Sellers coming back into market, improved valuations, private buyer demand for large acquisitions, advantageous market fluctuations and ‘Trump Bump’ driving optimism in buy/sell market; Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda and Subaru top buyer targets

Irvine, CA, March 22, 2017 – Buy/Sell auto dealership activity is set to rebound to record levels in 2017, according to The Blue Sky Report®, a Kerrigan Quarterly, which today released its analysis for the full year 2016.  Although there was a slight decline (8%) in overall transaction activity in 2016, and rising real estate costs are set to present a challenge for buyers, an increase in serious sellers coming back into market; improved valuations; private buyer demand for large acquisitions; advantageous market fluctuations, and the Trump Bump are driving optimism for a robust 2017.

“Most dealers understand that the opportunity has passed to obtain above- market blue sky prices and, instead, are satisfied knowing that today’s valuation levels are still very high, particularly on a historic basis,” said Erin Kerrigan, Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors.  “Buyers are finding pricing more reasonable in part because today’s sellers are serious about a sale. The market testers who were seeking “crazy” blue sky values have primarily returned to operating their businesses, discovering those unrealistic values were not attainable.” 

The report from Kerrigan Advisors is the auto industry's most comprehensive and authoritative quarterly report and analysis of dealership mergers and acquisition activity and franchise values.  Laying out the high, average and low multiples for each franchise in the luxury and non-luxury segments for the quarter, the report offers a detailed view of public and private company dealership acquisition activity.   Key findings from the report include:

• 221 dealership buy/sell transactions were completed last year, compared to 2015’s record of 241 transactions*.
• 57 multi-dealership transactions were completed last year, resulting in an 8% increase over 2015’s record*.
• Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda and Subaru are likely to be chief targets of acquisition activity.
• Domestic franchises saw their buy/sell market share increase by 42% in 2016*.
• With truck sales still on the rise, domestic buy/sells will continue to dominate the 2017 buy/sell market.
• Public auto retailers’ acquisition spending decreased 21% in 2016 compared to 2015, with Lithia and AutoNation the only publics to make acquisitions of US dealerships in 2016.
• Publics sold nearly as many dealerships as they acquired.
• The private sector acquired 89% of the franchises sold in 2016.
• The average dealership’s real estate value is estimated at $10.3 million while the average dealership’s blue sky (goodwill) value is estimated at $6.6 million.

The report also identifies the following four market trends, which Kerrigan Advisors expects to affect the buy/sell market in 2017 and beyond.

• Buyers’ return on investment parameters drive buy/sell activity
• Sellers’ pricing expectations rationalize with a plateauing market
• Buyers seek investments in higher margin auto retail business segment
• Dealers are increasingly open to equity and growth capital partners

“Overall, we expect 2017 to be a very active year for buy/sells with private and more public buyers eager to put their capital to work. We find an increasing number of sellers coming to market motivated by current prices and a strong desire to capitalize on today’s buy/sell activity,” continued Kerrigan. “As more dealers find their succession plans have run their course, we expect the number of sellers to rise given the generational shifts underway in auto retail and the ageing of the US dealer network.”

The Blue Sky Report®, a Kerrigan Quarterly, is published four times a year and includes Kerrigan Advisors’ signature blue sky charts, multiples and analysis for each franchise in the luxury and non-luxury segments. The multiples are based on Kerrigan Advisors’ view of franchise values in the current buy/sell market and can be applied to adjusted pre-tax dealership earnings to estimate blue sky value. To download the report, click here.

Kerrigan Advisors also releases a monthly index, The Kerrigan Auto Retail Index, composed of the seven publicly traded auto retail companies with operations focused on the US market.  The Kerrigan Index is designed to track dealership valuation trends, while also providing key insights into factors influencing auto retail. To access the Kerrigan Index, click here.

Erin Kerrigan (www.kerriganadvisors.com/meet-the-team-2/) is Founder and Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors, and is a recognized industry expert on dealership valuation, real estate and buy/sells. A sought after commentator on automotive retailing topics ranging from consumer auto buying trends to auto retail consolidation to private equity in auto retail, she has keynoted numerous automotive conferences and her analysis has appeared in publications such as Automotive News and the Wall Street Journal. For a video reel of Erin’s commentary on the market, click here: youtu.be/gPrMMtRF-IU.

About Kerrigan Advisors

Kerrigan Advisors is a national dealership buy/sell advisory firm focused on providing a high level of client service for dealership sellers. Led by a team of veteran advisors who have represented transactions totaling over $2.5 billion dollars in automotive, private equity and investment banking, Kerrigan Advisors customizes each sale process to maximize the seller’s transaction proceeds. With the most comprehensive buyer database in the industry, Kerrigan Advisors has the industry context and expertise to match each seller with the right buyer.

In addition to the monthly Kerrigan Auto Retail Index, each quarter, Kerrigan Advisors publishes The Blue Sky Report®, a Kerrigan Quarterly, which is the auto industry's most comprehensive and authoritative quarterly report and analysis of dealership buy/sell activity and franchise values.  Kerrigan Advisors’ Managing Director Erin Kerrigan is a recognized industry expert on dealership valuation, real estate and buy/sells, and is a frequent speaker at leading auto retail events and conferences, including NADA, JD Power Automotive Roundtable, AICPA, NADC and Driving Sales’ President’s Club. She has also been a keynote speaker for events hosted by American Honda Motor Company, Audi of America, US Trust, Ohio Automobile Dealer Association, and SunTrust Bank and has led webinars for NADA and Automotive News.  Her expertise is also featured in a monthly column for Dealer Magazine. 

Kerrigan Advisors Media Contact:
Melanie Webber (melanie@mwebbcom.com), mWEBB Communications, 424.603.4340

*The Banks Report/Kerrigan Advisors analysis

New PERQ consumer behavior data reveals key tips to clean up websites leading to 42% increase in CTRs, 15% profit lift, and a 5-fold increase in lead data

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 13, 2017 - Decluttering dealership websites and focusing on targeted messaging and “personalized” Calls to Action (CTA) can significantly increase click-through rates, lead data collection, and, ultimately, dealership profits, according to consumer website data(1) analyzed by PERQ. PERQ, who are experts in website conversion and consumer behavior, released the information in conjunction with the launch of their Auto Website Conversion Course, a series of online best practices tutorials that can help dealers clean up their websites and create more effective conversion paths.

“Most dealership websites are jammed with a cacophony of offers, messages and static lead forms that, more often than not, lack relevance to the visitor. It’s the equivalent of walking into a dealership and having multiple salespeople yelling offers and information at you all at once without bothering to ask what your name is, if you’re ready to buy or if you want a new or used vehicle,” says Russ Chandler, Product Marketing Manager at PERQ. “It’s no wonder the average dealership website converts less than 3% of their traffic(2).”

Most dealership websites simultaneously display a potpourri of offers and actions — from ‘get e-price’ static lead forms to incentive offers — creating a cluttered look and unfocused consumer experience. According to PERQ data, dealerships who declutter their websites by offering a streamlined and interactive experience that doesn’t treat consumers as anonymous strangers see a 42% increase in CTRs, 15% profit lift and a 5-fold increase in the amount of data collected on sales leads. These websites are not ‘bugging’ visitors with messages they have no interest in but, instead, target consumers based on their website behavior, dynamically adjusting what is pushed to them.

For example, if a consumer has already received a quote for their trade-in vehicle, it is a waste of digital real estate and consumer attention span to display more CTAs asking them to value their vehicle trade. However, this is how the majority of websites behave. A declutter strategy, on the other hand, leverages smart CTAs to automatically change the trade-in Call to Actions to test drive Call to Actions, moving this customer down the conversion funnel. This instantly streamlines the site.

“Basic declutter tactics seem obvious, yet we see websites that are stuck in the clutter rut every day,” Chandler says. “A declutter strategy also offers opportunities for your dealership to gather data that will help provide a more informed sales interaction.”

Among the declutter best practices advocated by PERQ and included in its complimentary Auto Website Conversion course are:

1. Entice visitors to seek more useful information. Offering customers something of value creates an opportunity to gather data that will help provide a more informed, streamlined sales interaction. 
2. Inventory CTAs and conversion tools to understand what works and what doesn’t. 
3. Analyze how effectively (or if!) a CTA is converting. If a CTA is not performing well, be prepared to get rid of it – it is just taking up space and overwhelming visitors. 
4. Re-evaluate remaining CTAs and make informed decisions on which CTAs to display based on user behavior. 
5. Consolidate CTAs on SRP and VDP pages.

All data and analysis was gathered from PERQ’s FATWIN Web Engagement, a platform that ‘virtually’ trains dealership websites to have relevant, real-time ‘conversations’ with each visitor through dynamic interactions (such as incentives, appraisal, warranty information, etc.), that change based on the consumer’s journey across the website.

For more information about accessing PERQ’s Auto Website Conversion course, click here.

About PERQ 
PERQ (http://www.perq.com), a marketing technology provider, boosts website conversions by creating and delivering interactive experiences to the right consumers at the right time. Founded in 2001, PERQ solutions today are used by more than 1,000 businesses across the United States. PERQ’s brands have been named to the Inc. “500 Fastest Growing Companies in America” list on three separate occasions.

PERQ Media Contacts 
Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, melanie(at)mwebbcom(dot)com or 949-307-1723 
Cassandra Cavanah, mWEBB Communications, Cassandra(at)mwebbcom(dot)com or 818-397-4630

(1) Behavior data gathered from 45,000 consumers who appraised their vehicle via PERQ’s FATWIN trade-in tool in 2016 
(2) DATA point: January 2017 Dealer.com insights report

Gubagoo/ChatSmart presented with ‘Top Rated” award for Dealer Satisfaction in Chat Tools and Services Category

New Orleans, LA – January 27, 2017 – Gubagoo/ChatSmart is the recipient of a “Top Rated” Chat Tools and Services award in the eighth annual DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards. The awards, presented at a special event on January 27th in conjunction with the 2017 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Expo, are based on DrivingSales Vendor Ratings, which comprise 35,000 validated user reviews.

 “We built ChatSmart to be the most advanced and comprehensive live chat tool available. Period. It doesn’t matter what device the customer is using, or what channel they’re on,” said Brad Title, CEO and Founder of Gubagoo.  “ChatSmart makes it simple and easy to connect, any way the customer wants, at any time.”

In addition to total availability across time and channels, ChatSmart connects with key customer points of interest. For example, the technology is integrated with dealer inventory – because that’s what customers want, and delivering it why ChatSmart converts. In fact, according to Gubagoo data, over 72% of chats are related to inventory. Combine that with ChatSmart’s robust video capability (another must-have consumer expectation), and chat becomes a powerful conversion tool no matter what the customer is doing – regardless of whether they’re on SMS, web or even Facebook Messenger.

“We congratulate Gubagoo on earning a “Top Rated” Chat Tools and Services Award for consistently contributing value to its dealership customers throughout 2016,” said DrivingSales CEO and Founder, Jared Hamilton. “DrivingSales Vendor Ratings help dealers make important, informed vendor decisions by providing peer reviews on solutions, leading them to outstanding service providers such as Gubagoo, with Chatsmart.” 

The DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards are based on cumulative ratings tallied and verified over the calendar year (January – December) at DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings.  DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings is the industry’s only neutral, comprehensive vendor rating forum featuring real-time peer reviews and honest competitor comparisons. The site provides dealerships with important information from actual customers who have hands-on experience using vendor products / solutions in their stores. Each rating is verified as coming from an actual dealership employee.

Full award results are available online at http://dealersatisfactionawards.com/. Award winners are showcased in the Q1 2017 issue of DrivingSales Buyers Guide which, in addition to being distributed at the 2017 NADA Convention and Expo, is delivered to every new car dealership nationwide, as well as to more than 2,000 of the top used car dealers in the U.S. The DrivingSales Buyers Guide represents over 1,000 automotive solutions and over 35,000 dealer reviews of those products from DrivingSales Vendor Ratings, identifying the solutions that have risen to the top. 

About Gubagoo

Based in Boca Raton, Gubagoo is the leading provider of dealer live chat, text, and call solutions. Gubagoo offers seamless integrated web-based, SMS, and call monitoring technologies for automotive dealerships. Our passion for customer service and lead conversion, makes Gubagoo the best 24/7 car dealer chat, text, and overflow call provider in the automotive industry. Gubagoo’s U.S. based operators, receive the highest level of training and certification to make certain every customer that engages in a live chat, text, or call, receives the best possible customer experience. Gubagoo delivers the best quality of service to automotive dealership customers and strives to maximize the dealership’s lead conversion rate and long-term auto sales. For more information about Gubagoo products, visit www.gubagoo.com or contact 855-359-2573.

About DrivingSales

DrivingSales serves automotive retailers with an integrated suite of technology, knowledge, community and performance insight designed to advance the success of retail professionals and their dealerships. Founded by a third-generation car dealer in 2008, today DrivingSales is utilized by two-thirds of franchised dealerships in North America as a resource to improve their business performance. To learn more about the DrivingSales community, news, dealer education or performance analytics visit DrivingSales.com.

DrivingSales Media Relations:

Madeleine Low (maddy.low@drivingsales.com), DrivingSales, 866.943.8371

Gubagoo’s Call RESQ technology combines the best of TalkSmart’s 24/7 service with the industry-best RESQ innovation for monitoring and management.

New Orleans, LA– January 27, 2017 – Gubagoo, the leading provider of dealer communications solutions, today launched Call RESQ at the National Automobile Dealers Association conference in New Orleans. Call RESQ is an industry-first new phone management and monitoring technology designed to offer total service with flexible and targeted moderating capability.

“Imagine if you could notify the sales or service team of a hot up – right as it’s happening,” said Brad Title, CEO and Founder of Gubagoo. “Or better yet, see every call, and be able to pick and choose, to make real-time decisions that save leads and keep customers engaged. In our book, that’s what technology is for – to give your team the ability to make every sale possible.”

Call RESQ was built with that the sales objective in mind. It is a ground-breaking innovation because it combines two powerful components: TalkSmart and RESQ. TalkSmart keeps your phones open 24/7 and puts a trained rep on the call from start to finish, getting the fundamentals down like appointment setting, identifying vehicles of interest, and collecting data. Considering that 16% of all dealership calls go unanswered, that’s a significant opportunity, reclaimed for the sales team. RESQ takes it one step beyond by giving dealership sales teams the ability to see every call, and the opportunity to step in and “whisper” advice or take over.

“TalkSmart makes sure the dealership will never miss another call, and RESQ bridges the gap between dealership and customer,” said Title. “That allows the dealer to pick and choose their approach. It’s peace of mind, knowing that every call is answered, and every need is handled.”

About Gubagoo

Based in Boca Raton, Gubagoo is the leading provider of dealer live chat, text, and call solutions. Gubagoo offers seamless integrated web-based, SMS, and call monitoring technologies for automotive dealerships. Our passion for customer service and lead conversion, makes Gubagoo the best 24/7 car dealer chat, text, and overflow call provider in the automotive industry. Gubagoo’s U.S. based operators, receive the highest level of training and certification to make certain every customer that engages in a live chat, text, or call, receives the best possible customer experience. Gubagoo delivers the best quality of service to automotive dealership customers and strives to maximize the dealership’s lead conversion rate and long-term auto sales. For more information about Gubagoo products, visit www.gubagoo.com or contact 855-359-2573.

Gubagoo Media Relations

mWEBB Communications, Crystal Hartwell, (949) 929-4637, crystal@mwebbcom.com

AutoID® Automates Online Lead Attribution, Providing Cross-Domain Mapping of Complete Customer Journey

New, easy-to-implement analytics give dealers a complete, real-time picture of lead attribution and digital marketing ROI from one platform, identifying lead sources as well as hot prospects, sending alerts when a prospect visits a competitor’s website

New Orleans, LA – January 26, 2017 – AutoID announces AI℠, the first web analytics tool that can track cross-domain traffic. Launching at the National Automobile Dealers Association conference in New Orleans, the easy-to-use platform maps the complete customer journey and provides cross-domain attribution - without cookies - giving dealers unprecedented visibility into which sources nurtured and generated each lead. In addition, AI identifies “hot prospects” by analyzing the number of website visits, form submissions and VDP pages viewed. And, for the first time, dealers can be alerted when a prospect visits a competitor’s website.

AI replaces a digital ‘wall’ with a window, solving one of the biggest marketing headaches confronting dealers – effective management and optimization of digital spend. And, while the technology behind it is complex, the platform itself is easy to use and to install: “All it takes is one simple line of code,” said Jason Scinocca, founder and CEO of AutoID.  “Never before has lead attribution been more transparent, nor, because it is a fully automated platform, have dealerships needed to exert less effort, resources or training to manage and understand where online customers come from, how they arrived or where they go when they leave the dealership website.”

With the installation of a single line of code, AI starts automatically tracking each visitor’s complete online journey. AI’s simple interface means there’s no need to set up complicated Google Analytics campaigns in order to track sources. Dealers will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of their marketing channels from a centralized dashboard, assessing the ROI of their digital spend and holding vendors accountable for results.

The insights AI provides means dealerships will no longer have to rely on sometimes unreliable vendor reporting or complex, analytics products to know exactly how a customer has found their website – whether through email, third-party websites or social media. Among other things, AI lets dealers accurately track unique vs. returning visitors; view which VDPs a customer has visited and how many times; discover which visitors are hot prospects and ready to buy; as well as how many competitor dealer sites prospects have visited. AI can even alert dealers when a customer visits a competitor’s website.

“With so many touch points, channels and devices, digital marketing attribution has become incredibly complex,” continued Scinocca. “AI helps dealers cut through the clutter to understand what their online customers are really doing, in real time.”

Among the real time customer insights AI provides are:

• Vehicle they are currently viewing

• Previous phone lead/chat/phone call activity with dealership

• Number of other dealerships they’ve browsed

• Number of VDPs they’ve browsed

• Defection to a competitor’s website

AI has been piloted by a number of dealers across the US and was developed with their feedback. To learn more, visit www.autoid.com or come to Hall B1, booth #627 during NADA at the New Orleans Convention Center.

About AutoID

AutoID, Inc. was founded with a mission to provide automobile dealers with the most advanced analytics available. AI, with its proprietary automatic identification is able to generate unique fingerprints of individuals’ computers and mobile devices, to allow for the simultaneous tracking of each customer’s online journey and calling activity. AutoID’s precise analytics and actionable reports provide the data necessary to measure the effectiveness and engagement of digital marketing campaigns and, provide online lead attribution and conversion rates. To learn more, visit www.autoid.com.

Round Co-Led by WRV and ACK Group; BOD to include John W. Thompson, chairman of Microsoft, and Nicholas Brathwaite, Managing Partner of WRV

San Francisco, CA - January 26, 2017 – Reviver, creator of the rPlate™, the world’s first digital license plate, has secured $6.8 million during a Series A round. The funding round was co-led by WRV and Australian-based ACK Group.

Reviver, which was founded in 2009, recently announced that it has brought the vehicle license plate, a piece of hardware that has not evolved for 125 years, into the 21st century by transforming it into an innovative, multi-functional digital display. The rPlate is set to launch in some of the nation’s largest car markets, having gained approvals from the DMV and state legislators in California and Florida, with legislation currently in progress in Texas. 

“This investment will help fund the expansion of our engineering team which will allow us to accelerate the development of the next generation rPlate,” said Neville Boston, CEO and Founder of Reviver. “As a result of our successful collaboration with the California DMV, Governor’s Office, State Legislature, CHP and the California Department of Transportation, the rPlate is ready to roll to assist large fleet operators in tracking and managing their vehicles, including automating DMV registrations and providing a platform for the wireless payment of road tolls, parking and even gasoline.”

Boston additionally noted that Reviver will also use the funding to further expand distribution of rPlate into other U.S. states and to explore international opportunities. 

Reviver also announced today that its Board of Directors will include:

• Nicholas Brathwaite, Co-founder of Riverwood Capital and Managing Partner of WRV
• Andrew Iorgulescu, President of Appraisal Lane
• Ernst Lieb, former CEO and President of Mercedes Benz USA, Canada and Australia
• Simon Szewach, Managing Partner at ACK Group
• John W. Thompson, former Chairman and CEO Symantec, Chairman of Microsoft

“Reviver’s unique combination of technical innovation, direct collaboration with government and transportation agencies and preliminary discussions with automotive manufacturer design teams makes it uniquely positioned to lead today’s evolving connected car ecosystem,” said Simon Szewach, Managing Partner at ACK Group.

“Governments around the world are implementing initiatives to improve efficiencies and productivity. Reviver's hardware and software platform will allow departments of motor vehicles and their large commercial customers to improve efficiencies, reduce costs, increase flexibility and expand services,” said Nicholas Brathwaite, Managing Partner of WRV.

John W. Thompson, who also participated in early seed funding commented, “Watching the Reviver team develop and deploy the first rPlates is extremely exciting – I’m thrilled to play a small role in bringing this positive – and much needed – change to the automotive industry.”

About Reviver

San Francisco-based ReviverMx, Inc. was founded in 2009 with a mission to establish a universal connected car innovation platform – a mission made possible by reviving legacy automotive solutions and making them fully interactive, robust and connected to a universal store of digital applications. The company’s innovative, multi-functional digital license plate, the rPlate™, will be on the road in California, Florida and Texas in 2017. Its cloud-based app development platform, the rStore, will be open to 3rd party developers in the second half of 2017. For more information visit www.reviver.io.

Media Contacts:

Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, melanie@mwebbcom.com or 949-307-1723

Cassandra Cavanah, mWEBB Communications, cassandra@mwebbcom.com or 818-397-4630

New Data from PERQ Indicates Significant Lag Time Between ‘Ready-to-Buy’ Consumers on Dealership Websites and Actual Purchase

Data analyzed from over 45,000 consumer profiles offers key insights into digital consumer purchase cycle and shopping behaviors 

Indianapolis, IN – January 25, 2017 - New consumer data gathered and analyzed by PERQ shows a significant lag between the time consumers submit an online vehicle appraisal and the time the actual purchase takes place, in spite of the fact that nearly three quarters of these consumers indicate they are “ready-to-buy.” The data further reveals that nearly 40% of the consumers are not current customers at the dealership where they are engaging in the appraisal. This, while confirming that consumers are neither brand nor dealership loyal, reveals ripe opportunities for dealerships to win over these ready-to-buy customers on the dealership website. The consumer behavior analyzed by PERQ was gathered from 45,000 consumers who appraised their vehicle via PERQ’s FATWIN trade-in tool in 2016. 

“These findings confirm how important effective post lead activity is for dealerships, and indicates that consumers are not getting the information, follow-up or relationship build they need to easily transition from a ‘ready-to-buy’ to a ‘purchasing’ customer,” said Russ Chandler, Product Marketing Manager at PERQ. “We know that consumers are submitting leads on an average of four other dealer websites[1], so it’s critical that dealerships offer an interactive, customized website experience that helps guide the consumer into the dealership showroom, while also gathering the lead information that will facilitate more effective sales engagement and conversion.”

This is precisely what PERQ’s FATWIN Web Engagement platform is achieving for dealerships. Unlike any other platform in the industry, FATWIN ‘virtually’ trains dealership websites to have a relevant, real-time ‘conversation’ with each visitor through dynamic interactions (such as incentives, appraisal, warranty information, etc.) that change based on the consumer’s journey across the website. This essentially ‘warms up’ that consumer for his/her in-dealership experience, while at the same time gathering increasingly relevant information (by asking for new information based on each step of that journey). This information is then sent as an update to the dealer CRM so that follow up can be better aligned with that consumer’s recent online activity. All of this has led to significant increases in lead volume (200%, on average), five times more consumer data and up to 15% lift in profit directly tracked to those leads for dealerships using FATWIN.

Other data gathered from PERQ’s interactive Trade-in tool, which is just one element of FATWIN, indicates that the miles consumers are putting on their vehicles before trading them in has increased year over year. But, on a positive note for resales, 30% of vehicles appraised were under five years old, and over a third had no loan on them. Interestingly, the data also indicated that dealership personnel should stay on alert at lunchtime on Wednesdays - when the highest level of appraisal activity is occurring.

“Know thy customer is an old mantra in our industry, but the challenge is that most dealerships simply don’t know a thing about the consumers who are landing on their websites. The data gathered from our Trade-in tool is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to knowing and understand not only overall industry trends, but also the needs of each specific customer so that every interaction makes sense for that consumer,” continued Chandler. “Given that today’s consumers are shopping vehicle first, versus dealership first, being ahead of, and aware of, their needs can give dealers a significant competitive advantage.”

Data Highlights

• Domestics were the most appraised, with Ford, Chrysler and GM in the top three, followed by Toyota and Nissan.
• Trucks and large SUVs were the top two most appraised body styles.
• Average time from trade-in appraisal on a dealer website to purchase was 12.7 days
• 44% of the vehicles appraised had over 100k miles versus 38% the year before.
• 39% indicated they were currently servicing their vehicle at another dealership than the one they were currently getting an online appraisal from
• 37% of appraisals indicated there was no loan on their current vehicle
• 30% of the vehicles appraised were less than 5 years old 
• The highest online appraisal day/time of the week was Wednesday from 12-1pm
• 74% of consumers appraising their vehicles indicated they were in the market to purchase now
• 29% were interested in New and 42% were interested in used, the rest were unsure

About PERQ

PERQ (www.perq.com), a marketing technology provider, boosts website conversions by creating and delivering interactive experiences to the right consumers at the right time. Founded in 2001, PERQ solutions today are used by more than 1,000 businesses across the United States. PERQ’s brands have been named to the Inc. “500 Fastest Growing Companies in America” list on three separate occasions.

PERQ Media Contacts

Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, melanie@mwebbcom.com or 949-307-1723

Cassandra Cavanah, mWEBB Communications, Cassandra@mwebbcom.com or 818-397-4630

This partnership includes the integration of PERQ’S high-engaging FATWIN platform with AutoHook’s high-converting incentive solutions and sales match attribution data, powered by Urban Science.

Indianapolis, IN – January 18, 2017  - AutoHook, powered by Urban Science has partnered with PERQ, specialists in personalized, interactive web engagement technology, to deliver auto dealers a one-two punch when it comes to engaging and converting website traffic. The partnership also enables enhanced lead attribution by streamlining actionable automotive data and reporting.

AutoHook’s test drive incentives will be integrated into the FATWIN platform, at no additional cost to dealer clients, and will further enhance the conversation between consumers and dealers, influencing in-market buyers to engage with dealerships through test-drive incentives and customizable offers.

“PERQ has an impressive reputation among the dealers we were already working with, and we recognize they are creating great conversion tools for dealers and their websites,” said David Metter, president of AutoHook, powered by Urban Science. “We look forward to a successful partnership and driving unprecedented results for our combined clients.”

The new partnership is particularly synergistic because both AutoHook and PERQ focus on targeting customers with precisely relevant experiences/information and offers/incentives based on real time consumer information and behavior. 

PERQ’s FATWIN Web Engagement platform converts static Calls To Actions (CTAs), such as banners and buttons, and lead forms into customized, relevant, interactive conversations with online shoppers. PERQ is able to capture five times the amount of data points on online auto customers, helping dealerships better engage with, and convert, website shoppers into showroom buyers - and has already generated over two million leads through its more personal, collective website experience.

The partnership also facilitates integration between PERQ’s FATWIN Web Engagement platform and AutoHook’s sales match data, giving dealers and OEMs the power to attribute all showroom visits and sales to a single campaign. AutoHook’s incentive solutions are proven to drive incremental leads and sales, while delivering show rates of up to twice the national average.

“We’re thrilled to integrate our FATWIN platform with AutoHook’s powerful incentive engine,” said Andy Medley, co-founder and president of PERQ. “The integration helps us supercharge FATWIN’s already interactive and engaging experience while providing solid lead attribution through AutoHook’s showroom and sales match data - and, most importantly, driving more leads and showroom visitors to our dealer clients.”

About PERQ

PERQ (www.perq.com), a marketing technology provider, boosts website conversions by creating and delivering interactive experiences to the right consumers at the right time. Founded in 2001, PERQ solutions today are used by more than 1,000 businesses across the United States. PERQ’s brands have been named to the Inc. “500 Fastest Growing Companies in America” list on three separate occasions.

About AutoHook, powered by Urban Science (http://www.DriveAutoHook.com)

AutoHook, powered by Urban Science provides targeted incentives that convert at every touchpoint. Their solutions integrate across all three automotive tiers to drive more incremental sales, more new to brand buyers, more showroom visits, and optimum conversion rates across channels. AutoHook has shattered the trend of vague industry metrics with concise attribution reporting that proves actual ROI. No other digital endeavor has come close to mastering AutoHook’s ability to attribute all showroom visits and sales to a single campaign while delivering show rates of up to twice the national average. Drive Conversion. Drive Showroom Visits. Drive the Experience. Drive Sales at DriveAutoHook.com.

PERQ Media Contacts

Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, melanie@mwebbcom.com or 949-307-1723

Cassandra Cavanah, mWEBB Communications, Cassandra@mwebbcom.com or 818-397-4630

Edmark is one of the highest volume selling dealerships in Idaho for past three years

Irvine, CA, January 17, 2017 – Kerrigan Advisors, the leading sell-side advisory firm to auto dealers in the US, represented and advised Edmark Superstore, one of Idaho's highest volume selling dealerships, in its sale to Kendall Auto Group.  The Edmark Superstore is co-owned by David Edmark and Jim Chalfant.  Edmark Superstore’s franchises include Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GMC and Kia.  With this acquisition, Kendall Auto Group will now own 38 dealerships in Oregon, Alaska and Idaho.

“We are confident that Kendall will continue the standards of quality and customer service that has been a hallmark of Edmark’s business since its founding.” said David Edmark. “We are grateful to Kerrigan Advisors for identifying Kendall as the best buyer of our stores.”

“Kerrigan Advisors smoothly guided us to this very successful outcome, offering just the right combination of expertise, responsiveness and client service to shepherd the process to its optimal conclusion,” said Jim Chalfant. “We appreciated having Kerrigan Advisors by our side throughout the sale.”

Kerrigan Advisors, headed by Erin and Ryan Kerrigan, has now represented on the sale of 43 dealerships since July 2015, making it the most active sell-side advisor in the auto retail industry.  The firm has also represented three of the top 100 dealership groups in the last 12 months.  

“We are proud to have had a role in this successful transaction, which marks our 43rd dealership sale in the past 18 months,” said Erin Kerrigan, Founder and Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors. “Our job is not simply to enable the best possible financial transactions for our clients, but to identify a buyer who will carry on the legacy of our clients’ dealership business,” continued Ryan Kerrigan, Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors. “The Edmark Superstore/Kendall Auto Group transaction is another example of the fulfillment of our core goals,” said Erin Kerrigan.

Kerrigan Advisors monitors conditions in the buy/sell market and publishes an in-depth analysis each quarter in The Blue Sky Report™ which includes Kerrigan Advisor’s signature blue sky charts, multiples and analysis for each franchise in the luxury and non-luxury segments. To download the report, click here. The company also releases monthly The Kerrigan Index composed of the seven publicly traded auto retail companies with operations focused on the US market.  The Kerrigan Index is designed to track dealership valuation trends, while also providing key insights into factors influencing auto retail. To access The Kerrigan Index, click here.

Erin Kerrigan is Founder and Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors, and is a recognized industry expert on dealership valuation, real estate and buy/sells. A sought after commentator on automotive retailing topics ranging from consumer auto buying trends to auto retail consolidation to private equity in auto retail, she has keynoted numerous automotive conferences and her analysis has appeared in publications such as Automotive News and the Wall Street Journal.   For a recent video of Erin’s commentary on the market, click here.

Ryan Kerrigan is Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors and an expert on US auto retail buy-sell transaction work. Ryan served as Managing Director at Serent Capital, a $250mm private equity fund investing in middle market companies. Prior, he served as General Manager of the family’s auto dealership. Mr. Kerrigan began his career as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, where he advised Fortune 500 companies on growth strategies, organizational issues, pricing and business valuation.

About Kerrigan Advisors

Kerrigan Advisors is a national dealership buy/sell advisory firm focused on providing a high level of client service for dealership sellers. Led by a team of veteran advisors who have represented transactions totaling over $2.5 billion dollars in automotive, private equity and investment banking, Kerrigan Advisors customizes each sale process to maximize the seller’s transaction proceeds. With the most comprehensive buyer database in the industry, Kerrigan Advisors has the industry context and expertise to match each seller with the right buyer.

In addition to the monthly Kerrigan Auto Retail Index, each quarter, Kerrigan Advisors publishes The Blue Sky Report™, a Kerrigan Quarterly, which is the auto industry's most comprehensive and authoritative quarterly report and analysis of dealership buy/sell activity and franchise values.  Kerrigan Advisors’ Managing Director Erin Kerrigan is a recognized industry expert on dealership valuation, real estate and buy/sells, and is a frequent speaker at leading auto retail events and conferences, including NADA, JD Power Automotive Roundtable, AICPA, NADC and Driving Sales’ President’s Club. She has also been a keynote speaker for events hosted by American Honda Motor Company, Audi of America, US Trust, Ohio Automobile Dealer Association, and SunTrust Bank and has led webinars for NADA and Automotive News.  Her expertise is also featured in a monthly column for Dealer Magazine. 

Kerrigan Advisors Media Contact:
Melanie Webber (melanie@mwebbcom.com), mWEBB Communications, 424.603.4340

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Reviver reinvents the 125-year-old metal plate as an Internet of Things, connected car platform; rPlate™ hits the road in California, Florida, Arizona and Texas in 2017, other states to follow

Detroit, MI - January 9, 2017 – The first-ever, interactive digital license plate debuts today at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit during Automobili-D, a new event showcasing connected car technology. Created by Reviver, the rPlate™ modernizes the 125-year-old license plate, bringing it into the 21st century by transforming it into an innovative, multi-functional digital display and offering a major aesthetic and design upgrade for the only part of the vehicle that has remained unchanged since the automobile debuted. This smart device is an Internet of Things (IoT) platform that offers unlimited opportunities for applications, including DMV registration automation, hyper-local messaging, telematics and vehicle management.

In addition to developing the technology and platform behind rPlate, Reviver has numerous patents pending/obtained, the approval of state legislators in California and Florida, preliminary approval from Arizona’s DMV and Department of Transportation, and legislation in progress in Texas. Prototype rPlates are already operational in California, and Reviver plans to launch the rPlate in all four states by the end of 2017. 

“Our team has been working to modernize the antiquated 125-year-old stamped metal license plate for more than seven years – including four years of successful collaboration with the California DMV, Governor’s Office, State Legislature, CHP and the California Department of Transportation, an effort that has paved the way for approvals in other states,” said Neville Boston, CEO and Founder of Reviver.

“The rPlate opens up the ‘connected car’ ecosystem to a myriad of solutions – some of which are already in development and many that have yet to be imagined,” continued Boston. “In addition to automating the costly DMV registration process and providing telematics and fleet management capabilities, the rPlate immediately unlocks a powerful new channel for OEMs, dealerships, and organizations, to reach and service customers in hyper-local and targeted ways.”

"The rPlate is the first ever 'fifth screen' or digital signage platform to grace the back of a vehicle and can be installed as an aftermarket product or seamlessly integrated directly into the design of the vehicle," said Allan Cooper, Partner, Reviver. "It can display hyper-local targeted messages to a captive audience when a vehicle is legally parked in any location.

“One example is the opportunity for auto retailers to use the rPlate to display customized messaging - such as the brand they sell, a lease payment specific to vehicle models, or a sponsored community event or charity on service loaner vehicles and company vehicles," continued Cooper. 

Messages on the rPlate can dynamically change based on geolocation configuration, in and out of a dealership’s PMA (Prime Marketing Area). Reviver has also incorporated programming for emergency broadcasts like extreme weather warnings and Amber Alerts, as well as VIN-specific recall notifications, into its digital display. The rPlate can also automate the payment of toll road charges, parking fees and much more.

The rPlate houses a GPS, accelerometer, RF sensors, CAN bus access, storage and is built to withstand all weather and extreme conditions. The rPlate’s 6” x 12” display is the same size as a standard state license plate and its anti-reflective screen is legible in all weather conditions.

Reviver also unveiled the rStore today, a cloud-based app development platform that will host apps designed to maximize the functionality of fully connected vehicles. The rStore will offer an open platform for 3rd party development of apps.

The rPlate will be on display in booth #11 at The Detroit Show’s Automobili-D showcase.

About Reviver

San Francisco-based Reviver was founded in 2009 with a mission to establish a universal connected car innovation platform – a mission made possible by reviving legacy automotive solutions and making them fully interactive, robust and connected to a universal store of digital applications. The company’s innovative, multi-functional digital license plate, the rPlate, will be on the road in California, Florida, Arizona and Texas in 2017. Its cloud-based app development platform, the rStore, will be open to 3rd party developers in the second half of 2017. For more information visit www.reviver.io.

Media Contacts:

Elizabeth Johnson, mWEBB Communications, elizabeth@mwebbcom.com or 213-713-4865

Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, melanie@mwebbcom.com or 949-307-1723

Cassandra Cavanah, mWEBB Communications, Cassandra@mwebbcom.com or 818-397-4630