In this latest episode of AMN Drivetime, Babcox Media CEO Bill Babcox sits down with Daryl Benton, vice president, sales and marketing automotive aftermarket, North America, MANN+HUMMEL, to discuss a wide range of topics, including Daryl’s own career path from consumer products to the aftermarket, celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the Purolator brand and the way MANN+HUMMEL’s mission contributes to the health and safety of motorists and the environment today.

Starting out his career with a Mechanical Engineering Degree, early on Benton said he decided he would rather work on the growth side of the business than the supply side of the business. This took him on a career transition from working in manufacturing to marketing. Through this professional journey, Benton says he’s accrued skills and experiences he’d like to bring more of to the automotive aftermarket.

As MANN+HUMMEL’s highly regarded Purolator brand celebrates its Centennial this year, Benton shared some helpful insights he gleaned about what customers really value in a brand while working on another well-known name: Guinness.

“I was actually working on the Guinness brand when it crossed over 250 years of Guinness and one of the things that I learned back then from an agency perspective is that people don’t mind you patting yourself on the back for reaching a milestone, but what they really want to know is what that means for them in the future and what you’re going to do for them now,” said Benton. “One of the important things we want to make sure we’re doing is to continue to develop and innovate on this brand for the future of Purolator and also make sure that we are supporting activities to engage our consumers and customers in a meaningful way. That helps them to understand the value that having those 100 years brings …”

Also in the interview, Bill and Daryl talk about:

• 02:50 His very first job as a young man growing up in Chicago
• 04:08 The insights Daryl brings to MANN+HUMMEL from his consumer products background
• 06:11 What it was like joining the company at the height of the pandemic
• 08:55 Celebrating the Centennial anniversary of Purolator
• 10:09 The genesis of the Purolator brand name
• 11:29 Celebrating brand reputation and what it means for the future
• 15:06 MANN+HUMMEL’s mission and its role in sustainability
• 19:14 As an avid traveler, some of Daryl’s favorite trips
• 22:04 Lightning Round

AMN Drivetime is sponsored by Litens.