Automotive News, Press Releases, and Events

Molly Curry uses the Animal House 'road trip' analogy to encourage dealers feeling the pressure of a weak first-half 2017 SAAR to attend industry conferences, network with peers, and engage more closely with vendors. She provides a list of upcoming automotive industry events and points readers to vendorDBauto.com for a fuller conference directory. The underlying message is that despite softening sales, NADA's full-year forecast of 17.1 million units holds, and proactive dealers should use the second half to regroup and reinvigorate their strategies.

Automotive dealers and industry professionals debate Google's newly announced Attribution tool, with participants skeptical that it's a genuine solution to attribution problems rather than a self-serving product designed to increase Google's ad revenue. The thread reveals concerns that the tool works best with Google's own products (AdWords, DoubleClick Search), may be duplicative with existing analytics platforms, and won't adequately serve dealers who lack proper analytics infrastructure. The consensus is that dealers should view Google as a vendor prioritizing its own interests, and that the tool falls short of solving real attribution challenges in automotive advertising.

The thread argues that physical retail locations remain essential to the future of commerce, using examples like Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods and Best Buy's sales success to counter pure e-commerce models. The poster contends that for expensive specialty products, in-store experiences and "webrooming" (researching online before buying in-store) create value that online-only retailers cannot replicate. The consensus suggests brick-and-mortar retail will continue playing a critical role, particularly when retailers can establish themselves as product authorities.

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The thread discusses an Automotive News report highlighting a sales slowdown in the used car market, driven by record numbers of underwater vehicle owners caused by higher transaction prices, extended loan terms, and declining used car values. The original poster asks dealers to share what strategies their stores are implementing to navigate these challenging market conditions. The thread appears to focus on whether industry data about declining used car sales reflects reality on dealer lots and what operational adjustments dealerships are making in response.

Zubie, a connected-car telematics platform, has partnered with RepairPal to provide app users with real-time interpretation of check engine lights and recommendations for certified repair shops. A commenter notes the partnership's logical fit and suggests a broader business opportunity exists for telematics companies to partner with driving schools for teen driver monitoring and safety applications.

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Simple Recon announced the launch of an Amazon Alexa Skill for dealership inventory tracking, enabling managers to receive quick reconditioning updates via voice commands. The forum moderator was skeptical but acknowledged potential value for on-the-fly data access, while Simple Recon positioned the integration as a way to restore more natural human interaction and convenience by allowing managers to check inventory status hands-free from anywhere. The thread ultimately reflects cautious openness to the innovation, with the practical use case of quick, remote inventory checks emerging as the most concrete benefit.

A dealer asks about industry benchmarks for the ratio of completed sales to lost sales from internet leads, suggesting he's heard 1:1 is considered good. The limited responses indicate skepticism about this metric, with one commenter suggesting real-world conversion rates are likely better than a 1:1 ratio, though no concrete data or consensus emerges from the discussion.

Ilana Zur solicits feedback from the DealerRefresh community about automotive user conferences, asking whether they're helpful or repetitive and what improvements attendees would like to see. Responses reveal widespread frustration with repetitive content, lack of differentiation by skill level, overly basic sessions, and insufficient hands-on learning opportunities, though opinions diverge on whether vendor pitches should be open or closed sessions. The key insight is that dealers value networking and relationship-building at conferences, but want more specialized, practical, and interactive content rather than recycled presentations.

The thread discusses a Nationwide Bank and TrueCar partnership offering consumers a "single-stop" service for vehicle purchasing, financing, and insurance, examining whether this represents a growing trend of financial institutions bypassing traditional dealerships. While some participants see inevitable consolidation in automotive services, skeptics argue TrueCar's business model is fundamentally weak—dependent on unsustainable TV spending and offering no genuine advantage over existing dealer experiences—and question whether the company can achieve profitability before investor patience runs out.

Dealers are responding to declining SAAR predictions by cutting costs across advertising, training, and vendor services, with several posters describing aggressive vendor contract reductions and cancellations. The discussion reveals frustration with low-ROI marketing services (particularly expensive email campaigns with poor tracking) and suggests that market downturns, while painful, are creating opportunities for dealers to eliminate underperforming vendors and reassess their marketing strategies more strategically. The key insight is that dealers view downturns as a reset button to purge ineffective services and prove the value of better-targeted digital marketing over traditional approaches.

Jeff Kershner promotes Digital Dealer 22, an upcoming automotive industry conference in Tampa, while Kevin Frye posts a follow-up correction from Louis Ziskin of DropIn Inc., who takes issue with inaccuracies in Frye's previous coverage of their product at the conference. The thread demonstrates how conference attendees and vendors use DealerRefresh to clarify misunderstandings and correct misinformation about products and services discussed at industry events.

FCA announced multiple website provider options beyond Dealer.com for Q2, prompting dealers to discuss the implications of OEM-approved vendor lists. The key debate centers on whether these "approved" options genuinely benefit dealers or primarily serve as a way for OEMs to collect valuable shopper data, with participants expressing skepticism about data transparency while ultimately acknowledging that having multiple choices is better than limited options.

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Automotive dealers debate whether GM's mandate requiring digital signage in showrooms—costing $2,000-$3,000 monthly—is a necessary investment or wasteful requirement imposed by manufacturers out of touch with real dealership operations. Multiple dealers report that showroom kiosks go largely unused by customers, while acknowledging that digital displays have some utility in service departments for managing customer flow and transparency. The prevailing sentiment is that manufacturers should base facility requirements on real-world dealer data rather than focus groups, as individual dealer circumstances vary too widely for one-size-fits-all mandates.

Cars.com hosted a 2017 industry roundtable with thirteen external participants to address dealer marketing attribution challenges, with CEO Alex Vetter positioning the company as building both a consumer decision engine and advertiser growth engine. The discussion centered on simplifying attribution measurement to improve dealer marketing efficiency and profitability. A related industry article highlights the broader marketer demand for better measurement and attribution modeling solutions.

Forum members debate whether TV advertising remains an effective marketing channel for car dealers in the digital age, with a Forbes study cited showing TV's continued influence on car buyers including millennials. The consensus that emerges is that TV advertising still deserves a portion of marketing budgets—particularly for smaller markets and affluent older demographics—and that even digital-first companies continue investing heavily in traditional media, suggesting a multi-channel approach works best rather than an either/or strategy.

Ryan Gerardi recaps his experience covering NADA 100 in New Orleans as DealerRefresh's Assistant Editor, where he spent three days broadcasting via Facebook Live and conducting booth interviews with sponsors and exhibitors. The post highlights NADA's century of milestones and frames dealer adaptability, hard work, and perseverance as the traits driving the industry forward. It serves as a hub for those who missed the convention to catch highlights captured by DealerRefresh.

Jeff Kershner, a veteran automotive industry consultant and DealerRefresh founder, announces his return to ground-level dealership operations after over a decade away, prompting community members to ask what has changed in the industry and what challenges he'll face implementing modern practices. The discussion reveals that while some foundational practices remain unchanged (CRM systems, email templates), dealers today face intensified vendor pressure and the challenge of executing new strategic ideas on the sales floor. The thread establishes Kershner's "dealer diary" as a documentation of how industry experience translates when returning to daily dealership management, with the key insight being that understanding current operational realities is essential before implementing any business development strategy.

Jeff Kershner thanks the DealerRefresh community for a successful 2016, highlighting impressive metrics including 130+ blog articles, 226 forum conversations, 3,200+ posts, and 350,000+ visitor sessions. Community members express appreciation for the platform and optimism about 2017, with one noting the year is already moving quickly and expecting it to bring significant changes and valuable discussions. The overall sentiment reflects gratitude for the community's growth and excitement about future engagement.

Ryan Thompson, a former car salesman and 8-year automotive vendor executive, announces his transition back to retail as a dealer at Ernie Dean (a GM dealership in his hometown), documenting his challenges and seeking community advice on building critical dealership departments like F&I and used inventory. The DealerRefresh community enthusiastically supports his journey, with members offering encouragement and pledging to follow his progress, while Ryan reflects on the shock of limited resources compared to his corporate vendor background. The key insight is that returning to small-town retail dealership operations requires hands-on work and resourcefulness—a humbling contrast to his previous executive role at larger organizations.

Cadillac's Book subscription service—a $1,500/month luxury vehicle subscription with no long-term commitment—prompts dealer concerns about franchise law implications since it bypasses traditional dealership channels. Respondents highlight logistical challenges in executing the program and raise questions about tax deductibility limits for business owners using such services, suggesting skepticism about the model's viability despite acknowledging some customer appeal in accessing different vehicle types.

A follow-up to a previous piece on dealership data ownership, this thread tackles the practical challenge of dealers actually accessing the customer and operational data that lives inside their own systems. The author draws on insights from DSES and J.D. Power marketing summit conferences to argue that as automotive retailing grows more complex, dealers need greater control over and visibility into their data to compete effectively. The core tension explored is the gap between data existing in abundance and dealers being able to extract and act on it.

A U.S. District Court judge ruled in favor of Carfax, dismissing a lawsuit filed by Maxon Hyundai Mazda that alleged Carfax improperly monopolized the vehicle history report market and foreclosed competition. The judge found the plaintiffs' claims had no legal basis and granted judgment entirely to Carfax. The ruling represents a significant legal victory for Carfax in defending its market position against antitrust allegations.