Referrals from CarFinance.com ensure dealer profits, with LTV ratios of up to 120%, and up to $2,000 for back-end products Irvine, CA, February 3rd, 2012– CarFinance Capital LLC, a specialized provider of non-prime financing for auto dealers, today announced that it has expanded its dealership services to provide incremental customer referrals from CarFinance.com, which offers direct lending to the less-than-prime consumer.  The new program is designed to ensure dealer profits by providing LTVs (Loan-to-Value ratios) of up to 120%, and $2,000 for back-end products (i.e., extended service contracts, etc.) sold by the dealer. Led by an experienced management team that previously built one of the largest U.S. auto finance companies (Triad Financial Corporation), CarFinance Capital, which launched in May 2011, is already providing indirect, less-than-prime lending services, as well as first look opportunity on CarFinance.com referrals, to over 1,000 dealers nationwide. The...

Third annual awards recognize dealer satisfaction with services provided by vendors in over a dozen categories; Redesigned Vendor Ratings site launches   Las Vegas, NV – February 3, 2012 – The third annual DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards were presented today in conjunction with the 2012 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Expo. The awards measure dealer satisfaction with services provided by vendors in 2011 in fourteen categories, including CRM, New Car Leads, Used Car Advertising, Chat Products, Websites, SEO and many more. Vendors who achieved the highest dealer satisfaction rankings received “Highest Rated” or “Top Rated” awards. “Congratulations to the recipients of the DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards – the dealer community has spoken, and we are proud to recognize the outstanding vendors that have met and exceeded the needs of their dealership customers,” said DrivingSal...

  Orlando, Florida (MMD Newswire) February 2, 2012 -- ActivEngage®, the automotive industry's premium live chat and real-time website intelligence and reporting solution, today announced that SiSTeR Technologies has integrated ActivEngage live chat into its new application - the Publisher -as part of the company's 4DF video player. All ActivEngage clients using SiSTeR Technologies'video platform will now have live chat embedded directly into their player, creating additional lead generation opportunities. It is common knowledge that video remains one of the most powerful ways for dealerships to showcase inventory and engage automotive Internet shoppers on their websites. Unlike most other video solutions, SiSTeR Technologies has integrated ActivEngage live chat technology into its video publisher platform and the ActiveEngage app into its 4DF player. The Publisher allows auto dealers to add third party provider apps to the top secti...

  Product Monitors Shopper Activity and Serves Proactive Chat Greeting Relevant to the Automotive Shopper’s Activities.    ALPHARETTA, GA. February 3, 2012 – Contact At Once!, the dealer chat software leader, and Dealer HD, an Automotive Website and Solutions Provider, today announced the immediate availability of a unique chat product that monitors the activities of the online shopper, and serves up highly targeted chat greetings.  The new Dealer HD offering, Behavioral Chat, adds a layer of business intelligence logic to Contact At Once! Automotive Chat.  This results in a highly relevant and proactive chat greeting which matches the shopper’s interest. “We have partnered with Contact At Once! for many years and for a number of reasons. They provide the best overall chat customer service with the largest reach: Being able to be used on PC's, Macs, mobile phones, iPads and numerous other portable device...

  NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire -01/31/12)- Today, two leading technology providers in the automotive marketing industry, ActivEngage and HookLogic, announced a strategic alliance combining the companies' live chat and targeted incentive technologies into a comprehensive solution for automotive dealers. The integrated solution, designed to drive the highest quality leads into local dealerships, will become available immediately to ActivEngage and HookLogic's current customers and partners, including Hyundai of St Augustine, DCH, Apple Auto, Acton Toyota, Suzuki of Wichita and Hendrick Chevrolet. ActivEngage's live chat technology enables dealers to gain valuable, real-time business intelligence and shopper insights, such as geo-location and shopping history, to better meet customer needs and drive intelligent, guided, helpful conversations that turn website traffic into targeted leads. HookLogic's AutoHook solutions provide dealers with an advanced...

Most advanced, dealer-branded, mobile shopping and vehicle ownership app ever allows dealerships to engage and monetize service and sales customers like never before   Daytona Beach, FL – February 1, 2012 – DMEautomotive (DMEa), the science-inspired, results-based automotive marketing leader today unveiled Driver ConnectSM , a breakthrough, dealer-branded mobile app for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. The most advanced and robust mobile app ever designed for dealerships and dealer groups, it represents a critical new solution for the automotive retail industry, given that mobile users are now spending 30% more time with mobile apps than they are with mobile websites.[1]   Driver Connect provides consumers with a suite of cool, truly useful and personalized automotive tools – as well as features that keep a dealership’s customers engaged and spending.  It allows customers to browse new and used inventory, easily sc...

  IRVINE, CA, January 31, 2012 – Using a unique “pattern-interrupt” telephone marketing strategy and powerful customer data-analytics software from AutoAlert®, a California Acura dealership is boosting monthly service labor and parts revenue by more than $80,000. John Goodrich is service director for both Acura of Fremont and Acura Authorized Service of Sunnyvale, which is Acura’s first-ever Authorized Service Satellite. The key to Goodrich’s success lies in patented software that uses multi-dimensional data analysis to identify existing customers who are hot prospects for dealership marketing.  AutoAlert mines his data to isolate ideal candidates for pattern-interrupt calling based on vehicle mileage, age, and service history. Initially, Goodrich assigned a cashier and warranty administrator part time to call service customers who had been inactive for six months. Scripted calls brought in customers who were interested in offe...

  Under-the-hood coverage of Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway featuring Justin Bell will kick off live streaming on eBay Motors’ mobile app, just one of the new features announced for the app Daytona Beach, Florida (Jan. 27, 2012) — eBay Motors today announced new updates to the eBay Motors iPhone® app, available for immediate download on iTunes, with features including taking a picture of a vehicle to instantly search for it on eBay, and streaming live, exclusive content. The eBay Motors iPhone® app already enables auto lovers to shop for vehicles and the parts that go with them anytime, anywhere – the updates announced today enable auto fans to further simplify their shopping experience, make sharing with their friends more seamless, and access entertaining and informative original content, right from their smartphones. With the eBay Motors iPhone app’s new streaming feature, car enthusiasts can watch live broadcas...

    OAK BROOK, IL (January 30, 2012) – vAuto’s Provision inventory management system is now fully functional on leading mobile platforms, giving dealers instant, anywhere access to market intelligence and tools to drive efficient  acquisitions of the “right” used vehicles at the “right” price for their dealerships. The Provision system, which vAuto will feature at the upcoming National Automobile Dealers Association convention in Las Vegas, is now fully functional on Android- and Apple-powered smartphones and mobile devices. “Provision’s mobile integration means dealers and their buyers have all the market data and information they need to efficiently acquire and merchandise the ‘right’ vehicles at their fingertips,” says vAuto president Keith Jezek. “In today’s marketplace, 24/7-anywhere-access to inventory management data, technology and tools is absolutely essential for success.&rd...

Video Platform Expands Content to Include Exclusive Interviews with Gary Vaynerchuk, Rob Siefker, Jason Falls, Aaron Strout and others. Salt Lake City, Utah - January 31, 2012 DrivingSalesTV (DSTV) will report on the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) 2012 convention and post video news released at the show, as well as interviews with leading automotive industry executives and dealers. DSTV recently expanded its video content to include exclusive interviews with many of the leading digital media thought-leaders, including keynotes from the 2011 Driving Sales Executive Summit. “We look forward to providing some of the industry’s richest video content from the convention floor in Vegas,” said DrivingSales CEO and Founder Jared Hamilton. “DrivingSalesTV is already full of content from the hugely successful 2011 DSES, providing those who were unable to attend (as well as those who did) the opportunity to hear tips and advice from passionate digit...

  CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. – January 30th, 2012 – Booth #320, NADA 2012  Convention & Expo—Auto/Mate Dealership Systems (www.automate.com) today launched Guard/Mate, the industry’s first data protection service for auto dealerships. In response to the growing concerns of many auto dealers about third-party vendors’ access to dealership data, Auto/Mate is taking a proactive approach to help dealers manage vendor access. “Everyone in the industry agrees that dealers own their data and should have the right to grant access to any company they choose and that the DMS vendor should not sell, share or trade the dealers’ data,” said Mike Esposito, President and CEO of Auto/Mate. “However, the problem is that dealers change third party vendors and may not know who is actually accessing their data nor do they know what type of data a vendor is mining from the dealer database.” Guard/Mate provides dealers with the inform...

  Fort Lauderdale, FL – January 30th, 2012 – BOOTH 1415, NADA 2012—AutoUSA Internet Sales Solutions (www.autousadealers.com) announced today that Dick Brooks Honda in South Carolina has generated an average of 60 showroom visits per month using one of AutoUSA’s products, ShowProSM, powered by HookLogic. ShowPro is an incentive marketing program that offers consumers a $25 gift card for showing up at a particular dealership. In the four months after implementation of ShowPro, Dick Brooks Honda attributed 57 sales to the program, with an average cost-per-sale (CPS) of less than $100 per vehicle sold. Overall, Dick Brooks Honda continues to achieve a 35% lead-to-sales rate and a conversion to sales rate of 59% using ShowPro. “ShowPro has been the exact tool we needed to motivate online shoppers to visit our showroom first before heading to other dealers,” says Leah Hooks, Director of Marketing & Advertising with Dick Brooks Honda. Dick ...

  CHICAGO – Cars.com, the premier online resource for buying and selling new and used vehicles, announced today that it will be giving the massive audience of Super Bowl XLVI the power to make a big difference in the lives of kids and young adults through its “Cars Cares” campaign.  During the game, when the Cars.com commercial airs, viewers who use the popular Shazam App to tag the ad will earn $1.00 for one of seven charities in contention for a maximum $100,000 donation from the site.   “As we head back to the big game for the fifth year, we wanted to do more as an organization to contribute to our community and drive our mission of confidence,” said Mitch Golub, president of Cars.com.  “We are launching Cars Cares as a way to give back, and fuel initiatives that matter to our brand, employees, site users and advertising partners– including dealers and automotive manufacturers.”      The m...

    RedBumper Introduces Consumer SmartApp; Enables Auto Dealers to Buy Inventory Directly from Consumers While Monitoring Real-Time “Price Comparison” Scan Activity   Dallas, TX – January 24, 2012 – RedBumper, (http://redbumper.com/) a new breed automotive inventory management company, today announced that it will unveil its SmartApp at the 2012 NADA & ATD Convention and Expo in Las Vegas, NV, February 3-6.  SmartApp is the first mobile App on the market to include built in VIN and QR scanners for use by consumers. RedBumper builds these apps for its auto dealers allowing them to choose from many different template designs while seamlessly incorporating the dealer’s branding. The QR scanners allow the dealer to encourage and entice consumers to download his App in an endless variety of promotions, while the VIN scanner allows the dealer to virtually be connected in real-time to the consumer. This dynamic tool enables dea...

  Houston, Texas, January 24, 2012 -- Many automotive vendors and independent third party marketers have built their business model around sharing/selling auto dealers’ customer information. CAR-Research XRM, a single-source CRM solution uniquely branded as; “XRM, Exceeding CRM”, today announced that the company has not, and will not, share, sell or trade any auto dealers private customer data, short of a government subpoena, or with the dealer’s consent. CAR-Research XRM guarantees that all auto dealers’ data is safe and will only be used (in conjunction with the dealership’s efforts) to help that dealership sell more cars. CAR-Research XRM will be exhibiting at the 2012 NADA & ATD Convention and Expo in Las Vegas, NV, February 3-6 at Booth # 3801   CAR-Research made an announcement to this effect in an open letter to dealers this week.  For full text of letter see http://www.car-research.com/data_safeguard_guara...

Website complements business and product realignments   Norfolk, VA- January 23, 2012- Dominion Dealer Solutions, industry leader in automotive marketing, CRM, lead generation, reputation management, social media, equity data mining, websites and inventory management, today announced the launch of their new company website (www.DriveDominion.com).   As part of Dominion Dealer Solutions’ 2011 business and product realignments, the current DriveDominion.com website replaces previous Dominion business websites: www.avv.com, www.autobase.net, www.dealerspecialties.com, www.dealerskins.com, and www.autorevenue.com.  Product news, events, and support for these former business websites are now provided solely on www.DriveDominion.com.   “More and more, OEMs and dealers have been turning to single solution providers to solve real business issues,” stated Robert Berndt, president of Dominion Dealer Solutions.  “The story told on www...

  CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. – January 23rd, 2012 – Booth #320, NADA—Auto/Mate Dealership Systems (http://www.automate.com) announced today a 20% increase in new auto dealer clients in 2011, along with a record number of new installations. The dealership management system (DMS) provider also announced that the franchises with the highest rate of growth in switching to Auto/Mate’s DMS solution in 2011 were Ford, GM and Toyota dealerships. Auto/Mate’s President and CEO Mike Esposito attributes the company’s growth to the overall value equation of the software as well as Auto/Mate’s experience with hundreds of DMS conversions. “Our technical team’s expertise makes the data conversion process less painful and less impactful on productivity than it ever has been before,” says Esposito. “When dealers compare us to other DMS providers, the amount they get from a standpoint of user-friendly software, functionality and custome...

  Fort Lauderdale, FL – January 23rd, 2012 – Booth 1415, NADA—AutoUSA Internet Sales Solutions (www.autousadealers.com) announced it will feature its new product line-up at NADA in Booth #1415. The products are designed to help auto dealer Internet sales departments address their biggest challenges, including staffing issues, adhering to written processes, increased competition and more. AutoUSA recently re-positioned itself, expanding beyond providing new and used Internet leads from independent auto shopping sites. They now provide solutions for increasing close rates, show rates, lowering cost-per-sale and other metrics that Internet departments frequently use to gauge Internet sales effectiveness. “Study after study has revealed that the wide variation between dealerships’ results with leads are due more to store process than the quality of the leads,” says Phil DuPree, President of AutoUSA. “We know the leads being submitted to ...

PCG Consulting Inc., the new company created by PCG Digital Marketing, will debut their new products and services available to dealers at the 2012 NADA Convention February 3-6 in Las Vegas. Dealers can meet the partners, Brian Pasch, Glenn Pasch, Marc McGurren and Ananth Godavari, at booth #3659. PCG Consulting Inc. was formed to help dealers who need assistance in creating effective processes, measurement standards, and intelligent reporting for their business operations.  The consulting team is comprised of automotive industry experts who will provide vendor-neutral recommendations for products and services that can assist dealers to increase sales and profits. Dealers looking for assistance in creating effective processes, measurement standards, and intelligent reporting for their business operations, BDC and Internet departments can speak to the partners of PCG Consulting at NADA. Earlier this week the company released a statement to announce that Marc McGurren h...

EATONTOWN, NJ – PCG Digital Marketing, New Jersey’s fastest growing Internet Marketing Agency, is pleased to announce the launch of their new automotive consulting company, PCG Consulting Inc. PCG Consulting was formed to meet the needs of car dealers who need assistance in creating effective processes, measurement standards, and intelligent reporting for their business operations. The consulting division will be a separate company from PCG Digital Marketing and will provide vendor-neutral recommendations for products and services that can assist dealers to increase sales and profits. According to Brian Pasch, CEO of PCG Consulting, “Dealers are asking for assistance creating processes and reports to measure the ROI of Internet marketing investments.  Dealers also recognize that their BDC/Internet departments need training, inspection, and accountability in order to improve their success handling online leads and calls.  Our consulting team will prov...

DrivingSales and J.D. Power and Associates bridge industry's two most authoritative marketing events, offer combo-ticket prices SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 18, 2012 -- DrivingSales today announced that the 2012 DrivingSales Executive Summit (DSES) has expanded to include a joint keynote with J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Marketing Roundtable. The company also announced the dates and location for its fourth annual event: the DrivingSales Executive Summit will be held Sunday, October 21 through Tuesday, October 23, 2012 at the Bellagio Las Vegas. The J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Marketing Roundtable[1], which immediately follows the DSES, will also be held at the Bellagio.  "J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Marketing Roundtable is the industry's top marketing event for automotive retailers, OEMs, agencies and automotive third-party websites, and the DrivingSales Executive Summit is the top digital marketing event for innovative dealers,"...

Groundbreaking program increases the number of vehicles on Phoenix lots eligible for certification; provides used car buyers with peace of mind and purchase protection   Venice, CA  -- January 18, 2012 – Mota Motors, a leading provider of online vehicle certification and selling platforms, today announced that SureSaleTM Certified, a comprehensive certified pre-owned (CPO) marketing program launched today in Phoenix.  SureSale expands the range of vehicles eligible for certification on dealer lots, online marketplaces, and remarketing channels and makes it easy to implement vehicle certification, while also providing car buyers with increased purchase confidence.   “SureSale is a real breakthrough for dealers in the Phoenix area because now they can provide consumers who are shopping for vehicles in a wide variety of price levels, ages, makes and models, with a powerful certification program they can really trust,” said Jeffrey Schwartz, ...

      Las Vegas, NV, January 17, 2012 –MPi (www.mpiworldclass.com), a leading provider of winning automotive dealership service solutions, today announced that MPi EDGE, the only proven dealership service solution, has been completely revamped and will be re-launched as EDGE WorldClass™ at NADA 2012. EDGE WorldClass™ is a comprehensive product suite that is a more flexible, nimble and personalized approach; customizable to fit the exact needs of any dealership. From Express to Mobile technology, to any configuration of service bays, EDGE WorldClass™ empowers customer pay profitability. According to a recent study of the more than eight hundred franchise dealerships using the system, EDGE WorldClass produces a much sought after average monthly up-sell from inspections of $81,996. EDGE WorldClass™ will be unveiled at the 2012 NADA & ATD Convention and Expo in Las Vegas, NV, February 3-6, booth #1479. To sign up for a demonstratio...

GM Approves Naked Lime Marketing for Web, Marketing, and Advertising Solutions under GM’s in-Market Retail Turnkey Program Participating dealerships can use matching funds from GM to offset costs associated with eligible marketing and advertising services from Naked Lime Kettering, Ohio – Jan. 17, 2012 – Naked Lime Marketing today announced that it has been approved by General Motors (GM) to provide marketing, advertising, and web solutions to GM dealerships across the U.S. under GM’s matching funds advertising and marketing program. More than 90 percent of GM’s 4,300 dealerships participate in the program in which GM reimburses dealerships for a portion of eligible local advertising and marketing costs incurred from approved vendors. GM has approved certain Naked Lime product offerings for reimbursement under GM’s iMR (In-Market Retail) Turnkey Program. The approved Naked Lime Marketing portfolio of products and services for dealerships i...

  Clearwater, FL – January 16, 2011 – Carter West Public Relations, the nation’s leading agency specializing in the retail automotive technology industry, announced today the official launch of its social media division. Integrated public relations and social media solutions have been proven to greatly increase the effectiveness of clients’ marketing communications strategies, maximize web exposure, increase brand awareness and drive more traffic to client web sites.   “The social media strategies we have implemented for our clients have opened up new channels of communication for them and have been very well received,” said Sara Callahan, President of Carter West. “The results have made clear that an integrated public relations and social media approach takes a company’s exposure to a new level, enabling them to reach and engage with a very targeted audience.”   The launch of the new social media divis...

Sweeping changes include a more balanced advertising approach,revised billing model in some states, consumer membership program, and formation of a Dealer Advisory Council. TrueCar, Inc., which is devoted to bringing innovation to the car buying process, today announced a nationwide, multi-faceted strategy to tackle regulatory compliance issues and demonstrate its commitment to state regulators, state dealer associations and to better serve its dealer partners. Among other changes that are taking place nationally, TrueCar implemented a new flat fee-billing model in the Commonwealth of Virginia, which has been OK with flat fee billing since January 2001. This change marks a significant step in TrueCar’s ongoing compliance strategy. TrueCar’s proactive modifications will include introducing a new billing model in certain states, adjusting advertising presented through the TrueCar website, establishing a TrueCar National Dealer Council, and launching a new consumer membership program.

  Dallas, TX – January 16, 2012 – RedBumper, (http://redbumper.com/) a new breed automotive inventory management company, today announced that it will unveil SmartLot at the 2012 NADA & ATD Convention and Expo in Las Vegas, NV, February 3-6.  SmartLot is the first auto dealer inventory analytic tool to truly blend historical performance with local market data, providing optimal inventory stocking recommendations. It is also the first comprehensive mobile inventory management solution; SmartLot works in real-time on a Smartphone mobile platform, providing the ultimate in flexibility; an inventory management tool in the palm of the hand. Workshops will be held throughout the convention to unveil the new system. To register for a workshop visit: http://redbumper.com/nada.aspx   “SmartLot uses a number of criteria to determine which top market performers are likely to perform well for a specific lot. Other systems in the industry rely on chance ...

  PCG Digital Marketing is pleased to announce that Allan Chell from cDemo will present at the 2012 Digital Marketing Strategies Conference February 1st – 3rd in at the Monte Carlo Hotel Las Vegas prior to the 2012 NADA convention. Allan’s workshop, the “Impact of Rich Content” workshop will explore and discuss three primary elements that impact the dealer’s ability to generate online leads and facilitate online transactions with unique content. The purpose of this workshop is to enlighten and educate the participants on the importance of generating the unique content that consumers are searching for in the online environment. Workshop attendees will explore the current processes being used by dealers to capture, manage and distribute vehicle content as well as discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each process About Allan Chell Allan Chell is a 30-year veteran of online sales. His career has spanned on-line sales...

  VinSolutions unveils their ‘VinCycle’ program for the New Year as their first companywide green initiative. Overland Park, KS – January 9, 2012 – VinSolutions, an industry-leading developer of Internet-based Customer Relations Management (CRM) and Internet Lead Management (ILM) software, has launched an internal recycling program coined “VinCycling”. Capitalizing on the New Year, this marks the first sponsored and companywide green initiative as they campaign in-house to “Bleed Blue, Go Green”. The immediate goals at VinSolutions are to reduce disposal inefficiencies, increase use of resources available by incorporating waste reduction practices into their daily operations. They have teamed up with RecycleWorks to provide strategic placement of paper, plastic and aluminum recycling bins throughout the offices and have additionally formed an advisory board that will handle the collection process, present educational opportu...

    Dallas, TX – January 09, 2012 – RedBumper, (http://redbumper.com/) a new breed automotive inventory management company, today announced that it will unveil the first true mobile inventory management system at the 2012 NADA & ATD Convention and Expo in Las Vegas, NV, February 3-6.  The new system is entirely Smartphone-centric and enables auto dealers to achieve faster turns, higher profits and volume sales, all at around 1/3 the cost of current products on the market.  It also enables dealers to capture any and all inventory opportunities including existing service customers, trade-ins, auctions, and private consumer listings. Workshops will be held throughout the convention to unveil the new system. To register for a workshop visit: http://redbumper.com/nada.aspx   RedBumper was founded by Bruce Thompson, former CEO and founder of American Auto Exchange (AAX). Thompson is credited for creating and pioneering the modern day invento...