Aside from great automotive software, one of the best resources car dealerships can take advantage of is dealer co-op programs. These programs are partnerships that share marketing costs between car manufacturers and dealers, and they give dealerships money to support their advertising.
In this article, we’ll discuss the best car dealer programs of 2025 and why they can make a big difference in your marketing and sales.
What Are Dealer Co-op Programs?
Dealer co-op programs are agreements between car manufacturers and dealerships that help fund advertising. Using these agreements, manufacturers reimburse dealerships for a portion of their marketing expenses, given that they follow specific branding guidelines. Essentially, manufacturers know they benefit when dealerships advertise their vehicles, so this is a way for them to help more dealerships spread the word.
In general, co-op programs are designed to do a few different things. They improve brand consistency, making sure that dealership vehicle advertisements align with the manufacturer’s brand identity. They reduce marketing costs since manufacturers and dealerships share the financial burden of advertising. Finally, they can improve the impact of local advertising since dealerships usually create campaigns for their local markets.
The key to using these programs is understanding the opportunities they can give dealerships, as well as choosing the right co-op advertising program for you.
Why You Should Consider Co-op Advertising in 2025
The automotive industry continues to change as we see advancements in technology and artificial intelligence for dealerships, consumer behavior, and advertising methods. In 2025, co-op programs are expected to be more valuable than ever because they can help improve a dealership’s digital advertising, allowing you to optimize your budget while giving you access to advanced tools you might not otherwise have been able to afford.
Focus on Digital AdvertisingAccording to surveys, 95 percent of car buyers start their journey online. With more consumers researching and buying cars online, co-op programs often center heavily around digital platforms like social media, search engine marketing, and video ads. As a dealership, this can help push you to focus your efforts where they’re going to make the biggest difference.
Save Money on Advertisements Co-op programs allow you to stretch your advertising budgets further by covering up to 50 percent of your marketing expenses.
Access to Advanced ToolsHaving the best automotive software is important to stand out. When you join a co-op program, they’ll often give you access to analytics, AI-driven ad placement, and creative templates.
The Best Dealer Co-op Programs of 2025
Here, we take a look at the top car dealer programs available this year.
Toyota’s Coordinated Marketing and Training Program (CMTP)Toyota’s Coordinated Marketing and Training Program continues to set the gold standard for co-op programs. They offer support for both traditional and digital marketing efforts, sharing costs for marketing and training to give dealerships the best possible return on investment. The program has generous reimbursement rates, often covering up to 75 percent of eligible expenses. They offer guidelines for digital advertising, including search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, and give their partners access to Toyota’s proprietary marketing portal for campaign templates and analytics tools. CMTP is paid for through quarterly contributions billed on dealers’ parts statements, matched dollar-for-dollar by Toyota Motor North America.
General Motors (GM) iMR ProgramGeneral Motors’ iMR (In-Market Retail) program is one of the most flexible co-op advertising programs available and covers a wide range of marketing needs. It includes eligibility for various advertising types, including radio, TV, digital, and print, and they offer a tiered reimbursement system that increases benefits for high-performing dealerships. One of the reasons the program is so popular is that it incentivizes performance, rewarding dealerships that consistently drive sales and show high customer satisfaction ratings.
Ford’s Dealer Co-op Advertising ProgramFord’s program allows dealers to share the cost of local advertising with Ford by receiving reimbursement for qualifying ads. Though the program covers both digital and traditional methods, in 2018, Ford changed its spending guidelines from 50 percent digital / 50 percent traditional to 75 percent digital / 25 percent traditional. Ford is putting an emphasis on digital strategies for dealerships, which we think make for a much more effective customer experience.
Additionally, Ford’s program emphasizes local customization, allowing dealerships to create impactful campaigns tailored to their unique audiences. Their digital emphasis applies to all platforms, including social media and video advertising. Finally, they provide their dealerships with easy-to-follow compliance guidelines to ensure brand consistency.
Honda’s AdPlanner Co-op ProgramHonda’s AdPlanner program is designed to simplify co-op advertising, giving dealerships an intuitive platform for planning and running campaigns. They feature a user-friendly portal for campaign planning and reimbursement submissions, and you can get pre-approved advertising templates for quick and easy compliance. Their co-op program supports both digital and traditional media campaigns.
Generally, we like Honda’s AdPlanner program for its ease of use and think it’s a great choice for dealerships who are new to these programs.
Hyundai’s Accelerate ProgramHyundai’s Accelerate program is made for dealerships that want to maximize their local market impact through new campaigns. They give their dealers generous reimbursement rates, especially for digital advertising. When you join, you’ll have access to Hyundai’s marketing specialists, who can answer questions and help with campaign guidance. Generally, Hyundai likes to focus on emerging platforms like connected TV (CTV) and influencer marketing, and they’re willing to invest in new advertising methods to keep their dealerships ahead of marketing trends.
The Best Car Dealer Programs In 2025
Co-op programs aren’t new, yet they remain one of the most valuable resources for auto dealerships who want to take their marketing to the next level. Using these programs alongside the right CRM software, you can reduce advertising costs and create campaigns that drive sales. We think that no matter whether you partner with Toyota, GM, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, or another maker, the best way to succeed starts with understanding your program’s benefits and taking advantage of them.
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