Along with announcing its college scholarship winners, the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association named Matthews Motors as the recipient of the 2017 NIADA and Cox Automotive Community Service Award in recognition of charitable efforts which have made a notable impact in Clayton, N.C.
The award honors independent dealerships for outstanding contributions to its community and the innovative ways it helps community partners fulfill their missions
During the National Leadership Awards Banquet at the 71st annual NIADA Convention and Expo this week, the family-owned and operated dealership’s owners Steve and Dale Matthews accepted their award from Cox Automotive president of inventory solutions Janet Barnard.
"Helping shape a better world through responsible company and individual actions has long been a part of the Cox culture," Barnard said in a news release. "We commend Steve and the Matthews Motors team for embodying those principles and demonstrating how every person, every organization, every day can make a difference when it comes to serving your community."
"We're honored to receive this award and be recognized by NIADA and Cox Automotive for creating positive change in our community," Steve Matthews said. "The real reward, however, comes from the impact we've made serving the Clayton area all these years."
In addition to the award, Cox Automotive also made a $10,000 donation to Clayton Area Ministries, the dealership's charity of choice. The organization provides food, medicine and utility bill assistance with to area residents.
Matthews Motors has supported more than 15 local charities and youth programs in the past year, according to NIADA.
The North Carolina dealership has raised more than $70,000 for Clayton Area Ministries and partnered with other local businesses to raise more than $10,000 for the Southeastern Medical Oncology Center's free mammogram screenings program.
NIADA scholarship winners
Also during this week's festivities, NIADA revealed the five recipients of its 2017 Scholarship Awards during the 71st Annual NIADA Convention and Expo at The Mirage in Las Vegas this week.
Each year, the NIADA Foundation partners with Manheim to sponsor a student from each of the association's four regions who has displayed exemplary abilities in education with a $3,500 scholarship to the college or university of their choice, and a $10,000 national scholarship for a student to attend Northwood University in an automotive-related field.
Recipient of the NIADA Foundation/Manheim Scholarship to Northwood University is Ali Nasrallah, a sophomore from Midland, Mich.
He has served as Northwood's student government vice president, vice president of the investments and personal finance club and vice chairman of the university's student-run International Auto Show.
Nasrallah is a dual major in automotive marketing and management and finance, and a minor in accounting.
This year’s regional scholarship winners include Logan Brinks of Marne, Mich. from Region I, Braden Martin of Nashville, Tenn. from Region II, Riley Raynor of Enid, Okla. from Region III and Juan Carrillo of Oxnard, Calif. from Region IV.
Brinks was elected class president at Coopersville High School where he played on the football team and became a National Honor Society member.
NIADA said Brinks is considering attending the University of Michigan, where has wanted to pursue a career in the auto industry.
Raynor, valedictorian of her graduating class at Chisolm High School is interested in attending Central Oklahoma University or the University of Alabama to study pre-law, psychology and philosophy. Her list of academic honors includes the Superintendent's Honor Roll, the National Honor Society, and Oklahoma Girls State.
Carillo, who also earned valedictorian honors, participated in football, baseball and taekwondo at Channel Islands High School in Oxnard, Calif. He has served as vice president of Future Leaders of America and mentors elementary school students.
NIADA said Carillo plans to major in mechanical engineering and pursue a master’s degree in automotive technology.
CarStory has released an enhanced version of its Market Reports that is designed to heighten mobile shopper engagement on VDPs, according to the artificial intelligence platform’s creator Chad Bockius.
“The main focus for this release was all about the design, in terms of the look and feel, but more importantly how we represent the analytics that we share and how to optimize Market Reports for mobile shopping,” Bockius said in a phone interview with Auto Remarketing.
“Over three-fourths of consumers today are shopping on their mobile device — both on their couch and on the lot. And as a result of that, it has created a culture of skimmers.”
Because mobile devices have become the primary type of interface for a large majority of the population it is important to make mobile shopping experiences conveniently engaging, Bockius explained.
“They’re going to skim information quickly and we had to address that,” he said.
“We had to create an experience that allows consumers to access and consume the data the way that they want it. Which is just a reality of 2017.”
CarStory Market Reports is now fitted with added additional data elements, such as a feature on the Market Reports home screen where machine learning is used to automatically identify images, according to Bockius,
“Based on our research, we know exactly which images consumers want to see first, and we use that data and our machine learning to process those images to create a collage on the first screen of the Market Report. Which is not just a nice design element, but more importantly it’s giving information to the consumer,” Bockius explained. “It’s not giving them the information over text, it’s giving them information visually, so they can see what features the vehicle has.”
Bockius said CarStory offers dealers three benefits: more engagement, more leads and ultimately more sales.
“In our research, we have found that dealers who have employed Market Reports see a 60 percent decrease in bounce rate. And we have seen a 24 percent increase in lead conversion,” he said.
Bockius believes the dealer VDP should be the best resource for a consumer who is making that decision to buy.
“The more people that you are bringing into the door, the more you are going to be able to sell. If you can’t engage that consumer on the VDP, it’s the equivalent of having that consumer walk off your lot,” he said.
“We have brought all the critical research information directly to bare on the dealers’ VDP to keep those consumers engaged and tell the consumer the whole story, so that ultimately they can make that confident decision to buy.”
CarStory has the largest depository of inventory data in the industry, according to Bockius.
“It’s quite amazing, the amount of science and the amount of data processing that occurs to generate these reports, but at the end of the day our goal is to hide all that to ultimately create a simple summary that consumers can access right on that dealer VDP,” he said. “When we analyze the data, we are looking at a specific vehicle relative to the market competition in a local area. All of our data comes down to two buckets of data we have to sort and analyze the first is all of the market supply data or the actual inventory, so what is available for sale today — that’s part of the data.”
Bockius said consumer demand data, which covers a variety of things, is the second source of CarStory data.
“We look at what consumers are searching for, the vehicles that they are spending their time on, the vehicles they are cross shopping and the features they are looking for,” he added.
Bockius mentioned that Kevin Frye, eCommerce director of Jeff Wyler Automotive Family once told him that with CarStory Market Reports, he can become an instant expert on every car on the lot.
“You can imagine how difficult it is for any salesperson to know the specific, the whole story about hundreds of cars,” he said. "We automate that process for you, we can put that information right in your pocket and you can be an expert whether you’re talking to a consumer on the phone or on the lot instantly, and that is going to help dealers move metal,”
CarStory is completely free to dealers. For more information, about Market Reports or to become a participating dealer, visit dealers.carstory.com.
Helion Automotive Technologies has a new data security warning for auto dealerships because in recent weeks spear phishing hackers have been busy planting malware inside of social media posts designed to lure employees of organizations to click on the post.
Dealership employees are ideal targets for spear phishers looking to grab Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and bank account information, according to Helion.
"This is the same spear phishing scheme that hackers have been using successfully in targeted email messages for several years now," Helion president and chief executive officer Erik Nachbahr said in a news release. "The problem is that although most employees have been told and know not to click on emails from people they don't know, they don't think twice when it comes to clicking on a message or offer in their Facebook feed. They are more trusting in a social media environment."
If employees take the bait of hackers and click on infected links, malware can be downloaded onto the employee's computer compromising the entire organization's network, the information technology solutions for auto dealers said.
Helion recently conducted a phishing test at an auto dealership by sending emails to 125 employees where three employees took the bait. When prompted by the website the email drove them to, they entered both their usernames and passwords.
If the attack were in fact real, the consequences could cost a dealership thousands, Helion said.
"That test was a good sample that revealed auto dealerships are very vulnerable to this type of attack and need to do a better job at educating their employees," Nachbahr said.
Nachbahr’s tips for preventing a spear phishing attack:
- Instruct employees to never click on links in social media posts and messages from their computers or personal devices while at work
- Require employees to change their network login passwords every 90 days
- Encourage employees to keep social media profiles private and don't accept friend or connection requests from people they don't know
- If employees receive a phone call, email message or social media message from a banking institution, vendor or other entity that asks for personal information, do not give this information verbally or via email, but contact the institution directly
- Get cyber liability insurance, which covers costs associated with a data security breach and loss of data
- Regularly apply software updates to Microsoft Windows, Internet Explorer and all software applications on every PC
KAR Auction Services announced that four of its leaders from KAR and its ADESA and Automotive Finance Corp. business units will be featured speakers and panelists at the National Independent Auto Dealers Association Convention & Expo this week in Las Vegas.
The vehicle remarketing and technology solutions provider’s speakers include KAR chief economist Tom Kontos, AFC chief operating officer Joe Keadle, ADESA director of dealer consulting services Doug Hadden and AFC vice president of operations Johnny Shroyer.
KAR said Kontos and Keadle plan to discuss the current and anticipated economic strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to independent dealers on Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. (PDT).
On Tuesday, Hadden will deliver a presentation on higher net profits that examines different ways to navigate through lower margins while achieving higher net profits and Shroyer will join other industry experts on the Floorplanning Tips for the Independent Dealer panel.
Both of those are on Tuesday from 4:15 p.m.to 5:00 p.m. (PDT).
For more information about the convention and this year’s speakers, visit www.niada.com.
Since adding Kelley Blue Book to its list of data providers, PERQ said the addition has increased the number of trade-in leads generated by PERQ’s FATWIN Web Engagement platform for its dealer customers by up to 300 percent.
The integration of Kelley Blue Book’s data with FATWIN provides online visitors both increased confidence in the valuations of their used vehicles and a better online experience, PERQ said.
“We’re excited to work with PERQ and further extend our market-reflective Blue Book Values,” said Damon Bennett, senior director of syndication for Kelley Blue Book. “Given that determining whether pricing is fair is among the biggest pain points when transacting, Kelley Blue Book is providing consumers with the confidence of how much to expect for their car.”
Initial results have shown that combining Kelley Blue Book data with FATWIN’s trade appraisal is drawing more online visitors and yielding higher conversion.
“Dealerships are, on average, experiencing a 3-time increase in trade-in leads, 5 times the volume of trade-in sales and a 9.2 percent higher average gross profit per unit sold,” PERQ said.
There are more than 300 dealership websites currently utilizing PERQ’s FATWIN Web Engagement solution, according to the company.
“The consumer experience is of paramount importance to engaging online visitors and converting leads into dealership sales,” PERQ executive vice president of product Stephanie Ragozzino said. “By combining Kelley Blue Book’s valuation data with PERQ’s uniquely intuitive interactive online experience, dealerships have an even more powerful opportunity to engage more visitors via our trade-in tool and turn more of those leads into car sales.”
For more details about FATWIN’s use of Kelley Blue Book’s data, click here.
Jumpstart Automotive Media’s newly released share of shopper interest data from last month shows strong gains among domestic OEMs such as Chevorlet and Dodge.
Chevrolet has passed Ford as the brand with the most shopper interest. The brand’s overall share of shopper interest increased to 8.9 percent in April, up from 8.7 percent the previous month, according to the company’s latest insights report.
Jumpstart said muscle car models such as the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon and the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 led shopper interest in the performance segment, which jumped 15 percent last month.
“Interest can be attributed to organic research as well as editorial coverage from this year’s New York Auto Show where both vehicles were revealed,” Jumpstart said in a news release.
Up from sixth-most-shopped in March, the Camaro was the most-shopped vehicle on Jumpstart’s portfolio of websites last month.
“It’s refreshing to see some American Classics such as Camaro and Challenger see heightened interest, especially as we head into warmer months where it’s a little more fun to drive with the windows down,” Jumpstart vice president of marketing and strategic insights Libby Murad-Patel said in a news release. “Aside from those classics, April was defined by several other entrants in the market helping to make a splash in their respective segments.”
Jumpstart said its data is based on the shopping patterns of more than 17 million in-market car shoppers who researching vehicles across its portfolio of automotive publishers.
Sheehy Auto Stores has launched its 20th annual Sheehy 8000 sales event, a three-week community-wide effort to raise funds for the American Heart Association, the group announced on Friday.
Throughout the rest of the month, each of Sheehy Auto's dealerships throughout Washington, D.C.; Richmond, Va.; and Baltimore will host a variety of initiatives in support of the fundraiser before it wraps up on July 5.
"This year is a milestone for us as we continue our mission to raise awareness and funds for a cause that is close to many of our hearts," Sheehy Auto president Vince Sheehy said in a news release.
"We are thankful for our customers, communities and team members who rally behind this effort, making each year's campaign more successful than the last."
Sheehy Auto said this year’s campaign includes healthy cooking demonstrations, blood pressure screenings and CPR training for employees and the community across all of its locations.
"The support of Sheehy Auto Stores has allowed us to make a considerable impact on the health of our communities in the region," American Heart Association vice president of marketing Michelle Nostheide said. "We appreciate the generosity of their team members, customers and vendors, and their efforts towards workplace wellness. Together, we can lessen the burden and loss heart disease and stroke cause for so many families."
Last year's Sheehy 7000 campaign raised $225,000 for the American Heart Association, according to Sheehy.
Additionally, the dealer group said it has been a several year sponsor of the charity’s National Walking Day, which was held last month at Springfield Town Center in Virginia. Each of Sheehy's dealerships also hosted individual step challenges among employees on the day of the walk.
Sheehy Auto said it has raised a total of more than $40 million for community and non-profit organizations since it was founded in 1966.
Edmunds has introduced a new Amazon Alexa Skill for voice-enabled access to Edmunds' automotive content, which creates a source for Edmunds data within the Alexa Skills store that goes beyond a computer or mobile device, the company announced on Thursday.
"The freedom to simply ask questions to find relevant information about a vehicle is an invaluable asset, both in the short term when shopping for cars and on an ongoing basis once purchased," Edmunds chief digital officer Phil Potloff said in a news release. "We love how tapping into the power and convenience of natural language with Alexa brings Edmunds content to life for our users and underscores our commitment to innovation that brings increased value for shoppers and owners."
Using Alexa, Amazon's cloud-based voice service, allows users who access the new skill to easily research, shop and keep tabs on vehicle options.
Edmunds said its new Alexa Skill delivers both high-level overviews and in-depth reviews of specific vehicles’ safety, driving and powertrain information.
Alexa is also capable of answering questions about a wide range of vehicle specifications, such as miles per gallon, cargo space, horsepower and basic warranty details.
Edmunds’ Alexa Skill can provide the MSRP for any vehicle and give device users information regarding local inventory and current lease deals.
Additionally, Alexa allows drivers to keep track of their current vehicles’ recall information and maintenance schedules.
"Car owners can ask Alexa what their car is worth and immediately learn the real-time Edmunds True Market Value for their car, or ask when their next oil change is due," Edmunds said.
Edmunds' new Alexa Skill will work with any Alexa-enabled device, such as Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Amazon Tap, Amazon Fire TV and Fire tablets.
The skill is free and available now. For more information and a list of the skill's supported requests and intents, visit www.edmunds.com/alexa.
Car-ED, a new free tool for consumers in search of their next car purchase, officially launched this week.
"After decades working for automobile manufacturers, we decided there had to be a better way for people who don't spend all day thinking about cars to find a simple list of vehicles that best connect to their behaviors," Car-ED co-founder Kevin Joostema, said in a news release. "Our goal is to offer a fun, easy service to anyone asking the question that comes up so often in our line of work: 'What car should I buy?'"
Car-ED's lifestyle-based online questionnaire uses a proprietary algorithm designed to pick up behavioral patterns and identify a short list of vehicle options that best fit each induvial shopper.
Following the quiz of 11 questions, Car-ED provides users manufacturer website links for each vehicle named on the short list of recommended vehicles.
"Car-shopping sites assume that everyone starts by knowing basic information about what kind of car is right for them, but we think the conversation should start one step sooner," Joostema said.
The new site is designed to be a trusted source for shoppers who are looking for unbiased advice and guidance rather than information based on sales and other market concerns, according to the company.
"The cool part is that the system might know you better than you know yourself," Car-ED co-founder Andres Valbuena said. "If you keep an open mind about makes and models, you may be surprised at how close the suggestions match to you."
Additionally, through a program called Car-ED Community, the company said that it plans to give away a small number of cars to people in need based on nominations each year.
"There are too many new options for people to keep up with, so they usually gravitate to what they know." Valbuena added, "But the truth is, the right car for you might come from a company you've never considered before. We want to help make you aware of the alternatives."
Valbuena and Joostema founded Car-ED this year. For more information about the company and its mission, visit www.car-ed.com.
Auction Academy recently announced that its fifth class group has completed its first two sessions of the year, following two days of training, a seminar on selling vehicles online, and two field trips,
The continuing education program for auto auction industry professionals welcomed its newest class group for its first day of training on April 6 in Nashville, Tenn.
The two-day training included an opening by industry icon, Tony Moorby who provided background on the automotive industry and an account of his own career, as well as presentations by Black Book’s Anil Goyal about the economics of depreciation and Pierre Pons, who delivered an overview of the current auto auction landscape.
Some members of the class arrived early for a pre-session field trip to the Nissan Manufacturing Plant in Smyrna, Tenn.
“Class 5 Group was fantastic. They asked great questions throughout the Session and quickly became engaged in all aspects. The post-session reviews were equally strong with the best marks going to the Nissan Plant Tour, the time spent at Manheim Nashville and Kay Hudson’s presentation on employment practices,” Auction Academy president Penny Wanna said.
When the class visited Manheim Nashville, general manager Sam Chaple and his team shared their views on how to make dealers feel welcome even in a very large facility. Following the tour, Jeremy Robb of Nissan, Kay Hudson of Capital Automotive Reconditioning gave presentations on human resources and employment practices essentials.
Auction industry digital and Internet managers of the class met in Franklin, Tenn., to attend the Academy’s Digital Managers’ Seminar.
“This is the fourth year in a row that Auction Academy has held a session focused exclusively on selling vehicles on the Internet,” Wanna said. “Each year we look to enhance the program, and the initial reviews from participants indicate that we succeeded, with many saying that this year’s session was the best to date.”
The managers heard presentations and participated in discussions with Michael Daseke of Liquid Motors, Brent Ramels of SmartAuction, Peter Lavallee of OVE, Dan Diedrich of Auction Edge, and Joe Miller and Mike Broe of AutoIMS.
Additionally, Keith Fetz of Clark County Auto Auction and Tad Swift of Winchester Auto Auction discussed techniques for selling vehicles online. Nick Pirovolids of BSC America’s Bel Air Auto Auction led a talk about using social media as a marketing tool at the auction. The next seminar series session scheduled for June 12 and June 13 will cover auction operations.
“The operations session will be followed closely in July by our first ever Leadership Seminar in Nashville, led by four of the top trainers in the country,” Wanna added.
Auction Academy said its fith class will also travel to Spokane, Wash. in July for a session hosted by DAA Northwest’s Bob McConkey and his team.
