Humans are competitive by nature. Throughout history, as a species, we’ve been competing in one way or another whether that’s with each other or nature. So it came as no surprise to us when one of our clients – Princeton Mini – approached us and said that they “had to” win a regional OEM contest being held in conjunction with a national sales event, and enlisted our assistance.

The “Not So Normal” sales event held by Mini was designed to advertise the exceptionally high gas mileage that Mini Coopers have. The contest itself was between the dealerships and they were given little guidance other than being creative and not so normal. 

The dealership already had a huge head-start in the contest deciding on building a custom-made miniature golf course (Mini golf course, get it?). The employees themselves built this very creative and elaborate 9-hole course spending their own free time to do so. The contest was to culminate in a dealership event promoting the “Not So Normal” sale and was to be judged by the regional representatives from Mini via pictures and videos of the event.

After brainstorming with the General Manager, Robert Ogust, we came up with a “Caddyshack” theme to build up on the miniature golf course they had created. We scripted out the video based on scenes from the classic movie and incorporated the infamous gopher and make the event even less “normal”. The plot was that the gopher was going to infiltrate the dealership and they needed to get rid of it.

We attended the event and filmed the scenes needed with the employees playing the various roles and to photograph the event. The dealership really went all out for this event. It was very apparent that they had put a lot of time and effort into it. They had given each golf hole Mini-inspired name such as Mini Mulligan, Fore Wheel Drive and Cooper Chute. The employees were all wearing these, for lack of better words, not so normal golf costumes. They had music playing, catered food (including a chocolate fountain), a bounce house and even threw in some large, stuffed sumo wrestling outfits at the end. They were even successful in getting customers to participate in doing some “not so normal” things on camera!

The event was a great success with everyone attending – from employees to customers – having a great time and the dealership making sales. In the end, Princeton Mini ended up winning the contest. Instead of keeping the $3500, the staff at MINI decided to donate their winnings to the Red Cross to help the many people in NJ impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Princeton MINI’s generosity was matched by their parent company, Asbury Automotive Group, and MINI for a total donation to the Red Cross of $10,500.

It goes to show what a little imagination, commitment, elbow grease and fun can earn you. Sometimes it pays to be “not so normal”… and have a pet gopher.

…and if you’d like to see the fun video, you can check it out by clicking here!

Arnold Tijerina is the Social Media Strategist & Policy Manager at 3 Birds. He has more than a decade of experience in the automotive industry with a focus on Internet sales and social media. He can be reached at arnold@3birdsmarketing.com, on Twitter at @arnoldtijerina, and on LinkedIn.

(originally published on b/c)

ACQUISITION STRENGTHENS DEALERTRACK’S DIGITAL INTERACTIVE MARKETING OFFERINGS FOR AUTOMOTIVE RETAILERS

I recently read an article published by Forbes titled “The Death of SEO: The Rise of Social, PR and Real Content.” Of course, being a “social media guy”—one who is also very interested in SEO—I was curious to read author Ken Krogue’s hypothesis. The headline is provocative, to be sure, but Krogue wasn’t trying to say that SEO—or, more accurately, rankings on search engine results pages—are any less important than we already know them to be. Rather, he was saying that external SEO strategies as we know them (backlinking, etc.) are becoming less and less relevant as Google places more value on social media, online relationships, and quality content.

You might be wondering how all this relates to online reputation management, which is after all the theme of this month’s newsletter. The answer is simple, and it has everything to do with integration. Search engines are integrating social media, review sites, and location-based services; social media companies are integrating search engine-like services, location-based functionality, and online review features; and reputation sites are continuously adding social media, location-based, and review features.

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of reputation management? My guess is online review sites and the reviews they host. No doubt, they are the bread and butter of online reputation. But do you consider Facebook when you’re looking at online reputation? What about Twitter? Foursquare?

Consider these facts:

•    The search engine Bing! is integrating tips left on foursquare into its online maps. If you’re unfamiliar with foursquare, it is a location-based application with some game mechanics in which people “check-in” at locations. They are also able to leave “tips” for other foursquare users who go on to check-in at the same locations. These tips can be anything from “Try the meatloaf. It’s great!” to “This dealership is horrible!” Sounds like a review to me. Do you know what ‘tips’ people have left for your dealership on foursquare? You better find out, because they’re being integrated by a search engine.

•    Apple has ditched Google’s maps in favor of an Apple-developed map product powered by the well-known GPS company, TomTom.  In doing so, Apple has teamed with Yelp and will be integrating Yelp reviews and check-ins into its maps. Of course, both Apple and Yelp already have deep social media integration in their own rights.

•    Google Now (which will be part of the Android 4.1 Jellybean OS) is so spooky in the features it brags about that people are calling it “creepy” – and these are tech guys. Based on your search behavior, Google Now will try to figure out your schedule and interests and use it feed you information it deems relevant or useful, from the scores of your favorite sports teams to the estimated time it will take you to reach your driving destination—all based on its own inferences. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if you pulled up to a car dealership and your phone informed you of the star rating for the dealer as well as provided a couple of recent reviews.

•    Every major upcoming mobile OS release – Android 4.1, iOS6, Windows 8 Mobile, etc—are all focusing heavily on social media and location-based service integration.

I’m sure you’re getting the point. Up until recently, we’ve been looking at three different industries handling three different services that encompassed different sites and functionalities—search engine optimization (SEO), online reputation management, and social media. Now of course, the lines between these industries have blurred. The integration isn’t just as superficial as making features available to its users. We’re talking deep integration into the operating systems themselves, which makes these features available for use by any program or app that supports them.

As all the key sites and companies increase the integration of services across the board, it’s time to change our perspective. At the same time, the pursuit of SEO, social media, and online reputation management must be viewed as interrelated pieces of a synthetic whole; you can’t touch one piece without affecting the others.

Online reputation management isn’t just about what’s being said about you on review sites. It’s what’s being said about you EVERYWHERE, and as the integration between disciplines and platforms deepens, it won’t matter if the review was left on your Google Places site, as a tip on your foursquare place, as a tweet about your business, or as a post on Facebook.

My prediction is that soon, no matter where consumers go to access information about your dealership (via the computer or via their mobile phones), everything written about your business will be aggregated together, coexisting for the consumer’s reading convenience.

Which begs the question: are you ready for everything being said about you online—everywhere—to be consolidated?

Originally posted in the August 2012 edition of the 3 Birds Marketing newsletter.

Google’s online ventures are usually anything but under the radar. Yet recently, in what may be a game-changing play, the search engine giant quietly entered the third-party lead provider business for car dealerships.

The beta version of Google Comparison Ads for Autos (which is unofficially being referred to as “Google Cars” within the industry) was launched to very little fanfare a few weeks ago in the San Francisco Bay area. The service invites participating dealers to send their inventory to Google, allowing consumers direct access to inventory, price comparison, and the ability to request quotes from within Google search results. As shown below, the program—and associated inventory—is prominently displayed on page one of a relevant search.

While the program is currently limited to dealers within the San Francisco Bay area, program-specific search results are available throughout the state of California, not just for people located within the Bay area—contrary to what others are reporting. As evidenced by the above screen-grab, I did not have to change my location to get Comparison Ad results, and I live almost 500 miles away, in Southern California.

Google is currently testing a number of similar Comparison Ads programs for other products, including credit cards, CDs, and checking and savings accounts. Results have been controversial, with many advertisers in these industries reporting dissatisfaction, especially since Google is not obligated to play by its own rules and is, in effect, competing with its own advertisers. In November 2011, Google temporarily suspended its Comparison Ads service to the mortgage industry with plans to reboot the program after revamping it.

While specifics of the program for auto dealers have yet to be announced, Google is promoting the new service with the following program highlights:

“Higher-quality leads: Our leads come directly from motivated, purchase-ready consumers who have specifically chosen to contact your dealership. Leads are unique, never resold, and delivered immediately to you.

Free inventory listings: You can have your inventory shown to consumers on Google for free, even if you decide not to receive leads.

More than just inventory: Consumers can choose to connect with you even when you don’t have a specific car in inventory. We know that you can order the car, dealer trade, or find other solutions to help consumers get the cars they want.

Greater control over leads: You choose how much you’re willing to pay for a lead and target consumers based on distance and specific type of car, so you get the leads that are most valuable to you.”

This is all the information that Google currently has publicly available about the program. However, the operational processes used in the suspended Comparison Ads program for mortgages may offer additional insights. Here’s a run-down of how the program functioned:

1.    Google looked at maximum bids placed by each competing bidder and then set a reserve price based on those bids. Once set, the reserve price was the minimum fee bidders would have to pay to appear on a desired search results page.

2.    Anyone bidding below the reserve price was dropped from the auction. Google also dropped the bottom 10% of bidders who bid at or above the reserve price.

3.    Results were then displayed (in this industry’s case) from lowest to highest APR. This leads me to believe automotive results would be displayed with the lowest prices first.

Furthermore, this is how, in an unlisted video, Google described the highlights of the program to the mortgage industry:

•    The ads were included in the “Sponsored Listing” section but are not counted in the AdWords auction.

•    Pricing was pulled directly from the companies’ “pricing engine product feed,” which would presumably be the equivalent of a dealer’s DMS or pricing tool, and updated multiple times per day.

•    Bids could be highly targeted to reach the consumers most likely to convert, and an advertiser could place different bids for each targeted criteria.

Google mentions that they are working on a different ranking system for the mortgage program (one of the reasons provided for its suspension) in which Google will reward high-quality advertisers using factors such as:

•    Accuracy of offers as determined by mystery shopping

•    Turnaround time on lead follow-up

•    Customer satisfaction as measured by surveys

It is probably safe to assume that Google will eventually apply these ranking criteria across all industries serviced by their Google Comparison Ad program.

Google is promoting the Comparison Ads for Autos program as a way for dealers to source fresh leads from consumers’ Google searches, but given the above information I have several concerns regarding how beneficial the program will really prove to be.

First and foremost, Google claims that the leads generated by the program are “unique,” yet in the final step of a lead submission, the program offers the consumer the choice to contact other dealers who may have similar cars available. A single person inputting a lead and requesting contact by multiple dealers would hypothetically generate multiple leads, a complication Google does not currently address.

On a related note, Google is telling consumers that even if they are interested in a particular vehicle that has already been identified by VIN, they may be able to get the same vehicle from another dealer. As Google puts it, “if you see a particular car (specified by a unique VIN) showing in a dealer's inventory, you may be able to get that car from other dealers as well. Dealers often times trade inventory with each other, so you can buy from the dealer that you prefer.” Thus, Google is negating the edge a dealer may have in winning the consumer’s business simply by having the exact vehicle they are looking for in stock.

In addition, while Google says that dealers can list their inventory on the program free of charge, it is unclear what would happen to any leads generated if the dealer chose not to “pay to play.” 

For those who are willing to pay, Google allows dealers to “[choose] what [they’re] willing to pay for a lead.” According to Automotive News, the price-per-lead is determined via a bidding model, with dealers competing for prominent positioning within search results for their inventory.

The final component of the program is that Google emphasizes the protection of consumer privacy. There are three ways in which a consumer can contact you as a participating advertiser:

1.    Inbound Phone Lead: This comes via a Google-generated phone number; the consumer’s phone is blocked from the advertiser’s phone system.

2.    E-mail Inquiry: The advertiser is given the consumer’s name and the details of the product they are interested in, but the consumer’s e-mail address is masked.

3.    Request a Call-Back: The advertiser is given a masked phone number with which to call the consumer.

Google states that lead delivery is compatible with CRMs, but how those leads would actually populate is unclear.

The fact that Google commands such a large percentage of internet searches means that this program is a potential game-changer. Google’s ability to position this program wherever it likes, regardless of its other ad programs, may mean that dealers are forced to participate to remain competitive. Because Comparison Ads currently appear just above the first organic search results, these results will likely divert a portion of traffic that would otherwise have gone directly to dealers’ websites.

Not only will Google’s Comparison Ads for Autos impact many components of your online marketing efforts, including search engine optimization strategy and pay-per-click campaigns, but it may also even affect the lead quantity that your current third-party lead providers are able to offer you. Obviously, dealers would be well-advised to pay close attention to the program as it develops.

via the July 2012 newsletter by 3 Birds Marketing

I've been seeing a lot of posts lately about upcoming fall conferences and events. These posts are typically not altruistic. They're written by people with vested interests in specific events, whether that's because they're a speaker or they're the host. Now it's our turn.

For people interested in learning and are considering attending one of these events and aren't sure which to attend, I've created a graphic comparison of the three events specifically being held in October 2011 that may assist people in deciding which event to attend.

In the interest of full disclosure, I work for Dealer Communications who own and put on the Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition. Previously, I was worked for DrivingSales who put on the DrivingSales Executive Summit. While some of the attendance numbers may not be exact, they're not far off. These numbers were based on multiple sources that actually attended these events. With the exception of the Digital Dealer Conference numbers (which are accurate), I've given the other events the benefit of the doubt when presented with conflicting attendance reports and used the higher number. If I'm considerably wrong, please let me know and I'll happily correct it.

There are many claims made in some of these conferences marketing that are erroneous, whether that's on purpose or not. As should be plainly apparent, the Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition has everything that the other two events has and more. There is nothing unique about any of these other events.

Why go to a mini-Digital Dealer conference when you can go to the real thing? Nobody has more advanced sessions, more progressive dealers, more sessions to choose from (90), more networking/problem solving opportunities (1,000+ dealers and managers) or a fraction of the vendors to meet with (90+).

The fact of the matter is, you could combine every other dealership technology-centric event and they STILL will pale in comparison to what you can experience at just one Digital Dealer Conference. Because while these various other events contain elements of what you find at Digital Dealer, only Digital Dealer HAS IT ALL.

Every one of these lesser events is run by someone who used to attend, speak and/or exhibit at Digital Dealer. Very similar format as Digital Dealer and they get most of their speakers from the past Digital Dealer events. But while imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and try as they might, they can't replica the winning formula for attendees that is Digital Dealer.

Digital Dealer isn't by far the best technology-centric event for dealers and managers because it's the biggest. It is the biggest because it is the BEST. There is a reason that these events that pop-up can't get any real traction...that none can even come close in dealership attendance to DD3, which was 300 dealers and managers FOUR YEARS AGO!

The reason Digital Dealer has more than tripled in attendance in three years while others are flat or fade away is because attendees keep coming back. This is what separates the growth of Digital Dealer from the others. And WHY do they keep coming back? Because they found Digital Dealer is worth spending three days away from the dealership. And they not only come back, they bring more people with them.

Don't waste valuable time out of your store(s) at copy-cat events. Come to Las Vegas for the REAL thing. The 11th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition. If you're like most attendees, you will be back...probably bringing others with you.

You can get more information and register by visiting our website. Hope to see you in Vegas! 

(This post is meant to be informational and the opinion of the author. The stats included in the info-graphic are as accurate as I could find and based not only on my personal knowledge but also reports from multiple attendees. The "rules" for blog posts within  the DS community have been followed. Seeing as this is an open forum and similar posts have been made by others, there should be no reason to remove this post. Being a former employee of DS, I should know.)

Happy Valentine's Day from everyone at DrivingSales!

This article started as an investigation into a company providing services to the automotive industry, Review Boost. I didn't know much about the company, only that it had received some negative press and accusations of gaming online reviews. In fact, it even had a local San Antonio television station, KSAT, run a news segment regarding a dealership who used their services. There have been blog articles written questioning the authenticity of the reviews as well as articles written in both Automotive News and F&I Magazine.

The importance of reputation management has been increasingly on dealers' minds, being, from the dealers I spoke with and interviewed for DrivingSalesTV, the hot topic of this year's NADA convention. The FTC is cracking down on companies engaging in posting misleading reviews, legislators are pushing for stricter laws regarding this practice, legal advisors are reporting that a company exposes themselves to legal risks by engaging in this act, and a California law went into effect Jan 1, 2011 making it a criminal activity. Add to these variables the fact that search engines are starting to increase the importance of online reviews in their algorithms and incorporating them into search results, naturally, when they popped up on my radar again after partnering up with an industry vendor, I was curious as to why the partnership happened and I started asking questions and doing some homework. 

[Edit: After sharing my article with representatives from Review Boost, they informed me that they decided not to move forward with the partnership I referred to above.]

I spoke with William, the owner of Review Boost, at length. We spoke for upwards of an hour and he walked me through what his company does. First, to be clear, they deny all accusations of gaming reviews and/or writing the reviews themselves. William was very pleasant, if understandably nervous during our conversation but, in my opinion, sincerely wanted to clear the air regarding what his company does. Without revealing too many of his proprietary practices, which he shared with me, I didn't get the impression that he is doing anything wrong at all. Now, given that there were already a ton of articles investigating and breaking down why other people feel that they are, I didn't feel the need to rehash what others have already done and I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt.

See, William isn't in the car business. Review Boost began assisting local businesses like dentists, doctors, and such. It ended up that dealers account for about 30% of their current client base but this wasn't by design. The crux of their strategy, which is what surprised me the most, is that they administer a website called myreviewboost.com in which they post reviews collected from clients of their dealers. These reviews are then syndicated across about 40 online review directories through partnerships with them. I was surprised that such a syndication was allowed but I did some investigating and, not only is it allowed, but it is encouraged. Judysbook.com, in example, promotes review sharing partnerships openly.

I reached out to Google themselves. The fact that they syndicate reviews is telling about their policies but they did point out within their Review Posting Guidelines that conflicts of interest, including misrepresentation and/or posting reviews on behalf of others is not allowed. 

In essence, William's company is soliciting reviews only from the customers which the dealer provides contact information to them. They do not edit the reviews - whether positive or negative. They will moderate a negative review, if received, allowing the dealer a chance to resolve the problem and then, when the dealer reports that the problem has been resolved, resurveying the customer to get an updated review. In my mind, this absolutely explains why almost every review is positive.

If I were a dealer who needed to increase my online reputation, I certainly wouldn't hand over an unhappy customer's e-mail address to be reviewed. In fact, I know many dealers that will occassionally RDR cars to the factory with incorrect information to avoid a potential negative CSI survey and/or "buy" surveys from their customers through offers of free oil changes or something to encourage their consumers to return the surveys to THEM and not mail them in to their OEM unscreened.

William's strategy made perfect sense to me and the syndication accounted for the reason for the same review appearing on multiple sites. So while this practice may be viewed by some to be unethical, it's not illegal or in violation of these directories terms of service. They're simply taking advantage of existing online directories willingness to crawl their review site to maximize the SEO value of each review they collected from their client's customers. 

So, is this article about Review Boost? No. The real story is what is ethical in the online reputation management arena.

I'm sure that we would all agree that posting fake reviews is unethical and, in some cases, illegal.

What about these practices?

• Posting REAL reviews, verbatim, by your customers on their behalf with their permission.
• Screening WHO gets reviewed to avoid negative reviews.
• Choosing which reviews get displayed (ie. avoiding sites in which negative reviews exist)

The fact is that online reputation management, and the process in which dealers are utilizing, are becoming more and more important for the many reasons I described above. 

How do you feel about this? What's ethical or unethical regarding online reputation management?

Join us on DrivingSalesTV.com for the live stream of the keynotes from the Digital Marketing Strategies Conference LIVE from Napa, CA. Below is the broadcast schedule:

Wed

Thurs

8:00 – 9:00 General Session III – Integrating Online Digital Marketing Education (Jared Hamilton)
3:00 – 4:00 General Session IV – The Evolution of Social Media Strategies for 2011 (JD Rucker)

DrivingSales presents the Digital Marketing Strategies Conference Live Twitter Feed