SEATTLE, WA – February 3, 2012 – Cobalt®, a business unit of ADP Dealer Services (NASDAQ: ADP), today announced major enhancements to its market-leading digital marketing platform to provide dealers increased flexibility and control of their websites and advertising. These major innovations, Flex websites and Flex digital advertising packages, were guided by extensive input from dealers and dealer groups seeking to differentiate their stores, market all their profit centers, and exploit the latest digital marketing strategies.  Cobalt’s automotive digital marketing platform is the only solution on the market today that can provide the power of fully integrated digital advertising campaigns together with the flexibility and control dealers demand.

“Flex” Websites Highlights

• True drag-and-drop capabilities, allowing dealers to leverage a wide array of professional designs and then change their website layout in real-time
• Powerful and growing widget library to easily add functionality to dealer websites
• Flex websites are built on HTML 5 and are fully compatible with mobile devices and tablets

“Flex” Digital Advertising Highlights

• Ability to vary monthly advertising spend between profit centers and campaigns
• Greater control over prioritization of campaigns and ability to differentiate the dealership brand
• Addition of premium advertising channels such as Kelly BlueBook and AOL Autos
• Comprehensive reporting that shows the success of advertising investments

“Flex Websites are so easy to use that dealers can design their sites in minutes from an Apple iPad® or any desktop”, said Paul Nagy, VP Core Products.  “Over the past year we have seen a burst of innovation on Cobalt’s digital marketing platform that has brought us industry honors for our SEO and Mobile technology.  Today’s announcement extends this streak by delivering dealers unmatched design choice, ease-of-use and flexibility.” 

Dealers agree.  “These Flex sites should eliminate any remaining perception that Cobalt is ‘cookie-cutter,” said Steve Hendricks, General Manager of Luther Westside Volkswagen. ”Dealers have what they need to make their sites look great and stand out from their peers.”

“With Flex advertising, dealers can vary their monthly advertising spend to drive revenue directly to different  profit centers, as well as exercise greater control over their advertising investment, giving them more opportunity to reach shoppers and differentiate their dealership brand”, said Max Steckler, VP Advertising Products.

“Cobalt has a deep understanding of the digital journey of today’s car shoppers and is focused on creating flexible, targeted and trackable digital marketing solutions that connect shoppers to dealers throughout the purchase journey,” said John Holt, SVP of ADP Digital Marketing. “These new advances to the market’s leading digital marketing platform deliver the seamless shopping experience consumers demand, together with the flexibility and control dealers expects to market their stores.  With these new dealer-centric capabilities, and our industry leading insight into consumer behavior, we believe Cobalt’s digital marketing platform strikes the perfect balance in meeting the needs of consumers, dealers and manufacturers.”

Flex websites and advertising will be available for eligible dealers starting in February 2012.   To learn more about Cobalt’s suite of digital marketing solutions, contact your Cobalt Sales Representative or call 877-836-8655.

About Cobalt

Cobalt, a business unit of ADP Dealer Services, provides digital marketing solutions to a majority of US automotive dealers and manufacturers, and is North America's leading provider of automotive marketing services. For over 16 years, Cobalt's mission has been to help automobile dealers and manufacturers increase their retailing effectiveness and profitability.  Together with Dealix, Cobalt offers a comprehensive set of highly effective and efficient marketing solutions and services, delivers seamless shopping experiences to consumers, and high quality sales opportunities to dealers. 

About ADP
Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADP), with about $10 billion in revenues and about 570,000 clients, is one of the world's largest providers of business outsourcing solutions. Leveraging over 60 years of experience, ADP offers a wide range of human resource, payroll, tax and benefits administration solutions from a single source. ADP's easy-to-use solutions for employers provide superior value to companies of all types and sizes. ADP is also a leading provider of integrated computing solutions to auto, truck, motorcycle, marine, recreational, heavy equipment, and agricultural vehicle dealers throughout the world.   For more information about ADP or to contact a local ADP sales office, reach us at1.800.225.5237 or visit the company's Web site at www.ADP.com.

Leaders in Automotive Digital Marketing – Response Logix and Digital Air Strike – Announce Merger                                                                                                                   

Creates Largest Automotive Digital Marketing Company Specializing in Social Media and Lead Response

Las Vegas, NV (February 4, 2012) – Response Logix, based in Sunnyvale, California, and Digital Air Strike, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, today announced at the National Automotive Dealers Association (NADA) convention a merger of their two companies. The combined company has  two robust business units: Response Logix offering a dynamic prospect-response digital marketing solution and Digital Air Strike offering complete social media and reputation management solutions. Both companies were co-founded by dealers and have developed innovative technology that is focused on helping dealerships improve their digital marketing efforts and response times to prospects and customers.

“I’m excited to announce the merger of these two fast-growing, ground-breaking companies,” said Tom Mohr, President and CEO of Response Logix. “I’m especially excited that we have brought together a winning team of innovators and powerful digital marketing solutions that are second to none. We are looking forward to working with our fast-growing network of over 1,100 dealers nationwide to deliver world-class marketing communications, behavioral targeting and social media solutions that give dealers a distinct advantage in today’s online marketplace.”

“This merger brings together two very dynamic companies that complement each other in many ways,” said Alexi Venneri, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Digital Air Strike, and now also Chief Marketing Officer of the combined company. “In our industry it is all about responding quickly, whether that’s to leads, online reviews or social media prospects. Our combined solution utilizes revolutionary technology and a team of strategic marketers to help dealers respond incredibly quickly and professionally throughout the entire sales and customer lifecycle.”

With the merger, dealers will now have a combined suite of digital marketing communications, behavioral targeting and social media solutions that reside in a “one-stop shop”, delivering an efficient path to a distinct competitive advantage.

The Response Logix product line features the robust automotive Internet lead management tools SmartQuote, SmartFollow and RapidTouch. SmartQuote delivers an information-rich, multi-vehicle price quote to the customer within 10 minutes of lead arrival, 24/7. SmartFollow provides continuous email and online advertising-based follow-up to prospects for up to 180 days. Through a partnership with a leading automotive call center, RapidTouch ensures that once the quote has been sent, a follow-up phone call is made to the prospect within 45 minutes.

The Digital Air Strike product line offers a complete solution to fully manage over 50 social media and review sites. Dealers can select from multiple levels of service including the Defend package for outsourced online reputation management, the Conquer package for proactive social media marketing, and the Dominate package which is a complete solution that offers the broadest combined automotive social media and reputation management solution. 

 “Our dealership customer base will now have the opportunity to fully engage prospects on social media networks and throughout the lead management process,” said Mohr. “The combination of professional digital marketing messaging and fast response is an incredibly powerful solution for increasing sales and improving customer retention.”

In the near-term the company will operate under both names while leveraging the strength of their combined management team. Dealers using both product lines will benefit from future integration while being able to respond quickly with professional marketing messages to all types of consumer digital engagement, which will result in selling more cars and servicing more vehicles.  

                  ###

About Response Logix 

Response Logix is the leading automotive digital marketing solution that enhances sales response and engagement for both prospects and customers. It provides advanced automotive Internet lead management tools for immediate lead response and includes the capability to respond to leads with an immediate, information-rich, multi-vehicle price quote (SmartQuote®); the ability to follow up on leads with a rapid call (RapidTouch), then the ability to continue to follow prospects with ongoing email and online advertising for up to 180 days (SmartFollow®). All information is tracked and monitored in a comprehensive analytical package (SmartFacts®).The company was co-founded by dealers and technology veterans and has powerful patent-pending solutions, all tailored to meet the needs of the fast-paced, multi-tasking internet selling environment. Additional information is available at www.responselogix.com.

Response Logix can also be found at NADA Booth #3672.

About Digital Air Strike

Digital Air Strike is the leading turn-key social media solution in the automotive industry. The company offers multiple social media packages, providing increasing service levels from targeted online reputation management to proactive social media coverage to the most comprehensive social and reputation management solution in the industry, including over 50 sites enhanced and fully managed.  The company’s expertise spans all manufacturer brands and it has a proven track record of helping automotive dealers, dealership groups and OEMs engage with more consumers, improve online reputations and deliver increased website traffic. Additional information is available at www.DigitalAirStrike.com  and at www.facebook.com/digitalairstrike. 

Digital Air Strike can also be found at NADA Booth #3388.

Media Contact:  Charlie Vogelheim  /  cvogelheim@responselogix.com  /  949.929.0716

Contact At Once! Ranked #1 in Dealer Satisfaction in Chat Provider Category for Second Year in a Row.

ALPHARETTA, GA. February 3, 2012 – Contact At Once!, the dealer chat leader, is the recipient of the “Highest Rated” Chat Provider Award in the third annual DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards. For the second year in a row, Contact At Once! received the highest dealer satisfaction ranking in the Chat Provider category, as determined by the thousands of auto dealers who are part of the DrivingSales.com community.

“Contact At Once! would like to thank our many customers for their positive reviews and feedback. We are often recognized for being the most widely used and most popular provider of automotive chat, but it is particularly gratifying to be recognized as the highest rated as well. The dealers on Drivingsales.com are amongst the most progressive, so we are very honored to receive this recognition two years in a row.” said Marc Hayes, Executive VP and Founder of Contact At Once!

Serving over 9,000 auto dealerships in North America, the Contact At Once! dealer chat network includes third-party listing sites such as AutoTrader.com, Cars.com, CarsDirect.com, CarSoup.com and EveryCarListed.com, as well as manufacturer websites like Kia.com, partner websites and applications in addition to traditional dealership websites. Using a single set of tools and processes, car dealers can leverage automotive chat to respond to consumer inquiries originating from anyplace in the dealer chat network. Dealers that leverage Contact At Once! dealer chat software typically experience an increase of at least 25% in the number of online shoppers that contact the dealership.

The DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards, presented in conjunction with the 2012 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Expo, measure dealer satisfaction by allowing dealers to rate and review their vendors at DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings, the industry’s only neutral, comprehensive vendor rating forum featuring real-time peer reviews and honest competitor comparisons. The awards also incorporate the results of the 2011 Vendor Ratings survey, which was deployed to nearly 18,000 dealerships nationwide.

“We are proud to present the DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction ‘Highest Rated’ Chat Provider Award to Contact At Once! for achieving the most coveted accolade of all, the satisfaction of its dealer customers,” said DrivingSales CEO and Founder Jared Hamilton. “This award, based on the direct input of the dealer community, recognizes service providers like Contact At Once! who are leading the way in innovation, performance, and customer service.  We congratulate Contact At Once! on excelling in meeting and exceeding the needs of its dealer customers.

Full award results are available online at http://dealersatisfactionawards.com/. Broadcast coverage of the DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards ceremony will be available at www.drivingsalestv.com following NADA.

About Contact At Once!

Contact At Once! is the leading automotive chat software provider and operator of the industry’s only dealer chat network connecting more than 9,000 auto dealers with the websites car shoppers visit most often. Adding Contact At Once! dealer chat software to a website typically increases a dealership’s sales conversations by at least 25%. Named to the Inc. 500 as one of America’s fastest growing businesses in August of 2011, Contact At Once! is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information about the company’s auto dealer chat product, please visit:www.autodealerchat.com.

About DrivingSales Vendor Ratings

DrivingSales Vendor Ratings at is the industry’s only neutral, comprehensive vendor rating forum featuring real-time peer reviews and honest competitor comparisons “searchable by category, company or rating”  and is one of the most popular features of DrivingSales.com. Dealers are asked to rate their vendors on a 1-5 star scale, including whether they would recommend the vendor product to colleagues, and why they would or would not recommend the product.

About DrivingSales.com

DrivingSales is the auto industry's fastest-growing, most influential trade media property focused on delivering actionable profit-building information and business intelligence to auto retailers and industry professionals. Approximately, one in every four dealerships in the United States has a registered member in the DrivingSales community.

Auto dealers continued to generate profits from accessories sales in 2011; average dealership generated over $260,000 for the year, with 45% average gross profit margin

Las Vegas, Feb. 4, 2012-- izmocars (www.izmocars.com) today released its annual AOA Auto Accessories Trend Report in conjunction with the 2012 National Automobile Dealer Association (NADA) Convention & Expo. The report analyzes accessories sales data from dealerships across the country and highlights the accessories that were most popular with consumers in 2011; the categories that had the most traction across different U.S. regions, and the vehicle models that attracted the highest volume of accessories sales.

“In spite of economic pressures – and the residual impacts of the tsunami - dealerships continued to generate solid profits from accessories sales in 2011,” said izmocars Vice President Sidney Haider.  “With improved new car sales on the horizon, dealerships who have cracked the code of selling accessories are in a unique sweet spot for 2012. And, as the economy has driven consumers to hold onto their vehicles for record lengths of time, dealers and OEMs should note a key trend that surfaces in this report: more and more car buyers are opting for protection products, reflecting an emerging new car buyer mindset focused on a longer vehicle life.”

THE TOP TEN ACCESSORIES CATEGORIES IN 2011

Report Trend Highlights:

• Spurred by economic conditions, lengthening car ownership cycles and a year filled with extreme weather, Protection and Convenience accessories were the overall winners for 2011, with Paint Protection ranking number one in dealer profits, knocking Upholstery from its top spot for the previous year.  

• OE products also thrived throughout the year, gaining the 2^nd (Factory Exterior), 3^rd (Body Side Moldings), and 8^th (Factory Interior) spots in volume of parts sold for the year.  ‘Guard Thy Car’ was a definite theme in the breakdown of these categories, with consumers purchasing plenty of Mudguards, Splash Guards, Door Edge Guards, Bumper Protectors, Nose Masks and Door Sill Protectors.

• By region, long-life vehicle trends and the weather made for a common theme, with Protection dominating products sold. Window Tints, predictably, remained strong in the South, although the category did not make the top 5 in other less sunny regions. Floor mats remained the most popular category across regions in 2011, grabbing first place in the Northeast and Western regions and placing in the top 5 in all other regions.

The 2012 AOA Auto Accessories Trend Report is based on complete year sales data from a diverse sampling of 150 dealerships who utilized AddOnAuto.* In aggregate, they sold $39 million in accessories in 2011. The average dealership analyzed generated over $260,000 in annual sales of accessories to new car buyers in 2011 -- in addition to pre-installed parts and options, with an average of over $475 in accessories sales per vehicle sold, an average gross profit margin of 45%, and an after-commission net profit margin of 32.3%.

To view the full report, click here: http://www.izmocars.com/trend-reports/aoa-2012.pdf

 *All dealerships in the report sampling utilized AddOnAuto from izmocars www.izmocars.com/solutions/aoa

About izmocars

izmocars is a leading provider of Automotive Business Solutions including: Website and Online Marketing Solutions, Enterprise-level Automotive CRM, iConsult - Sales Performance Coaching and AddOnAuto - an In-Store Accessories Sales Solution.

izmocars is also the world's leader in Interactive Media Content for the automotive industry. Founded in 2002, izmocars services some of the most successful eDealers in the country.

izmocars is based in San Francisco, with offices in Long Beach, CA, Chattanooga, TN, Philadelphia, PA, and Brussels in Europe.

CONTACT: mWEBB Communications for izmocars, Melanie Webber, +1-949-307-1723, melanie@mwebbcom.com, or Angela Jacobson, +1-714-454-8776, angela@mwebbcom.com

DMEautomotive’s “The Changing Service Loyalty Landscape” Reveals:

• Independent Shops Aren’t Dealerships’ Biggest Threat, Aftermarket Chains Are
• Dealer Loyalists Aren’t the Highest-Value Service Customers

Las Vegas, NV – February 4, 2012 – DMEautomotive (DMEa), the science-inspired, results-based automotive marketing leader, today released key findings at the 2012 NADA Convention from its forthcoming white paper, “The Changing Service Loyalty Landscape”- the most comprehensive study of the auto service shopper, and the entire market, to date. The overarching picture that emerges is one of a hyper-competitive market in serious flux, marked by a low rate (23%) of loyal auto service customers. Numerous findings will bust key industry myths: for instance, independent service providers are not dealerships’ biggest business threat, aftermarket chains are - and dealer loyalists spend less on service relative to other customers: both independent and aftermarket loyalists spend and service more.

DMEa’s white paper shows that while service industry stakeholders, like dealerships, need to tackle complex, new market challenges (from changes in media consumption habits, to the shift of buying power to younger generations), they also need to attack the new opportunities. With Americans holding onto their vehicles for record lengths of time, the $215 billion+ service market is projected to grow another 15% by 2015.[1] And yet, despite the fact that service now represents an extraordinary 46.5% of dealer profits,[2] until DMEa’s new reports, research into exactly where people spread their service dollars, and why, has been unusually thin.

About DMEautomotive’s White Papers:

DMEautomotive’s Strategy & Analytics division’s reports are based on a recent survey of 4,000 U.S. vehicle owners.[3] “The Changing Service Loyalty Landscape” (available mid-February 2012*) analyzes the decision-making process behind service center selection; consumer loyalty rates and demographics, and industry share-of-wallet realities for dealerships, independents and aftermarket chains. The second report (available in March 2012) analyzes shoppers’ communications preferences (by frequency, platform, and service outlet type), providing service businesses with outreach strategies that can better retain the “loyals,” while converting more of the “swing shoppers” and disloyalists.

Key Findings:

Low Loyalist Levels Industrywide: Dealers Most Dependent On Them

Service “loyalty” is best expressed as a combination of spend and frequency. DMEa identified three core service customers: “loyalists” (who both visit and spend most at a store type); partial, or “swing loyalists” (who either visit, or spend most at, a store type, but not both); and “disloyalists” (who neither visit nor spend most at that store type).

The survey reveals strikingly low loyalist levels across the industry, with more than three in four customers (and their dollars) in play, and not tied to one service center. Overall, “loyalists” represent only 23% of the service market, while “swing loyalists” make up 50%, and “disloyalists” 27%.[4]

(View and download chart here: http://bit.ly/zSANcC)

Loyalists may represent the service shopper minority, but they drive the lion’s share of each type of service outlet’s revenue. With the 23% of dealer loyalist customers driving 62% of revenue, one can see that dealership revenue streams are the most loyalist-dependent, while aftermarket stores, who generate nearly half their revenues from non-loyalists, are the least.

Myth: Dealers’ Biggest Threat is Independent Shops

Reality: It’s Aftermarket Chains

It’s conventional industry wisdom that independent service centers pose the greatest threat to dealerships, but this new data reveals that the poaching of dealer customers by independents is, in fact, very low. Only 10% of the annual service spend of a dealer’s customers migrates to independents, and independent customers only spend 13% of their service wallet at dealerships.

Dealers are bleeding nearly three times more business to aftermarket chains. Among all dealer customers, $162 of their annual service spend heads to the aftermarket, while only $59 bleeds to independents. In general, the data reveals that when both dealership and independent customers spend elsewhere, the majority of dollars travel to aftermarket chains. But the migration isn’t reciprocal: dealerships capture less of the aftermarket-loyal and independent-loyal migrating spend (at $102 and $82 annually, respectively).

Myth: Dealer Loyalists Are the Most Valuable Service Customer

Reality: Independent & Aftermarket Loyalists Spend & Service More

Dealer-loyalists are intensely valuable to dealerships, generating roughly two-thirds of their total service revenue. And DMEa’s survey reveals they have other uniquely valuable traits. They’re the wealthiest service customer: with an average household income of $72,017 vs. independent customers at $57,081, and aftermarket at $69,249. They’re the most compliant: 70% of dealer-loyalists report “always following manufacturer service recommendations,” vs. roughly half of aftermarket and independent customers. And the survey, which gauged how price-obsessed different service customers are (by age, primary store loyalty, and other factors), found that dealer-loyalists are dramatically less price-driven than independent, and especially, aftermarket, loyalists. Store attributes like “competitive prices,” “frequent sales events,” “frequent coupons/discounts” and “different price options for parts,” indexed between two and five times more important for aftermarket-loyalists than dealer-loyalists.

Given that dealer-loyalists have deeper pockets, are much less price-conscious, and follow strict service schedules, one would imagine they would spend and service the most. The opposite is true…and aftermarket chains and independents also grab significantly more spend and share-of-wallet from their loyalist bases.

         Dealer Loyalist           Indep. Loyalist            Aftermarket Loyalist

Annual Spend:               $1,105                                   $1,191                                $1,178

Spend@ Store:                $884                                    $1,024                                $1,001

Share-of-Wallet:            80%                                        86%                                    85%

And because dealer loyalists drive their vehicles 1,000 miles less (on average) each year than aftermarket loyalists, they service less frequently. For instance, the percentage of aftermarket-loyalists who service 7+ times annually is nearly three times higher than the percentage of dealer-loyalists that do.

Clearly, the 77% of service consumers that are now non-dealer-loyalists are a high-value, high-spending opportunity. If dealers imagine that the aftermarket industry revolves around  a series of unprofitable oil changes, that perception needs to be completely revised.

“All service stakeholders can get complacent, because as the revenue “pie” grows, their businesses are growing too – especially dealerships where, on average, nearly half of all profits come through service. But DMEa’s white papers will show that complacency is a very bad idea: major attitudinal, spend and demographic shifts are underway in the increasingly volatile, disloyal service market.  Every player needs to not only retain loyalists, but must also find innovative ways to attract the new (and as our reports will show) younger and more demanding segments,” said Doug Van Sach, Vice President, Strategy & Analytics, DMEautomotive. “These white papers will provide more than a 360-degree view of the market, they will also give service businesses a gameplan - analyzing how to send the right message, via the right platform, to the right customer - to keep increasingly at-risk loyalists close, while also attracting more of the three in four service dollars now in play.”

*To request a copy of DMEa’s white papers, click here: http://www.dmeautomotive.com/solutions/the-changing-service-loyalty-landscape-whitepaper-request.aspx

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 - including AutoNation, Lithia Automotive, MileOne, Larry H. Miller and the Van Tuyl Automotive Group - 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:

Media Relations:

Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, 949-307-1723, melanie@mwebbcom.com Angela Jacobson, mWEBB Communications, 714-454-8776, angela@mwebbcom.com

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 3^rd, 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 company officially launched CarFinance.com, in January.

“CarFinance Capital is dedicated to helping dealers serve the growing ranks of non-prime car buyers -- and, while most consumers choose to finance at the dealership, many seek out solutions where they can apply for, and receive, their financing anonymously and online. The demand is there: in just the few weeks since we launched Carfinance.com, we’ve already received thousands of online applications,” said CarFinance president and CEO Jim Landy.

Consumers type in car financing-related keywords over 3 million times each month on Google alone, according to Google Adwords. CarFinance.com’s direct lending platform is able to reach these consumers, many of who might otherwise fall through the cracks for dealerships.  And, unlike lead aggregators, who sell and resell customer information to multiple buyers (from consumers who may or may not be serious), direct loan customers from CarFinance.com are more than idle tire kickers -- they have formalized their commitment to buy.

“Our expanded dealer program is structured to ensure that these qualified and ready-to-buy customers purchase at one of our preferred dealers,” continued Landy.   “So CarFinance.com delivers both efficiencies and profits to dealerships, and a welcome new option for credit-challenged consumers.”

CarFinance.com’s direct referrals also dramatically minimize a dealer’s work: car shoppers are approved, all required stipulations have been collected, all verifications and the signed agreement are in hand --- and the application process is paperless and can be completed online. Additionally, the company funds dealers’ bank accounts directly via ACH, so they get paid immediately.

Irvine-based CarFinance is licensed in 21 states for both its direct and indirect businesses and will roll out nationwide in the coming months.

If you are a franchise dealer interested in receiving CarFinance.com referrals, email NewDealer@CarFinance.com.

About CarFinance Capital LLC
CarFinance Capital LLC (www.carfinancecapital.com) is a fresh new company focused on partnering with franchise auto dealers to provide credit to non-prime consumers. Dedicated to premium service for its customers, CarFinance offers one-on-one support, consistent, predictable credit decisions, fast funding, multiple lending options, and deal-structuring flexibility to help auto dealers meet the needs of today’s non-prime car buyer.  Headquartered in Irvine, California the company is led by Jim Landy and a seasoned team of executives that have long histories working together in the non-prime auto market.

About CarFinance.com
CarFinance.com’s (www.carfinance.com) management has helped hundreds of thousands of consumers with less-than-perfect credit purchase a quality, late-model vehicle. Its mission is to empower the growing ranks of less-than-prime new and used car shoppers by providing an anonymous time- and money-saving way to get their car loan pre-approved before they hit the dealership. Through CarFinance.com, car shoppers can apply for a new or used car loan or lower their existing car loan payments through refinancing, from the comfort of home - and because the entire process is completed online, personal information is kept private, safe and secure. The site also provides consumers with easy-to-use finance empowerment tools and content, such as calculators, articles, tips and advice.

Media contacts:

Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, (949) 307-1723, melanie@mwebbcom.com
Angela Jacobson, mWEBB Communications, (714) 454-8776, angela@mwebbcom.com

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 DrivingSales CEO and Founder Jared Hamilton.

The DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards measure dealer satisfaction by allowing dealers to rate and review their vendors at DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings, the industry’s only neutral, comprehensive vendor rating forum featuring real-time peer reviews and honest competitor comparisons. The awards also incorporate the results of the 2011 Vendor Ratings survey, which was deployed to nearly 18,000 dealerships nationwide.

“The thousands of dealers who made their voices heard through their participation in Vendor Ratings not only seek to recognize the excellence of service providers who are leading the charge in innovation, performance and customer service,” continued Hamilton. “But they also, importantly, are helping their peers make the critical vendor decisions that can ensure growth, profits and greater dealer satisfaction in 2012.”

The awards were presented at a special ceremony at the 2012 NADA Convention & Expo in Las Vegas.   The company also unveiled a redesigned DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings site at the ceremony, including new features that make it easier for dealers to navigate between vendor products and categories and to quickly find the highest rated vendors, as well as to rate vendors through a more intuitive process. Enhancements to the vendor process were also added including increasing the exposure of vendor contact information and the ability to easily add new products.

The 2011 DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Award Recipients are (listed by category):
 

Call Management

o CallSource – CallTracking :: Highest Rated
o Callbright^®– Inbound Lead Tracker :: Top Rated
o Who’s Calling – Who’sCalling :: Top Rated

Chat Products
o ContactAtOnce! LLC – ContactAtOnce! AutoDealer Chat :: Highest Rated
o ActivEngage – ActivEngage Chat :: Top Rated
o Dealer e Process – PRO-ACTIVE Live Chat :: Top Rated

CRM - Fixed Ops
o CIMA Systems – CIMA Car Care Service Menus :: Highest Rated
o ADP Dealer Services – ADP CRM :: Top Rated
o Dealer e Process – Virtual Service Consultant :: Top Rated

CRM - Sales Dept.
o Dominion Dealer Solutions – Autobase CRM :: Highest Rated
o CAR-Research – CAR- Research XRM :: Top Rated
o DealerSocket – DealerSocket CRM :: Top Rated

DMS Providers
o Reynolds and Reynolds – Reynolds ERA DMS :: Highest Rated
o ADP Dealer Services – ADP DMS :: Top Rated
o DealerTrack – DealerTrack Dealer Management Services :: Top Rated

ILM Systems
o Dominion Dealer Solutions – AVV Web Control :: Top Rated
o DealerSocket – DealerSocket ILM :: Top Rated
o VinSolutions – VinSolutions MotoSnap ILM :: Top Rated

Inventory Pricing Tools
o vAuto – vAuto - Pricing, Appraising, Stocking, & Merchandising Tools:: Highest Rated
o VinSolutions – MotoSnap Market Pricing Analysis :: Top Rated
o eCarList – eCarList TrueTarget :: Top Rated

Mobile Sites
o Dealer.com – MobileSites :: Highest Rated
o Cobalt – Cobalt Mobile Websites :: Top Rated
o VinSolutions – MotoSnap Mobile Websites :: Top Rated

New Car Leads
o Dealix – New Car Leads :: Highest Rated
o Cars.com – NewLeadsPlus :: Top Rated
o ZAG – Zag Sales Strategy :: Top Rated

Owner Marketing
o J&L Marketing, Inc. – Sales Events :: Highest Rated
o CIMA Systems– Complete Virtual BDC :: Top Rated
o Dominion Dealer Solutions – @utoRevenue :: Top Rated

SEM - PPC
o Dealer e Process – Dealer e Process SEM :: Highest Rated
o PCG Digital Marketing – PPC Management Service :: Top Rated
o POTRATZ – Search and Behavioral for Website and Mobile:: Top Rated

SEO
o eXtéresAUTO – eXtéresAUTO - SEO :: Highest Rated
o Dealer e Process – Power PageRank SEO :: Top Rated
o PCG Digital Marketing – SEO & Strategic Internet Marketing :: Top Rated

Used Car Advertising
o AutoTrader.com – Used Car Advertising :: Highest Rated
o Cars.com – Cars.com Online Advertising :: Top Rated
o Dealix – UsedCars.com :: Top Rated

Websites
o Dealer e Process – Dealer e Process Dealer Websites :: Highest Rated
o DealerFire – DealerFire Custom Websites:: Top Rated
o DealerOn – Flex Sites :: Top Rated
 

Full award results are available online at http://dealersatisfactionawards.com/. Full broadcast coverage of the DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards ceremony will be available at www.drivingsalestv.com following NADA.

DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Award recipients will be showcased in the Q1 2012 issue of DrivingSales Dealership Innovation Guide which, in addition to being distributed at the 2012 NADA Convention and Expo, is delivered to every new car dealership nationwide, as well as to the top 100 used car dealerships.

About DrivingSales Vendor Ratings

DrivingSales Vendor Ratings is the industry’s only neutral, comprehensive vendor rating forum featuring real-time peer reviews and honest competitor comparisons “searchable by category, company or rating”  and is one of the most popular features of DrivingSales.com. Dealers are asked to rate their vendors on a 1-5 star scale, including whether they would recommend the vendor product to colleagues, and why they would or would not recommend the product.

About DrivingSales.com

DrivingSales is the auto industry's fastest-growing, most influential trade media property focused on delivering actionable profit-building information and business intelligence to auto retailers and industry professionals. Approximately, one in every four dealerships in the United States has a registered member in the DrivingSales community.

DrivingSales' information network includes flagship property DrivingSales.com (www.drivingsales.com), the world's largest car dealer social network; DrivingSalesTV (www.drivingsalestv.com), an interactive web channel which helps car dealers and auto professionals keep tabs on their industry and emerging technologies 24/7; DrivingSales University, an on-demand training platform where dealerships learn the latest web strategies from top e-commerce experts; DrivingSales Executive Summit (DSES) the industry's leading conference where progressive dealers collaborate and learn from world renowned experts, and DrivingSales Dealership Innovation Guide, a quarterly free publication featuring case studies of the industry's most innovative dealerships, solutions and best practices. 

DrivingSales Media Relations:
Melanie Webber (melanie@mwebbcom.com), mWEBB Communications, 949.307.1723
Angela Jacobson (angela@mwebbcom.com), mWEBB Communications, 714.454.8776

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 section of the player to create a customized viewing experience for their website visitors. When the user clicks on these embedded apps, the video pauses and the app launches directly from the player. This functionality is integrated with all 4DF video players located on the dealer website, Facebook, Cars.com or AutoTrader.com. Dealers can choose from various apps including lead forms, credit applications, trade-in evaluations and chat based communication platforms to entice their video viewers to take the next step in the dealer's online sales process.

"We are very excited about this integration with SiSTeR Technologies and allowing the consumer new and exciting ways to communicate with dealers,"said Eric Schlesinger, ActivEngage Director of Sales. "Both companies are at the cutting edge and this is yet another way we can not only help our customers but also create a much better end user experience. After all, it is all about creating the best user experience as possible."

Israel Alpert, founder and CEO of SiSTeR Technologies, elaborated that his company, "Already delivers more than 3 million views every month and over two thirds of those views are beyond the dealer's website. Our 4DF player is integrated into every major lead provider's site, Facebook and is directly accessed from YouTube. Including ActivEngage's live chat and other 4DF apps has the potential of increasing the ROI for the dealers by a factor of 5-8 times, all with no additional cost, in just seconds."

The Publisher is provided free of charge to all auto dealers, partners and application providers of SiSTeR Technologies. Moreover, all ActivEngage clients that employ the services of SiSTeR Technologies will have the live chat feature available for free. ActivEngage clients must simply contact SiSTeR Technologies requesting the activation of live chat in their publisher to receive secure access to the application.

About ActivEngage: (www.ActivEngage.com)

ActivEngage's proprietary business intelligence helps automotive dealers meet the needs of shoppers by providing dealerships easy to use, powerful website tools. Advanced live chat services let dealers identify, initiate interaction and communicate with website visitors in real-time. The essential person-to-person Meet & Greet that dealers require at the physical showroom is now possible on the dealership website through ActivEngage. This proactive website engagement decreases abandonment rates, and increases website lead generation with the thousands of visitors the average dealership receives each month. ActivEngage provides the edge that dealerships need to engage more customers who browse for information because it starts building a personal relationship with shoppers from the moment they hit the website. ActivEngage offers three tiers of service to ensure that all website visitors' experiences are enjoyable and uncomplicated, thereby increasing the value of dealership websites through better lead generation.

Contact:
Justin Braun
Phone: 800.441.7779 ext. 7705
Email: jbraun@activengage.com

About SiSTeR Technologies: (www.sister.tv)

SiSTeR Technologies, based in Dallas, TX, is the premier provider of automated video production, distribution and vSEO for auto retailers, manufacturers, and industry partners. SiSTeR provides its clients with cutting edge video marketing solutions that integrate easily into existing online and mobile platforms including third party sites, YouTube, Google and Facebook.

SiSTeR developed the Pic2Vid process that creates video using still images and TrueVoice ™ technology several years ago and has been licensing it to many resellers and business partners since 2005. Recently, SiSTeR was awarded a US patent that covers the automated production of video files from still images, text and pre-recorded audio eliminating the need for laborious manual process.

Contact: 
Mike Powl 
Phone: 303.886.6009 
Email: mpowl@sister.tv  

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 devices. On the partner side, they have fantastic support and a well documented API,” Bruce Etzcorn, Dealer HD Director of Product Development said.  “We built behavioral chat to increase conversations by delivering tailored messages directly to visitors using their shopping behavior.”

“Behavioral chat provides a way to serve chat greetings that truly reflect what the customer is looking for. As an example, if a shopper is looking at Ford F150s, a chat greeting could drop in that says ‘Our F150 Expert is here to Answer Your Questions.’ Our team has built and applied a layer of Dealer HD business intelligence logic which calls a request into the Contact At Once! system to deliver chat greetings which are attuned to shoppers' specific desires,” Etzcorn concluded.

“It is gratifying to know that our partners are able to apply new and creative ideas that add value and functionality to our dealer chat products,” said Contact At Once! Founder and Executive Vice President, Marc Hayes.   “By applying business intelligence to Contact At Once! chat, Dealer HD has added real innovation, resulting in a unique and compelling chat solution that will greatly benefit our mutual customers.” 

Dealer HD Behavioral Chat powered by Contact At Once! is available immediately.  Interested dealers may contact their Dealer HD account representative for additional information, or may call 866-222-7712 to schedule a demonstration.

About Contact At Once!

Contact At Once! is the leading automotive chat software provider and operator of the industry’s only dealer chat network connecting more than 9,000 auto dealers with the websites car shoppers visit most often. Adding Contact At Once! dealer chat software to a website typically increases a dealership’s sales conversations by at least 25%. Named to the Inc. 500 as one of America’s fastest growing businesses in August of 2011, Contact At Once! is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information about the company’s auto dealer chat product, please visit: www.autodealerchat.com.

About Dealer HD

Dealer HD is an Automotive Website and Solutions Provider serving clients Nationwide. Located in the southern suburbs of Chicago, the Dealer HD team has over 100 years of combined automotive experience.  Dealer HD provides customizable dealer web sites with a comprehensive admin tool that collects dealer leads, allows the quick and easy editing of website content, inventory modification and more.  Dealer HD makes sure your dealer website is ready for mobile applications, social networking, and all future web innovations.  To learn more, please visit http://www.dealerhd.com.

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 platform for managing the delivery of time-sensitive, high-value incentives that can only be redeemed in-store, turning qualified leads into showroom visits and test drives. The strategic alliance between the two companies brings a first-of-its-kind, fully integrated solution that combines the best of both technologies for automotive dealers and marketers.

"Online leads are only good for dealers when they walk into the showroom for a test drive, where sales reps can work their magic," said Ted Rubin, co-founder and president of ActivEngage. "Live chat and targeted incentives are both, on their own, huge opportunities for dealers because they allow sales teams to shine and provide strong online-offline strategies to get online shoppers into local dealerships. It was a natural fit with HookLogic, and we truly believe that one plus one equals ten in this partnership."

Dealers who implement ActivEngage's flexible live chat implementations on their websites turn, on average, eight out of 10 conversations into qualified leads and gain granular insights into what individual shoppers are in market to buy. Dealers leveraging in the integrated solution are now able to target those shoppers with the highest purchase intent into local dealerships with targeted incentives through HookLogic. HookLogic's Lead-to-Show solution typically results in close rates as high as 38 percent, and a cost per incremental vehicle sale as low as $80.

"ActivEngage had an impressive reputation among the dealers we were already working with, and we recognize they are a true leader in live chat technology," said David Metter, president of automotive for HookLogic. "We look forward to a successful partnership and driving unprecedented results for our combined clients."

For more information, visit: http://www.activengage.com.

About ActivEngage: (www.ActivEngage.com)
ActivEngage's proprietary business intelligence helps automotive dealers meet the needs of shoppers by providing dealerships easy to use, powerful website tools. Advanced live chat services let dealers identify, initiate interaction and communicate with website visitors in real-time. The essential person-to-person Meet & Greet that dealers require at the physical showroom is now possible on the dealership website through ActivEngage. This proactive website engagement decreases abandonment rates, and increases website lead generation with the thousands of visitors the average dealership receives each month. ActivEngage provides the edge that dealerships need to engage more customers who browse for information because it starts building a personal relationship with shoppers from the moment they hit the website. ActivEngage offers three tiers of service to ensure that all website visitors' experiences are enjoyable and uncomplicated, thereby increasing the value of dealership websites through better lead generation.

About HookLogic's Incentive Solutions for the Auto Industry 
HookLogic powers targeted incentive programs that drive in-market shoppers to auto dealerships and other lead-driven businesses. HookLogic solutions are easily implemented, work with nearly any marketing medium and enable end-to-end reporting and optimization. Headquartered in New York City, the company has offices in Ann Arbor, MI, Atlanta, GA and Manchester, UK. Clients include MileOne Automotive, Germain Motor Cars, Suburban Collection, Acton Toyota, and AutoTrader.com. Learn more at www.leadtoshow.com.