NADA Convention. That being said, we look forward to building more long-term relationships at booth #1427 on January 24 – 27, 2014!