Integrations with DealerSocket, DealerVault and CDK boost dealerships’ customer engagement Matt Murray appointed SVP of Strategic Accounts, leveraging 10 years of automotive experience

Key points

• By integrating Podium’s technology into their existing Dealer Management Systems (DMS) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms, CDK, DealerSocket and DealerVault can now automatically send out a review invitation immediately following a car purchase.

• Dealership owners can then view, respond and collect this valuable feedback via a single dashboard.

• This direct engagement allows dealers to capitalize on customer insights to make faster, better-informed decisions about their business.

• Increasing the number of reviews for their dealership can also impact local SEO, increasing visibility and reach to prospective customers.

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Lehi, Utah – August 24, 2017 – Podium, a platform that enables local businesses and consumers to more effectively and conveniently interact through messaging tools and online reviews, today announced two new partnerships with DealerSocket and DealerVault, and the hire of Matt Murray as Senior Vice President of Strategic Accounts. Already strong in the automotive space – it joined CDK’s Third Party Partner Program in March this year – Podium has extended its coverage of the automotive industry even further. The company is now working with some of the industry’s biggest players to service a majority of the automotive market, and under the expert leadership of Murray expects to revolutionize customer interactions for both dealers and manufacturers.

Expanding Podium’s footprint, these new partnerships will allow thousands of DealerSocket and DealerVault customers to integrate Podium with their existing Dealer Management Systems (DMS) to automate the most common interactions like collecting reviews. The announcement follows news of Podium’s partnership with CDK, the largest global provider of integrated information technology and digital marketing solutions to the automotive retail industry, servicing over 27,000 retail locations.

“The relationship between businesses and consumers is critical for driving purchase decisions and generating ROI,” added Eric Rea, CEO and Co-founder of Podium. “We're delighted to now support a broad network of solutions providers in the automotive space, giving a significant number of dealerships a better way to interact with their customers throughout the entire customer journey, and foster valuable, long-lasting relationships.”

Founded in 2014, Podium makes it easy for local businesses to generate online reviews and customer feedback, while also powering everyday customer interactions through familiar channels, such as text message. These convenient and efficient ways to communicate with car buyers help dealerships increase visibility in local search, build stronger, longer-lasting relationships, and improve business operations.

DealerSocket’s technology makes it simple for automotive dealerships to manage all their solutions through one platform, whether Customer Relationship Management (CRM), website and digital marketing, sales, inventory, service, or DMS. DealerVault allows dealerships to have greater control over their transactional and consumer data when sharing it with approved third-party vendors and manufacturers, in exchange for insights to help manage their business more efficiently.

In addition to the partnerships, Podium has announced the hire of Matt Murray,  who will serve as Senior Vice President of Strategic Accounts at Podium.  A recognized digital thought leader in the automotive industry, Murray brings 10 years of experience in the vertical, previously serving as Vice President of Strategic Growth and Retail Solutions at Cox Automotive Inc., Dealertrack Technologies and Dealer.com. His experience includes developing Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) endorsed programs to support the goals of both manufacturers and dealerships, liaising between the two entities, and promoting business development. In his new role at Podium, Murray will be leading the company’s cross-vertical strategic account strategy.

“I am excited to join the Podium team to oversee several new verticals. Within automotive, I intend to leverage my experience to help modernize the industry's approach to customer interactions,” said Matt Murray, Senior Vice President of Strategic Accounts, Podium. “Historically, local dealers and manufacturers have relied heavily on time-and labor-intensive email or paper communications when interfacing with customers. In Podium, I see a clean, impactful solution for updating and streamlining these processes while bringing auto executives and their teams into the digital age. I’m looking forward to helping the industry more conveniently and efficiently interact with their customers, providing better service and generating valuable data insights to improve business decisions.”

Podium’s growth in this sector comes on the heels of a $32 million Series A funding round from investors including Accel, Summit Partners, GV (formerly Google Ventures), and Y Combinator, alongside rapid momentum for the company as a whole. In the past year, Podium saw revenue increase more than 600 percent while adding more than 2,000 customers, growing its core team by 100 new employees, and reaching more than 80,000 users on its platform. In June, the company pledged its commitment to Utah with plans to invest $10 million in a new Utah headquarters and expand its workforce by 400, over a move to the Bay Area. This massive growth and investment in the local economy will be supported through a post-performance Economic Development Tax Increment Finance (EDTIF) tax credit rebate from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED).

About Podium

Podium helps businesses drive customer interaction in the form of online reviews to increase visibility, improve business operations, and drive purchase decisions. Podium serves 80,000+ users across nearly 10,000 businesses and is redefining the modern relationship between businesses and consumers. Headquartered in Lehi, Utah, and founded in 2014, Podium has received funding from Accel, Summit Partners, GV (formerly Google Ventures), and Y Combinator. To learn more, visit www.podium.com or contact us at press@podium.com.

About DealerSocket

DealerSocket is a leading automotive technology platform that helps dealerships in the United States, Canada and Australia improve profitability through a fully integrated suite of marketing, sales, service, customer experience, DMS, data mining, digital marketing, website, and inventory management solutions. Headquartered in San Clemente, Calif., DealerSocket employs more than 1,000 people, serves more than 10,000 dealerships and 300,000 active users in the United States, Canada and Australia. DealerSocket’s advanced technology provides benchmarking data that paces the industry, and its insightful experts identify trends and develop strategic roadmaps that help dealers optimize processes and operate more profitably. Visit DealerSocket.com for more information.

About DealerVault

DealerVault is product of Authenticom, Inc. that supports over 7500 dealers and over 450 vendors in a secure cloud environment, which provides visibility into the data movement between dealers and vendors.  Authenticom is the leading source of dealer management system integration and enterprise-level data enhancement solutions for automotive marketing agencies, CRM systems, and third-party service providers. The company integrates with more than 75 dealer management systems and connects with over 23,000 automotive dealerships across North America. Authenticom is a privately- held corporation founded by Stephen Cottrell in 2002 and headquartered in La Crosse, Wisconsin. (www.authenticom.com).