Car buyers are doing more advance research than ever. Because of that, they often know more about the dealership than the dealership knows about them. Connect Automotive Intelligence is a new product that VinSolutions believes will close that gap.
VinSolutions notes in a press release that Connect Automotive Intelligence will help dealers better act on customer engagement and data. The tools will analyze customer communications and behaviors to help dealers find the best opportunities to deliver a more personalized experience.
VinSolutions, currently in the pilot phase, includes three new artificial intelligence-enabled tools for Connect CRM, which is a dealership customer relationship management system:
1. Engagement strength, which measures a salesperson’s interactions with an existing prospect or customer. By tracking a salesperson’s customer interaction frequency, the tool highlights engagement trends and helps managers better visualize how a salesperson is performing in the CRM.
2. Sentiment analysis, which uses artificial intelligence to determine customer sentiment and intent by analyzing text messages and emails. This analysis helps identify revenue opportunities and highlight the customer interactions that will build satisfaction.
3. Buying Signals, which captures and analyzes shoppers’ online behaviors and distills them to predict shopping personas, shopping preferences and the sense of urgency. Rather than leads coming into the CRM without any context of the prior online shopping behavior, this new enhancement uses known online traffic to increase speed of sale and build trust with the shopper.
“Modern businesses today excel by being more consumer-facing,” Kevin Frye, eCommerce director, Jeff Wyler Automotive Family, said in a press release. “For us, personalizing each customer experience is a high priority. Connect Automotive Intelligence will allow us to deliver a more consumer-facing journey with timely, relevant and personalized communications.”
For new technologies like artificial intelligence to be most effective, VINSolutions says technology integrations must also take place. As part of Cox Automotive, Connect Automotive Intelligence works with products from its sister companies, including Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, vAuto, Dealer.com and Xtime, to streamline workflows, reduce duplicate data entry and ensure dealers get more value from their software investments. Those integrations, which help improve personalization across the entire consumer lifecycle, will also be filtered through these artificial intelligence-enabled enhancements to bring the most opportunity out of the marketplace for dealers.
Connect Automotive Intelligence will be available to view at the NADA convention later this month in San Francisco.
Kelley Blue Book Trade-In Values are now integrated into the Contact At Once! Automotive messaging platform, CAO! Connect.
The integration helps create what CAO says are satisfying connections, and it builds relationships between auto shoppers and dealers by making it easier for consumers to ask questions and get information in the “micro-moments” when they shop — whether on a brand or retailer site, via online advertising, on social media and more.
With the new integration, dealers can pull trusted trade-in valuations into messaging conversations with consumers to help better guide buyer journeys and convert more sales opportunities.
Updated weekly, Kelley Blue Book Trade-In Values show consumers what to expect to receive based on style, condition, mileage, and options of the vehicle when they trade it in to a dealer.
“Giving our customers every piece of information in a quick, efficient manner is the name of the game in today’s highly competitive marketplace,” John Thompson, director of marketing for Montrose Auto Group, said in a news release.
“Every dealer knows that a trade valuation is one of the most compelling actions potential buyers can complete,” said Denise Chudy, general manager, Contact At Once!, a LivePerson company. “Giving dealers who use Kelley Blue Book and CAO! Connect instant access to trade-in values in the conversation flow can help convert more conversations to leads. It also gives consumers visibility to one of the key components of most buying journeys.”
Consumers express frustrations with inconsistencies in pricing and information across platforms, according to a recent study by automotive market research and advisory firm Root & Associates cited in the news release. They want to be able to find these details in a quick, user-friendly way — without the need for an in-person visit before they’re ready. The company says this integration can help.
“Kelley Blue Book Values are the result of massive amounts of data, including actual sales transactions, which are then adjusted for local market conditions and seasonal trends,” Damon Bennett, senior director of syndication for Kelley Blue Book, said in a news release. “Using the CAO! Connect messaging platform with integrated digital retailing tools like our trusted trade-in values can help consumers find information easier, make decisions faster, and build relationships with dealers during the digital phase of the shopping process.’
Real-time translations for more than a dozen languages, which the company says is especially important for dealerships who have multilingual customer bases; and Hot Opportunity Transfers from CAO! Live advisers who respond on the dealer’s behalf and connect salespeople with consumers via messaging once they are ready to purchase, are among other CAO! Connect features.
The new web-based CAO! Connect app, an enhanced agent workspace that helps dealers send messages to consumers from multiple locations, is available to existing Contact At Once! customers at no additional charge.
Gubagoo describes itself as a provider of “conversational commerce” products for automotive dealerships and OEMs.
Now, its customers can use Apple Business Chat, which Gubagoo says is a new way for users to communicate directly with businesses using the native Messages app on iPhone and iPad. The company notes the product helps consumers instantly connect with dealerships through the Messages app and view vehicle inventory, ask vehicle-related questions, book a test drive and schedule a service appointment.
Brad Title, chief executive officer of Gubagoo, said in a news release his company is supporting Apple Business Chat as a new way for automotive dealerships “to interact with millions of iOS users.” He added that automotive dealerships and OEMs that use Gubagoo can sign up to try Apple Business Chat beta.
Gubagoo notes that with Apple Business Chat, all conversations instantly route to Gubagoo’s professional chat specialists, who are available to respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on behalf of the dealership. Customers can always reach a live person and are always in control of whether they share any contact information with a business.
To start Apple Business Chat, customers can click the “Chat with Messages” button on a Gubagoo-enabled dealership website. A conversation with Gubagoo’s chat specialists will open instantly in the Messages app, and users can respond whenever it is convenient for them.
Gubagoo says Apple Business Chat is available in beta for users and businesses around the world, and is built into iOS 11.3 and higher.
Technology and auction software services company Xcira has received several patents that it says will safeguard technologies currently being applied in the pursuit of what it describes as “evolutionary changes within the auction industry.”
The protected intellectual property includes areas involving artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and adaptive modeling that power dozens of use cases that the company says improve efficiency, add flexibility and reduce conversion times associated with online auction transaction optimization.
The technology covered in these patents protects a range of services, including:
1. Patent 10,096,060: An interest gauge in which participant profiles and asset description information are collected, analyzed, and used to modify the auction process to make the buyers’ and/or sellers’ transactional experience more efficient and effective.
2. Patent 10,134,086: Conversion enhancement within the auction environment such that an entity will analyze participant and asset information and define operational and/or transactional changes for the purpose of achieving optimized conversions.
The following recently issued patents complement existing intellectual property protections:
3. Patent 10,157,417: The monitoring of, and participation in, multiple simultaneous auctions by a remote bidder using a single bidding device.
4. Patent 10,074,120: The facilitation of the physical inspection of an object and the generation of reports resulting from the objective and/or subjective data collected during the inspection.
“As a technology leader, we continue to protect our technological advancements for our worldwide customers who rely on us to not only power their sophisticated businesses, but also provide continued technological differentiation through cutting-edge innovation,” Nancy Rabenold, chief executive officer of Xcira, said in a press release. The company’s products include auction management systems, live auction simulcasts, timed online auctions, automotive condition evaluation tools, floorplan platforms, and mobile bidding applications.
Xcira’s current intellectual property portfolio includes 17 issued patents with more pending.
Auto/Mate Dealership Systems, a dealership management system software company, will open a new office in Chandler, Ariz., late in the second quarter.
Auto/Mate said its expansion to the West Coast is in response to the rapid growth it has experienced since a planned acquisition by CDK Global fell through in March 2018. Since that announcement, dealers’ demand for Auto/Mate's dealership management system has resulted in double-digit growth in new orders and installations, the company said.
Mike Esposito, president and chief executive officer of Auto/Mate, said in a press release that although the company had a record year, it will continue to grow in a controlled manner.
“That said, we’re already in 49 states, and with increased demand in the Midwestern and Western regions, it’s time we had a presence there,” Esposito said.
The West Coast location will allow Auto/Mate to gain access to Arizona’s talent pool. The company will staff the Chandler office primarily with customer support and installation teams, and Auto/Mate anticipates hiring 15 to 20 people by the end of the year. At least seven employees at the Albany, N.Y., office have volunteered to transfer to Arizona.
In New York's capital region, Auto/Mate has been recognized as a "Best Place to Work" nine years straight, and a "Top Workplace" eight years in a row.
Agero Inc., a provider of software-enabled driver assistance services for automotive manufacturers and insurance providers, appointed Bill Gerraughty as chief financial officer, responsible for all finance and facilities functions. Gerraughty’s addition follows the December announcement of new chief operations officer George Horvat.
Reporting to chief executive officer Dave Ferrick, Gerraughty will oversee Agero’s financial strategy. As part of this, Gerraughty will focus on building strong relationships with clients and partners, as well as acting as a strategic partner to the leadership team.
“Bill joins us at an exciting moment in time as we focus on software-led innovation and new business models for our partners—transforming our business and the industry,” Ferrick said in a news release. “With his impressive history in financial stewardship and skill developing creative operational strategies, Bill will be integral in helping us accelerate our growth path and continue to deliver differentiated value for clients.”
Gerraughty comes to the position with nearly 30 years of management and leadership in international finance and operations at private, start-up and publicly traded software and technology companies. He has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, financial modeling and operational planning, in addition to skills in developing strategies that build and sustain growth.
Prior to joining Agero, Gerraughty filled the chief financial officer role at several Boston-area technology companies. Most recently, he was chief financial officer at OnProcess Technology, a tech-enabled services company focused on the aftermarket service supply chain.
Prior to that, he held various finance-related leadership positions at Sparta Systems, NMS Communications, Infinium Software and others. He began his career at PwC in Boston and is currently a board member of LiveData Inc., a provider of real-time operational intelligence solutions for the healthcare and utilities market. A certified public accountant, Bill holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Babson College and a master’s of business administration from the Franklin W. Olin Graduate School of Business.
New technology will provide an enhanced music experience for Lincoln drivers, including the ability to tap into more than 60 million songs and curated playlists at their fingertips. Lincoln owners with SYNC 3 with AppLink compatible vehicles and an iOS device can now access the TIDAL app via the in-car console.
That is because of a new collaboration between TIDAL, a global music streaming and entertainment platform; and The Lincoln Motor Co. The new collaboration even allows Lincoln owners to integrate TIDAL into their everyday lives.
With Lincoln’s Revel and Revel Ultima audio systems, drivers and passengers can hear music more crisply and cleanly via TIDAL’s High Fidelity audio quality (only available via HiFi membership).
The enhanced music experience does not stop there. SYNC AppLink offers drivers the ability to view favorite albums, tracks, artists and playlists in “My Collection,” as well as curated playlists on the “home” screen. Once the user downloads the TIDAL app on a paired/connected iOS smartphone, the app will be available on the “Apps” screen. Users can control TIDAL via voice control or on-screen commands.
For more integration into their everyday lives, users have the ability to take their membership on the go with smartphone and desktop apps. TIDAL is also compatible with Amazon Echo devices, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, direct control with Sonos, and many more.
Tidal customers have access to more than 60 million tracks, 250,000 music videos, thousands of curated playlists and hundreds of live events. TIDAL members connect with their favorite artists in unique ways. In 2018 alone, members were able to attend listening parties, events and livestreamed concerts with artists such as deadmau5, Jack White, Juanes, Kaskade, Lil Wayne, Miguel, Nick Jonas, Nicki Minaj and more.
Now that its wholesale vehicle valuation for buyers and sellers known as Adjusted MMR is newly integrated with the AutoIMS inventory management platform, Manheim says the Adjusted MMR product is more widely available.
The integration means commercial consignors using AutoIMS can use Adjusted MMR, which now accounts for a vehicle’s AutoGrade condition and exterior color, as well as mileage and region, to more accurately value their portfolio. Adjusted MMR will also help consignors make remarketing decisions around channel disposition, reconditioning, and floor pricing that better reflect each specific vehicle’s attributes and value.
Independent auctions can now also use a new API from AutoIMS to access Adjusted MMR for vehicles in their auction platform. Independent auctions can then publish Adjusted MMR on their own sites and operational platforms, allowing the auctions to help their own buyers and sellers value these vehicles and agree on a sale price.
“By integrating Adjusted MMR into AutoIMS and also making it available to independent auctions, our clients and partners benefit from the industry-leading benchmark that will fuel a better overall experience and faster conversions,” said Venkat Krishnamoorthy, chief executive officer of AutoIMS, in a news release.
Manheim has also worked to improve the accuracy of Adjusted MMR by basing its data around wholesale transactions along with deep data science capabilities. Adjusted MMR now more accurately values vehicles with much higher or lower mileage than similar cars within the market.
Manheim provided an example: Before the update, a 2012 Honda Ridgeline with only 31,000 miles had an MMR of $18,800. After the enhancement, the new Adjusted MMR was $21,000, which Manheim said is much closer to the vehicle’s recent $20,800 sale price at Manheim. On the other end of the spectrum, MMR for a 2017 Dodge Charger with 96,000 miles has decreased from $14,250 to $12,700 since the enhancement — which Manheim said is much closer to the vehicle’s sale price of $12,400.
“In today’s competitive market, consignors and dealers need a detailed, accurate valuation for each vehicle they offer for sale or consider purchasing,” said Ben Flusberg, associate vice president of decision support at Cox Automotive, in a release. “The MMR enhancements we’ve made increase transparency around wholesale vehicle values and drive buyer confidence — both of which are critical to a vibrant marketplace.”
More in-market shoppers are using a digital retailing platform for connecting with participating dealers to help facilitate the car-buying transaction. AutoMotion, the automotive retail mobile app technology company that created the platform, announced Wednesday it added its 3,500th approved dealership.
AutoMotion says its digital retailing platform offers car buyers a simple way to buy, lease, or subscribe to a vehicle using a smartphone.
"Our mission to deliver a simple way to buy, lease, or subscribe to a vehicle cannot exist without our dealer partners, " said Ben Anderson, chief executive officer of AutoMotion, in a news release.
The AutoMotion suite of apps now features millions of app-based car buyers. AutoMotion's app-based product is for smartphone-centric car buyers unwilling to use the current car buying process.
“These shoppers trust AutoMotion to provide the buying process they prefer when finding, inspecting and buying a vehicle,” Anderson said.
AutoMotion's says its mobile-based digital retailing platform goes beyond the traditional web-based digital retailing tools. The platform's basis around a mobile device allows unique location intelligence, permitting the platform to introduce a customer to a salesperson at lot arrival and pass along customer preferences. By providing a tailored experience at discovery and all the way through purchase, the platform facilitates a smooth and positive shopper experience, according to the company.
AutoMotion is a free platform for consumers available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Now any parking lot — or wherever a vehicle might be located that catches a consumer’s attention — could be the opening place where a potential buyer begins down a road toward possible delivery at your dealership.
On Wednesday, artificial intelligence platform CarStory announced the launch of CarStory Vision, a dedicated automotive visual search product for consumers. CarStory Vision uses machine learning to identify vehicles and a patented recommendation engine to help consumers discover their next vehicle.
“One of the biggest problems in the automotive industry is vehicle discovery,” said Chad Bockius, president and chief product officer of CarStory. “With CarStory Vision, we’ve tapped into the power of machine learning to enable faster, easier and a more enjoyable way to discover vehicles.
“Visual search also removes significant hurdles in automotive shopping by enabling consumers to experience parts of the shopping journey that previously could only be done on the lot,” Bockius continued.
“Starting today, consumers just have to see a car, scan it and start to shop. There is no easier way to discover your next car,” he went on to say.
Early leaders in the visual search field include Pinterest, Google, Amazon and Microsoft as well as a host of retailers that understand the huge opportunity visual search presents.
In 2017, a report by Joz and Moz confirmed that visual search is on the rise with 27 percent of all searches being for images. With CarStory Vision, users have a dedicated visual search product in automotive aimed at completely transforming vehicle search and shopping.
Trained on more than 5.5 billion automotive images, CarStory Vision can tap into CarStory’s patented recommendation engine and integrates with CarStory.com for quick search capabilities.
Key features of CarStory Vision include:
— Vehicle discovery: Combines computer vision and machine learning to visually identify a vehicle, making the street or any parking lot a virtual shopping lot
— Smart suggestions: Recommendations based on scanned or favorited vehicles
— Virtual garage: See every discovered car in one place
— Simple shopping: Quickly find the best deals nearby
“CarStory Vision enables consumers to discover their perfect car matches just by walking around,” the company said.
The app is available now for download in the Apple App Store.
