Automotive News, Press Releases, and Events

Dealer marketing professionals debate whether dealership website chat is being used effectively or wasted through poor implementation. Key insights include that only 20% of dealer sites had chat at the time, proactive pop-up chat outperforms passive button-click chat, requiring contact info before chatting kills conversions, and untrained or impatient staff should not handle chat. The thread concludes that chat done right should rank among a dealer's top three lead sources, but success depends heavily on trained staff or outsourced specialists.

The thread highlights data from major automotive conferences showing that 94% of millennials research cars online and 44% use mobile devices at dealerships, underscoring the urgency for dealers to develop a mobile strategy. A reply raises a practical counterpoint: shoppers are unlikely to install individual dealer apps, suggesting that third-party platforms like AutoTrader may be more relevant than dealer-specific mobile experiences.

Kevin Frye shares his first-ever review of the 2013 Driving Sales Executive Summit in Las Vegas, covering standout presentations—including a well-received military leadership talk by Leif Babin—while noting that some speakers, like AutoTrader's Scott Hernalsteen, fell flat. Commenters and DSES founder Jared Hamilton engage constructively, with the key takeaway being that conference quality has improved through competition, though hallway networking remains a highlight and the line between learning and being sold to is still a tension worth watching.

Kevin Frye shares his signature semi-annual recap of the Digital Dealer 15 conference in Las Vegas, covering key sessions, actionable digital marketing insights, and colorful behind-the-scenes moments. Replies are overwhelmingly positive, with multiple attendees and speakers praising his write-up and requesting copies of his presentation slide deck. The thread reflects a tight-knit industry community where Frye is widely regarded as a trusted voice and genuine dealer advocate.

A 2011 statistic showing over 50% of companies block social media at work prompts debate among dealership professionals about whether blocking Facebook actually helps productivity. The consensus leans toward acceptance over restriction: blocking is ineffective since employees simply switch to smartphones, and high performers using social media to build customer relationships may actually benefit the dealership. The irony of participants commenting on the thread from work underscores the point.

The thread explores Peter Thiel's philosophy that great products don't sell themselves, drawing on his Stanford course and writings about definite versus indefinite thinking in business. A commenter challenges the framing by pointing to failed businesses and argues that Malcolm Gladwell's 'Outliers' concept of luck is more nuanced than 'accidental,' citing examples like the inventor of the touchscreen who never capitalized on his innovation. The exchange centers on whether strategic planning or timing and circumstance drives startup success.

Kevin Frye shares his recommended sessions for Digital Dealer 15 in Las Vegas and promotes his own Wednesday morning presentation, inviting the community to weigh in on must-see talks. The replies are largely social in nature, with speakers like Greg Gifford plugging their own sessions and attendees expressing excitement, though little substantive session analysis emerges beyond a few name-drops.

A California jury cleared Toyota of liability in a 2009 death involving a 2006 Camry that allegedly accelerated uncontrollably, ruling the vehicle's design did not contribute to the fatal crash. The verdict is seen as potentially favorable for Toyota in defending against similar unintended acceleration lawsuits. The case centered on 66-year-old Noriko Uno, whose vehicle struck another car after the incident, resulting in her being hit and killed.

A marketing professional shares how Gmail's Promotions tab buried her important personal emails, sparking a discussion about the impact of Gmail's tabbed inbox algorithm on email open rates for automotive marketers. Replies debate whether asking subscribers to move emails to their Primary tab is effective, with some suggesting the Promotions tab may actually benefit deal-seeking consumers. Jeff Kershner notes he personally missed significant emails due to default settings routing promotions to archive, raising questions about how many average users face the same issue.

Black Book Online announced a May 2012 upgrade to its Activator platform, adding a mobile version of Trade-In Activator, social media integration, a Lead Insight tool, and video training to help dealers generate more trade-appraisal leads. The single reply is spam unrelated to the announcement. The thread offers little discussion beyond the press release itself.

Attendees of the Digital Summit at Mountain View — held at Google Headquarters and sponsored by DealerRefresh, Haystack, DealerOn, and Edmunds — share enthusiastic reactions to what many called a standout industry event. Highlights included a keynote by Guy Kawasaki on Enchantment, direct engagement with Google's ad team, and a campus tour, with attendees praising the intimate setting for encouraging open knowledge-sharing. The consensus was that hearing cutting-edge digital marketing insights straight from Google's own people made this one of the most valuable automotive conferences in recent memory.

PCG Digital Marketing announced that Alex Snyder, a contributing writer for DealerRefresh, received the 2010 AWA Lighthouse Award for his significant online contributions to the automotive industry, along with a Go-Giver Award inspired by the book of the same name. Community members offered genuine congratulations, though the thread was later heavily polluted by spam comments from bots promoting unrelated links and generic praise. The key takeaway is the recognition of peer-driven knowledge sharing as a valued contribution to the automotive professional community.

Nissan and its luxury brand Infiniti are experimenting with selling vehicles through non-traditional e-commerce platforms, including Amazon (with gift card incentives) and luxury shopping sites like Gilt. The thread captures dealer community reactions to this unconventional direct-to-consumer sales approach, though specific commentary on the implications remains limited in the visible posts.

The thread features a Dealer Spotlight interview with Aaron Wirtz, a 31-year-old Social Media Manager from Wichita, Kansas who entered the auto industry after responding to a Craigslist job posting while pursuing a Master's in Creative Writing. He shares his preference for pen and notebook over digital tools, sparking light banter in the replies. The thread is a brief, casual introduction with little substantive industry insight but offers a glimpse into an unconventional path into automotive social media.

DealerRefresh ran a contest offering two free tickets to the DrivingSales Executive Summit (DSES), encouraging community members to compete for spots by engaging with the brand's signature humor around 'jorts' and John Quinn. The thread attracted a mix of genuine community banter, spam, and off-topic replies, with little substantive discussion about the event itself. The main takeaway is that DealerRefresh was actively promoting DSES attendance among its members through giveaways.

DealerRefresh members discuss attendance at the Mid-Atlantic Digital Dealer one-day conference scheduled for September 17th in Baltimore, with several members expressing interest in attending and organizing a post-conference meetup. Jeff Kershner initiates plans for a group hangout at local restaurants/bars afterwards, and the conversation evolves into lighthearted banter about venue options, including humorous suggestions about Denny's. The thread ultimately captures community members coordinating an in-person gathering around the conference event.

The FTC launched an investigation into dealers who collectively dropped TRUECar, raising concerns about potential anticompetitive collusion—despite the coordination occurring openly in industry forums rather than through secretive means. Participants debate whether TRUECar itself orchestrated the investigation and question the regulatory overreach of monitoring public forum discussions, with skeptics like Jerry Thibeau suggesting TRUECar's political connections may be at play. The thread highlights the paradox that dealers now face: coordinating to exit a service they oppose could expose them to FTC charges, effectively chilling legitimate industry opposition.

Dealers are discussing TrueCar's new policy (effective September 1, 2013) that restricts write-offs for customers who are "deep in the funnel," combined with subscription fee increases in some markets. The policy has triggered significant backlash, with numerous dealers canceling subscriptions and at least one 25-store group rejecting a proposal outright, suggesting TrueCar's vendor-centric approach prioritizes their own revenue growth over dealer profitability.

Kevin Frye, a former Naval Aviator turned automotive professional, shares his recommended sessions for the 2013 Driving Sales Executive Summit, highlighting keynotes from SEO expert Danny Sullivan and Navy SEAL officer Leif Babin. He draws a personal connection to both speakers through his backgrounds in SEO research and military leadership. The post serves as a curated preview for dealership professionals deciding which DSES sessions to prioritize.

The thread introduces CarStory, a mobile app for automotive sales professionals built by Vast, a largely behind-the-scenes technology company powering major vehicle shopping portals like AOL Autos, Yahoo Autos, and KBB. Jeff Kershner highlights that despite Vast's significant role in online inventory distribution and search optimization, most dealers are unaware of the company. The only reply is a lighthearted pun on the Vast name.

The thread promotes the DrivingSales Executive Summit (DSES) with a top-10 reasons list featuring speakers like search marketing expert Danny Sullivan and a former Navy SEAL officer, plus panels, dealer-chosen breakouts, and vendor restrictions. A guest confirms attendance and mentions defending a debate title at Joe Webb's session, while Jeff Kershner plugs a DealerRefresh contest for two free admission tickets. The thread is largely promotional but signals that DSES had sold out four consecutive years, suggesting strong industry credibility.

Aaron Wirtz previews his 2013 Driving Sales Executive Summit breakout session titled 'Befriending the Lonely Community Manager' via a YouTube video, generating brief excitement among attendees. The short thread is mostly social back-and-forth between industry professionals looking forward to connecting at the event in October.