Average service cycle expands from 140 to 145 days as Americans keep longer-lasting vehicles for more years than ever before; dealers must now market to the owner, not the vehicle

Daytona Beach, FL – September 4, 2013 – DMEautomotive (DMEa), the science-inspired, results-based automotive marketing leader, today released new findings[1] from DMEInsights, its recently released analytics product, revealing that the average dealership’s auto service interval has undergone significant changes within the last year: increasing from 140 to 145 days - or nearly 4%.

DMEa found that this five-day expansion between service visits is costing the average dealership $91K in lost revenue a year – or $18K for every day of interval added. While these new realities impact dealerships and aftermarket providers alike, the total cost to U.S. franchised new car dealers alone is $352 million-plus each year.[2] A number of factors - including people keeping vehicles longer than ever in history, far better built cars, people driving less, and people relying less on OEM service recommendations in favor of more online and mobile research - is fueling this ongoing lengthening of time between service visits.

“Service intervals will only get longer, and this should be a wake-up call for every dealer, because it impacts them in diverse, costly ways,” said Mike Walther, president and CEO of DMEautomotive. “Longer intervals don’t just mean a lot less direct service revenue, because when customers come in for fewer visits in the first three years of ownership (where brand and dealership loyalty is forged), they’re also less likely to re-purchase at that dealership…and even CSI scores are negatively impacted.”

Fueling the Trend:

Supporting DMEautomotive research’s findings are some macro auto industry realities:

• Even with new-vehicle sales rebounding, Americans are now keeping their vehicles for record lengths of time: the average age of a U.S. vehicle is now 11.4 years, up nearly two years from 2007.[3]
• Cars are better built, require less maintenance and simply last longer: for instance, the annual percentage of vehicles sent to the scrap yard has dropped 50% since 2007.[4]
• People are driving less: the average number of miles U.S. drivers rack up peaked in 2004 at over 900/month, and despite a recovering economy, that had fallen to 820 in 2012 – down roughly 9%.[5]
• Consumers now rely less on their owner’s manual and service centers as sources of maintenance info, and are increasingly turning to multiple digital/mobile information resources. For instance, a large, new DMEa consumer survey[6] finds that less than half of servicers now follow OEM recommendations, a precipitous drop from 2011 when 64% did. And from 2011-2013, usage of owners’ manuals as a maintenance resource dropped 10%, while turning to service centers plummeted 17%.

“Many dealers use service reminder marketing programs that haven’t fundamentally changed in years. But the new, ever-lengthening service intervals are just further proof that it's now imperative for dealers to start marketing to the owner, and not to the vehicle,” said Walther. “The auto industry desperately needs to abandon the old ‘spray and pray’ approach of the old programs, and adopt a ‘new era’ service marketing approach that’s focused on total customer retention. That means delivering relevant, super-targeted messages based on each customer’s actual behavior and purchasing patterns, and doing a better job communicating where their customers increasingly live:  across digital and mobile channels like mobile apps. That’s the way to reclaim those lost service dollars, increase loyalty and get more customers into the service drive, more often.”

About DMEautomotive 

DMEautomotive (DMEa) is the industry leader in science-based, results-driven automotive marketing, and provides turnkey marketing to the largest and most innovative automotive organizations, from automobile dealerships to many of the largest aftermarket companies in the U.S. DMEa's uniquely panoramic view of the complete automotive sales and service market, combined with its cutting-edge, science-based marketing programs, increases customer yield, conversion and retention. 

DMEa does not take marketing performance on faith, and each product and service is measured by a simple, precise scientific approach: Is it true? Prove it. Will it work? Test it. Does it generate results? Show it! Supported by DMEa’s proprietary, cloud-based Red Rocket Technology Platform, the DMEa product suite includes science-based, data driven, multi-channel customer acquisition and retention marketing programs; best-in-class campaign reporting; data management and analytics; auto-focused Customer Interaction Center solutions, and complete on-site mail and email fulfillment services. Headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida, DMEa also has major operations in Jacksonville, Florida. 

Contact: 
Media Relations 
Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, (424) 603-4340, melanie@mwebbcom.com 
Elizabeth Johnson, mWEBB Communications, (213) 713-4865, elizabeth@mwebbcom.com 

ALBANY, N.Y. – September 3^rd, 2013 – Auto/Mate Dealership Systems (http://www.automate.com) announced today that its AMPS Dealership Management System (DMS) is fully integrated with Volkswagen Group of America’s ElsaPro, an electronic workshop manual that dealership service departments use to diagnose and repair vehicles. Volkswagen and Audi dealerships using Auto/Mate’s DMS will greatly increase efficiencies in the service department by instantly turning Volkswagen recommended repairs into work orders, viewing what the standard time for work performed is, and more.

“When a service advisor is presenting a repair order to a customer for approval, it helps to have the manufacturer diagnostics and recommendations as additional validation that the work should be performed,” said Mike Esposito, President and CEO of Auto/Mate.

Volkswagen Group’s ElsaPro is an electronic program for diagnosing and repairing vehicles. The manual includes a description of technology of repair, auto maintenance, diagnosis of various vehicle systems, wiring diagrams, bodywork, standard time for work performed and more.

Volkswagen and Audi dealers will benefit from the integration by being able to download information from ElsaPro directly into Auto/Mate’s DMS, allowing them to instantly and accurately update the following in their Fixed Ops modules:

• Repair Order data

• Ops code/labor guide

• Special service vehicle campaign

• Service history

• Special service bulleting

• Recall information

• Vehicle specifications

Additionally, dealers can open an order in ElsaPro after a repair order has been created in their service department and update vehicle information in F&I billing.

“This integration allows our dealers to communicate more effectively with ElsaPro, and receive business critical information in an instant; greatly eliminating redundancies and improving productivity,” said Bart Phillips, Manager, Service Information Group After Sales with Volkswagen Group of America.

Auto manufacturers and third-party software vendors interested in integrating with Open/Mate should contact Auto/Mate at (518) 371–4331.

About Auto/Mate

Auto/Mate Dealership Systems is a leading provider of dealership management system (DMS) software to retail automotive dealerships. Its Automotive Management Productivity Suite (AMPS) is a user-friendly, feature-rich DMS in use by more than 900 auto dealers nationwide. In 2013 Auto/Mate received the “Highest Rated” DMS award in the fourth annual Driving Sales Dealer Satisfaction Awards.

Auto/Mate’s employees have more than 800 years of combined experience working in auto dealerships – the foundation of its “Designed By Car People For Car People^TM” slogan. For more information visit our website, follow us on Twitter @AutoMateDMS and subscribe to our blog at http://blog.automate.com

Designed by DMEautomotive Strategy and Analytics team, DMEInsights revolutionizes customer loyalty with a fresh new perspective for managing customer lifetime value

Daytona Beach, FL– September 3, 2013 – DMEautomotive (DMEa), the science-inspired, results-based automotive marketing leader, today launched DMEinsights, an innovative customer loyalty analytics system designed to revolutionize dealership service marketing and enable dealerships to dramatically increase the value of their customers. The first-ever system to generate comprehensive analytics for every stage of the auto service customer lifecycle, DMEInsights provides the framework and knowledge essential to building sustainable customer loyalty, enabling dealerships to quickly and accurately gauge, and act on, customer retention performance. 

“Service center revenue is the lifeblood of today’s dealerships.  Almost 60% of a dealership’s service center revenue comes from just 23% of its loyal customers, so a focus on growing and retaining a loyalist customer base is mission critical,” said Mike Walther, president and CEO of DMEautomotive.  “Until now, the industry has lacked a truly comprehensive, actionable system for measuring customer loyalty. Designed to quickly deliver powerful and focused retention and loyalty analytics, DMEInsights is the first system to fill that void, providing analytics from customer acquisition to customer retention to value nurturing, so dealerships can have confidence they are investing their marketing dollars in areas with the greatest potential to drive customer loyalty.”

In addition to key performance reports at each stage of the customer lifecycle, DMEInsights helps dealerships and dealer groups take a much deeper dive by identifying the diverse components that drive retention and loyalty. The system enables the user to view performance from several different perspectives that contribute to overall dealership performance. For example, a dealer group may have ten consistently top-performing dealers, but a more comprehensive analysis based on unique customer attributes can tell a different story, helping dealer groups focus on improving performance with specific customer groups, versus just narrowly focusing on improving performance for all customers.

Emphasizing the critical stages of customer loyalty - acquire, connect, convert, retain, and nurture - key benefits of DMEInsights include: 

• Eight loyalty and retention dashboards, from ‘New Service VINs by Vehicle Age’ to ‘12-Month Service Retention Trend’.
• Fifty-eight performance reports, including monthly trends and in-depth views by store, vehicle age, distance, vehicle class, lifetime activity, and deal history. Special reports are included to show service intervals by time and mileage, and to provide a profile of a dealer’s active customer base.
• Complete access to all dealership loyalty metrics, so each dealership can customize reports to its specific needs.
• Fast and user-friendly interface with rapid data delivery.
• Multiple, relevant views of loyalty –including key benchmarks overall and, by individual dealer, such as vehicle count, revenue, and frequency of visits.
• Easy-to-use charts and graphs that are 100% customizable.

DMEInsights is available to the auto industry in three variations:

• Insights Dashboards: Includes 8 loyalty and retention dashboards, and is offered at no additional cost to all current DMEa Journey customers.
• Insights Analyst: Provides 58 new web-based reports and analytics. Accessed via a web client tool with easy navigation for business users.

• Insights Data Scientist: Allows unfettered access directly to the dealer’s data in the DMEa data warehouse, enabling dealers to customize reports or create entirely new analysis.  Accessed with an OLAP desktop client tool, over 100 dimensions and measures are available for data exploration by the dealership. Data Scientist is ideal for advanced users who want to do their own analysis in addition to that provided by DMEa.

DMEInsights was developed by DMEautomotive’s Strategy and Analytics team in response to industry demand for a more innovative, comprehensive customer loyalty performance measurement system, and was informed by the S&A team’s years of experience creating loyalty scorecards for some of the leading companies in the automotive industry and their ongoing trend research with automotive consumers.

DMEInsights is available immediately.  Dashboards are free to all current DMEa Journey customers.

About DMEautomotive

DMEautomotive (DMEa) is the industry leader in science-based, results-driven automotive marketing, and provides turnkey marketing to the largest and most innovative automotive organizations, from automobile dealerships to many of the largest aftermarket companies in the U.S. DMEa's uniquely panoramic view of the complete automotive sales and service market, combined with its cutting-edge, science-based marketing programs, increases customer yield, conversion and retention.

DMEa does not take marketing performance on faith, and each product and service is measured by a simple, precise scientific approach: Is it true? Prove it. Will it work? Test it. Does it generate results? Show it! Supported by DMEa’s proprietary, cloud-based Red Rocket Technology Platform, the DMEa product suite includes science-based, data-driven, multi-channel customer acquisition and retention marketing programs; best-in-class campaign reporting; data management and analytics; auto-focused Customer Interaction Center solutions, and complete on-site mail and email fulfillment services. Headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida, DMEa also has major operations in Jacksonville, Fla.

Contact:

DMEa Media Relations:
Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, 424-603-4340, melanie@mwebbcom.com 

Crystal Hartwell, mWEBB Communications, 714-987-1016, crystal@mwebbcom.com

BURLINGAME, Calif., August 29, 2013 – CarWoo!, the leading online marketplace for automotive buyers and dealers, today announced that Volkswagen of Downtown LA is closing 25 percent of its CarWoo! online introductions due to better engagement with the online automotive buyer.

Volkswagen of Downtown LA is part of Downtown LA Motors, one of the top five dealerships in the country. It resides in the heart of Southern California, in a dense and highly competitive car market with 23 other Volkswagen dealerships within a 50-mile radius. As one of the larger Volkswagen dealers in this market, it currently delivers approximately 250 units per month, 90 of which are sold through the Internet department.

Challenged by such a competitive market in 2012, Volkswagen of Downtown LA was looking for ways to capture more of the market share of online customers.

As part of its plan to aggressively conquest Internet buyers, the dealership brought veteran Internet Sales Director Dave Erickson on board. Erickson had successfully used CarWoo! at a competing dealership and it was one of the first programs he implemented at Volkswagen of Downtown LA.

CarWoo! offers consumers a venue in which they can engage with dealers while keeping their contact information private. In the CarWoo! MarketPlace consumers can select the type of car they are interested in, find and communicate with local dealers, receive upfront prices, compare offers and ultimately make a confident, hassle-free purchase decision. Their contact information is only provided to the dealership when they choose to release it.

“Today’s Internet shopper has shopped online for years and experienced endless email campaigns from dealers; or calls every week from a BDC department, sometimes months after submitting their contact information through a lead form,” said Erickson.  These shoppers are buying their 2nd, 3rd or 4th car through the Internet department. They understand the game and do not want to be aggressively pursued by multiple dealers. CarWoo! is an appealing option for them: They get an honest quote, answers to questions and the ability to explore options without having the full force of multiple dealerships following up. I’d rather have the extra intelligence and platform like CarWoo! over a fake email and Google voice number.” Erickson added.

CarWoo! delivers connections to buyers in Volkswagen of Downtown LA’s primary market area. Erickson particularly likes that he can choose which customers he wishes to interact with. Unlike third-party lead providers, consumers who choose CarWoo! are typically further down the buying funnel.

More than providing the typical basic information, CarWoo! delivers valuable competitive and consumer insights. The data includes a timeframe for when the customer plans on acquiring their vehicle; whether they plan to purchase or lease; how they plan to finance; and if they have a trade. Dealers are also given competitive insights to help them understand their market better while prioritizing their buyer communications.

“The insights are unique. No other lead provider we have provides the real time frame the buyer is thinking of purchasing, why they want to purchase and how they want to purchase. It really helps us to create a customized response to the customer beyond that of just providing a price quote,” said Erickson. “We’re able to look at the location of the potential customer to make assessments and modifications based on other offers and the shopper’s interaction with other dealers,” Erickson added.

Volkswagen of Downtown LA currently uses 5 lead providers including CarWoo! “Because CarWoo! is such and affordable program, our goal was really simple,” Erickson stated.  “We really went into it with the idea of picking up a few more sales per month at a low cost.”

The dealership receives approximately 25 CarWoo! introductions per month for online car buyers within a 25-mile radius. It closes 25 percent of these introductions and picks up an extra 6 sales per month. The average cost per customer acquisition being around $112 per sale. “We don’t usually place an offer to a consumer outside of our primary area of influence unless the car is unique. We pick up 6 sales per month from CarWoo! There are likely also deals that have been saved because of CarWoo!; but it’s difficult to put a number on that. Occasionally I have noticed an older ‘unresponsive’ lead from a different lead source is now a CarWoo! contact that I’m engaged with,” Erickson stated.

“At the end of the month, if we need a few extra deals, CarWoo! is a great place to get them. I can modify offers or go beyond the radius of where we normally place them. CarWoo! has been a great partner. If for some reason our team is slow in responding, they’ll even reach out and let me know so we don’t have any opportunities slip through the cracks,” Erickson added.

For more information about CarWoo!, visit: www.CarWoo.com, or attend their presentation: “Make Your Internet Department The Best That It Can Be – Transforming To An E-commerce Machine,” presented by Myril Shaw, VP, Dealer Relations at AutoCon2013, September 4-6, in Las Vegas, NV.

Also during AutoCon2013, Shaw will provide a detailed workshop on CarWoo! best practices as well as a preview of an upcoming product launch: CarWoo!’s Connect for Dealership Websites – nominated for a Driving Sales Innovation Cup Award.

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About CarWoo!

CarWoo! is dedicated to providing the best online marketplace for automotive buyers and sellers. In the CarWoo! MarketPlace consumers can select the type of car they are interested in, find and communicate privately with local dealers from CarWoo!’s more than 10,000 dealers, receive upfront prices, compare offers and ultimately make a confident, hassle-free purchase decision.

Dealers have the opportunity to receive never before available competitive intelligence and insight into the behavior of the online buyer. CarWoo! is the official “Best Deal” partner with AOL Autos and has active relationships with a variety of online sites.  More than 13,000 car dealers and hundreds of thousands of consumers have engaged with each other in the CarWoo! MarketPlace.

Free webinar on Thursday, September 12 at 2 p.m. EDT is designed to prevent wasteful spending on ineffective outdated service marketing and offers new tactics that can dramatically increase service revenue, call and service appointment success, and customer retention
 

Daytona Beach, FL– August 29, 2013 – DMEautomotive (DMEa), the science-inspired, results-based automotive marketing leader, announces the seventh in a series of webinars the company is hosting with Automotive News. The sixty-minute webinar, Service Reminders Are Broken! The 5 Pillars of Successful Retention Marketing, provides critical best practices designed to stop dealerships from wasting millions of dollars on ineffective and outdated service marketing tactics that actually contribute to lost service revenue. The webinar takes place on Thursday, September 12^th at 2 p.m. EDT.

“Current service reminder marketing programs are based on outdated and broken techniques that focus on old standards of vehicle miles driven, rather than the needs, desires and behaviors of today’s customer -- costing dealers real money in lost customers, ever-increased time between service visits, and lower service to sales conversion,” said Mike Walther, president and CEO of DMEautomotive. “DMEa’s 5 Pillars of Successful Retention Marketing attacks this problem head on and, using real world consumer behavior data as its foundation, provides dealers and OEMs with relevant strategies to dramatically improve customer retention and ramp up service revenue.”

Jim Treece, Industry Editor at Automotive News, will moderate Service Reminders are Broken! The 5 Pillars of Successful Retention Marketing, which also features DMEautomotive’s CMO Mike Martinez and VP of Strategy & Analytics Doug Van Sach.  The webinar includes:

• How to target, and segment, customers based on how they behave and what their preferences are
• Why a full mobile channel strategy is critical to retention, and how to ensure your text, web and email design adapts effectively
• When to communicate with customers … and why the old ‘miles driven’ standard no longer applies
• How to target the customers who are most likely to be loyal and spend more
• How to leverage the power of pre-paid maintenance programs

• How to move beyond ROI and measure the true value created by your marketing investments.

For more information, or to register for the Service Reminders are Broken!  The 5 Pillars of Successful Retention Marketing webinar, click here: http://www.autonews.com/webinar09122013

DMEautomotive / Automotive News webinars have received strong attendance that has generated exceptional feedback. Visit http://www.autonews.com/section/WEBINAR to download previous webinars in this series.

About DMEautomotive

DMEautomotive (DMEa) is the industry leader in science-based, results-driven automotive marketing, and provides turnkey marketing to the largest and most innovative automotive organizations, from automobile dealerships to many of the largest aftermarket companies in the U.S. DMEa's uniquely panoramic view of the complete automotive sales and service market, combined with its cutting-edge, science-based marketing programs, increases customer yield, conversion and retention.

DMEa does not take marketing performance on faith, and each product and service is measured by a simple, precise scientific approach: Is it true? Prove it. Will it work? Test it. Does it generate results? Show it! Supported by DMEa’s proprietary, cloud-based Red Rocket Technology Platform, the DMEa product suite includes science-based, data-driven, multi-channel customer acquisition and retention marketing programs; best-in-class campaign reporting; data management and analytics; auto-focused Customer Interaction Center solutions, and complete on-site mail and email fulfillment services. Headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida, DMEa also has major operations in Jacksonville, Fla.

About Automotive News

Based in Detroit, Automotive News has been the place for all the news that is happening among automotive retailers, suppliers and manufacturers since 1925.  In addition to the 100% paid weekly print issue that is received by 60,000 subscribers, autonews.com is a vibrant Web site with more than four million page views monthly.  It contains the day's breaking news and features two daily newscasts and webinars.  Daily and weekly e-mails and breaking news alerts keep the industry's top executives up-to-date.

Contact:

DMEa Media Relations:
Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, 424-603-4340, melanie@mwebbcom.com 

Crystal Hartwell, mWEBB Communications, 714-987-1016, crystal@mwebbcom.com

Digital Automotive Veteran Joins Consumer Auto Finance Innovator

Mission Viejo, CA–August 28, 2013–DealerCentric, the pioneer and leader in interactive online auto credit applications, today announced that digital automotive veteran Roger Hilterbrandt has been appointed Executive Vice President of Sales and Strategy. Hilterbrandt joins DealerCentric as the company prepares to launch a next generation eLending solution to the marketplace.

Hilterbrandt brings 25-plus years of executive-level automotive marketing, sales and business development experience to DealerCentric. Previously he served as Vice President of Sales for AutoTrader.com, where he directed a team of 630 sales personnel and was instrumental in growing the online car-shopping powerhouse’s revenues from $170 million to over $700 million. Prior to AutoTrader.com, Hilterbrandt was President and CEO of a major, Internet-based finance lead partner of LendingTree.com and E-LOAN. He also served as National Sales Manager at Reynolds and Reynolds, directing over 175 sales and service professionals and the company’s OEM relationships.

"I'm excited to join DealerCentric because I believe this company is uniquely positioned to revolutionize the way people finance and buy their vehicles, with innovative solutions that will dramatically reduce the time it takes to do both,” said Hilterbrandt. “DealerCentric is poised to radically change the way financing ‘gets done,’ in the same way we were able to transform the way people shopped for vehicles when I was with AutoTrader.com.”

DealerCentric, founded in 2003, established itself with its Click Here Get Pre-Approved in Seconds® program, widely recognized as one of the best lead conversion tools for auto dealerships. The company is currently in the process of significantly expanding its product line-up, and is soon to launch the first consumer finance management system that can bridge the gap between sales and finance: putting the customer in the right vehicle, with the right deal structure, with final terms of loan approval, before that person even completes their test-drive.

DealerCentric recently launched the first mobile-optimized financing application for dealerships, and ID Drive, an ID scanner technology that gives dealerships the most powerful protection against fake IDs and identity theft imaginable, and the first solution to electronically synch the historically un-integrated test-drive, sales and financing processes.

“Our management team has 250 years of automotive experience, and the addition of Roger Hilterbrandt could not be more timely as we’re poised to launch several breakthrough new products to the market,” said DealerCentric CEO, Pete MacInnis. “Roger brings tremendous experience from the frontlines of the automotive digital revolution, and will spearhead our expanded growth strategies.”

About DealerCentric Solutions

DealerCentric, founded in 2003, develops next-generation consumer finance management systems that benefit dealers, lenders and consumers. Its mission: to invent new technology platforms that can finally bring financing to the front of the sales process, and put the customer in the right vehicle and loan, at the point of sale. The company’s original Click Here Get Pre-Approved in Seconds solution is established as the auto industry’s leading online credit application product.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, melanie@mwebbcom.com, 424-603-4340

Crystal Hartwell, mWEBB Communications, crystal@mwebbcom.com, 714-987-1016

New Training Part of Ongoing Effort to Ensure Dealerships Gain Maximum Benefits from ERA-IGNITE

ERA-IGNITE Course Qualifies for 21.5 CPE Credits for the NASBA*

DAYTON, Ohio – Aug. 27, 2013 – Reynolds and Reynolds is now offering in-depth, management-level training for dealerships using the ERA-IGNITE platform. ERA-IGNITE is Reynolds’ newest dealership software platform and a foundation of Reynolds Retail Management System. ERA-IGNITE features a Windows^®-based design and architecture that enable dealership personnel to work more productively and to access information more efficiently.

The ERA-IGNITE Management and Control Course is an intensive three-day program of instructor-led classroom training designed for participants who want to expand their knowledge and further capitalize on the advantages they can gain with ERA-IGNITE. The training, which is provided by Reynolds subject matter experts at Reynolds offices in Dayton and Houston, is geared toward chief financial officers, controllers, office managers, and system administrators.

“Taking this course pulled me away from the office and the steady stream of phone calls and emails and into a structured environment where I could focus and really learn ERA-IGNITE with an instructor to help me,” said Sarah Irby-Goad, controller with BMW Mini of Sterling.

ERA-IGNITE Management and Control Courses are offered monthly. Click here for more information or to register.

Along with the new ERA-IGNITE Management and Control Course, Reynolds provides a number of other training options to help dealerships maximize utilization of ERA-IGNITE, including Computer Assisted Instruction, On-Demand Training, ERA ‘Net classes, Free Monthly Webinars, and on-site training provided by Reynolds consultants.

*Reynolds and Reynolds is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education (CPE) on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. The ERA-IGNITE Management and Control Course qualifies for 21.5 CPE credits for the NASBA.

About Reynolds

Reynolds and Reynolds is the automotive industry’s leading provider of automobile dealership software, services, and forms to help dealerships improve business results. The company is headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, with major operations in Houston and College Station, Texas, and Celina, Ohio.  (www.reyrey.com)

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ALBANY, N.Y. – August 26^th 2013 – Auto/Mate Dealership Systems (http://www.automate.com) announced today that its AMPS Dealership Management System (DMS) is fully integrated with Dealer-FX’s automotive retail marketing and software solutions. Auto dealerships using AMPS dealership management system (DMS) and Dealer-FX’s service customer retention solutions will now benefit from real-time data exchange between the two systems.

“One of the key components to an effective customer retention marketing program is to have all the customer information, history and vehicle history updated instantly and accurately across the DMS and customer retention systems,” said Mike Esposito, President and CEO of Auto/Mate.

Dealer-FX is the most recent vendor to integrate with AMPS as part of Auto/Mate’s Open/Mate program. The open integration program ensures that all data delivered between the DMS and third-party software programs is instant and secure. Real-time integration eliminates redundancy and ensures accurate information for better marketing capabilities, compared with data exchanges performed via batch deliveries. Low-cost, open integration programs benefit auto dealers by improving internal productivity and increasing vendor choices, leading to more competition and lower prices.

“Dealers using our solutions and Auto/Mate’s DMS will be able to get more out of each system, as technological barriers are eliminated and the focus can be on improving programs and processes without having to worry whether the data is accurate,” said Sandor Segal, Director of Business Development with Dealer-FX.

Dealer-FX offers auto dealers service drive technology and tools that streamline the sales to service handoff, boost online scheduling, enable consistent electronic walkaround and inspections, and more. Its customer retention programs increase loyalty and integrate with Dealer-FX’s comprehensive suite of social media marketing, lead generation and conversion tools, as well as their marketing and brand effectiveness programs.

Third-party software vendors interested in integrating with Open/Mate should contact Auto/Mate at (518) 371–4331.

About Dealer-FX

As the most trusted name in automotive retail marketing and software solutions, Dealer-FX is focused on helping its dealer and OEM clients to “Drive the Customer Experience”. Approved and sponsored by several OEMs including Chrysler, Mitsubishi, General Motors and Toyota, its leading-edge systems are designed to improve service drive processes, branding effectiveness, lead conversion, social networking, customer loyalty and dealer profitability. For more information, visit www.dealer-fx.com

About Auto/Mate

Auto/Mate Dealership Systems is a leading provider of dealership management system (DMS) software to retail automotive dealerships. Its Automotive Management Productivity Suite (AMPS) is a user-friendly, feature-rich DMS in use by more than 900 auto dealers nationwide. In 2013 Auto/Mate received the “Highest Rated” DMS award in the fourth annual Driving Sales Dealer Satisfaction Awards.

Auto/Mate’s employees have more than 800 years of combined experience working in auto dealerships – the foundation of its “Designed By Car People For Car People^TM” slogan. For more information visit our website, follow us on Twitter @AutoMateDMS and subscribe to our blog at http://blog.automate.com

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BURLINGAME, Calif., and Salt Lake City, UT – August 19, 2013 –CarWoo!, the leading online marketplace for automotive buyers and dealers, has been named a finalist for the DrivingSales Innovation Cup Award for the Most Innovative Dealership Solution of 2013. CarWoo!’s Connect for Dealership Websites was selected by a panel of dealer judges from a competitive field of entrants and will be presented onstage at the 2013 DrivingSales Executive Summit (DSES), held Sunday, October 13^th through Tuesday, October 15^th, 2013 at the Bellagio Las Vegas.

“CarWoo! is honored to have been selected as an Innovation Cup Award finalist,” said Myril Shaw, Vice President, Dealer Relations at CarWoo! “CarWoo!’s Connect for Dealership Websites is a new product that will help dealerships bring functionality to their websites consistent with modern car buyer preferences. We look forward to showing off the product at the Executive Summit in October.”

Since it’s inception, CarWoo! has been a company dedicated to creating a modern car shopping experience online. Buyers are provided a marketplace in which they choose their car, meet local dealers and confirm their purchase in a hassle-free environment. Dealers are given access to engage with shopper who would never hit a traditional quote request form as well as competitive intelligence and insights.

DrivingSales created the Innovation Cup Awards to recognize solutions introduced or enhanced in 2013 whose innovative approaches have produced significant results for dealers.  Dealership solution-providers submitted applications online, vendor names were blanked out, and a panel of dealer judges selected the finalists.  Finalists will present their solution onstage for the dealer panel and attendees at the DSES on Monday, October 14th.

“The Innovation Cup Award represents one of the highest accolades our industry has to offer its dealership solution providers: the vote of those who understand its benefits the most - auto dealers,” said DrivingSales Founder and CEO Jared Hamilton. “We congratulate CarWoo! on being named a finalist for The Innovation Cup Award from a field of outstanding applicants and look forward to sharing CarWoo!’s progressive solution with attendees at the DrivingSales Executive Summit.”

The Innovation Cup Award competition is part of an exciting DSES line up this year, which includes high-profile keynotes from former U.S. Navy SEAL Officer and decorated combat veteran, Leif Babin; global search marketing authority Danny Sullivan, as well as nineteen dealer-selected breakout sessions from industry experts and dealers on topics ranging from CRM, digital marketing, fixed ops, hiring, creating a culture of success, selling pre-owned vehicles, leveraging ‘big data’, video, and more.

Focused on providing the most relevant profit-building information to help auto dealers formulate their business plans for the following year, the DrivingSales Executive Summit includes three days of collaboration and fresh, leading-edge information from special-topic breakouts, expert panels, dealer and vendor contests, and world-renowned speakers.  The DSES is 100% dealer driven and designed specifically for the most advanced dealer principals and dealership executives in the industry. The summit has a vendor-neutral policy, meaning no vendor influence on presentation selection and adherence to a strict dealer-to-vendor ratio. 

For the full DrivingSales Executive Summit agenda and more information on speakers and presentations go to http://drivingsal.es/2013-breakout-speakers.

Each year the DrivingSales Executive Summit automotive conference sells out. Tickets are still available at http://drivingsalesexecutivesummit.com/registration/. For more information about the DrivingSales Executive Summit and to register, visit: DrivingSalesExecutiveSummit.com or contact dses@drivingsales.com. Stay tuned for DSES news as it develops on www.twitter.com/drivingsales and on facebook.com/drivingsales. Participate in the conversation with the #DSES hashtag as preparations continue throughout the year.

About CarWoo!

CarWoo! is dedicated to providing the best online marketplace for automotive buyers and sellers. In the CarWoo! MarketPlace consumers can select the type of car they are interested in, find and communicate privately with local dealers from CarWoo!’s more than 10,000 dealers, receive upfront prices, compare offers and ultimately make a confident, hassle-free purchase decision. Dealers have the opportunity to receive never before available competitive intelligence and insight into the behavior of the online buyer. CarWoo! is the official “Best Deal” partner with AOL Autos and has active relationships with a variety of online sites.  More than 13,000 car dealers and hundreds of thousands of consumers have engaged with each other in the CarWoo! MarketPlace.

About The DrivingSales Executive Summit (DSES)

The DrivingSales Executive Summit is where the most progressive dealers gather to collaborate and learn forward-thinking trends in automotive operations. DSES features world-renowned experts on marketing, technology and retail operations from inside and outside the industry, who provide the most valuable and actionable insights for today’s dealership professionals.  The DSES agenda is dealer-driven, ensuring the content is 100 percent focused on the needs of progressive dealers.  Only the top 10 percent of speaking applications selected by DrivingSales members make it on the agenda.

To protect the quality of the event, seating is limited and always held at a 5-diamond venue.  DSES has sold out every year.  For those interested in attending, securing seating as early as possible is recommended.  For more information, visit DSES.com

 About DrivingSales

DrivingSales is a professional network serving the auto industry with dealer-driven news and information, online training, and performance data, all to enable dealers to make critical business decisions at their dealerships.  DrivingSales’ mission is to connect progressive dealership professionals to the people and information they need to maximize their success.

Founded by a third-generation car dealer, and opened up to the industry in 2008, today DrivingSales has a registered user in over 50% of new car dealerships in the US and is active in several other countries around the globe.  To learn more about the DrivingSales community, training or performance analytics visit DrivingSales.com, DrivingSalesUniversity.com and DrivingSalesData.com

DrivingSales Executive Summit Media Relations:

Elizabeth Johnson (Elizabeth@mwebbcom.com), mWEBB Communications, 213.713.4865

Melanie Webber (melanie@mwebbcom.com), mWEBB Communications, 949.307.1723

Reynolds Will Take Advantage of IMN’s Content Marketing and Newsletter Expertise

DAYTON, OHIO – August 19, 2013 – Reynolds and Reynolds announced today that the company has acquired IMN, the digital marketing company that delivers branded newsletters and content for automotive and other vertical markets. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

IMN will be added to Reynolds’ digital marketing and advertising services for the automotive industry, immediately enabling Reynolds to expand its offerings, as well as build on IMN’s broader customer base to expand beyond automotive into new vertical markets.

“IMN is a leader in digital marketing platforms and proprietary content,” said Robert Burnett, senior vice president of Corporate Development for Reynolds and Reynolds.  “With their depth of automotive expertise, IMN has built an impressive track record of helping dealers communicate effectively with customers and prospects to drive sales and service revenues, and to change the customer experience with the dealership.  Combining their strengths with ours is a perfect fit.”

Burnett also added that IMN has developed an extensive customer base in the direct selling, banking, credit union, insurance, technology, and franchise industries. As a result, the acquisition provides Reynolds the opportunity to grow the company’s marketing services and digital technology within these markets.

IMN is known for Loyalty Driver^® for Automotive, the most widely used newsletter and content service for automotive dealerships. More than 2,000 dealerships nationwide currently use these branded newsletters, which combine OEM-specific content with lifestyle, destination, maintenance and other general interest topics. The communications, which include proprietary content developed by IMN’s experienced team of writers, can be customized to include local offers and events based on the dealer’s specific marketing plans and sales goals.

With IMN’s analytics, dealers are able to track click-through and open rates, obtain insight into customers’ engagement with specific content, and take advantage of advanced reporting features to follow newsletter-influenced sales and scheduled appointments for test drives and service. In addition, IMN recently introduced Loyalty Driver Premier™ for Automotive, which merges consumer behavioral data with transactional data, providing unique insights to automotive marketers and brands.

“Because our products consistently deliver ROI to our customers, we have developed trusted partnerships with the automotive industry’s largest OEMs who rely on our proven offerings,” said Ben Levitan, chairman and CEO of IMN. “With this acquisition, Reynolds and Reynolds gains a profitable company composed of a team with deep industry expertise, strong technology and services, and an extensive product portfolio.”

About Reynolds
Reynolds and Reynolds is a leading provider of automobile dealership software, services, and forms to help dealerships deliver better business results and transform the customer experience.  The company is headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, with major operations in Houston and College Station, Texas, and Celina, Ohio. (www.reyrey.com)

About IMN
IMN is the digital marketing company that delivers branded newsletters and content for more than 3,000 organizations worldwide. By combining custom, vertically-oriented content with advanced publishing technology and services, IMN enables companies to engage with their prospects and customers to drive business results via email, mobile and social platforms. In addition to taking advantage of IMN’s expertise within the automotive, banking and direct selling industries, customers benefit from analytics-based intelligence that provides insight into buying behavior and purchase preferences to successfully encourage brand loyalty and generate leads. For more information, visit http://www.imninc.com or the IMN Blog. Follow IMN on Twitter @loyaltydriver or engage on the IMN Facebook brand page.

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