On the heels of Auction Edge making a major acquisition announcement, KAR Auction Services indicated on Thursday that subsidiary Openlane agreed to build a private label website for Auction Edge, utilizing Openlane’s proprietary technology platform.
The companies highlighted the private label website created for Auction Edge will be known as the EDGE Marketplace, which has been in the works since early 2014.
KAR explained Openlane will be delivering to Auction Edge and its member auctions a customized version of its online auction system already used by commercial consignors, dealers and a number of ADESA and Auction Edge’s mutual customers.
“We are honored that Auction Edge has chosen Openlane to create this online selling tool for its almost 200 member auctions,” said Peter Kelly, president of KAR’s Digital Services Group, which includes Openlane.
“These auctions will now be able to sell their vehicles on the industry’s premier private label platform,” Kelly continued.
By working with Openlane, Auction Edge member auctions will be offering vehicles for sale on an online auction interface that is well known to dealers who are accustomed to buying vehicles at ADESA.com and on more than 30 private label websites powered by Openlane’s technology platform.
“A private label platform has been in our plans for some time,” Auction Edge president Scott Finkle said. “Utilizing Openlane’s technology is a win-win-win for the Auction Edge auctions, their selling consignors and their buying dealers.”
Auction Edge is expected to offer this private label program to independent auctions in early 2016.
On Wednesday, Auction Edge not only shared another update about the EDGE Marketplace, but the company also revealed plans to to purchase Auto Auction Solutions of Pensacola, Fla., in a deal is expected to close Oct. 30.
CarStory announced on Tuesday that Dealer Car Search has made the Inline CarStory Market Reports available to its dealer-customer subscribers.
According to CarStory, the reports embed important vehicle research directly into a vehicle’s detail page, aiming to keep customers engaged on a dealership’s website. The information in CarStory’s market reports include insights generated from real-time used-vehicle listings and data from over 8 million used-car searches each week.
“We know that time spent on VDPs is a top predictor of sales,” said Chad Bockius, CarStory’s chief marketing officer. “Simply put, the more time car shoppers spend with a dealer’s VDP, the faster a car will sell. This makes keeping consumers on a VDP a key goal for dealers. We are pleased to help Dealer Car Search partner dealerships provide their customers with the vehicle's whole story right on the VDP, keeping them solidly engaged with both vehicle and dealership.”
Rick Wilson, the chief executive officer of Dealer Car Search, says his company is happy to be partnering with CarStory.
“The CarStory reports are unique because they deliver all the data and research a consumer needs right from the VDP, helping increase the dealer’s time-on-site and conversion rate,” Wilson said.
For more information about CarStory, visit its site here.
Dodge, in partnership with the well-known actor Danny Trejo, have organized a campaign that not only aims to boost test drives at several of its southern California locations, but will also give back to a worthy cause fitting to the locale.
Via its “It’ll Test You” Hispanic marketing campaign, Dodge and Trejo have partnered with the A Walk On Water nonprofit organization, pledging up to $25,000 in donations, for the latter’s contributions of “surf therapy” for children with special needs.
Following Dodge’s $20,000 initial donation to AWOW last week, the automaker will contribute another $50 for each test drive taken, up to an additional $5,000, during its following events between Thursday and Tuesday.
"We always knew that Danny Trejo's tough persona, strong character and perfect mix of both muscle and fun made him the ideal spokesperson for Dodge's 'It'll Test You' campaign, as he epitomizes the irreverence and dare-to-be-different attitude of the Dodge brand," said Juan Torres, head of multicultural advertising, FCA US LLC. "We learned about the other side of Danny when we met him – his philanthropic work and his passion for A Walk on Water – which made it easy for Dodge and our dealers to support Danny in his efforts to generate awareness and funds for this wonderful organization."
Here’s the schedule for upcoming “It’ll Test You” test drives in southern California in the next week:
· 2-7 p.m., Thursday, September 24 at Champion Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of Downey, 9655 Firestone Blvd.
· 3-8 p.m., Friday, September 25 at Premier Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of West Covina, 298 N. Azusa Ave.
· 3-8 p.m., Monday, September 28 at Van Nuys Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, 6110-6114 Van Nuys Blvd.
· 3-8 p.m., Tuesday, September 29 at Alhambra Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, 1100 W. Main Street
Test-drive participants will also receive two free tickets to the Supersonico festival on October 3, which Dodge is a title sponsor, at the Hollywood Palladium in L.A.
For more information about A Walk On Water, visit its site here.
CarMax already has high-profile partnerships with a pair of professional football teams — the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos. On Monday, CarMax ventured in the college gridiron ranks with a new partnership with the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
As part of the multi-year sponsorship agreement through Learfield Sports' Gopher Sports Properties, CarMax is now the official used car retailer of the team. CarMax will receive extensive branding within TCF Bank Stadium and the surrounding footprint, as well as media, digital and social elements throughout the football and basketball seasons.
“The Minnesota Golden Gophers are an integral part of the community, and we are looking forward to a great partnership as we look to expand our overall presence in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area,” CarMax chief marketing officer Jim Lyski said.
“Our focus will be to use this partnership to better serve our customers and fans of the Golden Gophers,” Lyski said.
Like its partnerships with the professional teams, CarMax also is using its relationship with the Golden Gophers to conduct the promotion, the Bright Side of Game Day. The campaign will give fans the chance to win VIP packages to home games by sharing via Instagram how they are enjoying the Bright Side of Game Day using the #GophersBrightSide.
The promotion will also come to life through a fireworks display, a first for the Gophers, following a home game this season.
Additionally, CarMax will partner with the Gophers on their Military Appreciation Day on Oct. 17 to honor local members of the military.
“This partnership and consumer activation is just one way CarMax is hoping to connect more with our consumers and share our stress-free, transparent and fun process with them,” Lyski said.
Minnesota director of athletics Beth Goetz added, “We are pleased to welcome CarMax as the official used car retailer of Golden Gopher athletics,”
“This partnership offers us another vehicle through which to serve local Minnesota communities as well as fun promotional opportunities for our fans through a new consumer promotion, The Bright Side of Game Day,” Goetz went on to say.
CarMax recently signed marketing partnership with Tom Brady’s football team, the New England Patriots. Now the company expanded its relationship with Peyton Manning’s gridiron squad, the Denver Broncos.
CarMax highlighted the enhanced partnership with the Denver Broncos now includes extensive branding presence within Sports Authority Field at Mile High as well as media, digital and social elements.
"Denver is an important market for CarMax and partnering with the hometown Denver Broncos will allow us to provide added value to our customers and jointly drive brand awareness for both entities,” CarMax chief marketing officer Jim Lyski said.
“As a proud partner of the Denver Broncos, our focus will be to use this partnership to better serve fans by adding value to their relationship with the team,” Lyski contined.
CarMax has had a presence in the Denver market since 2012 and now has a total of four locations: Loveland, Parker, Littleton, and Federal Heights.
Like its marketing plan with the Patriots, CarMax will bring a new consumer promotion to Broncos fans this year called The Bright Side of Game Day. Fans are encouraged to post photos on Instagram of how they are enjoying the Bright Side of Game Day using the #BroncosBrightSide for a chance to win a VIP package to a Broncos home game.
Last year, the CarMax Foundation and the Broncos worked together to build a playground at the Rocky Mountain Communities at Garden Court to help bring more than 400 kids in the Denver neighborhood one step closer to having the playful childhood they deserve.
On Tuesday, the Broncos will join the CarMax Foundation to build a second KaBOOM playground to replace 20-year-old play structures at the Tennyson Center for Children, bringing a safe place to play for kids who are survivors of abuse or neglect, or have significant mental health or developmental issues.
“At CarMax, we pride ourselves on giving back to the communities where we live and work,” Lyski said. “Partnering with the Denver Broncos on community efforts is just one way our associates are able to continue making a positive difference in the community.”
Derek Thomas is director of corporate partnerships for Denver Broncos.
“We are happy to announce our expanded partnership with CarMax for the upcoming season,” Thomas said. “CarMax shares our focus on providing fans and customers a first-class experience, whether it be at Sports Authority Field at Mile High or at a CarMax store here in the Denver area.
“We look forward to joining forces on community initiatives to help give back to the Denver community,” he added.
No, CarMax isn’t going to be checking if quarterback Tom Brady is throwing footballs that are fully inflated.
Rather, CarMax finalized a partnership with the reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots on Tuesday to be the official used-car retailer of the team. As part of the multi-year sponsorship agreement, CarMax highlighted that the company will be visible to fans and consumers through extensive branding within Gillette Stadium and the surrounding footprint, as well as media, digital and social elements throughout the 2015 season.
"Boston is an important new market for CarMax, and we are thrilled to partner with one of the most exciting and successful teams in football,” CarMax chief marketing officer Jim Lyski said. "Our focus will be to use this partnership to better serve our customers and fans in the New England area.”
CarMax plans to open its first Boston-area stores in Danvers and Norwood in December and a third in Westborough in summer of next year.
Meanwhile at Gillette Stadium, CarMax will be the first brand to be showcased on the stadium’s iconic bridge and lighthouse. The bridge was recently expanded to four times its previous size to give fans plenty of room to hang out and watch the action while improving the concourse’s foot traffic on game days.
“We know Patriots fans have been asking for the bridge to be expanded, and we are proud to be a part of the expansion to an area of the stadium that provides fans with so much enjoyment,” Lyski said.
The company will also be honoring local community heroes and donating $80,000 to area nonprofits through a consumer contest called The Bright Side of Game Day.
The Bright Side of Game Day is a new contest to celebrate local community heroes who bring the Bright Side to their communities through volunteer work and a commitment to helping others. Fans can nominate local community heroes who will have a chance to win a VIP Patriots package, including tickets to a home game, on-field recognition and a $10,000 donation to the nonprofit of their choice.
Eight local heroes will be honored with a total of $80,000 in donations made to the New England community. Nominations are being accepted now at www.brightsideofgameday.com.
“CarMax is excited to recognize local community heroes who share our passion for giving back to the communities where we live and work. Not only will we be able to contribute $10,000 to the winner’s favorite nonprofit, we’ll be able to introduce Patriots fans to the heroes making a difference in their community,” Lyski said.
Additionally, CarMax will partner with the Patriots on various community initiatives throughout the season.
“We are excited to welcome CarMax to the New England market as the official used car retailer of the Patriots,” said Murray Kohl, vice president of corporate sales for the New England Patriots. “This partnership not only offers our fans a great new space to gather on game day with the expansion of our signature bridge, but will also benefit our local communities through CarMax’s program The Bright Side of Game Day.
“We look forward to teaming up with CarMax on some of our organization’s community initiatives this season,” Kohl added.
Car Lister, a Web application that can allow dealers and consumers to list, buy and sell new and used vehicles directly from their mobile device, announced a partnership on Wednesday with eLEND Solutions to integrate its online credit application product into the platform.
The companies explained that the partnership will provide Car Lister’s network of dealers access to eLEND Solutions suite of integrated credit, identification and finance solutions. The alliance can provide customers with instant pre-qualification and direct access to near-final payment terms from multiple finance company programs.
And dealerships can be a part of a greatly streamlined process that they control.
Once consumers found their vehicles, buyers can complete the entire pre-approval process through the Car Lister app, selecting their loan preference, payment options, term and place a down payment to hold the vehicle.
Operating in Beta since last October, Car Lister is designed to provide a seamless integration with dealers’ existing systems, lets private sellers upload and list vehicles for sale, and buyers shop for new and pre-owned cars from any smartphone, tablet or desktop.
The application also can generate titles and vehicle descriptions, allows for the upload of images and video, and includes a full vehicle history report at no cost. Car Lister has been officially available to users and dealers since January.
“Our primary goal with Car Lister has always been to bring the car buying experience into the 21st century with the first ever social platform for selling vehicles online,” said Bryan Harmon, founder and chief executive officer of DreamWare, the parent company of Car Lister.
“This partnership with eLEND Solutions provides customers and dealers an added layer of convenience by bringing a transparent and instant financial application into the palms of their hands,” Harmon continued.
Pete MacInnis, CEO of eLEND Solutions, reiterated that the company’s tool, CreditPlus, can prequalifies customers based on dealer-defined credit criteria, giving buyers direct, upfront access to dealership financing sources and real, near-final terms from multiple lenders — all without impacting their credit score, enabling them to transition from online shopping to in store buying seamlessly.
"eLEND Solutions is leading the charge in creating a truly connected car-buying experience for automotive retailing, cutting the time it takes to buy a car from hours to minutes,” MacInnis said.
“The integration with the Car Lister platform promises a streamlined workflow for dealers and a seamless in-store experience for shoppers, all of which should increase both profits and customer satisfaction,” he went on to say.
For more information on DreamWare, visit www.dreamwareinc.co, and for Car Lister, visit www.carlister.co.
Sam’s Club announced today its new Auto Buying Program, powered by TrueCar, that it says provides guaranteed savings off of the MSRP on new cars and exclusive savings on used cars for its members.
According to the company, Sam’s Club members have access to more than 10,000 TrueCar certified dealers nationwide.
“Whether it’s your first car or your sixth, the process of purchasing a vehicle can be a daunting task,” said Seong Ohm, Sam’s Club’s senior vice president of merchandising business services. “We’ve chosen to launch our auto buying program with TrueCar based on their proven ability to bring car buyers a best-in-class experience. Our auto buying program will save members both time and money.”
Sam’s Club members utilizing its Auto Buying Program will have access to the following benefits, as listed by the company:
Used-car purchasing benefits
- Save hundreds off list price with exclusive member discounts
- Access to 500,000 used vehicles for sale
- 3-day return policy for members’ peace of mind
New-car purchasing benefits
- Save an average $3,000 off MSRP with negotiation-free Guaranteed Savings
- Additional savings and offers for Sam’s Club members
- Access to TrueCar’s Certified Dealer Network, which includes more than 10,000 dealers nationwide
- TrueCar Certified Dealer representatives to help assist members onsite at showroom
Sam’s Club members will also have access to TrueCar’s traditional market pricing analysis that shows what others in their market paid for the car they are shopping for and can also receive a “Buyer’s Bonus” included as a benefit that could be worth up to $2,000 in auto repair reimbursement and auto deductible reimbursement.
“Sam’s Club is the warehouse club of choice for millions nationwide, representing a broad base of consumers and business owners with serious buying power,” said Jim Nguyen, TrueCar’s co-founder and executive vice president of partner development. “We are excited to serve these quality seeking, smart and loyal members, who will appreciate the exceptional value offered through the Sam’s Club Auto Buying Program.
“TrueCar and our dealer partners have helped modern consumers save over $3 billion off MSRP and are delighted to provide the best and most innovative car-buying experience to Sam’s Club members.”
For more information on the Sam’s Club Auto Buying Program, visit its site here.
Shift Technologies announced Tuesday it has raised $50 million via Series B funding for its car buying and selling marketplace.
Powered by its Series B funding led by Goldman Sachs Investment Partners, along with its previous Series A financing from DFJ and Highland Capital Partners, Shift offers end-to-end concierge services for vehicles of buying and selling customers.
Currently available in San Francisco and Los Angeles, the company offers free on-demand test drives and appraisals at the buyers’ or sellers’ locations and manages the complete transaction process from end to end.
According to the company, sellers are guaranteed a minimum price for their vehicle immediately after the initial appraisal is completed while also offering to track down the right car for buyers if it’s not immediately available.
“We aim to invest in companies that solve major consumer pain points by rethinking a traditional market through an inventive approach,” said Ian Friedman of GSIP. “Shift provides a unique service that is transforming the way we view car ownership. The company has flipped the classic model of buying a used car on its head by providing a superior buyer and seller experience leveraging a unique technology platform. We are excited to work with Shift as they launch in more cities across the country.”
Shift plans to utilize this round of funding to grow its team and expand into new markets, expecting to operate in more than 20 markets by the end of 2016.
“There’s a massive opportunity to modernize the pre-owned car market with a combination of technology, better economics, and a consumer-centric model,” said George Arison, Shift’s chief executive officer and co-founder. “The current options are either a significant hassle or exceedingly unfair from a price standpoint. These issues aren’t going to be solved by re-creating a car dealership online, but rather by pursuing a new model that empowers private buyers and sellers. We’re excited to partner with GSIP as we take our company to the next level.”
According to Friedman, GSIP’s plans are to help Shift grow as quickly as possible.
“We are immensely impressed with Shift’s operations and product team, who have enabled the company’s platform to scale at a rapid pace in multiple markets in California today,” Friedman said. “Our diligence revealed the exceptional feedback from customers and sellers who have depended on Shift for buying or selling their car. We are excited about the opportunity to partner with Shift to enhance the trust, transparency, and ease of the entire car ownership experience. This investment will help Shift bring that remarkable experience to buyers and sellers across the country.”
To learn more about Shift, check out its website here.
DealerSocket announced today that Jaguar Land Rover has named the technology provider as one of the three preferred website providers for the automaker.
Via its DealerFire product offering, which was acquired by the company in January, DealerSocket will provide websites and digital marketing solutions for Jaguar and Land Rover dealerships.
“We’re very excited for the opportunity to welcome more Jaguar and Land Rover dealers into the DealerSocket family and expand relationships with current partners,” said Matt Redden, DealerSocket’s chief marketing and sales officer. “It’s great that Jaguar and Land Rover dealers have some new options, and we’re proud to be part of it.”
Before being acquired by DealerSocket, DealerFire was already a preferred program provider for Toyota and Volkswagen for websites and digital marketing, in addition to the other franchises and independent dealers that utilize the solution.
For more information, call DealerSocket at (775) 473-6622.
