Advertising/Marketing Archives | Page 30 of 39 | Auto Remarketing

Dealer.com enhances offering with Autotrader, KBB data

The ongoing blending of Cox Automotive assets continued on Monday as dealers received what the company called “a powerful boost” with the integration of Dealer.com’s advertising solution and rich data sets from Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book

Three of the leading brands Cox Automotive teamed to deliver Audience Targeting through Dealer.com, giving dealers what the company believes is unprecedented ability to reach high-quality, in-market vehicle shoppers.

With Dealer.com Audience Targeting, dealers can reach the combined 38 million unique website visitors that Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book see each month, and direct them back to their dealership website through Dealer.com’s machine learning and real-time bidding automation.

Dealer.com senior vice president Wayne Pastore described this combination of technologies and audience data as the most powerful way to reach shoppers on their path to purchase. 

“This revolution in online advertising will unlock enormous potential for our dealers and their car shoppers and help them capture existing demand in their markets,” Pastore said. “We are uniquely able to bring together the key ingredients to deliver the industry’s most effective digital ads that make the entire online-to-in store process seamless, efficient and enjoyable.”

Dealer.com’s Audience Targeting can reach relevant shoppers at critical moments on their path to the showroom. Data shows that 80 percent of Autotrader visitors are in market to purchase a vehicle, and 54 percent of those visitors will purchase in the next 60 days.

Meanwhile, 68 percent of in-market Kelley Blue Book visitors will purchase in the next 60 days.

Dealers will be able to view demonstrations at the National Automotive Dealers Association Convention & Exposition beginning on Thursday in Las Vegas at booth No. 1124C. To schedule a demonstration at NADA 2016, go to this website.

Black Book’s new dealer tool for customer campaigns

Black Book has launched a solution called Bullseye Prospecting designed to help dealers and their marketing agencies automate customer campaigns, combining the various touch points involved in the process.

When putting together a customer campaign, there is often multiple vendors with whom dealer and its marketing partner work.

Black Book said in its news release that this new tool, “seamlessly leverages economies of scale for data coming from DMS, consumer, incentives, and vehicle equity and valuation sources. The program also leverages partnerships with photo and printer vendors for direct marketing collateral.”

Black Book senior vice president of sales Jared Kalfus added: “With Bullseye Prospecting, dealers and their marketing agencies can leverage true economies of scale by pulling from either template campaigns or custom builds if they choose. Bullseye Prospecting is designed to level the playing field for dealers of all sizes and geographies, with the power to drastically reduce costs and improve the bottom line.”

5 nameplates claim Nielsen ad awards

Five different nameplates took honors as Nielsen announced the winners of its 10th Annual Automotive Advertising Awards, celebrating the most effective automotive ads that aired during 2015.

Crowned as Automotive Ad of the Year was Dodge’s “Wisdom” spot, which featured an emotional montage of interviews with centenarians describing what they have learned in life juxtaposed with images of a Dodge Challenger and the tag line “You learn a lot in 100 years.” The ad was created in celebration of the brand's 100th anniversary.

In addition to the overall Automotive Ad of the Year, Nielsen awarded campaign category winners — all celebrating excellence in effective creative across the automotive industry. Winners were announced during the opening press breakfast of the 2016 New York International Auto Show and included:

— Automotive Ad of the Year: Dodge for its “Wisdom” ad

— Sales Event of the Year: Toyota for its Annual Clearance Event “Piggy Bank”

— Spanish TV Advertiser of the Year: Nissan

— Luxury Campaign of the Year: Mercedes-Benz Motors for its “Fable” ad

— Excellence in Digital Advertising: Subaru Motors for its “In the Dog House” ad

“Great advertising is all about a developing an engaging storyline and executing that in a way that connects and resonates emotionally with the consumer in a creative, memorable, and distinctive way," said Mark Sneathen, managing director of Nielsen Automotive.

“Understanding how ad campaigns are resonating with the consumer directly is imperative to reaching them, regardless of the platform that the ad is delivered on,” Sneathen continued.

Nielsen went on to mention these awards are unique since the panelists respond based on what they watched in a natural environment (as opposed to a clinical research environment). The firm said the results reflect real-life reaction to and memory of television commercials.

Nielsen issues surveys for all national commercials within its covered dayparts and networks.

“Receiving this award is one most meaningful honors we can get as it reinforces that the risks Dodge took to deliver the unexpected were successful — in this case featuring centenarians in a video for cars that appeal to a much younger audience,”FCA chief marketing officer Olivier Francois said.

“It’s all about telling a compelling, engaging and effective story, in a way that is true to the Dodge brand attitude, and connecting with consumers on an emotional level,” Francois continued.

“We're honored to receive this award because Nielsen is a trusted source in measuring ad effectiveness directly from the consumer’s perspective,” Francois went on to say about the spot that can be viewed in the window at the top of this page.

AMS launches loyalty geofencing program for dealers

Do you ever wish you could reach out to your former customers, perhaps with something to remind them you’re still available or have deals available for them, when they step onto one of your competitors’ lots?

Automotive Mobile Solutions might have just the thing for you. AMS announced the launch of its LeadsBeacon Apple and Google Wallet software platform, which can notify your loyal customers via its geofencing technology with offers while they may be shopping in a specified region.

"Loyalty geofencing, also known as proximity marketing, is the new challenger and soon-to-be champion of automotive mobile digital marketing," said John Possumato, founder of Automotive Mobile Solutions. "Better yet, it's not too late to be an early adopter."

So how does it work? Basically, dealers receive permission to send alerts to customers when they accept an initial offer, whether that’s for a discount coupon, giveaway, digital business card or loyalty “punch” card, which creates a digital “pass” to their Apple or Android wallet.

The initial offer can be presented to your customer via internet link, QR code, text link or social media. Subsequent offers are then sent to the customers that opt in whenever they cross a pre-established geofence or within range of a beacon that triggers the alert.

"Beacons are inexpensive devices that range from the size of postage stamp to the size of your hand, with a range of 20 to 250 feet," Possumato said. "You could place one outside your competitor's lot to recapture sales customers or near the local oil change shop to send service offers. If you wish, you can place one in every vehicle in your showroom."

Interested? Check out AMS’ site with more information here.

Pearl Tech brings ‘Genius Station’ to dealer showrooms

Pearl Technology Holdings revealed its 6-foot-4 dynamic touch screens, called “Genius Stations,” aimed at expediting the sales and F&I process from the showroom.

Utilizing the company’s ShowroomXpress (SRX) retail platform, the Genius Stations allow customers to work out deals with or without the help of a sales representative right in the showroom. Shoppers can start the process online or in the store, or do a combination of both and pick up in the store where they left off online, via the use of Pearl Tech’s SRX application.

The platform uses Experian’s pre-screening technology, allowing SRX to calculate automotive loan payments to the dollar within 10 seconds. It prequalifies customers without providing a Social Security number and can provide exact payment calculations from every auto lender in the United States.

After prequalification, a salesperson can scan the VIN and the customer’s driver’s license using a smart device and bring up the customer’s record up on the Genius Station and walk them through the pre-approved payments on each vehicle they’re interested in for both financing and leasing terms, comparing the best rates from various lenders.

When not in use by a customer, the Genius Stations also serve as advertising boards.

“Basically, within 10 seconds the system takes the customer to a point in the retail process that would traditionally take 90 minutes,” said Bruce Thompson, Pearl Tech’s chief executive officer and founder.” “The ‘Genius Stations’ are expandable touch screens that allow either the salesperson, or the customer, to zoom in and see media-rich content, digital brochures and video, on each vehicle. Allowing the customer to shop by a real pre-qualified payment is a game-changer.”

Thompson also likened the Genius Stations to giant, 55-inch smartphone-style boards, which can use SRX to communicate seamlessly with computers, tablets and smartphones.

The Genius Stations will be officially displayed at the NADA 2016 Expo and Convention in Las Vegas on from March 31 to April 3. For more information, visit the SRX website here.

LotLinx adds Facebook compatibility

Digital marketing company LotLinx announced Tuesday it has expanded its “deep-linking” technology to Facebook, aiming to lead low-funnel car shoppers on the social media site to their local dealers’ vehicle detail pages.

According to LotLinx, its technology uses proprietary shopper data from LotLinx sites, a dealer’s own site, and Facebook-provided Polk data to build a customer audience for each dealer.

The company says that after testing the tool for a year their results show that this type of targeting, paired with LotLinx’ VIN-specific ads, can be more than five times as efficient as Facebook targeting alone.

“It’s LotLinx’ mission to scour the online universe for low-funnel, high-quality car shoppers and send them directly to dealer’ websites,” said Denise Chudy,  chief executive officer at LotLinx. “We’re now expanding our technology on to the Facebook platform to help our dealer customers maximize their opportunity to connect with VINtenders in their market.”

For more information about LotLinx, visit its site here.

Social media & word of mouth: Which automakers do it best?

Social media users are bombarded with advertisements and promotions — some obvious, some subtle. But in the automotive landscape, which manufacturers are doing it best? And what about offline, in perhaps the oldest form of promotion:  word of mouth?

Engagement Labs, a technology and data company, set out to figure that out and released its findings on Thursday.

If you’ve been seeing a lot of hype about Nissan on Facebook, or BMW on Twitter, or Mercedes-Benz on Instagram, that’s no accident — and those three brands were ranked highest in each of those three respective social media platforms.

As for best brand being talked about via word of mouth? Tesla Motors took the top rank, according to Engagement Labs.

"In a competitive field such as the automotive industry, brands have a tough time standing out,” said Bryan Segal, Engagement Labs’ chief executive officer. "While social media provides an excellent avenue to differentiate one's brand from the competition, it's just as important for brands to understand the power of its offline conversation impact. According to Engagement Labs' data, while many economic automotive brands perform well on social media, they are not creating offline conversations at the scale some luxury automotive brands are."

Here are the full rankings, based on data from Engagement Labs:

According to Engagement Labs, they reached these findings using its proprietary eValue social media measurement tool and TalkTrack, a measurement source of word of mouth conversations from the Keller Fay Group, an Engagement Labs company.

Segal commented on the performance of luxury brands such as Tesla, Ferrari and Porsche, among others, in the word of mouth results.

"Known for their stellar aesthetics and high-end performance, it is no surprise to see luxury automotive brands place higher amongst offline conversations in regards to sentiment," Segal said. "However, luxury appeal is not the only factor in positive word of mouth conversations. For example, Subaru, which recently received high Consumer Reports ratings, also performed well offline. There is an opportunity for Subaru to take this positive momentum to social media to amplify discussion around the brand, both online and offline."

Women in Remarketing deadline is Friday

It’s that time of year again – Auto Remarketing is now officially accepting nominations for the Women in Remarketing Class of 2016.

Don't miss the opportunity to honor the exceptional women of the remarketing industry, who drive businesses such as auctions, consignors, dealerships, captive finance companies and more.

Do you work with a female colleague that deserves to be recognized? Or do you know any leading ladies in the industry?

Last year’s class, as seen above, was chock-full of some of the top leaders in the remarketing industry. And just like the last few years of this program, we need your help to make sure we continue to recognize the women that help drive the nation’s remarketing business.

The April 15 print and digital editions of Auto Remarketing will contain a special section designed to honor those women that will be chosen for its 2016 Women in Remarketing Class. The 2016 Women in Remarketing Class will also be honored at this year’s Used Car Week Conferences this fall.

The deadline for nominations is Friday, March 4, and we want to make sure to honor the deserving women throughout the industry.

So, do you know of someone who deserves to be on the 2016 list?

Here’s what you can do:

No matter what area of the remarketing business the female nominee comes from, she must have a history of going above and beyond the call of duty, whether through innovation, mentoring new professionals, philanthropy, education or more.

To nominate an executive, please email staff writer Josh Hyatt at jhyatt@autoremarketing.com with the following information:

1) Nominees full name, position, and full contact information, including a phone number and email address.

2) A brief summary as to why you think this nominee should be selected. What makes her stand out? Please note that your summary may be quoted.

Auto Remarketing will be contacting the final class of honorees for a brief interview and will be requesting a professional headshot, as well.

We will include a brief profile on each honoree, along with her professional headshot, in our April 15 edition.

Special advertising will also be available for this Women in Remarketing issue. For more information or to purchase space, please contact publisher Bill Zadeits at bzadeits@autoremarketing.com.

Now in its eighth year of recognizing these top auto professionals, Auto Remarketing would also like to call attention to the prior honorees, which include:

2015 Women in Remarketing

Stephanie Baker, General Manager, Dealers Auto Auction of Murfreesboro
Amy Bouck, Senior Director of Lease-End Servicing and Remarketing, Hyundai Capital America
Gail Berger, Vice President of Auto Remarketing, Sirius XM
Kimberly Farley, Senior Vice President of Workforce Solutions, Equifax
Lori Grone, Vice President of Field Operations, Costco Auto Program
Lesley Lovallo, Vice President of Corporate Development, Larry H. Miller Automotive Operations
Linda McNeely, Director of Fleet Operations, Auction Broadcasting Co.
Barbara Mousigian, Vice President of Product, Cars.com
Cheryl Munce, Chief Executive Consultant, Alteso
Michelle Nichols-Neff, Vice President & Partner, BSC America
Michele Noblitt, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Dealers Auto Auction of the Rockies
Kelly Olson, Manager of Dealership Online Services, Ally Financial
Stacey Petras, Assistant Vice President of Asset Remarketing, Operations Support, GM Financial
Becca Polak, Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Board Secretary, KAR Auction Services
Pauline Pons, Co-Founder & Vice President, TPC Management Company
Jana Rauschenberg, Fleet Lease Sales Manager, West Michigan Auto Auction
Mandy Savage, General Manager, Manheim Detroit
Janet Smail, Project & Transportation Manager for Fleet Services, Flexco
Lori Wittman, Vice President & General Manager, VinSolutions

2014 Women in Remarketing

Ann Cammarata, DataScan Field Services LLC
Angie Chattin, CarMax Auto Finance
Cindy Cockerham, Copart Inc.
Tammie Gray, Ally Financial
Mary Haller, Auction Broadcasting Co. LLC
Catherine Iger, AutoTrader.com
Sherry Keltner, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA
Joy Wilder Lybeer, Equifax
Charlotte Pyle, Mountain State Auto Auction, Capital City Auto Auction, Pyle Equipment Auctions, and Joe. R Pyle Complete Auction & Realty Service
Nancy Rabenold, Xcira Corp.
Jennifer Ryan, Dominion Dealer Solutions
Diane Scharafin, Carfax
Carol Sewell, ADESA
Mary Lou Sutton, Manheim Credit & Collections
Sheila Tedesco, Lobel Financial
Bridget Townsend, Dealertrack Technologies

2013 Women in Remarketing:

Cheryl DeVries O’Brien, Kalamazoo Auto Auction
Lisa Filippi-Alvarez, American Honda Motor Co.
Anne Fleming, Women-Drivers.com
Valerie Fuller, FordDirect
Isabelle Helms, Autotrader
Rebecca Hewitt, World Omni Financial Corp.
Alison Ouchi, Ally Financial
Julie Picard, Manheim
Jenell Ross, Bob Ross Auto Group and AIADA
Sue Saris, NAAA
Lisa Scott, ADESA Canada and OPENLANE
Patty Stanley, Carolina Auto Auction and Indiana Auto Auction and ServNet
Laura Taylor, Charleston Auto Auction

2012 Women in Remarketing:

Wendy Carter, Autotrader
Courtney Cole, Hare Chevrolet
Lori Coniglio, Wheels Inc.
Stacey Coopes, FordDirect
Stephanie Gingras, Dealers Auto Auction of the SouthWest
Mary Jane Hogan, American Recovery Association
Susie Heins, Manheim
Allison Lind, Mercedes-Benz USA
Michelle Mallon, ADESA
Claudia Plascencia, Repo Remarketing
Andrea Riley, Ally Financial
Keely Smith, AutoIMS
Amy Weisenburger, DataScan Field Services LLC

2011 Women in Remarketing:

Lilicia Bailey, Manheim
Jennifer Costabile, General Motors
Jody DeVere, AskPatty.com
Kristie Griffin, Milwaukee Auto Auction
Deborah Malinowski, Santander Consumer USA
Cynthia Mitchell,  BSC America
Gina Paolino, Affinity Auto Program
Rachel Richards, Sonic Automotive
Jennifer Schade, ARI
Ronna Webb, ADESA

2010 Women in Remarketing Class:

Sue Boehlke, Manheim
Jeannie Chiaromonte, Bank of America
Megan Haley, Fiserv
Alexis Jacobs, Columbus Fair Auto Auction
Mary Ann Pipes, CitiFinancial
Debbie Vaughn, ADESA
Angela Williams, Rawls Auto Auction

2009 Women of Remarketing Class:

Carolyn Crafts, Cars.com
Renee Dusek-Higgins, Davis-Moore Auto Group
Joan Horst, BMW
Jennifer Johnson, Jennifer’s Auto Sales
Melanie Kovach, AutoMart & AutoExtra.com
Carol McDavid, GMAC
Jane Morgan, ADESA
Berta Phelps, Manheim corporate
Shirlie Slack, Fredericksburg Auto Auction
Karen Tanner-Smith, CitiFinancial
Allison Weller, Chrysler Financial
Lynn Wolver, Chase Bank

Staff writer Josh Hyatt can be reached at jhyatt@autoremarketing.com, or by phone at (919) 674-6020 ext. 152.

Super Bowl 50: Bowie’s ‘Starman’ takes Audi R8 ad to the moon

The Denver Broncos may have prevailed over the Carolina Panthers to clinch the Vince Lombardi Trophy this weekend, but there were many more competitors vying for viewer attention during Super Bowl 50. And as usual, the competition within the automotive space was particularly potent.

Honda’s singing sheep did a fine rendition of Queen’s “Somebody to Love” while the Ridgeline touted the merits of a truck-bed sound system. David Lee Roth powered Van Halen’s “Runnin’ with the Devil” while the Acura NSX was visually molded out of metal.

But in sheer terms of increased interest in vehicles on sites like KBB.com and Edmunds.com, as well as analysis by TrueCar, one car came out on top for the night. And that was the Audi R8.

Featuring an older gentleman reflecting somberly on his golden years as an astronaut, the Audi "Commander" ad invokes a feeling that all super cars like the V10-powered R8 and similar steeds of its ilk have always aimed to summon: the feeling of out-of-this-world performance. What better way to do that than to compare the car to an actual space-going rocket, all to the tune of the late David Bowie’s “Starman?

Well, it appears it worked. Interest in the R8 increased by 7,780 percent on KBB.com directly following the car’s ad. Interest for the R8 increased by 473 percent on Edmunds.com, closely following the NSX (661 percent) and the Buick Cascada (532 percent).

As for the analysts at TrueCar, they chose it for its departure from the comedic, the latter of which was a common theme for many ads during this year’s Super Bowl.

“Audi’s bold move to tug at heartstrings rather than tickle the funny bone earned it the top spot among TrueCar analysts,” Eric Lyman, vice president of industry insights for both TrueCar and ALG, said in an analysis. “The ad appeals to young-at-heart boomers and adrenaline junkies alike by weaving a common thread of adventure and excitement between Audi’s flagship sports car and the golden age of space exploration.”

From a brand perspective, MINI saw the largest increase in traffic on Edmunds.com this weekend (100 percent) following the launch of MINI’s six-month “Defy Labels” advertising campaign for the BMW-owned British marque. This was followed by increases in interest in brands on Edmunds.com for Acura (38 percent), FIAT (25 percent) and Buick (25 percent).

Toyota’s hyperbolically sporty representation of the fourth-generation Prius increased its traffic on Edmunds.com by 78 percent and on KBB.com by 313 percent. Toyota, overall, did experience an increase in interest on KBB.com by 51 percent but saw no measurable gain on Edmunds.com

“Once again, the Super Bowl proved to have a huge impact with viewers, who immediately turned to their computers and mobile devices to learn more about these vehicles and brands,” Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds’ director of industry analysis, said in an analysis.. “The game especially delivers as a compelling platform to spark interest in the most exciting vehicles in a brand’s lineup. That’s why it’s not surprising that attractive and sporty cars like the NSX, R8 and Cascada emerged with the biggest lifts on our site.”

This is, of course, just a scratch on the surface of the variety of advertising involved with automotive giants during this year’s Super Bowl. If you’d like to check out more ads, visit the NFL’s official listing here. But viewer beware: the ads range from wildly adorable (Heinz’ wiener dog stampede) to the absolutely bizarre (Mountain Dew’s “puppymonkeybaby”). 

FTC’s strong message about CPO advertising

Perhaps the gauntlet has been thrown by the Federal Trade Commission about claims automakers and dealerships make when it comes to promoting their certified pre-owned vehicles.

Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, offered a strong statement on Thursday during a conference call following an announcement about General Motors, Jim Koons Management and Lithia Motors all agreeing to settle separate administrative complaint allegations.

“These are three actions, but we really do hope these actions send a signal to the marketplace as a whole about the need to disclose unrepaired safety recalls, especially when you’re making bold claims about inspections that you’re undertaking or the safety that your used cars may have,” Rich said.

“We really want it to have widespread effects,” she continued.

The FTC indicated each company touted how rigorously they inspect their vehicles, yet failed to disclose that some of the used models they were selling were subject to unrepaired safety recalls.

“These actions stand for a simple proposition. Companies should not mislead consumers shopping for cars, especially when it comes to safety,” Rich said.

“Although dealer inspections can benefit consumers, and manufacturers and dealers may advertise these inspections, their ads can’t overstate the safety assurances that these safety inspections provide or deceive consumers about recalls and other important safety issues,” she continued.

“These cases also underscore the FTC’s continued commitment to protection consumers from deceptive advertising in the auto marketplace,” Rich went on to say.

Neither GM nor Koons nor Lithia faced any financial penalties in conjunction with the settlements. However, Rich pointed out the proposed consent orders remain in effect for 20 years. Each violation of such an order may result in a civil penalty of up to $16,000.

“In these cases, actions do not involve any fines or money remedies. However, if the companies do violate the orders, they could be liable for substantial civil penalties. We do monitor our orders very closely and we do take action when companies violate them,” Rich said.

“And violations can be calculated in various different ways. If a large company with many customers is engaged in violations, it could come to a very large number indeed,” she went on to say.

GM’s response

GM acknowledged in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission last June that the automaker received notice of an investigation from the FTC concerning certified pre-owned vehicle advertising where dealers had certified vehicles allegedly needing recall repairs.

On Thursday, GM spokesperson Jim Cain told Auto Remarketing, “We made changes to our certified pre-owned marketing program last year to address the FTC’s concerns, and we are pleased with the proposed resolution of the matter.”

Lithia officials declined to comment about the development when reached by Auto Remarketing on Thursday. Efforts to contact Koons for comment weren’t successful.

More FTC action ahead?

Rich indicated she couldn’t divulge how many more investigations in the CPO space are ongoing. But she acknowledged how the volume of vehicles needing recall repairs makes it possible that the regulator could be handing out more actions similar to what involved GM, Koons and Lithia.

“We don’t have an exact count but we do believe from the public reports we’ve seen that there may be millions of cars with unrepaired safety recalls that are being sold today,” Rich said.

“While we can’t comment on other investigations that are underway because they’re non-public, you may very well see other actions in this area,” she continued.

Rich reiterated Thursday’s announcements “are just part of the larger program we have to protect consumers in the automobile marketplace,” noting that the FTC has been involved in 40 cases to date

“This case addresses deceptive claims and failure to disclose critical information that would ensure the claims aren’t deceptive,” Rich said.

“Here, the companies made broad claims about rigorous inspections that involve safety without disclosing the potential existence of unrepaired safety recalls in the inventory of the cars they were selling,” she continued. “That, we allege, was deceptive.

“That’s why the companies are compelled under the orders to make prominent disclosures to consumers about the recalls,” Rich went on to say.