Consumer engagement technology company Digital Air Strike says a new integration between its artificial intelligence-powered real-time messaging product, Response Path and Kelley Blue Book helps streamline the vehicle-sales process. The company says the integration gives car buyers all the information they need to purchase a vehicle through Response Path on a dealership’s website.
Through Kelley Blue Book, car buyers can request vehicle trade-in values directly in the Response Path intelligent messaging window. Buyers can schedule an appointment, provide contact information and receive a customized price quote on vehicles that interest them.
Dealership incentives, vehicles for sale, contact details and positive customer reviews are also included on Response Path.
In addition, Response Path manages leads for dealerships selling vehicles on Facebook Marketplace, and it integrates with Facebook Messenger.
Digital Air Strike co-founder and chief executive officer Alexi Venneri said the methods in which people engage with businesses has changed.
“We developed Response Path to accommodate consumers’ need for immediate access to online shopping information leveraging our cutting-edge technology,” Venneri said in a news release. “Response Path continues to lead the industry in innovation and consumer-focused features that cater to the needs of our dealerships and their customers. The integration with Kelley Blue Book, which is the first vehicle valuation integration of many, allows dealers to expedite the purchase process, keeps car buyers on their website longer, and ultimately sells more vehicles.”
“Leveraging Kelley Blue Book trade-in values, dealers offer their consumers the convenience of market-relevant pricing information and help build confidence in what can be an overwhelming process,” said Kelley Blue Book senior director of syndication Damon Bennett. “With both parties, dealers and shoppers, coming to the table with the same information, it also helps reduce friction and create a mutually beneficial transaction.”
During a free webinar on May 9, Digital Air Strike will show Response Path’s new features. Dealers can register for the webinar at www.digitalairstrike.com/webinars.
Guided retailing product provider ActiveEngage is partnering with TradeVue to add TradeUp to its digital retailing services.
The companies said TradeUp allows dealers to manage and designate the range communicated to the buyer through person-to-person chat, giving dealerships more control over trade-in profits.
The companies describe TradeUp as a versatile trade tool that they say gives dealers complete control over the range and deviation from a defined price. With TradeUp, the companies say, dealers can set monetary expectations for customers and “effectively drive them to the store.”
ActivEngage said its digital retailing suite offers an easy sales process that builds trust with the customer and enhances the customer experience. The company said dealerships can get better use of their resources by using data collected through person-to-person messaging.
ActiveEngage also said auto shoppers will be able to comfortably calculate payments, value trades and determine budgets through its retailing suite. The company also said it is accelerating the growth of its online retailing and customer lifecycle tools such as AcceleRater, Social Advantage, and TradeUp.
“Eighty-five percent of shoppers are more likely to do business with a dealership that allows shoppers to start the process online. But that doesn't mean they want to go at it alone,” ActivEngage president Ted Rubin said in a news release. "We’ve already had tremendous success integrating messaging and retailing tools with CDK Global Connected Store. We've seen that today’s customers put a premium on personalized, live chat guidance."
TradeUp said it will push more leads through the retailing process. The company says that will provide stronger income flow from higher conversion rates for dealerships that use ActivEngage.
"We're thrilled to integrate with ActivEngage services to create this product,” said TradeVue chief executive officer Derek White. “TradeUp is designed to maximize conversions and drive more down-funnel leads. Powered by the leading messaging provider in automotive and TradeVue’s best-in-class appraisal engine, TradeUp is a common-sense addition to the retailing process.”
Auction Direct USA has upgraded its website to make used-vehicle shopping easier.
Visitors to the Auction Direct USA website at auctiondirectusa.com will find up-to-date inventory of available used vehicles, including domestic and foreign-branded sedans, hatchbacks, crossovers, SUVs, minivans and pickup trucks. The company said pickup trucks are popular on the site, and the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra and Ford F-Series are regularly available.
Auction Direct USA says the site helps drivers find the right vehicle for their lifestyle at a price they are comfortable paying.
After deciding on an available vehicle, drivers can also use the website to schedule a test drive with Auction Direct USA.
Drivers can also access credit applications on the site. The secure application allows drivers to figure out their budget easily, according to Auction Direct USA.
Shoppers can also visit the Auction Direct USA blog for shopping tips and more information about vehicles. Blog topics include how to transport food in a vehicle, how to make a vehicle’s suspension last longer and how to find the best podcasts for road trip listening.
Drivers can also visit the dealership’s two sales locations in Raleigh, N.C. and Victor, N.Y.
It stands eight stories tall and holds up to 27 vehicles. The patented coin-operated, all-glass structure is Carvana’s newest car vending machine.
Located in Chicago, the vending machine provides what Carvana describes as a “memorable pick-up experience” for customers who purchase their vehicles on Carvana.com. The company debuted the newest machine on Wednesday.
In addition, also on Wednesday, Carvana launched as-soon-as-next-day vehicle delivery in three nearby markets: Rockford, Ill., and Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo, Mich.
Carvana said new design elements at the Chicago location create what it says is an “even more immersive experience” for customers, who can view the vending process of their purchased vehicle from various new angles.
Chicago is the first city in Illinois to debut a car vending machine, and it is the 17th in the United States. Additional cities with car vending machines are located in Texas, Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, Arizona, Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania.
With Wednesday’s market launches, Carvana now offers as-soon-as-next-day vehicle delivery in 118 U.S. cities.
The Chicago vending machine is located at 720 Enterprise Drive in Oak Brook and is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. central time Monday through Saturday.
“We launched in the Chicagoland area less than two years ago,” Carvana founder and chief executive officer Ernie Garcia said in a news release. “We’re proud to see customers enjoy our new way to buy a car and looking forward to making car buying even more fun and exciting with our newest car vending machine. Additionally, offering as-soon-as-next-day delivery to customers in Rockford, Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo today showcases our commitment to bringing easy, transparent car buying to even more customers in the Midwest.”
Auto dealer software company DealerSocket notes that it uses a “customer-centric approach” to build enhancements to its software. On Aug. 21 to 23 in Anaheim, Calif., the company will hold its annual User Summit with that same theme in mind.
“We have designed the DealerSocket User Summit with the same customer-centric approach we use to build enhancements to our software and serve our customers, by listening to our dealers and creating content to support their needs,” DealerSocket president and chief executive officer Sejal Pietrzak said in a news release.
Each day of the event will have a specific area of focus, with the first day serving as a review of industry-best practices and product-related training sessions. Attendees will hear about best practices in peer-led sessions and will have a chance to become certified on DealerSocket’s software and latest enhancements and releases.
Innovation will be the focus of the second day, and attendees will experience a detailed look at the latest technology, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning in the automotive industry. Day two will also cover recently released innovations as well as DealerSocket products and services coming in the future.
The company will also share plans for continuing its customer service model, and attendees will hear about DealerSocket’s focus on deepening relationships with customers.
The summit will also include DealerSocket After Dark, including a themed party and headlining concert.
Attendees will be able to collaborate and network with vendors and partners during an Expo Hall open during the first and second days of the DealerSocket User Summit.
Breakout sessions on all three days will focus on education and training, with collaborative sessions covering business growth and using features of DealerSocket’s software platform.
“DealerSocket’s goals for our User Summit are to have every customer gain valuable information to help grow their business. Our valuable software training and education breakout sessions, the strategic panels and discussions about innovation and the future of our industry, as well as the opportunity to collaborate with the industry’s best and brightest minds make this a must-attend event,” Pietrzak said.
The company will provide a list of sessions, speakers, breakout training modules, and keynotes later this spring.
For registration and additional information, visit dealersocket.com/usersummit.
Ford autonomous vehicle engineer Leda Daehler remembers having a challenging vehicle shopping experience, searching for a Lincoln MKZ with a tan interior and adaptive cruise control. And Daehler had to drive eight hours to pick it up.
Daehler’s fellow Ford engineer Arnold Kadiu experienced similar vehicle-buying frustrations. The two engineers came up with an idea to create a website for Ford customers looking for their perfect used vehicle.
Daehler and Kadiu found an ally in Ford X. Using what Ford describes as “in-market experiments,” the Ford Smart Mobility division Ford X incubates, tests and validates new ideas and business models.
Ford X helped Daehler and Kadiu get funding and support to design a website, engage dealers and put a pilot site together. The result is FindYourFord.com, a site the company says makes it easier for Detroit-area customers to shop for used Ford vehicles
“Leda and I both discussed our frustrations shopping for used vehicles and were able to turn those experiences into a new service thanks to Ford X,” Kadiu said in a news release, adding that he remembers a frustrating experience finding the specific vehicle he wanted — a long-bed, crew-cab F-150 with two-wheel drive and adaptive cruise control.
“We were fortunate to join Ford at a time when the company is open to new ideas that can lead to real results,” Kadiu said.
Ford X vice president Sundeep Madra added, “Most people have experienced the frustration of settling for something less than desired,”
Find Your Ford works to ease that frustration, letting shoppers search for used vehicles from different dealerships in one place, according to the company. That reduces the need to scroll through individual dealer inventories separately.
On the site, customers can filter results based on features that most interest them, including those that can be tough to find on other online sales sites, such as heated steering wheels and specific driver-assist technologies.
After finding a vehicle that interests them, prospective buyers can schedule a time to see the car at the dealership. Ford dealers will then arrange a test drive and help complete the purchase.
“The Find Your Ford platform helps customers build relationships with dealerships, so they have a trusted partner in their corner, whether they have questions about the vehicle’s technologies or need an oil change,” Madra said. “Other sites sell them and leave them. We know the importance of customer support after the purchase and for the life of the vehicle.”
Six Metro Detroit dealerships are currently participating in a pilot program to use the Find Your Ford platform, and Ford says it is exploring expansion to more dealerships and other markets.
“Find Your Ford complements perfectly the Customer Experience team’s broader work to help customers buy and service vehicles easier,” Daehler said. “This is just one of many ways that Ford is investing to increase loyalty with our customers.”
They have so many choices. Millennials and Gen-Z buyers can choose a vehicle from the German luxury automakers, the aspirational exotics or even Tesla’s all-electric fleet.
But those under-36 car shoppers identified one brand as the one they most identify with, the one they plan to buy next and the one they currently own: Chevrolet. That is according to a new study from Autolist.com.
Why Chevrolet? The Chevy brand seems to resonate with the younger buyers who want a mix of visible consumption and value, according to Autolist. Younger buyers also like Chevy's mix of “no-nonsense vehicle attributes, its affordable lineup and widespread availability of features like Apple CarPlay and WiFi hotspots,” Autolist added.
“Chevy is doing a great job of trading on its reputation as a no-nonsense, affordable brand while at the same time adding to its vehicles the stuff younger buyers covet,” Autolist analyst Chase Disher said in a news release. In addition to WiFi hotspots and Apple CarPlay, Disher mentioned features such as Android Auto connectivity, wireless phone charging and “an intuitive infotainment system.”
The automaker has noticed that Millennials are the fastest-growing group of car buyers in the industry, and it shows in the company’s marketing efforts. One of the brand’s “Real People, Not Actors” ads addressed Millennials directly, using what it sees as clichés that marketers often focus on when selling to this age group.
Although Chevrolet’s smaller vehicles — such as the Spark, Cruze and Trax — appeal to younger, price-conscious shoppers, younger buyers rank other Chevy models high in purchase consideration.
The Chevy Silverado was the most-popular full-size truck among Millennials, according to an earlier Autolist.com study.
Also, data from insurance quote website Insurify found that the Impala and Malibu were the sixth and seventh most-popular models in the industry for millennial buyers, respectively. That information is based on 672,000 auto insurance applications, according to Autolist.
This makes sense, Autolist stated. The reason? The midsize car segment has one of the lowest average transaction prices in the industry, according to the company. That ranks the segment behind only subcompact and compact cars and subcompact crossovers, Autolist stated, sourcing Automotive News data.
Following are the top five responses for the three questions in Autolist’s survey:
Answering the question, “Which of these brands speaks to your age group the most?”, respondents listed the following in order:
—Chevy
—Ford
—Honda
—BMW
—Toyota
Respondents under 36 said the following brands spoke to them the least: Buick, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Cadillac and Volvo. Autolist believes that is of interest because Buick and Cadillac are also under the General Motors banner, with common platforms and powertrains.
“These differences in brand perception really highlight the advantage that Chevy’s no-frills image has over its fellow GM labels,” Disher said. “It also shows how the messaging of Buick and Cadillac has struggled to connect with younger buyers.”
Answering the question, “Which of these brands would you consider buying today?”, respondents listed the following in order:
—Chevy
—Toyota
—Ford
—Honda
—Dodge/Ram
The five brands chosen by the fewest number of respondents 36 and under: Fiat, Mini, Genesis, Alfa Romeo and Buick.
Answering the question, “Which of these brands do you currently own?”, respondents listed the following in order:
—Chevy
—Ford
—Toyota
—Honda
—Nissan
At the bottom of the list were Tesla, Mini, Alfa Romeo, Genesis and Jaguar.
