Help me answer this question, and I’ll buy you lunch…

Earlier this month, my firm announced it would conduct a survey of franchise dealer advertising. We made our decision after hearing from many dealers that finding value in digital marketing is an increasingly difficult task. Unlike other surveys in the automotive marketing space, we are not looking to determine the best lead provider, the ideal medium mix, or the right time to run television ads. Instead, our approach is more economics-based. We’re looking to understand the ways in which dealers determine how and where to spend their advertising dollars and how this might change in the future.

We hope to reveal where dealers plan to spend their ad bucks in the next two years, as well as the reasons behind their choices. In one of our early findings, we found that many automakers cut back on their advertising spend per vehicle by as much as 20%. Automakers are placing more pressure on dealers to advertise both their dealerships and their franchise’s brand, yet many dealerships have seen their new car profit margins shrink while the probability of decreasing unit sales climbed. Will dealer advertising spend remain at today’s levels?

To help answer these questions and many others, I’m seeking dealers, general managers, and marketing/e-commerce directors, who can help provide simple and top-level insights into their store’s advertising operations. To participate, a dealer must complete a very simple 10-minute online survey.  Participants will receive a $25 American Express gift card (enough for a free lunch) and my firm’s findings on this topic.

If you are interested in participating, please e-mail your name, dealership name, and job title to adsurvey@maryannkeller.com. We will respond within 24 hours.

TRUECAR Co-Founder publishes book: The “quintessential guide to BD” and reveals details on CARFAX’s business practices…

What is business development? Ask this question to almost any executive, and you’ll receive varying, ambiguous, and elaborated answers that border complete “gobbledygook.” Even in B-school academia, the definition of “business development” is equally inconsistent and confusing. However, finally, a sensible definition of business development is explained in a new book dubbed The Sumo Advantage by Bernie Brenner(www.linkedin.com/in/berniebrenner), a co-founder of TrueCar, and a well-known automotive marketing veteran.

Bernie explains business development(“BD”) as a tool to harness the power of a “Sumo” to springboard another firm’s growth – that is, strategically partnering with an existing industry heavyweight to achieve mutual growth. He explains, in extensive detail, the roadmap to setting up a BD initiative and what to expect along the way. Bernie identifies forces of resistance, both internal and external, and the tried and tested methods to overcome virtually any issue. Bernie creates a platform, in a sensible and understandable fashion, for his readers to design, implement, manage, and ultimately benefit in sales and valuation from a business development methodology.

However, The Sumo Advantage isn’t just a lexicon for business development; it’s also an entertaining journey through Bernie’s experiences in the automotive industry. Bernie explains that his BD strategies launched and secured TrueCar’s initial growth, but also “saved TrueCar” from the challenges in 2011(Article: http://www.autonews.com/article/20130506/RETAIL07/305069990/affinity-sales-saved-the-day-for-truecar). Similarly, Bernie also explains that CARFAX’s legally contested and exclusive agreements with Cars.com/AutoTrader, actually began as BD initiatives, that were largely responsible for CARFAX’s rapid growth (Article: http://www.autonews.com/article/20130523/RETAIL04/130529939/experian-vehicle-history-reports-to-appear-in-autotrader-com).

In the foreword, Chip Perry, the former CEO of AutoTrader, distinctly describes The Sumo Advantage as the “quintessential guide to business development.” Many other “captains of our industry” also make an appearance, allowing readers to gain inside perspective on some of the elite inner circles of the automotive industry. Whether it’s the details on TrueCar’s affinity strategies, an explanation of CARFAX’s business practices, or even Mike Jackson’s reflection on the economic turmoil of 2008, readers of The Sumo Advantage should expect to be intrigued by Bernie’s firsthand and real-life account of the BD deals that led to the success and growth of the well-known heavyweights in our industry.

The Sumo Advantage is practical, insightful, strategic, and entertaining. However, it’s also an industry agnostic guide to achieving otherwise unattainable growth. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy Bernie’s book as much as I did.

Amazon.com Link:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Sumo-Advantage-Development-Heavyweights/dp/0986046000

TRUECAR Co-Founder publishes book: The “quintessential guide to BD” and reveals details on CARFAX’s business practices…

What is business development? Ask this question to almost any executive, and you’ll receive varying, ambiguous, and elaborated answers that border complete “gobbledygook.” Even in B-school academia, the definition of “business development” is equally inconsistent and confusing. However, finally, a sensible definition of business development is explained in a new book dubbed The Sumo Advantage by Bernie Brenner(www.linkedin.com/in/berniebrenner), a co-founder of TrueCar, and a well-known automotive marketing veteran.

Bernie explains business development(“BD”) as a tool to harness the power of a “Sumo” to springboard another firm’s growth – that is, strategically partnering with an existing industry heavyweight to achieve mutual growth. He explains, in extensive detail, the roadmap to setting up a BD initiative and what to expect along the way. Bernie identifies forces of resistance, both internal and external, and the tried and tested methods to overcome virtually any issue. Bernie creates a platform, in a sensible and understandable fashion, for his readers to design, implement, manage, and ultimately benefit in sales and valuation from a business development methodology.

However, The Sumo Advantage isn’t just a lexicon for business development; it’s also an entertaining journey through Bernie’s experiences in the automotive industry. Bernie explains that his BD strategies launched and secured TrueCar’s initial growth, but also “saved TrueCar” from the challenges in 2011(Article: http://www.autonews.com/article/20130506/RETAIL07/305069990/affinity-sales-saved-the-day-for-truecar). Similarly, Bernie also explains that CARFAX’s legally contested and exclusive agreements with Cars.com/AutoTrader, actually began as BD initiatives, that were largely responsible for CARFAX’s rapid growth (Article: http://www.autonews.com/article/20130523/RETAIL04/130529939/experian-vehicle-history-reports-to-appear-in-autotrader-com).

In the foreword, Chip Perry, the former CEO of AutoTrader, distinctly describes The Sumo Advantage as the “quintessential guide to business development.” Many other “captains of our industry” also make an appearance, allowing readers to gain inside perspective on some of the elite inner circles of the automotive industry. Whether it’s the details on TrueCar’s affinity strategies, an explanation of CARFAX’s business practices, or even Mike Jackson’s reflection on the economic turmoil of 2008, readers of The Sumo Advantage should expect to be intrigued by Bernie’s firsthand and real-life account of the BD deals that led to the success and growth of the well-known heavyweights in our industry.

The Sumo Advantage is practical, insightful, strategic, and entertaining. However, it’s also an industry agnostic guide to achieving otherwise unattainable growth. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy Bernie’s book as much as I did.

Amazon.com Link:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Sumo-Advantage-Development-Heavyweights/dp/0986046000