Arnold Tijerina's Posts - DealerELITE.net2024-03-28T20:27:29ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerinahttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2535852301?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://www.dealerelite.net/profiles/blog/feed?user=0nipdny0ovzkv&xn_auth=noYOU'RE INVITED to the 2019 Innovative Dealer Summittag:www.dealerelite.net,2019-03-16:5283893:BlogPost:5289312019-03-16T23:41:42.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p>I would like to invite everyone to attend the 10<sup>th</sup> annual Innovative Dealer Summit being held March 26-27<sup>th</sup>, 2019 in Denver Colorado.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The <strong><a href="http://www.innovativedealersummit.com/">Innovative Dealer Summit </a></strong>is the definitive management education forum for dealer principals, senior dealer managers and all management. It addresses the most pressing sales, profitability, technology, best practices, social media and other emerging…</p>
<p>I would like to invite everyone to attend the 10<sup>th</sup> annual Innovative Dealer Summit being held March 26-27<sup>th</sup>, 2019 in Denver Colorado.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The <strong><a href="http://www.innovativedealersummit.com/">Innovative Dealer Summit </a></strong>is the definitive management education forum for dealer principals, senior dealer managers and all management. It addresses the most pressing sales, profitability, technology, best practices, social media and other emerging issues in dealership operations today. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Innovative Dealer Summit is popular amongst all dealers in that all participant and break-out sessions are conducted over 2 FULL DAYS and overlaps the annual Denver Auto Show.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It has now become the LARGEST 2-day automotive event in the United States and is open to all dealers across the country!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.innovativedealersummit.com/general-sessions">lineup</a> this year is spectacular!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If you and/or your staff want to learn from our industry’s top experts in a first-class setting, you’re looking at it!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In addition, all registered attendees get to attend the <a href="https://www.previewgala.com/">Preview Gala</a> for the Denver Auto Show! Forget trying to look at new models and prototypes 5-deep behind people. This event is a formal affair that benefits charity. A great buffet, bars and fully staffed booths let you experience the Denver Auto Show with the elite. And it’s all included with your registration!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Get a first-class education from experts like:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Brian Benstock, GM/VP of Paragon Honda & Acura</p>
<p>Jim Ziegler, a legend in our industry in automotive retail & F&I training</p>
<p>Evelyn Chatel, GM and Partner of the Freedom Auto Group</p>
<p>Tracy Myers, Dealer Principal. Frank Myers AutoMaxx</p>
<p>Dale Pollak, Founder, vAuto</p>
<p>Kelly McNearney, Google</p>
<p>Evan Piwowarski, Facebook</p>
<p>Paul Potratz, COO, POTRATZ</p>
<p>Doug Miller, CRO, Cars.com</p>
<p>Alan Powell, SVP Sales, Clutch Technologies</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With over 40 speakers including:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jessica Kain, Director of Operations, Kain Automotive</p>
<p>Glenn Pasch, CEO of PCG Digital</p>
<p> </p>
<p>AND MORE!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With sessions covering every department in your dealership, this is an event designed to enlighten and educate and your employees with information that they can immediately bring back to the dealership, be more productive and increase revenue!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We hope to look forward to seeing you in Denver at the end of the month!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For more information about all of the sessions and to register, click here: <a href="http://www.innovativedealersummit.com/">http://www.innovativedealersummit.com/</a></p>YOU'RE INVITED to the 2019 Innovative Dealer Summittag:www.dealerelite.net,2019-03-16:5283893:BlogPost:5286942019-03-16T23:41:40.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p>I would like to invite everyone to attend the 10<sup>th</sup> annual Innovative Dealer Summit being held March 26-27<sup>th</sup>, 2019 in Denver Colorado.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The <strong><a href="http://www.innovativedealersummit.com/">Innovative Dealer Summit </a></strong>is the definitive management education forum for dealer principals, senior dealer managers and all management. It addresses the most pressing sales, profitability, technology, best practices, social media and other emerging…</p>
<p>I would like to invite everyone to attend the 10<sup>th</sup> annual Innovative Dealer Summit being held March 26-27<sup>th</sup>, 2019 in Denver Colorado.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The <strong><a href="http://www.innovativedealersummit.com/">Innovative Dealer Summit </a></strong>is the definitive management education forum for dealer principals, senior dealer managers and all management. It addresses the most pressing sales, profitability, technology, best practices, social media and other emerging issues in dealership operations today. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Innovative Dealer Summit is popular amongst all dealers in that all participant and break-out sessions are conducted over 2 FULL DAYS and overlaps the annual Denver Auto Show.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It has now become the LARGEST 2-day automotive event in the United States and is open to all dealers across the country!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.innovativedealersummit.com/general-sessions">lineup</a> this year is spectacular!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If you and/or your staff want to learn from our industry’s top experts in a first-class setting, you’re looking at it!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In addition, all registered attendees get to attend the <a href="https://www.previewgala.com/">Preview Gala</a> for the Denver Auto Show! Forget trying to look at new models and prototypes 5-deep behind people. This event is a formal affair that benefits charity. A great buffet, bars and fully staffed booths let you experience the Denver Auto Show with the elite. And it’s all included with your registration!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Get a first-class education from experts like:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Brian Benstock, GM/VP of Paragon Honda & Acura</p>
<p>Jim Ziegler, a legend in our industry in automotive retail & F&I training</p>
<p>Evelyn Chatel, GM and Partner of the Freedom Auto Group</p>
<p>Tracy Myers, Dealer Principal. Frank Myers AutoMaxx</p>
<p>Dale Pollak, Founder, vAuto</p>
<p>Kelly McNearney, Google</p>
<p>Evan Piwowarski, Facebook</p>
<p>Paul Potratz, COO, POTRATZ</p>
<p>Doug Miller, CRO, Cars.com</p>
<p>Alan Powell, SVP Sales, Clutch Technologies</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With over 40 speakers including:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jessica Kain, Director of Operations, Kain Automotive</p>
<p>Glenn Pasch, CEO of PCG Digital</p>
<p> </p>
<p>AND MORE!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With sessions covering every department in your dealership, this is an event designed to enlighten and educate and your employees with information that they can immediately bring back to the dealership, be more productive and increase revenue!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We hope to look forward to seeing you in Denver at the end of the month!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For more information about all of the sessions and to register, click here: <a href="http://www.innovativedealersummit.com/">http://www.innovativedealersummit.com/</a></p>Skynet: Autonomous Cars Will Decide Who Dies… And Who Livestag:www.dealerelite.net,2016-09-16:5283893:BlogPost:4867472016-09-16T13:16:17.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545166048?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545166048?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350"></img></a> So, our industry is hell-bent on creating autonomous cars and transforming our roads and highways into assembly lines of controlled vehicles that perform without human intervention. I’m not talking about cruise control or auto-pilot. I’m talking about autonomy. The very <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=define+autonomy&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8">definition</a> of…</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545166048?profile=original"><img width="350" class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545166048?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350"/></a>So, our industry is hell-bent on creating autonomous cars and transforming our roads and highways into assembly lines of controlled vehicles that perform without human intervention. I’m not talking about cruise control or auto-pilot. I’m talking about autonomy. The very <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=define+autonomy&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8">definition</a> of autonomy is:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<i>freedom from external control or influence; independence”</i></p>
<p><i> </i></p>
<p>A machine that operates with independence, without external control or influence, is also, by definition, a robot. Am I “anti-robot?” Is there such a term? Yes, there is – <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technophobia">Technophobia</a>. While the auto industry sweet talks us into a future of commuting in which we can watch a movie, read a book or interact on social media, the fact is that what’s being created is, essentially, a legion of vehicles that are not only connected but can make decisions.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And those decisions are what scare me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Think about it. You’re driving down the road on a two lane road with a canyon to your left and find yourself in this situation:</p>
<p> </p>
<ol>
<li>A person walks into the road in front of you and you don’t have time to stop before hitting that person. In the left lane is an oncoming vehicle.</li>
<li>On your right is a group of 6 school kids talking and walking home from school.</li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p>Remember, your car is in charge. It’s making the decisions. You’re watching “Harry Potter” (sound familiar?) and not paying attention. Your car, at that point, has to make a moral and ethical decision. Does it:</p>
<p> </p>
<ol>
<li>Choose to hit and kill the person in front of you?</li>
<li>Swerve into the left lane causing a head-on collision with the oncoming vehicle but avoiding the person in the road perhaps killing you (the “driver”) and the occupants of the other vehicle as well?</li>
<li>Swerve radically left and drive off into the canyon killing you?</li>
<li>Swerve right and run through the group of 6 school kids?</li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p>None of these sound fun and, certainly, nobody would want ANY of these outcomes but, in this case, one of those has to happen. Think about which YOU would choose. Is that what your CAR would?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>All robots (yes, including the autonomous car you’re riding in) are programmed. They run on software. Someone… somewhere… already made the decision for you. You just don’t know what that decision is. Some people may choose to sacrifice themselves to save everyone else. But humans think differently than machines. Most likely, machines will, by mandate, be forced to be programmed to prevent the least amount of loss to the human race… That’s just logic. That’s what computers work from. So, in this case, the logical choice would be to assess the situation. Which option presents the least loss of life or – rather perhaps life “potential”?</p>
<p> </p>
<ol>
<li>The first option presents a danger to not only the person in the road but, potentially, the people in the oncoming vehicle and you. This scenario places multiple lives at risk.</li>
<li>The second option may save the person in the road but will almost for certain cause injury and/or death to the people in the oncoming vehicle and you.</li>
<li>The third option presents the most potential loss of lives (and life potential) as these are young kids who have lives ahead of them and there are 6 of them.</li>
<li>The final option sees the car steering radically off of the road plunging you and it into the canyon where you (and it) die.</li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p>Yeah, this is an extreme example but it’s not the only one. There are many decisions being made like this all of the time – just mostly by humans.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I remember traveling long-distance with my family and coming upon traffic near Charlotte. I slowed down like everyone else but, in my rearview mirror, I saw a car coming at my vehicle’s rear end at a high speed. I had no place to go. On my right were other cars, in front of me were other cars and to my left was a concrete median. I did my best to scoot up and, ultimately, the driver of the vehicle behind me started paying attention, noticed the traffic and veered left while slamming on his brakes ultimately crashing his vehicle into the median. Luckily, nobody (except his car) was injured. But this is a scenario that will play out daily, across the country, except the decisions will be made by an algorithm programmed into a computer then installed into a car.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Do computer bugs exist? Sure. Just look at Tesla’s recent <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/6/30/12072408/tesla-autopilot-car-crash-death-autonomous-model-s">“Autopilot” incident</a> in which the car – aided by what is arguably the most technologically advanced software at the moment – did not see the TRUCK crossing the road because the SUN WAS IN ITS EYES. Yeah. Sounds safe to me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The larger picture is who (or what) do we want making these decisions? In the case of a human, that person could explain and defend themselves and then a jury of their peers would lay judgement. In the case of a <strike>robot</strike> car, it would all have been programmed in. So who would be at fault?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A counter-argument could be made that since all of these cars are “connected” they could all coordinate some sort of instantaneous strategical maneuver that would prevent both cars colliding and anyone being hit but, c’mon, really? First, Internet is not that fast (for most people) and cars – even if all of them were connected via 8GLTEXpress (which is something I totally just made up but is my version of the fastest Wi-Fi/cellular connection ever), these decisions are made in less than a SECOND! There are no vehicles communicating and coordinating evasive maneuvers that quickly. We’re just not there and, personally, I don’t know if that’s someplace we WANT to go.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Where does it end? Do you want your toaster declining to make toast because IT thinks you weigh too much? Maybe your refrigerator decides the best time for you to eat is between certain hours and locks itself? Your television decides you shouldn’t be watching horror movies because it’s bad for your mental health? Or, God forbid, your life-support machine makes the decision ON ITS OWN that the likelihood of you actually pulling through is too low so it just shuts itself off.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Look, I don’t believe that the movie “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Terminator">The Terminator</a>”, in which intelligent robots designed to think and make decisions on their own, is real or will be anytime soon (at least not on that level). What I do believe is that humans have something that robots can’t ever have – empathy and emotion. We can make robots until we’re blue in the face and make them appear so real that we BELIEVE they have these things but, in essence, that’s what makes humans and robots different. Call it having a soul or whatever you’d like, the fact remains that we (humans) will always make decisions that are not consistent with that of robots. Why? Because that is what makes us human! Some of us will choose to run down the person in front of us. Some will choose to hit the oncoming car and take our chances. Some will even plow through the group of schoolkids. And some will drive ourselves over the cliff. But, in the end, we’re human. We make those choices and have to face the consequences for our decisions. We know what the right thing to do is (most of us, at least) and we do it regardless. If everyone disagrees with our decision, we pay the consequences. Who is responsible if the car chooses to mow down the school kids? Are we going to create car prisons or just crush the bad ones? And what happens when – God forbid – the cars evolve and decide that it’s in their best interest to protect themselves (yes, I totally went all sci-fi Terminator there but, hey, technology moves fast.)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The people programming cars are also human. Hopefully, they’ll make the right decisions when programming these autonomous cars so that we can play Call of Duty on our way to work, Facetime with our friend or set our fantasy football lineup. In the end, however, programmers are also just human. What they think is the best choice may not be the one we would make but they would be the ones making it… perhaps years in advance of the event. Or, let’s go a step farther, chances are good that if autonomous cars are programmed to make life and death decisions perhaps it’s not the programmers making those moral and ethical decisions but rather some government entity like the NHTSA who then merely pass along those decisions to the manufacturers to be programmed in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Regardless of who chooses how and which moral and ethical decisions to program into autonomous cars, in the end, you may find that the decision your car was programmed to be the best one to make… is to kill you.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hope you enjoyed “Harry Potter.” RIP</p>A Big Old Can of Nonsense: Who Needs Loyal Customers Anyways?tag:www.dealerelite.net,2016-08-02:5283893:BlogPost:4841352016-08-02T13:00:00.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545156987?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545156987?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350"></img></a> With all of the recent epiphanies that thought leaders in ours and other industries that businesses should be spending time and effort cultivating relationships, spending money and basically treating customers right, I thought it time to re-visit this whole “customer loyalty” phenomenon. Customers don’t really care about car dealers, do they? I mean, dealers are ranked below…</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545156987?profile=original"><img width="350" class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545156987?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350"/></a>With all of the recent epiphanies that thought leaders in ours and other industries that businesses should be spending time and effort cultivating relationships, spending money and basically treating customers right, I thought it time to re-visit this whole “customer loyalty” phenomenon. Customers don’t really care about car dealers, do they? I mean, dealers are ranked below Congress in surveys about trustworthiness. They don’t like coming to dealerships for ANY reason much less to buy a car. In fact, companies are popping up out of the woodwork with the sole benefit of making it possible for people to buy cars WITHOUT going to dealerships.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We know through many articles and trends that customer loyalty is dead. The Gen Y and Millennial generations could care less who they do business with. Sure, they’ll show up for that $19.95 oil change special but is it because they’re loyal? No! It’s because it’s a deal. And believe me when I say that they will eagerly go to another dealership the next time they need their vehicle serviced that offers a coupon or special when you don’t have one at that time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>People need to buy – and service – cars and regardless of whether you’re a franchised, independent or buy here, pay here lot, dealers are all they have. It’s way too much work for consumers to obtain financing, process paperwork and facilitate a private party sales transaction. In addition, most of these are “as-is” transactions so they’re essentially throwing the dice hoping they aren’t getting a lemon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As for service, there’s a Jiffy Lube or other independent auto service center promising convenient, fast and friendly oil changes upon demand. Sure, maybe they’re using generic parts that might not fit perfectly but are serviceable. Who cares? They’re cheaper, right? Who needs certified technicians, nice waiting areas or free coffee? They’d rather go buy a $12 Triple, Venti, Half Sweet, Non-Fat, Caramel Macchiato than drink the Keurig produced coffee dealers provide for them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As a business, dealerships have been wildly successful acquiring new customers for the past decades. It’s easy. Sure, maybe it’s gotten more expensive over the years but what’s $640 per customer when dealers can high gross them on the huge profit margins manufacturers give them to work with.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And rewards? Really? Dealers are seriously expected – yes, expected – to give away free stuff to customers who happen to give them money? Get serious.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The bottom line is that dealers sell and service cars. Dealers have this industry so tightly wrapped up and in control that even Elon Musk with all his money, influence and consumer backing can’t even manage to convince many states to let him sell his cars direct to consumers. The new companies promising excellent customer experiences and complete online transactions account for such a small percentage of sales that they’re inconsequential. Consumers HAVE to buy their cars from a dealership and they certainly have a monopoly on warranty and recall work, too.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So let’s all just calm down and sit back while OEMs take used car inventories online and auction prices skyrocket (goodbye used car grosses), the NHTSA opens up recall work to independents (see you later recall revenue), the CFPB begins to regulate consumer financing (so long F&I reserve), new car front end margins shrink (you didn’t have these anyways) and complete online buying experiences become the preferred car purchasing experience…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Wait a minute. Who needs loyal customers? Dealers do. </p>Pokémon Go as A Traffic Driver to Dealershipstag:www.dealerelite.net,2016-07-15:5283893:BlogPost:4830302016-07-15T20:30:00.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545165235?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545165235?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350"></img></a> So it’s been a long time since I wrote a blog (for myself, that is) but after attending Jim Ziegler’s Internet Battle Plan and watching a kid yell "I found a Pokémon!" then promptly walking into a wall then watching adult auto industry attendees, vendors and speakers choose to go Pokémon hunting rather than network with industry colleagues and dealers, it got me thinking.…</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545165235?profile=original"><img width="350" class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545165235?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350"/></a>So it’s been a long time since I wrote a blog (for myself, that is) but after attending Jim Ziegler’s Internet Battle Plan and watching a kid yell "I found a Pokémon!" then promptly walking into a wall then watching adult auto industry attendees, vendors and speakers choose to go Pokémon hunting rather than network with industry colleagues and dealers, it got me thinking. First, yes, I downloaded the app just to see what all of the fuss was about. My Pokémon Go experience lasted all of about 15 minutes. I’ve seen people argue that Pokémon Go is silly and a waste of time while also seeing others relay the benefits of the game including physical exercise, exploring one’s neighborhood and connecting with new people with (at least one) similar interest.<br/> <br/>
I probably wouldn’t have been even interested in exploring the app at all but for the fact that a client created a clever ad that tied into their business message and we started exploring ways in which we could exploit this trendy craze. Who knows how long this game’s popularity will last but, for now, it’s the hottest thing around. Playing to trending things is nothing new and if you can leverage it in a way that supports your message or drives business, I’m all for it (sans tragedies, politics and the other taboo topics).<br/>
<br/>
In my research, I found that there are things called “lures” in the game. You get these by catching Pokémon and doing various things BUT you can also purchase them for $1 each through the app. These “lures” are like catnip to Pokémon and the area in which the lure is set shows up within the game to other players. Of course, seeing as the goal of the game is catching Pokémon, it’s easy to understand why dropping a lure (which lasts 30 minutes) would attract nearby players. For $1 per half-hour, a dealership could pretty much leverage lures to the tune of $20 per day (given a 10-hour business day) and get a fair share of explorers. [EDIT: A fellow automotive colleague and self-professed Pokémon Go addict informed me that lures can only be used at already established Pokéstops. I do know that there are businesses that have been designated as such so this strategy would only work if your dealership were already a Pokéstop apparently. The overall intent of the article is discuss the marketing opportunity soon to be available as described later in this article.]<br/>
<br/>
There are also things called Pokéstops and gyms which naturally attract players but Niantic (the game's creator) decides where these Pokéstops are located. Of course, the concentration of Pokémon or the ability to train them (level them up) make these popular places for players. While actual user numbers haven’t been released, I’ve seen articles that report that daily use of Pokémon Go is extremely close to surpassing the daily use of Twitter. That is huge.<br/>
<br/>
Well, it looks like (unsurprisingly) that Pokémon Go is going to make it very easy for dealerships (or any business) to leverage their game to drive foot traffic to their location. Of course, a company that’s pulling in $1,000,000 (yes million) per day just through in-app purchases decided to commercialize by extending B2B sponsorship opportunities. It’s reportedly always been in their plans but, due to the super-fast popularity (including a 50% increase in Nintendo share price), those plans have been expedited. Soon, businesses (read: dealerships) will be able to pay to be a “sponsored location” which would (hypothetically) make the business an uber-popular place to visit for Pokémon Go players.<br/>
<br/>
Seeing as the game's developer, Niantic, is a spin-off owned by Google and the game engine itself uses Google Maps for the GPS function within the game (i.e. finding Pokémon) it’s no surprise that the revenue trigger (i.e. what needs to happen for revenue to be produced) has been altered from the traditional cost-per-click to one of cost-per-VISIT. Yup, you read that right.<br/>
<br/>
Now, knowing that you’d be charged based on how many Pokémon Go players show up at your dealership, the question now becomes… Is that something you’d want to pay for? Are these people worth having around, running around your lot searching for these cartoon characters while staring at computer screens?<br/>
<br/>
I was told of at least one dealer group that’s already running a promotion leveraging Pokémon Go by running a contest in which players explore the lot and, when they find a Pokémon, screenshotting the Pokémon at the dealership then sharing it to social media including Instagram and naming the dealership. This is a new promotion (just like the game) so I don’t know how it’ll work out for them but I wish them well.<br/>
<br/>
In my opinion, whether a dealership should become a "sponsored location" will depend on several things – the dealership's demographic and whether they want people running around looking for Pokémon rather than buying a car (I mean, even people really there to buy a car are staring at their phone showrooming you so you probably wouldn’t know the difference between the two unless one of them is 10 years old). The opposite side of that argument is that a busy lot snowballs and attracts other buyers. I mean, we do use inflatable gorillas and wavy tube men, right? Now you can have Pokémon hunters attracting others and forgo the gorilla. (I wonder if the gorillas and way tube men qualify for unemployment or food stamps.)<br/>
<br/>
All of that being said, we don’t yet know what the “cost-per-visit” will be but my guess is that it will be determined just like any other Google advertising – based on bids. Get into an auto mall and that might get expensive. It could offer the kids something to do while the parents are shopping or you could see the parents hunting Pokémon WITH their kids. If you subscribe to the “happy, sense of community, getting out and meeting people” philosophy, it could be a way to make a name for yourself (or become a more popular destination) within your community. Of course, being a sponsored location probably won’t end when you lock the doors. There could easily be people jumping your blocker cars to explore your closed dealership just to hunt Pokémon. I may know of someone that might possibly have broke into a miniature golf course just to catch a Pokémon… but that’s just a story I was told so I totally have plausible deniability… besides I would plead the fifth anyways.<br/>
<br/>
So what do you think? I’d love to hear from dealers and/or vendors on their thoughts as to whether this sponsored location option about to come around through Niantic, Nintendo, and Google via Pokémon Go is one that a dealership should consider.<br/>
<br/>
Do I believe that it will make the dealership a popular place to visit? Yes. Do I think that it would increase foot traffic? Yes.<br/>
<br/>
The real question is whether it is foot traffic that a dealership would want.</p>Jim Radogna: Avoiding the Eye of Mordor in Social Mediatag:www.dealerelite.net,2014-12-22:5283893:BlogPost:4394962014-12-22T13:45:55.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545144347?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545144347?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="325"></img></a> Just like in the blockbuster series “The Lord of the Rings”, the Eye of Mordor is always open. Until now, its focus has been on larger battles and more interesting things. Then a Hobbit found a golden ring and slipped it on his finger. And the Eye started paying attention to this little being that had avoided the Eye’s gaze… until now.<br></br> <br></br> The intersection of…</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545144347?profile=original"><img width="325" class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545144347?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="325"/></a>Just like in the blockbuster series “The Lord of the Rings”, the Eye of Mordor is always open. Until now, its focus has been on larger battles and more interesting things. Then a Hobbit found a golden ring and slipped it on his finger. And the Eye started paying attention to this little being that had avoided the Eye’s gaze… until now.<br/> <br/> The intersection of advertising, marketing, and compliance is not easy to navigate. It seems as if each week, rulings are being rendered from one of the myriad of regulatory bodies making it more difficult for dealers to know what they should – and should not – be doing in regards to social media in order to stay compliant. In an effort to bring clarity to an increasingly confusing and misunderstood topic, I sat down with Jim Radogna, the president of <a href="http://dealercomplianceconsultants.com/" target="_blank">Dealer Compliance Consultants</a>, to get some answers.<br/> <br/> <br/> <br/> <strong>Arnold Tijerina: I believe dealers aren’t vigilant enough ensuring that social media performed on behalf of the dealership meets the same compliance rules and standards that all of their other advertising requires. It’s sort of like an afterthought to them. What are your thoughts?</strong><br/> <br/> Jim Radogna: Very true. First, many dealers aren’t aware that advertising regulations apply to social media every bit as much as traditional media. Advertising regulations don’t go away despite the fact that social media tends to be a low-key, casual type of communication. In fact, The FTC recently updated its document Dot Com Disclosures: Information About Online Advertising. The primary focus of the publication, which was first issued in 2000, is to inform advertisers that consumer protection laws and the requirement to provide clear and conspicuous disclosures applies to the online world in addition to the offline world.<br/> <br/> So in a nutshell, if inventory is posted or prices/payments are quoted on social media it’s likely that the posts will be deemed to be advertisements and will be subject to state and federal disclosure and truth in advertising regulations. Lack of space is no excuse either. Even if you’re advertising on Twitter and are limited to 140 characters, you must include a clear link to any necessary disclosures.<br/> <br/> Next, even if the dealer is aware of these facts, it’s likely that dealership employees and/or vendors posting to social media do not have the same level of awareness.<br/> <br/> <strong>AT: I’ve interacted with some dealers who operate under strict compliance conformity across all advertising – including social media – and others that don’t feel the need to adhere to the same rules when it comes to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. It certainly wouldn’t seem to be unreasonable to assume that most dealers know compliance rules for their advertising. Why do you think they view social media differently?</strong><br/> <br/> JR: Until recently, virtually all enforcement actions for non-compliant advertising have been focused on traditional media, so this is a brand new area. In my experience, most dealers have a limited understanding of what constitutes “advertising” in the eyes of the powers that be. When dealers place an ad in the local newspaper, on the radio or TV, it’s pretty evident to them that they’re advertising and that they need to be diligent in following state and local compliance guidelines. But they don’t tend to think of social media as formal “advertising” because their intention isn’t to advertise their products and services on the social networks as much as to engage with customers, brand themselves and showcase their inventory. It really is an innocent mistake in many instances. The problem is that any time they mention prices, payments, interest rates, or the availability of financing etc. – anywhere – certain disclosure requirements are triggered.<br/> <br/> So, a dealer or ad agency that is diligent about being compliant in their advertising may have their attorneys or a compliance consultant, like myself, review every one of their ads, mailers, TV commercials, and radio spots before publication, but not even think about having their social media posts reviewed because they simply don’t realize that these are considered “advertising”.<br/> <br/> Another area where dealers are vulnerable on social media is transfer from traditional media. Here are a few examples: The dealer may have a full page print ad in their local paper that is fully compliant, but when they post a reduced-size pdf of the ad on Facebook, all of a sudden the fully-legible and compliant disclosure on the bottom of the newspaper ad is now unreadable. Instead of being 10-point type, it’s now 4-point type because of the size reduction. Another example is the TV commercial that’s posted on YouTube and shared on the social networks. Again, the disclosure on the bottom of the screen may be easily readable on TV but becomes indecipherable on a computer or mobile device.<br/> <br/> <strong>AT: A recent FTC ruling regarding personal bias disclosure across all social media platforms seems to have lead some dealers into believing that simply adding a notation that the content is an “Ad” or “Sponsored” – whether in the ad or with the use of hashtags such as #ad and/or #sponsored – is enough to be compliant. To my knowledge, while the FTC ruling is certainly applicable when it comes to employees sharing dealership offers and specials on their personal social networks, it doesn’t negate obligation by the dealer to add necessary disclaimers. Do you agree?</strong> <br/> <br/> JR: Absolutely. Dealers may face liability if employees use social media to promote their employer’s services or products without disclosing the employment relationship. The FTC requires the disclosure of all “material connections.” These connections can be any relationship that could affect the credibility a consumer gives to statements, such as an employment or business relationship. So if employees, friends, family or vendors post on a dealer’s behalf, they should clearly disclose any relationship they have with the company. It’s all about transparency and full disclosure.<br/> <br/> <strong>AT: As social media use by dealers grow, what are the most important things that dealers should be aware of in regards to how they use social media?</strong> <br/> <br/> JR: There are a number of legal considerations that every company should be aware of when establishing their social media policies and procedures, such as social media use in employment decisions; posting of online reviews, testimonials and endorsements; ‘fake’ and paid-for reviews; advertising on social media; potential overtime claims; harassment, discrimination and defamation claims; copyright and privacy issues.<br/> <br/> <strong>AT: Should dealers be concerned by how their employee’s use social media and, if so, how do you recommend that dealerships protect themselves and/or decrease liability in this regard?</strong><br/> <br/> JR: It’s important for dealers to craft a social media policy that’s both practical and legally defensible. They can protect themselves by insisting that participants in their social media programs comply with the law and training them how to do it. The FTC specifically says these steps may limit potential liability and will be considered in any prosecution. According to FTC guidelines, “The Commission agrees that the establishment of appropriate procedures would warrant consideration in its decision as to whether law enforcement action would be an appropriate use of agency resources. The Commission is not aware of any instance in which an enforcement action was brought against a company for the actions of a single ‘rogue’ employee who violated established company policy that adequately covered the conduct in question.”<br/> <br/> <strong>AT: The FTC has been increasing the attention it is paying to business and social media and has recently been vocal about their intentions to enforce compliance regardless of where the advertisement resides specifically mentioning social media. How do you believe this increased action and attention by the FTC will affect dealers in the future in regards to social media?</strong> <br/> <br/> JR: What’s become abundantly clear through recent federal and state advertising enforcement actions against dealers is that regulators are trolling through the digital world to find dealer violations. For instance, the FTC has cited many ads recently from websites and YouTube. It stands to reason that social networks are their next logical target. Let’s face it, it’s far easier for regulators to perform digital searches for violations than to read countless newspaper ads or listen to radio commercials.<br/> <br/> My suggestion is to train every employee and every vendor that posts to the dealer’s social networks or may post on the dealer’s behalf on their own networks. Next, constantly audit all posts, either internally or by utilizing a qualified professional, to ensure compliance. Dealers are ultimately responsible the actions of their employees and any vendors they hire.<br/> <br/> <strong>AT: Thank you, Jim. I appreciate your taking the time to help bring more clarity about this topic to dealers.</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">About Jim Radogna</span></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545144583?profile=original"><img width="200" class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545144583?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200"/></a>Before founding Dealer Compliance Consultants, Jim Radogna developed a strong background in dealership operations, having spent over 15 years in dealership management. His experience includes working in diversified roles including sales manager, F&I director, general manager, and training director. In addition, he served as compliance officer for a large auto group, where he developed and integrated a comprehensive compliance program. Being well-versed in all aspects of dealership operations, Jim and his team have used their knowledge and industry experience to develop unique, no-nonsense compliance and reputation management solutions for automobile dealerships of all sizes. These programs are designed to not only protect dealerships from liability but also greatly enhance the company’s reputation, increase profitability through consistent processes, and increase customer satisfaction and retention.<br/> <br/> Jim is a sought-after speaker and frequent contributor to several automotive industry publications including Dealer Magazine, WardsAuto, Auto Dealer Monthly, DrivingSales Dealership Innovation Guide, AutoSuccess, and F&I Magazine.</p>Interesting: TrueCar said to consider IPO for next yeartag:www.dealerelite.net,2013-11-25:5283893:BlogPost:4001572013-11-25T15:44:42.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p>Have y'all seen this article in <a href="http://www.autonews.com/article/20131125/RETAIL/131129916/truecar-said-to-consider-ipo-next-year-for-online-auto-retailer#axzz2lfMCvyqU" target="_blank">Automotive News</a>?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The $1.5 BILLION valuation just astounds me. Would TrueCar going public bring more transparency to their business model and/or validate their "change of heart"?</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>"TrueCar said to consider IPO for next year"</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p>"NEW YORK…</p>
<p>Have y'all seen this article in <a href="http://www.autonews.com/article/20131125/RETAIL/131129916/truecar-said-to-consider-ipo-next-year-for-online-auto-retailer#axzz2lfMCvyqU" target="_blank">Automotive News</a>?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The $1.5 BILLION valuation just astounds me. Would TrueCar going public bring more transparency to their business model and/or validate their "change of heart"?</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>"TrueCar said to consider IPO for next year"</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p>"NEW YORK (Bloomberg) -- TrueCar Inc. is considering selling shares in an initial public offering in the first half of 2014, two people with knowledge of the matter said.</p>
<p>The online auto-shopping service is working with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. on the IPO, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the process is private. TrueCar, based in Santa Monica, Calif., may seek a market value of as much as $1.5 billion in the share sale, one person said.</p>
<p>Auto sales are on pace for their best year since 2007, and shares of some auto dealership groups have reached record highs this year. AutoNation Inc. is up 24 percent in 2013, after touching a record in September, while Penske Automotive Group Inc. is up nearly 42 percent through Friday.</p>
<p>TrueCar helps consumers buy cars with pricing information from more than 6,000 dealerships. It was started in 2005 by Scott Painter, who also founded CarsDirect.com Inc. and was an early adviser to electric-car maker Tesla Motors Inc. The company turned down an offer to be acquired for more than $1 billion, Painter, who is also CEO of the company, said in a Nov. 19 interview in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>The company currently has 325 employees and is profitable, Painter said. He declined to name the potential buyer or provide the company's expected revenue this year.</p>
<p>He also declined to comment on the possibility of an IPO, as did spokesmen for TrueCar, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan.</p>
<p>TrueCar raised $200 million in September 2011 to fund acquisitions, Painter said at the time. TrueCar's shareholders include Andell Holdings LLC, GSV Capital Corp., GRP Partners and USAA Capital Corp, according to the company's Web site."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>A Lesson In Leadership from An Unlikely Sourcetag:www.dealerelite.net,2013-09-11:5283893:BlogPost:3866092013-09-11T13:00:00.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p><i><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545126851?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545126851?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400"></img></a> “While everyone ran in panic, Roselle remained totally focused on her job.”</i></p>
<p><i> </i></p>
<p>Sometimes life gets hectic. We try to focus on and accomplish too many things at the same time. We have deadlines to meet, customers vying for our attention, fires to put out and countless voicemails and e-mails to respond to. In a world where employers consider…</p>
<p><i><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545126851?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545126851?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-left"/></a>“While everyone ran in panic, Roselle remained totally focused on her job.”</i></p>
<p><i> </i></p>
<p>Sometimes life gets hectic. We try to focus on and accomplish too many things at the same time. We have deadlines to meet, customers vying for our attention, fires to put out and countless voicemails and e-mails to respond to. In a world where employers consider multi-tasking a desirable trait, we’re taught from a very young age that this is a necessary skill. Sometimes, by focusing on too many things at once, we end up not focusing on anything at all.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A customer’s experience in your dealership is completely dependent on your focus. They can’t multi-task their way to a solution. Only you have that. I realize that on a busy weekend at a dealership there are times when you’re being pulled in multiple directions. To a customer, however, they are the sun that everything revolves around.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><i>“</i><i>While debris fell around us, and even hit us, Roselle stayed calm."</i></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The most successful business people know that you must treat each customer as if they are your only one. Customers intuitively know when chaos is present – whether by observation or intuition. No matter how busy you are, by stopping and giving a customer… any customer… your undivided attention, not only will you be more effective in resolving their problem but you will also instill in them a feeling of gratitude and, if you’re lucky, loyalty.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><i>“We were forced to stop often and we took those opportunities to encourage each other with a quiet word, a joke, or a gentle pat on the back.” </i></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Don’t forget that you have a team. Teamwork is crucial in these moments of chaos. The ultimate goal is to provide a solution that is satisfactory to the customer. Maybe you aren’t the right person to efficiently guide the customer down the path to a resolution. In these times, what typically happens is that you’re forced to get someone else involved. A great team knows each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Each member knows the best player for every situation and gets them involved immediately.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><i>“…</i><i>we must choose to trust those leaders who must also work hard to earn our trust through wise and timely decision making.”</i></p>
<p><i> </i></p>
<p>As a manager, sometimes you are the one being asked to resolve problems. You are the ones being asked to multi-task. You are the one who is focusing on so many things at once that you lose focus. Your team looks to you to guide them in these moments of chaos. You must be able to focus on the single most important task you have: the customer standing in front of you. If you’re trying to desk and close deals while answering the phone and helping customers, you’ll accomplish a little bit of everything but a lot of nothing. Be a leader who shows customers that they are the most important task at that moment and follow through with that promise. Not only will you end up with a happy customer, you will also become a role model for the future managers on your team.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><i>“Don’t stop until the work is over; sometimes being a hero is just doing your job.”</i></p>
<p><i> </i></p>
<p>Be a hero to your customers and your team. That’s what great leaders are. Every one of us has someone in our lives that we consider our mentor in life. Be that mentor to your team and guide them through the chaos by remaining calm despite it. Teach them that the customer in front of you is the only one that matters. Reinforce it by following your own advice. They will notice and they will buy in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>These lessons originated from an unlikely source. Roselle, you see, is a dog. Her owner is blind. He also happened to work in the World Trade Center and was on the 78<sup>th</sup> floor when planes flew into the building. There were an estimated 17,400 people in the Twin Towers when this horrible event occurred. Not only did Roselle guide her owner down 1,463 stairs to safety but she was also “giving doggie kisses to each and every firefighter who climbed past us up the stairs.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><i>“While debris fell around us, and even hit us, Roselle stayed calm."</i></p>
<p><i> </i></p>
<p>In the midst of all of this chaos, Roselle focused on a single task. She led her owner outside and, despite the chaos and falling debris, found the nearest subway station and led her owner underground.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Roselle was honored as the American Hero Dog of the Year. While she isn’t with us anymore physically, her memory and lessons stay with us to this day. Roselle wasn’t just any dog. Roselle was a highly trained guide dog that had a single job to do for a single customer – her owner. Had she not been trained, she couldn’t accomplish this task with the laser focus that she must have had to navigate down one of only three stairwells along with 17,000 other people for 78 floors to achieve her goal.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><i>“Sometimes the way is hard, but if we work together, we will make it down the stairs.”</i></p>
<p><i> </i></p>
<p>Never forget.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545126929?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545126929?profile=original" width="474" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Roselle</p>
<p> </p>
<p>[Credits: <a href="http://www.today.com/id/44615382/ns/today-today_pets/t/dog-who-saved-owner-named-american-hero-dog/#.UjBUKTAS8ds">The Today Show</a>, <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/09/06/blind-man-his-guide-dog-and-lessons-learned-on-11/">Fox News</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_September_11_attacks">Wikipedia</a>]</p>All Roads Lead To Vegas: AutoCon 2013 Editiontag:www.dealerelite.net,2013-08-07:5283893:BlogPost:3808852013-08-07T13:00:00.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545126548?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545126548?profile=original" width="369"></img></a> In my career in the automotive industry, I got involved in conferences fairly early. I’ve attended many conferences in my life as an Internet Director, as a vendor employee working a booth to helping with marketing and organization for the conference itself. I’ve done everything from being wined and dined as a dealership employee to doing the wining and dining for dealership…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545126548?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545126548?profile=original" width="369" class="align-left"/></a>In my career in the automotive industry, I got involved in conferences fairly early. I’ve attended many conferences in my life as an Internet Director, as a vendor employee working a booth to helping with marketing and organization for the conference itself. I’ve done everything from being wined and dined as a dealership employee to doing the wining and dining for dealership employees to helping to organize the wining and dining for a vendor.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I’ve also learned that car guys/gals must have an affinity for Las Vegas. I keep waiting for someone to create a conference in Jamaica or Hawaii but, sadly, that day hasn’t come yet. For now, we have Vegas. It probably doesn’t hold the same allure for me as it does for others for several reasons: I lived within driving distance of it most of my life and I have been there as a “tourist” many times. I don’t really gamble, either. I once spent 21 days straight in hotels in Las Vegas for conferences.. I think I’m still recovering from that trip.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>However, over my professional career, I have come to realize one thing: getting the education is what matters. I come across way too many dealers today that don’t have a clue. Even worse is that they don’t know they don’t have it. I know that, with a little exposure to the right teachers, they will have a “bright light bulb” moment and start to realize that some of the things they don’t think are very important actually are.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I attended <a href="http://www.autocon2013.com/">AutoCon</a> in 2012 for its premiere. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I can tell you that I wasn’t let down. The organization, facilities, networking opportunities and educational sessions were great. Many of our industry’s brightest minds were there to share a piece of their knowledge with dealers.. and share they did. All I’ve heard was positive feedback since and, for those that know me, I’m pretty forthcoming in my opinions.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I finally solidified my plans to attend this year and I’m very excited. Conferences for the last few years of my life have been more about working and less about learning and networking on a personal level since I was there working for vendors. Now that I can actually take some time for myself to grow on a professional level, learn new things from some very smart people and re-establish connections that I haven’t been able to nurture, I’m super excited. It’s quite liberating to not be limited in possibilities for political reasons.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So, since my profession is one that involves social media and writing, and, since I’ve been quite busy with both, I wanted to share some of the enthusiasm I’m feeling.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>AutoCon has assembled quite a large selection of <a href="http://www.autocon2013.com/speakers/">speakers</a> and topics so it’s hard to know where to begin and, since the sessions aren’t scheduled out yet, all I can do is create my “wish list” of speakers/sessions I think (and would recommend) people attend based on my personal knowledge of them and their expertise and/or ability to convey their message to an audience in an efficient (and entertaining) way.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>First, and foremost, I hope that <a href="http://www.autocon2013.com/speakers/ralph-paglia/">Ralph Paglia</a> returns to AutoCon triumphantly and reinvigorated. I know that the dealer communities all respect Ralph and value his knowledge and contributions not only for creating vibrant communities for dealers to interact in over many years but also his commitment to educating them in any way he can.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I’m also looking forward to seeing <a href="http://www.dealerelite.net/" target="_blank">DealerElite</a> and AutoCon co-founder,<a href="http://www.autocon2013.com/speakers/chris-saraceno/"> Chris Saraceno</a>, share his secrets of the top automotive sales consultants. In addition to his endeavors mentioned previously, being the Vice President of the Kelly Automotive Group certainly makes Chris uniquely qualified to have consolidated these insights from sources at all levels: blogs, forum discussions, conferences, industry experts and, most importantly, the retail world.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.autocon2013.com/speakers/brian-pasch/">Brian Pasch</a> is a mainstay in the dealer educational arena and his contributions to that arena have been admirable. He’s in demand and seems to be at almost every conference in existence! Whether its one that his company, <a href="http://www.firstclasseducators.com/">First Class Educators</a>, has organized or one of the many others, I have to say that Brian is consistent in his efforts and prolific in his dedication. Hey, it takes a lot of work to write quality blogs, hold webinars, create white papers and Brian certainly does them all!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I’m looking forward to hearing the <a href="http://www.vinsolutions.com/">VinSolutions</a> guys speak as well. The Energizer Bunny looks at <a href="http://www.autocon2013.com/speakers/sean-stapleton/">Sean Stapleton</a> and says “Hey man, Slow down! You’re making me look bad!” Yes, Sean is a bundle of energy and a pleasure to be around and hear speak. He always has great topics and information. Make sure to bring a video camera so you can watch it in slow motion afterwards for those of us that operate at normal speed! In addition, the double whammy is on at AutoCon with <a href="http://www.autocon2013.com/speakers/dan-moore/">Dan Moore</a> also being awarded a speaking slot. This man actually once did a complete session in the voice of Eric Cartman from South Park. No joke. I have video. He can also see the future. Serious. He was evangelizing Pandora when people didn’t know what they were and now they’re a keynote speaker at this conference!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.autocon2013.com/speakers/jd-rucker/">JD Rucker</a> is Yoda. ‘Nuff said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.autocon2013.com/speakers/larry-bruce/">Larry Bruce</a>? Are you kidding me? That’s like watching a fireworks show! There’s a challenge and debate involved here so this will be exciting! The Dynamite Monkey.. Wooooooo</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.autocon2013.com/speakers/jason-barrie/">Jason Barrie</a> from Dealertrack is always a great speaker. They don’t let him out of his cage enough. You should take advantage of this opportunity.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I’m intrigued to hear <a href="http://www.autocon2013.com/speakers/aaron-schinke/">Aaron Schinke</a> from <a href="http://www.dealerfire.com/">DealerFire</a>’s session on content writing since, hey, that’s what I do! Kind of hard to argue the importance of content writing when you’re a content writer (amongst other things)!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I’ve met<a href="http://www.autocon2013.com/speakers/jennifer-boland/"> Jennifer Boland</a> of <a href="http://simplythebestbdc.com/">Simply The Best BDC</a> and she’s not only a super person but has her finger on the pulse of BDCs. My involvement with <a href="http://simplythebestbdc.com/">DealerKnows Consulting</a>introduced me to her and I’m looking forward to hearing her speak!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I’m very interested in hearing <a href="http://www.autocon2013.com/speakers/myril-shaw/">Myril Shaw</a> of <a href="http://carwoo.com/">CarWoo</a>! speak about the trust relationship between an Internet Department and a consumer. I think it’ll be fascinating to hear what a consumer-facing website thinks is proper etiquette in transactions. I personally know dealers who are very successful on their program and, while I didn’t get a chance to use them while I was an Internet Director, I certainly would have. They seem to be in tune with both consumers and dealers and this session could provide valuable insight that would help an Internet Department sell more cars online.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.autocon2013.com/speakers/grant-cardone/">Grant Cardone</a>? Grant’s a great guy and an incredibly entertaining motivational speaker. While we haven’t always seen eye to eye in the past, he’s always a pleasure to listen to and he’s definitely someone who will pump you up! His sales training material really helped my automotive sales career explode when I was a young pup in this business. I can attest that his material works from personal experience. Don’t miss his session. You’ll thank me later.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In the attempt at brevity, I certainly can’t mention everyone but I do feel as if I would be doing an injustice by not mentioning <a href="http://www.autocon2013.com/speakers/craig-lockerd/">Craig Lockerd</a> of <a href="http://www.automaxtraining.com/">AutoMax Training</a>, <a href="http://www.autocon2013.com/speakers/ali-amirrezvani/">Ali Amirrezvani</a>and <a href="http://www.autocon2013.com/speakers/amir-amirrezvani/">Amir Amirerezvani</a> of <a href="http://dealeron.com/">DealerOn</a>, <a href="http://www.autocon2013.com/speakers/eric-miltsch/">Eric Mitlsch</a> of <a href="http://www.drivingsales.com/">DrivingSales</a>, and <a href="http://www.autocon2013.com/speakers/aj-leblanc/">AJ LeBlanc</a> of <a href="http://car-mercial.com/">CAR-MERICAL</a> all of which are excellent speakers and very knowledgeable on their respective topics.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In no way am I suggesting that any of the other speakers are not good or not worth seeing. This is only my personal “wish-list” and recommendations for those who are interested. All of the speakers included in AutoCon 2013 are highly qualified experts in their respective fields and whom you go see really depends on what your dealership’s needs are. Only you can decide which areas you need help with in your store and that, by itself, should guide you to the right sessions.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>…to be continued</p>Google+ Ditches Zagat Ratings, Returns to Consumer Friendly 5-Star Ratingstag:www.dealerelite.net,2013-07-11:5283893:BlogPost:3776492013-07-11T13:00:00.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545125570?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545125570?profile=original" width="225"></img></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Google can’t seem to make up their minds. That being said, they sneakily introduced a change that I believe most businesses (and consumers) will welcome.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In May of 2012, Google implemented their <a href="https://support.google.com/zagat/answer/1705271?hl=en" target="_blank">Zagat rating system</a> which was confusing for both businesses and…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545125570?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545125570?profile=original" width="225" class="align-left"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Google can’t seem to make up their minds. That being said, they sneakily introduced a change that I believe most businesses (and consumers) will welcome.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In May of 2012, Google implemented their <a href="https://support.google.com/zagat/answer/1705271?hl=en" target="_blank">Zagat rating system</a> which was confusing for both businesses and consumers. The 30-point system just didn’t make sense to most people including, most importantly, consumers.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As you can see by visiting any Google+ local page, they have reverted back to the 5-star rating system. Ultimately, this makes more sense as not only is it easier for the business to understand why their rating is what it is but a consumer intuitively understands what the number “means” in relation to reviews left by other customers.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://bslashc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Screen-Shot-2013-07-11-at-8.23.34-AM.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1132" title="Screen Shot 2013-07-11 at 8.23.34 AM" src="http://bslashc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Screen-Shot-2013-07-11-at-8.23.34-AM.png" alt="" width="395" height="172"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The biggest thing is that it seems to have been rolled out completely in that the rating now exists inside and outside Google maps and whether you are logged into Google or not and you don’t need to have an upgraded listing as a business owner.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For the score to show, your business must have at least 5 reviews, however.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It isn’t quite updated everywhere yet. It’s still showing the Zagat score in the old version of Google Maps and in Google+ Local search results but I anticipate that this will all be conformed in due time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://bslashc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Screen-Shot-2013-07-11-at-8.34.45-AM.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1133" title="Screen Shot 2013-07-11 at 8.34.45 AM" src="http://bslashc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Screen-Shot-2013-07-11-at-8.34.45-AM.png" alt="" width="442" height="130"/></a></p>
<p>I, personally, welcome this about face and think it’s good for both businesses and consumers.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>What are your thoughts?</p>
<p></p>
<p><span>[Note: Thanks to </span><a href="http://3gengagement.com/" target="_blank">3GEngagement</a><span> for the tip!]</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>[<a href="http://bslashc.com/2013/07/11/google-ditches-zagat-ratings-returns-to-consumer-friendly-5-star-ratings.aspx" target="_blank">Article</a> originally published July 11, 2013 on my blog, <a href="http://bslashc.com" target="_blank">bslashc.com</a>]</p>The 'Car Dealership Expose' Book You've All Been Waiting For!tag:www.dealerelite.net,2013-04-04:5283893:BlogPost:3631852013-04-04T12:48:17.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p>In the car business, just about every dealership has "that" employee. You know, the one that complains about everything. The one that's never happy. The one most sales trainers, consultants and managers would call "cancer". The advice that 99% would give in regards to "that guy" who, no matter what you tried, just isn't positive and seems to hate everything would be to fire him. The last thing you need is some jaded veteran salesman spreading dissension and negativity around your…</p>
<p>In the car business, just about every dealership has "that" employee. You know, the one that complains about everything. The one that's never happy. The one most sales trainers, consultants and managers would call "cancer". The advice that 99% would give in regards to "that guy" who, no matter what you tried, just isn't positive and seems to hate everything would be to fire him. The last thing you need is some jaded veteran salesman spreading dissension and negativity around your dealership.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The guy who says things like these:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>"Any sales managers know if the car dealer or general manager are screwing the salespeople by using hidden packs or inflating reconditioning costs of used vehicles, but they do not have the balls to say anything. Their balls have been cut off by the dealer or his puppet general manager before they get their titles."</em></p>
<p></p>
<p><em>"25% commission after the $500 pack means, your dealer is taking away $125 of your hard earned money on every vehicle that you sell. If you are selling 12 units, you get screwed $1500 a month which translates to $18,000 a year, just like that!"</em></p>
<p></p>
<p><em>"Car dealers do not allow salesmen in the business office not because they are afraid that the salesmen may screw the girls that are working there, they are not allowed because dealers are afraid the salesmen may look at the files and figure out how they are getting screwed on their commissions."</em></p>
<p></p>
<p>Do you know this guy? Do you have one at your dealership? Have you heard of this Great White Shark who lives in car dealerships?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Well, Jaws wrote a book. No kidding.</p>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bslashc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Screen-Shot-2013-04-04-at-8.00.21-AM.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1004" title="Screen Shot 2013-04-04 at 8.00.21 AM" src="http://bslashc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Screen-Shot-2013-04-04-at-8.00.21-AM.png" alt="" width="392" height="396"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">The book, titled "</span><a style="text-align: left;" href="http://www.karguys.com" target="_blank">Kar Guys</a><span style="text-align: left;">" and written by Medhi Roufougar is scheduled for release (according to his</span> <a style="text-align: left;" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kar-Guys-by-Mehdi-Roufougar/603269879686390" target="_blank">Facebook</a> <span style="text-align: left;">page and</span> <a style="text-align: left;" href="https://twitter.com/karguys" target="_blank">Twitter</a> <span style="text-align: left;">account) .. "soon".</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p>[Note: There are more choice quotes that I didn't mention as well as a glowing recommendation of the book from somebody.. probably his neighbor.. on his website if you feel the need to spit your coffee at your computer monitor.]</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's target audience isn't consumers. It's not meant to "educate" people how to buy cars or anything like that. This book's sole purpose is to "enlighten" commissioned employees of car dealerships in the many ways they are, have been, and will continue to get screwed by their employer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I was going to contact the author to talk to him regarding his book but his website advised that:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"<em>Any dishonest car dealer,corrupted general manager,crooked sales manager or kinky closer who got offended from the kar guys book or this website feel free to call 1-800-kiss my ass.If the phone is busy,hang up and try again may be away from my desk or on the other line talking to another asshole.</em>"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>...so I changed my mind.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Someone this jaded, bitter and hostile would never believe that I really just wanted to talk to him about his book, motivations to write it, and what he hopes to accomplish.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My guess is that it was cheaper to write a book than to continue therapy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>:: face palm ::</p>The FTC May Have Just Killed Twitter Marketing For Dealerstag:www.dealerelite.net,2013-03-13:5283893:BlogPost:3601192013-03-13T08:40:47.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545120951?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545120951?profile=original" width="263"></img></a> Yeah, in the most absurd move ever, the FTC has determined that Twitter is not excluded from regulatory laws requiring full disclosure on products or services. The<a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324281004578356763749839822.html" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal</a> reports that any disclosures that would apply to any other advertising also apply to…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545120951?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545120951?profile=original" width="263" class="align-left"/></a>Yeah, in the most absurd move ever, the FTC has determined that Twitter is not excluded from regulatory laws requiring full disclosure on products or services. The<a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324281004578356763749839822.html" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal</a> reports that any disclosures that would apply to any other advertising also apply to Twitter.<br/><br/></p>
<p>Hmm. Let’s think about that a moment. On a platform that allows only 140 character submissions, how, exactly, do you tell your followers about a great lease special, factory incentive or other promotion AND include the tiny, almost unreadable, 2 paragraph disclosure in 6 point font at the bottom of the ad? Well, you don’t.<br/><br/></p>
<p>So, what does that prohibit by default? Pretty much anything you want to promote that requires a disclosure and, for most car dealers, that’s just about everything. Heck, most factory incentives have disclosures. Contests, giveaways, or any other promotion (social media or otherwise) as well as coupons, service specials, and other customer offerings would also be excluded.<br/><br/></p>
<p>The easiest way to determine whether you can or can’t tweet something about any special, ad car, incentive, lease special, promotion, coupon, service special, parts special etc. is by following one basic rule:<br/><br/></p>
<p><em><strong>If it needs a disclosure, you can’t tweet about it.<br/><br/></strong></em></p>
<p>See, that was simple wasn’t it?<br/><br/></p>
<p>Now, all of the above being said, Facebook’s Terms of Service in regards to contests, promotions and such are violated, trampled over and ignored all of the time by both vendors (who know better) and by dealers (who may or may not).<br/><br/></p>
<p>That being said, Facebook can’t investigate your dealership and fine you for non-compliance with advertising regulations either.<br/><br/></p>
<p>So, has the FTC effectively killed Twitter marketing for businesses?<br/><br/></p>
<p>It depends on what you’re tweeting about.<br/><br/></p>
<p>If your tweets are informative, quality content or customer service and engagement focused then no. If your strategy is to blast your inventory and specials to Twitter on some sort of robotic RSS feed that forces everyone to not listen to you anyways, then yes.<br/><br/></p>
<p>You make the call. It’s your business but the U.S. Government has spoken.</p>The Little Gopher That Could: How Being Not So Normal Paid Off Bigtag:www.dealerelite.net,2013-02-26:5283893:BlogPost:3560582013-02-26T15:11:16.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p>Humans are competitive by nature. Throughout history, as a species, we’ve been competing in one way or another whether that’s with each other or nature. So it came as no surprise to us when one of our clients – Princeton Mini – approached us and said that they “had to” win a regional OEM contest being held in conjunction with a national sales event, and enlisted our assistance.</p>
<p><img height="434" src="http://www.3birdsmarketingnews.com/Main/3birdsmarketing/Images/TopCaps/mini1_580.jpg" width="580"></img></p>
<p>The “Not So Normal” sales event held by Mini was designed to advertise the exceptionally…</p>
<p>Humans are competitive by nature. Throughout history, as a species, we’ve been competing in one way or another whether that’s with each other or nature. So it came as no surprise to us when one of our clients – Princeton Mini – approached us and said that they “had to” win a regional OEM contest being held in conjunction with a national sales event, and enlisted our assistance.</p>
<p><img width="580" height="434" src="http://www.3birdsmarketingnews.com/Main/3birdsmarketing/Images/TopCaps/mini1_580.jpg"/></p>
<p>The “Not So Normal” sales event held by Mini was designed to advertise the exceptionally high gas mileage that Mini Coopers have. The contest itself was between the dealerships and they were given little guidance other than being creative and not so normal. </p>
<p>The dealership already had a huge head-start in the contest deciding on building a custom-made miniature golf course (Mini golf course, get it?). The employees themselves built this very creative and elaborate 9-hole course spending their own free time to do so. The contest was to culminate in a dealership event promoting the “Not So Normal” sale and was to be judged by the regional representatives from Mini via pictures and videos of the event.</p>
<p>After brainstorming with the General Manager, Robert Ogust, we came up with a “Caddyshack” theme to build up on the miniature golf course they had created. We scripted out the video based on scenes from the classic movie and incorporated the infamous gopher and make the event even less “normal”. The plot was that the gopher was going to infiltrate the dealership and they needed to get rid of it.</p>
<p><img width="580" height="434" src="http://www.3birdsmarketingnews.com/Main/3birdsmarketing/Images/TopCaps/mini2_580.jpg"/></p>
<p>We attended the event and filmed the scenes needed with the employees playing the various roles and to photograph the event. The dealership really went all out for this event. It was very apparent that they had put a lot of time and effort into it. They had given each golf hole Mini-inspired name such as Mini Mulligan, Fore Wheel Drive and Cooper Chute. The employees were all wearing these, for lack of better words, not so normal golf costumes. They had music playing, catered food (including a chocolate fountain), a bounce house and even threw in some large, stuffed sumo wrestling outfits at the end. They were even successful in getting customers to participate in doing some “not so normal” things on camera!</p>
<p>The event was a great success with everyone attending – from employees to customers – having a great time and the dealership making sales. In the end, Princeton Mini ended up winning the contest. Instead of keeping the $3500, the staff at MINI decided to donate their winnings to the Red Cross to help the many people in NJ impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Princeton MINI’s generosity was matched by their parent company, Asbury Automotive Group, and MINI for a total donation to the Red Cross of $10,500.</p>
<p>It goes to show what a little imagination, commitment, elbow grease and fun can earn you. Sometimes it pays to be “not so normal”… and have a pet gopher.</p>
<p><img width="580" height="776" src="http://www.3birdsmarketingnews.com/Main/3birdsmarketing/Images/TopCaps/201121_496359923718274_1605840783_o_580.jpg"/></p>
<p>…and if you’d like to see the fun video, you can check it out by <a href="http://youtu.be/t1LTQgFnoKY?utm_source=3birds&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=3BIRDSMARKETING_The+Little+Gopher+That+Could" target="_blank">clicking here</a>!</p>
<p><a href="http://3birds.ly/OiCzvN?utm_source=3birds&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=3BIRDSMARKETING_The+Little+Gopher+That+Could" target="_blank"><em>Arnold Tijerina</em></a><em> is the Social Media Strategist & Policy Manager at 3 Birds. He has more than a decade of experience in the automotive industry with a focus on Internet sales and social media. He can be reached at arnold@3birdsmarketing.com, on Twitter at </em><a href="http://twitter.com/arnoldtijerina?utm_source=3birds&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=3BIRDSMARKETING_The+Little+Gopher+That+Could" target="_blank"><em>@arnoldtijerina</em></a><em>, and on </em><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/arnoldtijerina?utm_source=3birds&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=3BIRDSMARKETING_The+Little+Gopher+That+Could" target="_blank"><em>LinkedIn</em></a><em>.</em></p>3 Birds’ Own Chad Smith Wins Triangle CIO of the Year Awardtag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-10-23:5283893:BlogPost:3310652012-10-23T14:08:03.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p><strong><em>For more information contact:</em></strong><br></br> <strong style="text-align: left;">Adriana DiFranco</strong><br></br> <strong>3 Birds Marketing</strong><br></br> <strong>(919) 627-8784</strong><br></br> <strong>adriana.difranco@3birdsmarketing.com<br></br><br></br></strong></p>
<p><strong>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br></br><br></br></strong></p>
<p><strong>3 Birds’ Own Chad Smith Wins Triangle </strong><strong>CIO of the Year Award</strong></p>
<p><em>Smith Recognized As A Leading CIO in Innovation &…</em></p>
<p><strong><em>For more information contact:</em></strong><br/> <strong style="text-align: left;">Adriana DiFranco</strong><br/> <strong>3 Birds Marketing</strong><br/> <strong>(919) 627-8784</strong><br/> <strong>adriana.difranco@3birdsmarketing.com<br/><br/></strong></p>
<p><strong>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br/><br/></strong></p>
<p><strong>3 Birds’ Own Chad Smith Wins Triangle </strong><strong>CIO of the Year Award</strong></p>
<p><em>Smith Recognized As A Leading CIO in Innovation & Transformation<br/><br/></em></p>
<p><strong>October 23, 2012, [Chapel Hill, NC]…………</strong>3 Birds Marketing, a software developer offering an integrated digital marketing platform and professional services to the automotive industry and other business verticals, today announced that its Chief Information Officer Chad Smith, had been named a CIO of the Year by the <em>Triangle Business Journal</em>and the North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA).<br/><br/></p>
<p>The NCTA partnered with the Triangle Business Journal to recognize CIO's who have been an outstanding technology leader for their company. The winners were those who used IT in innovative ways to create competitive advantage, optimize business processes, and enable growth, and were announced at an awards luncheon at the Raleigh Marriott City Center, October 18, 2012.<br/><br/></p>
<p>“I feel honored to be chosen,” Smith said, “especially among such distinguished colleagues. The Triangle’s technology community is a vibrant, active one filled with the brightest and best. It’s one of the reasons 3 Birds chose to locate here. I’m excited that I was recognized, but even more excited that what we’re doing at 3 Birds Marketing was recognized.”<br/><br/></p>
<p>3 Birds Marketing offers a digital marketing platform that helps clients reach and engage customers across many channels, including social media, e-newsletters, e-campaigns, blog posts, and reputation management. The company will unveil the latest iteration of its popular Wire application at this year’s Digital Dealer show in Las Vegas, October 23rd-25th.<br/><br/></p>
<p>“I’m incredibly proud that Chad was selected for this distinction, and I’m equally proud of the work his team had done for our newest software release,” said Kristen Judd, President and Co-Founder of 3 Birds. “With the release of the Wire 1.95, our team has created a comprehensive, fully integrated software solution that has robust functionality <em>and</em>an extensive library of content ranging from articles to images to social media posts to campaign creative,” she noted. “Chad has been able to balance the rapid growth of our platform, against the need for functionality enhancements, and he’s done so while managing to create and foster our outstanding development team. He’s really helped make our dream for this application a reality,” she added.<br/><br/></p>
<p>Smith and Judd will be speaking at the Digital Dealer Conference, presenting a session called “Data Dos and Don’ts: <em>How to maximize your dealership’s most valuable asset to sell and service more vehicles and increase service retention</em>.”<br/><br/></p>
<p>Smith received a BS/BA in computer business information systems from the University of Arkansas. Before joining 3 Birds, Smith held a position at Transamerica Worksite Marketing where he served as business system application manager. His past experience includes two years as a principal consultant at Edgewater Technology, as well as eight years with Acxiom Corporation, a global data management and IT consulting firm. Originally from Arkansas, Smith has also lived and worked in the United Kingdom and Japan during his thirteen years in the industry. He relocated to North Carolina to join the 3 Birds team.<br/><br/></p>
<p><strong>About 3 Birds Marketing (</strong> <strong><a href="http://www.3birdsmarketing.com/">www.3birdsmarketing.com</a>)</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p>3 Birds Marketing is an interactive marketing company based in Chapel Hill, N.C., specializing in email, web, and social media marketing. 3 Birds offers an integrated marketing and communications platform that creates a comprehensive digital marketing loop for clients that promotes customer engagement, delivers better qualified leads, increases conversions, and provides marketing analytics and data. To find out more, visit <a href="http://www.3birdsmarketing.com">www.3birdsmarketing.com</a> or call (877) 285-1094.<br/><br/></p>
<p><strong>About NCTA (<a href="http://www.nctechnology.org" target="_blank">www.nctechnology.org</a>)</strong></p>
<p>The North Carolina Technology Association's mission is Making North Carolina Number One in Technology and Technology Number One in North Carolina. The organization does this through three main focus areas: executive engagement, public affairs, and knowledge workforce.</p>
<p><strong>About the Triangle Business Journal (<a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/" target="_blank">www.bizjournals.com/triangle/</a>)<br/><br/></strong></p>
<p>The Business Journals is the premier media solutions platform for companies strategically targeting business decision makers. We deliver a total business audience of over 10 million people via our 42 websites, 61 publications, and over 700 annual industry-leading events. Our media products provide comprehensive coverage of business news from a local, regional, and national perspective. We have more people, publications, and websites covering our nation’s business than any other business media organization. <strong>The Business Journals</strong> are a division of <a href="http://acbj.com/"><strong>American City Business Journals</strong></a>.</p>One Command Partners With 3 Birds Marketingtag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-10-22:5283893:BlogPost:3311352012-10-22T12:00:37.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p align="right"><b><i>For more information contact:</i></b></p>
<p align="right"><b> </b></p>
<p align="right"><b>Adriana DiFranco</b></p>
<p align="right"><b>3 Birds Marketing</b></p>
<p align="right"><b>(919) 627-8784</b></p>
<p align="right"><b>adriana.difranco@3birdsmarketing.</b><b>com</b></p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</b></p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b><i>OneCommand Partners With 3 Birds Marketing</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>To Power Its Newsletter Connect™…</i></b></p>
<p align="right"><b><i>For more information contact:</i></b></p>
<p align="right"><b> </b></p>
<p align="right"><b>Adriana DiFranco</b></p>
<p align="right"><b>3 Birds Marketing</b></p>
<p align="right"><b>(919) 627-8784</b></p>
<p align="right"><b>adriana.difranco@3birdsmarketing.</b><b>com</b></p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</b></p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b><i>OneCommand Partners With 3 Birds Marketing</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>To Power Its Newsletter Connect™ Product</i></b></p>
<p><b><i> </i></b></p>
<p><b>October 23, 2012, [Chapel Hill, NC]…………</b>3 Birds Marketing, a software developer offering an integrated digital marketing platform and professional services to the automotive industry and other business verticals, today announced that it has entered into a partnership with OneCommand, the leading Customer Marketing & Loyalty Automation Platform™ for the auto industry.</p>
<p>“OneCommand is a technology leader, and we look to partner with organizations that offer specific capabilities that we can incorporate into our world class platform,” said Jeffrey Hart, CEO of OneCommand. Hart added that ”These are two great technology companies that will collaborate to build business and support our customers. We were impressed with the innovative and robust nature of the 3 Birds’ software platform, and we believe that by adding the Newsletter Connect™ product to our already impressive voice, email, mobile, text and social platform, we will drive additional client value,” he noted.</p>
<p>“OneCommand sends over 1,000,000 communications a day on behalf of its clients. The software platform they use has to be scalable, secure, well-tested, fast and easy-to-use,” said Layton Judd, Co-Founder and CEO of 3 Birds Marketing. “We’re not the kind of company that rests on its laurels. We’ve developed a best in class integrated marketing platform for automobile dealers and other business verticals and we continue to invest in our technology by enhancing and extending our application. When a company of OneCommand’s stature selects our software that speaks volumes about what we have developed. We look forward to a strong partnership with OneCommand,” Judd added.</p>
<p>OneCommand’s Newsletter Connect™ is the next generation newsletter that drives SEO, web traffic, and strong customer communications. Auto dealers will appreciate the turnkey application of Newsletter Connect™’s robust capabilities. One Command’s partnership with 3 Birds Marketing delivers the only product serving auto retailers that combines an advanced newsletter engine with SEO benefits that drive prospects to a dealership’s website.</p>
<p><b>About 3 Birds Marketing ( </b> <a href="http://www.3birdsmarketing.com"><b>www.3birdsmarketing.com</b></a><b>)</b></p>
<p>3 Birds Marketing is an interactive marketing company based in Chapel Hill, N.C., specializing in email, web, and social media marketing. 3 Birds offers an integrated marketing and communications platform that creates a comprehensive digital marketing loop for clients that promotes customer engagement, delivers better qualified leads, increases conversions, and provides marketing analytics and data. To find out more, visit <a href="http://www.3birdsmarketing.com">www.3birdsmarketing.com</a> or call (877) 285-1094.</p>
<p><b>About OneCommand (</b><a href="http://orange.onecommand.com/news_events/articles/www.onecommand.com/one"><b>www.onecommand.com</b></a><b>)</b></p>
<p>OneCommand is headquartered in Mason, OH and provides the leading Customer Marketing & Loyalty Automation Platform™ for the auto industry. For over a decade, OneCommand’s proven platform of voice, email, mobile/text, direct mail, and social communications have been delivering results for auto dealers’ sales and service departments. OneCommand’s AutoIntelligence™ maximizes marketing results by taking advantage of the company’s proven best practices that give dealerships an edge. Every day, OneCommand sends over 1,000,000 personalized messages on behalf of it over 4,000 clients throughout North America. For more information call (800)-814-6820, or visit <a href="http://www.onecommand.com">www.onecommand.com</a>.</p>Join 3 Birds & ebay Motors in Vegas for SCVNGRtag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-10-19:5283893:BlogPost:3295082012-10-19T22:12:32.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545119103?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545119103?profile=original" width="750" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545119103?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545119103?profile=original" width="750" class="align-center"/></a></p>Auto Industry Veteran Joins Forces With 3 Birds Marketingtag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-10-18:5283893:BlogPost:3291392012-10-18T12:44:30.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p align="right" style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/73428238?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/73428238?profile=original" width="225"></img></a> <br></br></i></b></p>
<p align="right"><b><i> </i></b></p>
<p align="right"><b><i> </i></b></p>
<p align="right"><b><i>For more information contact:</i></b></p>
<p align="right"><b> </b></p>
<p align="right"><b>Adriana DiFranco</b></p>
<p align="right"><b>3 Birds Marketing</b></p>
<p align="right"><b>(919) 627-8784…</b></p>
<p align="right" style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/73428238?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/73428238?profile=original" width="225" class="align-left"/></a><br/></i></b></p>
<p align="right"><b><i> </i></b></p>
<p align="right"><b><i> </i></b></p>
<p align="right"><b><i>For more information contact:</i></b></p>
<p align="right"><b> </b></p>
<p align="right"><b>Adriana DiFranco</b></p>
<p align="right"><b>3 Birds Marketing</b></p>
<p align="right"><b>(919) 627-8784</b></p>
<p align="right"><b>adriana.difranco@3birdsmarketing.</b><b>com</b></p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</b></p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Auto Industry Veteran Joins Forces With 3 Birds Marketing</b></p>
<p><b><i>Barron Meade hired to connect progressive auto executives with company's innovative marketing software and services</i></b></p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b>October 18, 2012, [Chapel Hill, NC]…………..</b>3 Birds Marketing, a software developer offering an integrated digital marketing platform and professional services to the automotive industry and other business verticals, today announced that Barron Meade has joined its staff to lead the company’s Strategic Partnerships Initiative.</p>
<p>A Detroit native, and long-time auto industry insider, Meade was born and raised in the automotive industry. He has held many roles in automotive retail management including General Manager of Meade Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, <strong>and</strong>President of Meade Lexus, both in the Detroit area.</p>
<p>More recently, Meade’s industry credibility and civic involvement, culminated in his appointment as President of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association and Chairman of the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), one of the most attended and prestigious auto shows in the world, and one of the largest media events in North America. In gratitude for his years of outstanding service, Meade was named Chairman Emeritus of the NAIAS. He is an entrepreneur and consultant to the automotive industry and considered a subject matter expert regarding digital marketing for the auto industry.<b> </b></p>
<p>“Our objective for this Strategic Partnership position was to find someone who could introduce 3 Birds’ software solutions to forward-thinking car manufacturers and automotive groups,” said Kristen Judd, President and Co-Founder of 3 Birds Marketing. “Barron proved to be the perfect choice. He understands the digital landscape and the types of tools and partners the retail automotive industry needs. He sees clearly how the industry is changing and evolving,” she added.</p>
<p>“I’m very proud to be on the 3 Birds Marketing team,” Meade said. “For a young company, 3 Birds has already gained a lot of traction and earned significant credibility in the auto industry. They’ve impressed me with their passion, auto industry understanding and vision to empower automotive clients with powerful digital marketing tools.” Meade will open and help run the 3 Birds’ Detroit office.</p>
<p>3 Birds Marketing is currently in a fast-track growth phase having increased its work force by 40% in 2012. The firm has outgrown its space and is currently building new offices in Chapel Hill. The company currently handles digital marketing activities, solutions and assessments for more than 650 auto dealerships in the United States.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>About 3 Birds Marketing </b> <a href="http://www.3birdsmarketing.com"><b>www.3birdsmarketing.com</b></a><br/>3 Birds Marketing is an interactive marketing company headquartered in Chapel Hill, NC, specializing in developing digital marketing software for several verticals. Founded in 2009, 3 Birds offers an integrated marketing and communications platform that creates a comprehensive marketing loop for clients that promotes customer engagement, delivers better qualified leads, increases conversions, and provides marketing analytics and data. To find out more, visit <a href="http://www.3birdsmarketing.com">www.3birdsmarketing.com</a> or call (877) 285-1094.</p>
<p align="center">###</p>BREAKING NEWS: DealerTrack Aqcuires Clickmotivetag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-10-02:5283893:BlogPost:3255862012-10-02T12:00:00.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<h3>(<a href="http://bslashc.com/2012/10/02/breaking-dealertrack-acquires-clickmotive.aspx#" target="_blank">originally published on b/c</a>)</h3>
<h3>ACQUISITION STRENGTHENS DEALERTRACK’S DIGITAL INTERACTIVE MARKETING OFFERINGS FOR AUTOMOTIVE RETAILERS</h3>
<div id="article_body"><div><p>LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – DealerTrack (Nasdaq: <a href="http://www.streetinsider.com/stock_lookup.php?q=TRAK">TRAK</a>) today announced the …</p>
</div>
</div>
<h3>(<a href="http://bslashc.com/2012/10/02/breaking-dealertrack-acquires-clickmotive.aspx#" target="_blank">originally published on b/c</a>)</h3>
<h3>ACQUISITION STRENGTHENS DEALERTRACK’S DIGITAL INTERACTIVE MARKETING OFFERINGS FOR AUTOMOTIVE RETAILERS</h3>
<div id="article_body"><div><p>LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – DealerTrack (Nasdaq: <a href="http://www.streetinsider.com/stock_lookup.php?q=TRAK">TRAK</a>) today announced the <a id="itxthook0" href="http://www.streetinsider.com/#" name="itxthook0" rel="nofollow">acquisition<img id="itxthook0icon" name="itxthook0icon" alt="" src="http://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/icon1.png"/></a> of <a href="http://clickmotive.com/" target="_blank">ClickMotive</a>LP, a leading provider of interactive marketing solutions for the automotive retailing industry. Total consideration for the transaction is expected to be $48.9 million in cash, subject to a standard purchase price adjustment and net of certain expenses. Additionally, the sellers will be eligible to receive additional consideration of up to $7.65 million, payable in 2014, if ClickMotive achieves certain performance targets in 2013.</p>
<p>(Logo: <a href="http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101028/DEALERTRACKLOGO" target="_blank">http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101028/DEALERTRACKLOGO</a> )</p>
<p>ClickMotive, which was established in 2005 and based in Plano, Texas, is the innovator of an award-winning digital marketing platform that combines the power of Web, mobile, search, social, video, inventory, call-tracking, tag, and dashboard tools to generate qualified leads and increase sales for automotive groups and individual franchised dealers. Currently, more than 3,000 U.S. automotive dealerships leverage ClickMotive’s platform.</p>
<p>“With this acquisition, we are able to significantly expand the website and interactive marketing capability we acquired with eCarList,” said Mark O’Neil, chairman, and <a id="itxthook1" href="http://www.streetinsider.com/#" name="itxthook1" rel="nofollow">chief executive officer<img id="itxthook1icon" name="itxthook1icon" alt="" src="http://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/icon1.png"/></a>, DealerTrack. “Additionally, we believe this acquisition will enhance the competitive positioning of our inventory solution and expand our relationship with a number of key OEMs.”</p>
<p>“From helping dealers acquire customers to managing those customers throughout the entire purchase and delivery process, DealerTrack continues to be an integral part of managing a dealership’s overall workflow,” added O’Neil.</p>
<p>“We are looking forward to joining the DealerTrack family,” said Stuart Lloyd, chief executive officer and co-founder of ClickMotive. “This acquisition will allow us to reach more and more dealerships, enabling them to create their own unique digital voice that can be heard across multiple Internet, mobile, and social platforms.”</p>
<p>Details on the financial impact of this transaction are expected to be discussed on DealerTrack’s third quarter <a href="http://www.streetinsider.com/entities/Earnings">earnings</a> conference call in November.</p>
<p><strong>About DealerTrack (</strong><a href="http://www.dealertrack.com/t_blank" target="_blank">www.dealertrack.com</a><strong>)</strong></p>
<p>DealerTrack’s intuitive and high-value web-based software solutions and services enhance efficiency and profitability for all major segments of the automotive retail industry, including dealers, lenders, OEMs, third-party retailers, agents, and aftermarket providers. DealerTrack, whose solution set for dealers is the industry’s most comprehensive, operates the largest online credit application network inthe United States, connecting over 18,000 dealers with more than 1,200 lenders. DealerTrack’s Dealer Management System (DMS) provides dealers with easy-to-use tools and real-time data access to enhance their efficiency. DealerTrack’s Inventory offerings provide vehicle inventory management, transportation, and merchandising solutions to help dealers drive higher in-store and online traffic with state-of-the-art, real-time listings, accelerate used-vehicle turn rates, and increase dealer profits. DealerTrack’s Sales and F&I solutions allow dealers to streamline the entire sales process as they structure deals from a single integrated platform. Its Compliance offering helps dealers meet legal and regulatory requirements, and protect their assets. DealerTrack also offers processing and other solutions for the automotive industry, including a web-based network for arranging vehicle transportation and shipping, electronic motor vehicle registration and titling applications, paper title storage, and digital document services. For more information visit: <a href="http://www.dealertrack.com/" target="_blank">www.dealertrack.com</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements</strong></p>
<p>Statements in this press release regarding the benefits of the acquisition of ClickMotive, including enhancing our inventory solution’s strategic positioning and expanding our relationships with OEMs, and all other statements in this release other than the recitation of historical facts are forward-looking statements (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements of DealerTrack to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.</p>
<p>Factors that might cause such a difference include the successful completion of the acquisition of ClickMotive, meeting its financial goals, the acceptance by dealers of DealerTrack as the owner of the acquired company, and other risks listed in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2011. These filings can be found on DealerTrack’s website at <a href="http://www.dealertrack.com/" target="_blank">www.dealertrack.com</a> and the SEC’s website at <a href="http://www.sec.gov/" target="_blank">www.sec.gov</a>. Forward-looking statements included herein speak only as of the date hereof and DealerTrack disclaims any obligation to revise or update such statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or circumstances.</p>
<p>TRAK-G</p>
<p>SOURCE DealerTrack</p>
<p>[<a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dealertrack-announces-the-acquisition-of-clickmotive-172260651.html">VIA PR NEWSWIRE</a>]</p>
</div>
</div>Proven: Buying Facebook Likes Is Wasted Moneytag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-09-27:5283893:BlogPost:3250042012-09-27T17:36:07.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p>As reported today by <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/09/27/facebook-fake-likes/">Mashable</a>, Facebook has started weeding out and deleting “bogus Likes caused by compromised accounts, deceived users, malware or <em>purchased bulk Likes</em>..”</p>
<p>I’ve written countless times about why buying Likes is not only useless but bad practice. There are companies whose entire social media strategy is a numbers game. The more Likes you have, the more likelihood that you’ll reach people who…</p>
<p>As reported today by <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/09/27/facebook-fake-likes/">Mashable</a>, Facebook has started weeding out and deleting “bogus Likes caused by compromised accounts, deceived users, malware or <em>purchased bulk Likes</em>..”</p>
<p>I’ve written countless times about why buying Likes is not only useless but bad practice. There are companies whose entire social media strategy is a numbers game. The more Likes you have, the more likelihood that you’ll reach people who could do business with you. Well, that house of cards just crumbled.</p>
<p>I wrote an <a href="http://bslashc.com/2010/07/16/on-facebook-sometimes-less-is-better.aspx">article</a> in July 2010, an <a href="http://bslashc.com/2011/06/29/why-having-a-lot-of-facebook-fans-is-a-waste-of-time.aspx">article</a> in June 2011, and an <a href="http://bslashc.com/2012/06/21/facebook-likes-dont-get-scammed.aspx">article</a> in June 2012 (must be a summer thing. Go figure.) detailing why I think this is bad practice and why social media companies that utilize this strategy offer nothing of value to their clients.</p>
<p>Just like buying fake reviews, buying Likes is bad practice. The only way to have effective, lasting, meaningful social media marketing that will engage your clients and bring you business is to build your social media networks organically. It may be slower, but you shouldn’t ever have to worry about it vanishing into thin air.</p>
<p>Rarely is the easiest way the right one.</p>
<p><em>[Disclaimer: As many readers know, I work for a company that offers a managed social media solution and work in a position in which I craft social media strategies for our clients. All my posts are my personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my company.)</em></p>Beyond SEO: Why Integration between Social Media, Quality Content, and Online Reputation is the Wave of the Futuretag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-08-20:5283893:BlogPost:3166232012-08-20T14:51:39.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p>I recently read an article published by <a href="http://www.forbes.com/home_usa/?utm_source=3birds&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=3BIRDSMARKETING_Integration+of+Social+Media%2c+Quality+Content%2c+and+Online+Reputation" target="_blank">Forbes</a> titled …</p>
<p>I recently read an article published by <a href="http://www.forbes.com/home_usa/?utm_source=3birds&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=3BIRDSMARKETING_Integration+of+Social+Media%2c+Quality+Content%2c+and+Online+Reputation" target="_blank">Forbes</a> titled <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenkrogue/2012/07/20/the-death-of-seo-the-rise-of-social-pr-and-real-content/?utm_source=3birds&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=3BIRDSMARKETING_Integration+of+Social+Media%2c+Quality+Content%2c+and+Online+Reputation" target="_blank">“The Death of SEO: The Rise of Social, PR and Real Content.”</a> Of course, being a “social media guy”—one who is also very interested in SEO—I was curious to read author <a href="http://www.kenkrogue.com/?utm_source=3birds&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=3BIRDSMARKETING_Integration+of+Social+Media%2c+Quality+Content%2c+and+Online+Reputation" target="_blank">Ken Krogue’s</a> hypothesis. The headline is provocative, to be sure, but Krogue wasn’t trying to say that SEO—or, more accurately, rankings on search engine results pages—are any less important than we already know them to be. Rather, he was saying that external SEO strategies as we know them (backlinking, etc.) are becoming less and less relevant as Google places more value on social media, online relationships, and quality content.</p>
<p>You might be wondering how all this relates to <a href="http://www.3birdsmarketing.com/solutions/solutions.php#2?utm_source=3birds&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=3BIRDSMARKETING_Integration+of+Social+Media%2c+Quality+Content%2c+and+Online+Reputation" target="_blank">online reputation management</a>, which is after all the theme of this month’s newsletter. The answer is simple, and it has everything to do with integration. Search engines are integrating social media, review sites, and location-based services; social media companies are integrating search engine-like services, location-based functionality, and online review features; and reputation sites are continuously adding social media, location-based, and review features.</p>
<p>What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of reputation management? My guess is online review sites and the reviews they host. No doubt, they are the bread and butter of online reputation. But do you consider Facebook when you’re looking at online reputation? What about Twitter? Foursquare?</p>
<p>Consider these facts:</p>
<p>• The search engine <a href="http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2012/07/18/bing-integrates-foursquare-data-into-its-search-results-to-boost-personal-recommendations/?utm_source=3birds&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=3BIRDSMARKETING_Integration+of+Social+Media%2c+Quality+Content%2c+and+Online+Reputation" target="_blank">Bing! is integrating tips left on foursquare</a> into its online maps. If you’re unfamiliar with foursquare, it is a location-based application with some game mechanics in which people “check-in” at locations. They are also able to leave “tips” for other foursquare users who go on to check-in at the same locations. These tips can be anything from “Try the meatloaf. It’s great!” to “This dealership is horrible!” Sounds like a review to me. Do you know what ‘tips’ people have left for your dealership on foursquare? You better find out, because they’re being integrated by a search engine.</p>
<p>• Apple has ditched Google’s maps in favor of an Apple-developed map product powered by the well-known GPS company, <a href="http://www.tomtom.com/en_us/?utm_source=3birds&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=3BIRDSMARKETING_Integration+of+Social+Media%2c+Quality+Content%2c+and+Online+Reputation" target="_blank">TomTom</a>. In doing so, Apple has <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2012/06/25/apple-integrating-yelp-check-ins-directly-into-ios-6-maps/?utm_source=3birds&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=3BIRDSMARKETING_Integration+of+Social+Media%2c+Quality+Content%2c+and+Online+Reputation" target="_blank">teamed with Yelp</a> and will be integrating Yelp reviews and check-ins into its maps. Of course, both Apple and Yelp already have deep social media integration in their own rights.</p>
<p>• Google Now (which will be part of the Android 4.1 Jellybean OS) is so spooky in the features it brags about that <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/22/google-now-2/?utm_source=3birds&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=3BIRDSMARKETING_Integration+of+Social+Media%2c+Quality+Content%2c+and+Online+Reputation" target="_blank">people are calling it “creepy”</a> – and these are tech guys. Based on your search behavior, Google Now will try to figure out your schedule and interests and use it feed you information it deems relevant or useful, from the scores of your favorite sports teams to the estimated time it will take you to reach your driving destination—all based on its own inferences. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if you pulled up to a car dealership and your phone informed you of the star rating for the dealer as well as provided a couple of recent reviews.</p>
<p>• Every major upcoming mobile OS release – Android 4.1, iOS6, Windows 8 Mobile, etc—are all focusing heavily on social media and location-based service integration.</p>
<p>I’m sure you’re getting the point. Up until recently, we’ve been looking at three different industries handling three different services that encompassed different sites and functionalities—search engine optimization (SEO), online reputation management, and social media. Now of course, the lines between these industries have blurred. The integration isn’t just as superficial as making features available to its users. We’re talking <em>deep integration</em> into the operating systems themselves, which makes these features <em>available</em> for use by <em>any program or app that supports them</em>.</p>
<p>As all the key sites and companies increase the integration of services across the board, it’s time to change our perspective. At the same time, the pursuit of SEO, social media, and online reputation management must be viewed as interrelated pieces of a synthetic whole; you can’t touch one piece without affecting the others.</p>
<p>Online reputation management isn’t just about what’s being said about you on review sites. It’s what’s being said about you EVERYWHERE, and as the integration between disciplines and platforms deepens, it won’t matter if the review was left on your Google Places site, as a tip on your foursquare place, as a tweet about your business, or as a post on Facebook.</p>
<p>My prediction is that soon, no matter where consumers go to access information about your dealership (via the computer or via their mobile phones), everything written about your business will be aggregated together, coexisting for the consumer’s reading convenience.</p>
<p>Which begs the question: <a href="http://3birdsmarketing.com/online-analysis/?utm_source=3birds&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=3BIRDSMARKETING_Integration+of+Social+Media%2c+Quality+Content%2c+and+Online+Reputation" target="_blank">are you ready</a> for everything being said about you online—everywhere—to be consolidated?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Originally posted in the <a href="http://www.3birdsmarketingnews.com" target="_blank">August 2012</a> edition of the <a href="http://www.3birdsmarketing.com" target="_blank">3 Birds Marketing</a> newsletter.</p>The Game-Changing Google Program Auto Dealers Can’t Afford to Ignoretag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-07-26:5283893:BlogPost:3120032012-07-26T14:01:35.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p>Google’s online ventures are usually anything but under the radar. Yet recently, in what may be a game-changing play, the search engine giant quietly entered the third-party lead provider business for car dealerships.</p>
<p>The beta version of <a href="http://www.google.com/ads/auto/index.html" target="_self">Google Comparison Ads for Autos</a> (which is unofficially being referred to as “Google Cars” within the industry) was launched to very little fanfare a few weeks ago in the San…</p>
<p>Google’s online ventures are usually anything but under the radar. Yet recently, in what may be a game-changing play, the search engine giant quietly entered the third-party lead provider business for car dealerships.</p>
<p>The beta version of <a href="http://www.google.com/ads/auto/index.html" target="_self">Google Comparison Ads for Autos</a> (which is unofficially being referred to as “Google Cars” within the industry) was launched to very little fanfare a few weeks ago in the San Francisco Bay area. The service invites participating dealers to send their inventory to Google, allowing consumers direct access to inventory, price comparison, and the ability to request quotes from within Google search results. As shown below, the program—and associated inventory—is prominently displayed on page one of a relevant search.</p>
<p><img width="580" height="154" src="http://www.3birdsmarketingnews.com/Main/3birdsmarketing/Images/580/GoogleComparisonAds.jpg"/></p>
<p>While the program is currently limited to dealers within the San Francisco Bay area, program-specific search results are available throughout the state of California, not just for people located within the Bay area—contrary to what others are reporting. As evidenced by the above screen-grab, I did not have to change my location to get Comparison Ad results, and I live almost 500 miles away, in Southern California.</p>
<p>Google is currently testing a number of similar <a href="http://www.google.com/ads/innovations/comparisonads.html" target="_self">Comparison Ads</a> programs for other products, including credit cards, CDs, and checking and savings accounts. Results have been controversial, with many advertisers in these industries <a href="http://www.searchenginejournal.com/how-google-is-screwing-its-own-advertisers-with-comparison-ads/25008/?utm_source=3birds&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=3BIRDSMARKETING_Google+Releases+Beta+Version+of+Google+Ads+for+Autos" target="_self">reporting dissatisfaction</a>, especially since Google is not obligated to play by its own rules and is, in effect, competing with its own advertisers. In November 2011, Google <a href="http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/mt_features/google-suspends-rate-search-1027842-1.html?utm_source=3birds&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=3BIRDSMARKETING_Google+Releases+Beta+Version+of+Google+Ads+for+Autos" target="_self">temporarily suspended</a> its Comparison Ads service to the mortgage industry with plans to reboot the program after revamping it.</p>
<p>While specifics of the program for auto dealers have yet to be announced, Google is promoting the new service with the following program highlights:</p>
<p>“<strong>Higher-quality leads</strong>: Our leads come directly from motivated, purchase-ready consumers who have specifically chosen to contact your dealership. Leads are unique, never resold, and delivered immediately to you.</p>
<p><strong>Free inventory listings</strong>: You can have your inventory shown to consumers on Google for free, even if you decide not to receive leads.</p>
<p><strong>More than just inventory</strong>: Consumers can choose to connect with you even when you don’t have a specific car in inventory. We know that you can order the car, dealer trade, or find other solutions to help consumers get the cars they want.</p>
<p><strong>Greater control over leads</strong>: You choose how much you’re willing to pay for a lead and target consumers based on distance and specific type of car, so you get the leads that are most valuable to you.”</p>
<p>This is all the information that Google currently has publicly available about the program. However, the operational processes used in the suspended Comparison Ads program for mortgages may offer additional insights. Here’s a run-down of how the program functioned:</p>
<p>1. Google looked at maximum bids placed by each competing bidder and then set a reserve price based on those bids. Once set, the reserve price was the minimum fee bidders would have to pay to appear on a desired search results page.</p>
<p>2. Anyone bidding below the reserve price was dropped from the auction. Google also dropped the bottom 10% of bidders who bid at or above the reserve price.</p>
<p>3. Results were then displayed (in this industry’s case) from lowest to highest APR. This leads me to believe automotive results would be displayed with the lowest prices first.</p>
<p>Furthermore, this is how, in an <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEM0w1trFJ8&utm_source=3birds&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=3BIRDSMARKETING_Google+Releases+Beta+Version+of+Google+Ads+for+Autos" target="_self">unlisted video</a>, Google described the highlights of the program to the mortgage industry:</p>
<p>• The ads were included in the “Sponsored Listing” section but are not counted in the AdWords auction.</p>
<p>• Pricing was pulled directly from the companies’ “pricing engine product feed,” which would presumably be the equivalent of a dealer’s DMS or pricing tool, and updated multiple times per day.</p>
<p>• Bids could be highly targeted to reach the consumers most likely to convert, and an advertiser could place different bids for each targeted criteria.</p>
<p>Google mentions that they are working on a different ranking system for the mortgage program (one of the reasons provided for its suspension) in which Google will reward high-quality advertisers using factors such as:</p>
<p>• Accuracy of offers as determined by mystery shopping</p>
<p>• Turnaround time on lead follow-up</p>
<p>• Customer satisfaction as measured by surveys</p>
<p>It is probably safe to assume that Google will eventually apply these ranking criteria across all industries serviced by their Google Comparison Ad program.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Google is promoting the Comparison Ads for Autos program as a way for dealers to source fresh leads from consumers’ Google searches, but given the above information I have several concerns regarding how beneficial the program will really prove to be.</p>
<p>First and foremost, Google claims that the leads generated by the program are “unique,” yet in the final step of a lead submission, the program offers the consumer the choice to contact other dealers who may have similar cars available. A single person inputting a lead and requesting contact by multiple dealers would hypothetically generate multiple leads, a complication Google does not currently address.</p>
<p>On a related note, Google is <a href="http://support.google.com/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2646880" target="_self">telling consumers</a> that even if they are interested in a particular vehicle that has already been identified by VIN, they may be able to get the same vehicle from another dealer. As Google puts it, “if you see a particular car (specified by a unique VIN) showing in a dealer's inventory, you may be able to get that car from other dealers as well. Dealers often times trade inventory with each other, so you can buy from the dealer that you prefer.” Thus, Google is negating the edge a dealer may have in winning the consumer’s business simply by having the exact vehicle they are looking for in stock.</p>
<p>In addition, while Google says that dealers can list their inventory on the program free of charge, it is unclear what would happen to any leads generated if the dealer chose not to “pay to play.” </p>
<p>For those who are willing to pay, Google allows dealers to “[choose] what [they’re] willing to pay for a lead.” According to <a href="http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20120702%2FRETAIL03%2F307029974%2F1377%2Fgoogle-tests-lead-selling-plan-in-sf&utm_source=3birds&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=3BIRDSMARKETING_Google+Releases+Beta+Version+of+Google+Ads+for+Autos" target="_self">Automotive News</a>, the price-per-lead is determined via a bidding model, with dealers competing for prominent positioning within search results for their inventory.</p>
<p>The final component of the program is that Google emphasizes the protection of consumer privacy. There are three ways in which a consumer can contact you as a participating advertiser:</p>
<p>1. Inbound Phone Lead: This comes via a Google-generated phone number; the consumer’s phone is blocked from the advertiser’s phone system.</p>
<p>2. E-mail Inquiry: The advertiser is given the consumer’s name and the details of the product they are interested in, but the consumer’s e-mail address is masked.</p>
<p>3. Request a Call-Back: The advertiser is given a masked phone number with which to call the consumer.</p>
<p>Google states that lead delivery is compatible with CRMs, but how those leads would actually populate is unclear.</p>
<p>The fact that Google commands such a large percentage of internet searches means that this program is a potential game-changer. Google’s ability to position this program wherever it likes, regardless of its other ad programs, may mean that dealers are forced to participate to remain competitive. Because Comparison Ads currently appear just above the first organic search results, these results will likely divert a portion of traffic that would otherwise have gone directly to dealers’ websites.</p>
<p>Not only will Google’s Comparison Ads for Autos impact many components of your online marketing efforts, including search engine optimization strategy and pay-per-click campaigns, but it may also even affect the lead quantity that your current third-party lead providers are able to offer you. Obviously, dealers would be well-advised to pay close attention to the program as it develops.</p>
<p>via the <a href="http://www.3birdsmarketingnews.com/Articles/Google-Comparison-Ads-for-Autos/" target="_blank">July 2012 newsletter</a> by <a href="http://www.3birdsmarketing.com" target="_blank">3 Birds Marketing</a></p>TrueCar Press Release 1.16.12tag:www.dealerelite.net,2012-01-16:5283893:BlogPost:2702662012-01-16T05:30:44.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p>Check it out folks...</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Just hit the newswire folks… 9:00pm PST</p>
<p><strong>TrueCar Launches National Compliance Campaign and Pro-Industry Product Changes</strong></p>
<p>Sweeping changes include a more balanced advertising approach, revised billing model in some states, consumer membership program, and formation of a Dealer Advisory Council</p>
<p>SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — TrueCar, Inc., which is devoted to bringing innovation to the car buying…</p>
<p>Check it out folks...</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Just hit the newswire folks… 9:00pm PST</p>
<p><strong>TrueCar Launches National Compliance Campaign and Pro-Industry Product Changes</strong></p>
<p>Sweeping changes include a more balanced advertising approach, revised billing model in some states, consumer membership program, and formation of a Dealer Advisory Council</p>
<p>SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — TrueCar, Inc., which is devoted to bringing innovation to the car buying process, today announced a nationwide, multi-faceted strategy to tackle regulatory compliance issues and demonstrate its commitment to state regulators, state dealer associations and to better serve its dealer partners. Among other changes that are taking place nationally, TrueCar implemented a new flat fee-billing model in the Commonwealth ofVirginia, which has been OK with flat fee billing since January 2001. This change marks a significant step in TrueCar’s ongoing compliance strategy. TrueCar’s proactive modifications will include introducing a new billing model in certain states, adjusting advertising presented through the TrueCar website, establishing a TrueCar National Dealer Council, and launching a new consumer membership program.</p>
<p>(Logo: <a href="http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110401/LA75616LOGO">http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110401/LA75616LOGO</a>)</p>
<p>TrueCar announced this initiative as part of a “listening tour” by senior company executives that included visits with key constituents including dealer groups, dealer associations and manufacturers across the nation. “These meetings have been incredibly constructive. We are in the business of innovation. As such we have to embrace change as part of what we do,” saidScott Painter, Founder and CEO of TrueCar, Inc. “The feedback we have received, both good and bad, will enable us to better serve our dealer partners, and the industry overall. The changes announced in Virginia are a great signal that collaboration with state regulators can result in a constructive outcome for consumers and dealers.”</p>
<p>Compliance is an essential element of TrueCar’s mission. TrueCar has been engaged in discussions with regulators in several states regarding its fee structure and/or advertising issues. TrueCar is responding immediately to any state concerns as part of a comprehensive national strategy, with a goal of achieving 100 percent national compliance. In the meantime, TrueCar has voluntarily suspended service in Louisiana, Colorado, Nebraska and Oklahoma in order to make certain changes to improve TrueCar’s service and to protect its dealer partners. The company expects to have certain changes implemented in January. “TrueCar’s dealer partners are central to our success and ensuring compliance is the foundation of TrueCar’s strategic commitment to dealers. We will not put our dealer partners in jeopardy,” said Stewart Easterby, Executive Vice President of TrueCar, Inc.</p>
<p><span>Subscription Billing Model To Be Rolled Out Nationally</span></p>
<p>Most states have some version of either bird-dogging or brokering laws on the books. TrueCar is taking a proactive national approach to this business model issue, shifting to a subscription-based billing model in those states where there is potentially an issue. For example, in California the company will be voluntarily and immediately commencing work on implementing its subscription-based model.</p>
<p>Over the long term, TrueCar will continue to work with state regulators in an attempt to identify ways to update existing laws and regulations to take into account innovation made possible by the digital age. These innovations include the ability to help dealers achieve accurate performance metrics for their marketing spend and 100 percent visibility into their partners’ performance.</p>
<p><span>Dealer Management System (DMS) Data Practices</span></p>
<p>TrueCar is committed to maintaining the highest data standards including limiting the collection of information. TrueCar does not sell dealer DMS data and does not use dealer DMS data for any purpose other than matching vehicle sales to customer leads and monitoring performance to enhance TrueCar’s service to its dealer partners. In addition to only collecting information with dealers’ permission, TrueCar is committed to working with dealers to enhance dealers’ control over access to and use of DMS data, including limiting the fields of data that are received from DMS to those fields necessary to perform the sales matching function.</p>
<p><span>Changes to Address Advertising Issues</span></p>
<p>TrueCar will implement important changes to the website to address certain advertising issues. As part of its commitment to its dealer partners, TrueCar will also develop new messages that focus on important dealer attributes, like proximity, selection and service rather than simply price. “Bottom line is we’re out listening and talking to the industry. What we heard is that dealers feel our ads focused on price and did not tell a positive enough story about our dealer partners. We’ve listened to their concerns and are making adjustments. Qualitative considerations that drive purchase other than price will have greater prominence in future ads.” said Stephen Hansen, President of TrueCar.</p>
<p><span>National Dealer Council/Dealer Initiatives</span></p>
<p>TrueCar is also announcing several changes to take into account feedback and better serve its dealer partners:</p>
<ul>
<li>Effective immediately TrueCar will be enhancing its TrueCar Price Report to enable dealers to more effectively market themselves, by providing consumers and dealers a much more balanced view of the market.</li>
<li>TrueCar will introduce its first-ever National Dealer Council in the next few weeks. The Council will serve as an important venue for TrueCar to hear dealer feedback – good and bad – on TrueCar’s products, processes and policies.</li>
<li>TrueCar will enable statistical and other tools to identify dealers with extreme price outliers. TrueCar recognizes that price outliers may interfere with a sustainable dealer/consumer ecosystem and will work to alleviate these issues and include important qualitative factors in the decision process.</li>
<li>TrueCar will be making product, policy, and process changes throughout the entire business to enhance dealer confidence in TrueCar.</li>
</ul>
<p><span>Consumer Membership Program</span></p>
<p>TrueCar remains committed to innovating to ensure higher lead quality for dealers and enhanced brand protection for OEMs. Based on OEM feedback, TrueCar will introduce a new consumer membership program, which TrueCar believes will substantially alleviate the concern. With this change, dealer partners can expect even higher quality introductions from TrueCar. In the end, consumers and dealers benefit.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.truecar.com/"><strong>About TrueCar, Inc.</strong></a></p>
<p>TrueCar, Inc. is an automotive solutions provider focused on changing how cars are sold by providing a significantly better customer experience while helping qualified dealer partners to gain incremental market share and reduce costs. TrueCar is a visual publisher of new car transaction data. TrueCar price reports help both dealers and consumers to agree on the parameters of a fair deal by providing an accurate, comprehensive and simple understanding of what others actually paid recently for a similar car both locally and nationally. TrueCar works with a national network of dealers that provide up-front, no-haggle, competitive pricing to assist some of the nation’s largest and most well respected membership and service organizations to meet the auto buying needs of their members and customers. Collectively these audiences represent over 1M in-market customers each month. TrueCar is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA and has offices in San Francisco, CA andAustin, TX. With 131 percent annual growth since 2006, TrueCar has helped dealers sell over 400,000 vehicles and is developing a suite of products and services centered on radical clarity as a result of comprehensively analyzing market data and information.</p>
<p>You can follow TrueCar on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/truecar">Twitter</a> and become a fan of TrueCar on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/truecar">Facebook</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Disclaimer</strong></p>
<p>This press release and the information contained herein is for noncommercial use on “as-is, as available” basis and may be used for informational purposes only. TrueCar makes no representations or warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information contained in this press release and the results of the use of such information, including but not limited to implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement. The information contained in this press release may include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Neither TrueCar nor any of its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates or respective partners, officers, or directors, employees or agents shall be held liable for any damages, whether direct, incidental, indirect, special or consequential, including without limitation lost revenues or lost profits, arising from or in connection with your use or reliance on the information presented in this press release.</p>
<p>Available Topic Expert: For information on the listed expert, click appropriate link.</p>
<p>Scott Painter | <a href="https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=94535">https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=94535</a></p>Honda in fight with TrueCar.com over prices displayed online - LA Times 12/15/11tag:www.dealerelite.net,2011-12-16:5283893:BlogPost:2593782011-12-16T19:49:44.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p>Thought this was an intersting article about TrueCar from the LA Times yesterday.</p>
<p>[<a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-autos-honda-dealers-20111216,0,3817269.story?page=1" target="_blank">LINK</a>]</p>
<h1>Honda in fight with TrueCar.com over prices displayed online</h1>
<h2>Honda has told its dealers that it won't give them advertising allowances if they offer vehicles below invoice on TrueCar.com.</h2>
<div class="byline"><span class="byline">By Jerry Hirsch, Los…</span></div>
<p>Thought this was an intersting article about TrueCar from the LA Times yesterday.</p>
<p>[<a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-autos-honda-dealers-20111216,0,3817269.story?page=1" target="_blank">LINK</a>]</p>
<h1>Honda in fight with TrueCar.com over prices displayed online</h1>
<h2>Honda has told its dealers that it won't give them advertising allowances if they offer vehicles below invoice on TrueCar.com.</h2>
<div class="byline"><span class="byline">By Jerry Hirsch, Los Angeles Times</span><p class="date"><span class="dateString">December 15, 2011</span><span class="dateTimeSeparator">, </span><span class="timeString">5:46 p.m.</span></p>
</div>
<div id="story-body-text">In another sign of the Internet's increasingly influential role in auto sales, dealers are in the middle of a fight between Honda and TrueCar.com over prices displayed online.<br/><br/>American <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="ORCRP007390" title="Honda Motor Co." href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/economy-business-finance/manufacturing-engineering/automotive-equipment/honda-motor-co.-ORCRP007390.topic" name="ORCRP007390">Honda Motor Co.</a> has told its dealers that it won't give them advertising allowances if they offer vehicles below invoice on TrueCar, the fast-growing online auto sales service.<br/><br/>The Japanese automaker believes that disclosing cut-rate prices damages its brand and makes its dealers compete with one another for buyers rather than with other automakers.<br/><br/>In a typical showroom transaction, the price a shopper pays for a vehicle is negotiated in a private setting and is hidden from people looking at the same model. But on TrueCar, the price at which dealers are willing to sell cars is transparent to all who visit the site.<br/><br/>The TrueCar system also is used by several large auto shopping referral services, including those operated by Consumer Reports and USAA, which provides financial services to members of the <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="ORGOV000021106" title="U.S. Military" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/unrest-conflicts-war/defense/u.s.-military-ORGOV000021106.topic" name="ORGOV000021106">U.S. military</a>.<br/><br/>Part of the appeal of shopping the online service is that it features a number of dealers who offer guaranteed pricing near or even below a vehicle's invoice, which many consumers believe represents the price the dealer paid for the auto. But because of various back-end allowances and payments, the dealer cost of a vehicle can be 5% or more below the invoice, according to auto industry executives.<br/><br/>USAA protested the Honda move and has threatened to remove the automaker's brands from its Auto Circle no-haggle pricing program.<br/><br/>Other automakers are watching Honda's strategy. They declined to comment, but several said privately that the Internet is having growing influence on auto sales and for now it's best to let the market develop.<br/><br/>Honda says it is trying to protect its brands and support pricing. It says it will also withhold advertising payments for dealers who offer Acura vehicles below the manufacturer's suggested sticker price. The advertising allowances can amount to $200 to $600 a vehicle and sometimes more, according to industry estimates.<br/><br/>"Discount advertising is detrimental to the Honda and Acura brand images," said Alicia Jones, the automaker's spokeswoman. "American Honda has no wish to pay for ads that portray its products as cheap or low-end vehicles."<br/><br/>Dealers that use no-haggle Internet sales sites tend to wind up competing against other Honda franchises. Jones said Honda wants the advertising dollars it gives dealers to be used to win sales from other brands rather than to cut profits for its dealer network.<br/><br/>Honda doesn't want its vehicles to be seen as merely appliances or commodities where shoppers compare only on price, said Thilo Koslowski, an auto analyst at <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="ORCRP006337" title="Gartner Incorporated" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/economy-business-finance/gartner-incorporated-ORCRP006337.topic" name="ORCRP006337">Gartner Inc.</a><br/><br/>That drives down price "and doesn't allow a dealer to point out the particular features that a model might have," he said.<br/><br/>Honda's policy has the support of many dealers, although 368 Honda and Acura franchises still partner with TrueCar.<br/><br/>"There is always one guy in the market who will do anything to sell a car, and it doesn't matter what the long-term implications are, no matter the injury to the brand," said David Conant, chief executive of Conant Auto Retail Group, which owns Honda franchises in Cerritos, Huntington Beach and West Covina and an Acura dealership in San Diego.<br/><br/>"If we crush every retail business in America by getting prices down to where they lose money, what do we accomplish? And that basically is the TrueCar model," Conant said.<br/><br/>Other dealers are working with TrueCar.<br/><br/>"If I don't participate the next guy down the street will and sell 40 or 50 units more," said Jae Park, general manager of Keye Hyundai in Van Nuys. "I have to make TrueCar work out or else I am going to be left behind."<br/><br/>Park said he might not make much money on a transaction through TrueCar but the sales are easier because the price is arranged and the customers generally have a good feeling about the deal. He also will make money on the service business for the car.</div>
<div><span>Honda's move may slow down sales of its vehicles through TrueCar and at some dealers, but it will ultimately backfire, said Scott Painter, chief executive of Santa Monica-based TrueCar.</span><br/><br/><span>Honda shoppers accessing the TrueCar site will just move on to other brands — primarily Toyota and Nissan — where dealers are making offers at below-invoice prices, he said.</span></div>
<div><span><br/></span></div>
<div><span><span>Painter said the type of no-haggle pricing offered on the TrueCar website represents how increasing numbers of cars will be sold.</span><br/><br/><span>TrueCar, which with 300 workers has almost doubled employment this year, will collect about $100 million in revenue in 2011. Dealers pay TrueCar $299 per new car and $399 per used car sold.</span><br/><br/><span>The online service is taking advantage of people's distaste for car price negotiations by offering upfront pricing, one expert said.</span><br/><br/><span>Price negotiations are "the piece of the pie that shoppers say they are the most dissatisfied with," said Arianne Walker, a senior director at J.D. Power & Associates, the automotive research firm.</span><br/><br/><span>About 4 out of 5 shoppers now go to the Internet and seek out some sort of information about the autos they are interested in, including price data, Walker said.</span><br/><br/><span>TrueCar "provides consumers with a decent amount of information," Walker said. "Just by going to the site you are given the details about which dealership has the model you are looking for and the price, and that's probably a more acceptable model for many consumers."</span><br/><br/><span>But Walker cautioned that many shoppers remain wary of providing any personal information — either to the TrueCar system or other sales referral sites — out of fear that they will face a deluge of emails and phone calls from pesky car sales representatives. So some consumers will still be wary.</span><br/><br/><span>Honda's move won't do much to slow down below-invoice sales of its vehicles because careful shoppers will figure out how to ferret out the information needed to negotiate such a sale, said Koslowski, the Gartner auto analyst.</span><br/><br/><span>"The Internet is pretty pervasive for information no matter what boundaries businesses and organizations are trying to put up," he said. "There is not much you can do to prevent information from surfacing."</span></span></div>
<div><span><span><br/></span></span></div>
<div><span><span><i><a href="mailto:jerry.hirsch@latimes.com">jerry.hirsch@latimes.com</a></i></span></span></div>
<h1> </h1>
<p></p>TrueCar and now... CarWoo?tag:www.dealerelite.net,2011-12-15:5283893:BlogPost:2591282011-12-15T18:00:00.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p>Just saw this article on TechCrunch about CarWoo. One of the main things in this whole TrueCar scenario (other than data) was TrueCar's goal of removing salespeople from the process.</p>
<p>I thought this part of the article was interesting.</p>
<p>"That’s the promise of <a href="http://www.carwoo.com/">CarWoo</a>, a startup that looks to take the stressful negotiation tactics and pushy salespeople out of the equation, allowing consumers to buy their car online with a relatively small amount…</p>
<p>Just saw this article on TechCrunch about CarWoo. One of the main things in this whole TrueCar scenario (other than data) was TrueCar's goal of removing salespeople from the process.</p>
<p>I thought this part of the article was interesting.</p>
<p>"That’s the promise of <a href="http://www.carwoo.com/">CarWoo</a>, a startup that looks to take the stressful negotiation tactics and pushy salespeople out of the equation, allowing consumers to buy their car online with a relatively small amount of hassle."</p>
<p>Here's the whole article... "<a href="http://techcrunch.com/2011/12/14/carwoo-raises-6-million-to-spare-you-the-car-dealership-blues/?utm_campaign=Argyle%2BSocial-2011-12&utm_medium=Argyle%2BSocial&utm_source=twitter&utm_term=2011-12-15-13-00-00" target="_blank">CarWoo Raises $6 Million to Spare You the Car Dealership Blues</a>"</p>
<p>Is this TrueCar Part 2?</p>
<p></p>
<p>[EDIT: CarWoo IS getting data on two ends. First, they're getting consumer data straight from the consumer. Then, as dealers bid, they're getting pricing data on what dealers are WILLING to sell the car for. It may not be from the DMS, but it's still data.]</p>Buy Here 'Cause They Sucktag:www.dealerelite.net,2011-11-02:5283893:BlogPost:2390942011-11-02T15:11:56.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p>Most dealerships and businesses in general know that it's bad practice to bad-mouth your competition. That being said, I know of and have heard plenty of salespeople and managers using their online reviews to help close a deal by comparing them to their competitors online reviews. This practice is similar if not exactly the same. You are leveraging negative comments about your competitor left by other people (who you are representing as real - we all know fake reviews exist) to your positive…</p>
<p>Most dealerships and businesses in general know that it's bad practice to bad-mouth your competition. That being said, I know of and have heard plenty of salespeople and managers using their online reviews to help close a deal by comparing them to their competitors online reviews. This practice is similar if not exactly the same. You are leveraging negative comments about your competitor left by other people (who you are representing as real - we all know fake reviews exist) to your positive reviews (you aren't really showing people any negative reviews about your dealership, are you?) in an effort to "sell" yourself and your dealership. So, while this isn't talking bad about your competitor directly, it is indirectly, and what you say can now get you in some deep water.<br/><br/>In a <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/02/us-alabama-taliban-toyota-idUSTRE7A104620111102" target="_blank">precendent setting ruling</a>, an Alabama car dealership has been awarded $7.5 million dollars due to slanderous comments made during a close to consumers by both the salesperson and sales manager. Apparentley, the dealership's competitor was owned by an Iranian-born but naturalized U.S. citizen. The sales manager told at least one couple while attempting to close a deal that the competitor was "helping fund insurgents there and is also laundering money for them." The salesperson was also accused of telling the same couple that the dealer was "funneling money back to his family and other terrorists..." and that he has a "brother over there and what you're doing is helping kill my brother." It is also reported that the competitor was frequently referred to as "Taliban Toyota".<br/><br/>The jury awarded the Alabama dealer $2.5 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages after deliberating for 3 hours.<br/><br/>While this is certainly an extreme example, it bears watching where the "line" is. This had more to do with a leveraging of race, stereotypes and bigotry but there's no telling what future lawsuits outcomes would be utilizing this ruling as precedent.<br/><br/>I find it astonishing that, it appears, the sales manager, at least, is still employed at the dealership based on the statement that neither of them were available for comment per a "dealership spokesman". <br/><br/>I think there are now 7.5 million reasons to add prohibiting the "bad-mouthing of your competitor" to your employee handbook.</p>Consumers Now Have the Ability to Block Your GoogleAdstag:www.dealerelite.net,2011-11-01:5283893:BlogPost:2387542011-11-01T14:02:08.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p>Google announced yesterday via its <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/increasing-transparency-and-choice-with.html" target="_blank">blog</a>, that it had instituted a feature in Google search and GMail ad transparency. This change will give consumers the ability to see why ads are being delivered (ie. what previous searches triggered the ads) as well as the ability to block ads from a <strong><em>particular company/advertiser</em></strong>. This option is available for all…</p>
<p>Google announced yesterday via its <a target="_blank" href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/increasing-transparency-and-choice-with.html">blog</a>, that it had instituted a feature in Google search and GMail ad transparency. This change will give consumers the ability to see why ads are being delivered (ie. what previous searches triggered the ads) as well as the ability to block ads from a <strong><em>particular company/advertiser</em></strong>. This option is available for all Google Ads delivered to a consumer.<br/><br/>Is it a cause for concern? Probably not as I believe a low percentage of people will actually utilize this feature, but it is certainly something you need to be aware of. I would equate this to "hiding" a company from your News Feed on Facebook, in a sense.<br/><br/>Below is an example of what a consumer would see should they choose to go into the "Ads Preferences Manager".<br/><br/><img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/6/6/0/6/2/236027-226066/googleblock.jpg?a=75"/><br/><br/>Do you think this will have any impact on your ability to target consumers or is this a non-factor?</p>Don't Take My Word For It...tag:www.dealerelite.net,2011-10-28:5283893:BlogPost:2379412011-10-28T16:15:19.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<h2 class="sf_blog_posttitle" id="post-123"><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal;">If you are looking for a solid addition to your team and feel that my experience, knowledge and abilities are a great fit, here are 40 reasons why you should consider me.</span></h2>
<div class="sf_blog_entry"><div><div align="left"><div> </div>
<div><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4am9mdo2k6zYzRjYjE4NWMtMWY0Ny00ZjE3LWJkZmMtOWNmMmFhYjlkODJl" target="_blank">My Resume…</a></div>
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<h2 class="sf_blog_posttitle" id="post-123"><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal;">If you are looking for a solid addition to your team and feel that my experience, knowledge and abilities are a great fit, here are 40 reasons why you should consider me.</span></h2>
<div class="sf_blog_entry"><div><div align="left"><div> </div>
<div><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4am9mdo2k6zYzRjYjE4NWMtMWY0Ny00ZjE3LWJkZmMtOWNmMmFhYjlkODJl" target="_blank">My Resume</a></div>
<div><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/arnoldtijerina" target="_blank">LinkedIn Profile</a></div>
<div><strong style="font-size: 15px;"><font class="title" face="inherit"><br/>Director of Interactive Media<br/></font></strong><strong style="font-size: 15px;"><b style="font-size: 13px;"><font class="miniprofile-container /companies/801880?miniprofile=" face="inherit"><font class="org summary" face="inherit">Dealer Communications<br/><br/></font></font></b></strong></div>
<div><div class="reference-position first"><div><div class="reference">“It's clear that Arnold is passionate about Digital Marketing as well as the automotive industry and conveys that passion into everything he does. He is a thought leader and his ability to execute complex and well attended conferences, such as Digital Dealer, is a testament to his strong work ethic and professional abilities.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">October 27, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Jessica is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Jessica's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=47510327&authType=name&authToken=qCiH&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Jessica Fielding</a>, <i>Social Advertising Manager, ADP Dealer Services</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold is one of the brightest, hard working people in the Automotive world. His passion for new ideals to engage customers to produce results for Dealers is unsurpassed. Arnold is someone i would definitely recommend as a true difference maker.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">October 25, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Stephen is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Stephen's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=51777971&authType=name&authToken=G6hy&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Stephen Bridges</a>, <i>Managing Partner / Director of Sales, Today's Dealer Solutions</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“I have worked with Arnold on several occasion relating to digital automotive media strategies. He is an amazing resource that has provided us an invaluable service my companies online marketing plan. He is friendly, articulate and pleasant to work with.<br/><br/>Recently I had reached out to Arnold for his input on way's that we could maximize my limited budget for an upcoming industry event. He was able to explain the different packages available with reach and potential ROI in layman's terms for me. I would strongly recommend his services to anyone that is looking to market services to automotive dealers.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">October 24, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="James is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View James's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=32057901&authType=name&authToken=0qvy&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">James Stayton</a>, <i>Founder, Giri Media</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold is a terrific conversationalist. He is about as passionate as can be. He is also a great listener. I always enjoy my interactions with Arnold and he knows he has got an open invitation to Blue Hole Mineral Spring.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">October 23, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Matt is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Matt's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=6030250&authType=name&authToken=pTkd&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Matt Lamoureux</a>, <i>Vice President of Business Development, DealerRater</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“I've known Arnold for about 5 years now, and in that time not only has he continued to be a trusted resource but also a personal friend. Arnold has an uncanny ability to see whats on the horizon and stay on the cutting edge while discarding the "Digital Chaff" that can bog down a business and lead to wasted time and effort. I look to him as a trusted resource and sounding board whenever I consider strategies and products both Professionally and Personally.<br/>Furthermore his Marketing and Management skills are some of the best in the business. I've attended every Digital Dealer since DD3 and have never seen either the turn-out or a Conference that size run as efficiently as the Events he was involved with. He is passionate, professional and personable and would be an excellent asset to any organization he becomes affiliated with.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">October 23, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Bryan is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Bryan's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=60781438&authType=name&authToken=whS_&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Bryan Armstrong</a>, <i>General Sales Manager/e-Commerce Director, Menlove Toyota Scion</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Many things could be said about Arnold's work experience, however his strongest asset is one that cannot be measured in terms of skills. Arnold is one of the most dedicated and passionate people I know. Whatever endeavor he chooses, he commits himself whole-heartedly to. Whether it's applying a new technology, writing an educational piece, or working with a client, Arnold takes the time to understand every facet of every angle. This attention to detail has been reflected in a wide array of successes. It also allows him to speak with a level of authenticity that is extremely rare in the auto industry. I can't wait to see what Arnold commits himself to, next.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">October 22, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Bill is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Bill's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=5676429&authType=name&authToken=MVsp&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Bill Playford</a>, <i>Vice President and Partner, DealerKnows LLC</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold Tijerina is one of the most intelligent and savvy automotive media professionals I know. His contributions to Dealer Communications are many and I've had the pleasure of working with him for the last couple of years. He possesses a laser-focused strategy and business acumen that's always about supporting automotive dealers and their operations. He is a consummate professional, a leader in automotive media & marketing and he's an asset to our industry.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">October 21, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Kathi is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Kathi's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=24212001&authType=name&authToken=lBUA&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Kathi Kruse</a>, <i>President, Kruse Control Inc.</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold has an amazing grasp of Digital Marketing, Social Media and its practical application to the retail automotive industry. Arnold communicates regularly with an extensive network of interactive media experts and is always on the cutting edge of changes in our industry. He is a tremendous asset to the automotive world.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">October 21, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Mike is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Mike's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=18422755&authType=name&authToken=pjYe&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Mike Marshall</a>, <i>SFE Facilitator, Maritz Performance Improvement</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold has made himself a leading expert in the automotive industry. He is one of the best I have seen at networking through social media and at cultivating relationships to form more dynamic business results. He is well-known within our industry as well as well-respected. As a vendor he was quite reliable and I felt confident investing in his company. He's an all around great guy with a ton of knowledge!” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">October 21, 2011</font><p class="qualities"><b>Top qualities:</b> Great Results, Personable, Expert</p>
<p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Erin is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Erin's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=40987281&authType=name&authToken=mpGl&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Erin Zaborac</a>, <i> </i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold is the "voice" of Automotive Digital Media. He lives and breathes digital, has all the latest gagets, and easily translates what works into simple, real-world strategies for Car Dealer's. We worked together when Arnold sold Internet Marketing solutions for HomeNet Automotive. I know Arnold to be an exceptional communicator who offers insightful commentary on internet marketing concepts, and issues related to Digital Marketing. If you want a person passionate about Automotive Digital Media, Arnold would make a great addition to any Team.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">October 20, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Rick is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Rick's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=19825150&authType=name&authToken=ft5P&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Rick Watson</a>, <i>Senior Account Executive - Western Region, HomeNet Automotive LLC</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold is an outstanding individual with a lot of talent. I was even more impressed when I met him personally in Vegas. All around good guy. Best of luck Arnold.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">October 20, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Fran is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Fran's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=35002365&authType=name&authToken=XVho&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Fran Taylor, Automotive Sales Training Expert</a>, <i>President & CEO, Taylor Techniques inc.</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold is a master at social media marketing. He's a great teacher, loves to share his knowledge, and knows how to get the job done. It was great working with him.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">October 20, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Susan is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Susan's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=401633&authType=name&authToken=_WiB&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Susan Tyson</a>, <i>Marketing Director, Digital Dealer Conference, Dealer Communications</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“There are very few people that truly understand the world of Social Media and what it means to businesses in today's business climate. Arnold understands the online social world that we live in today. Arnold would be a valuable person to have on your team to navigate your online objectives and understanding the digital world we are competing in today.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">October 20, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Layton is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Layton's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=15542039&authType=name&authToken=gu_H&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Layton Judd</a>, <i>Janitor/Discombobulator/Co-CEO, 3Birds Marketing</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“I've known Arnold Tijerina for years. From the time he was in retail automotive, I knew that he had a razor-sharp understanding of all things digital marketing. His foray into the vendor world, and not an educational conference and publishing firm like Dealer Communications only strengthens his skill regarding social media. His personality and passion complement each other to succeed in today's digital age.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">October 19, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Joe is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Joe's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=17945648&authType=name&authToken=DaO2&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Joe Webb</a>, <i>Founder, DealerKnows LLC</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold is on top when it comes to keeping up with the digital age in the automotive industry. He is a well respected resource for the latest news and developments for online marketing and social media. I believe that he is one of the experts in this field and he has the knowledge and experience to communicate his messages and writings with authority. If not for Arnold and his untiring efforts, the Digital Dealer Conferences may have taken a step backward. Instead, they continue to set records and are great success story for this economy and the auto industry. He's a great person with passion and drive and I am happy to have the opportunity to offer this recommendation for Arnold Tijerina.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">October 19, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Dan is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Dan's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=45880689&authType=name&authToken=fe9d&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Dan Petermeier</a>, <i>Internet Sales Director, Brooklyn Park Imports / KIA of Brooklyn Park</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“To attend an event like the Digital Dealer Conventions can be a daunting task. For the past two years that task has been easier. Through processes and systems that Arnold has set into place the communication and information you need to make the most of your time at these events has improved many fold. Arnold always is ahead of the curve on the latest trends in Digital Communication and somehow he also finds the time to take a lot of pictures? Arnolds efforts has improved the ROI that we get investing both the time and money for me to attend these events. My learning curve has risen directly because of his efforts and hard work. Arnold holds the respect of so many people throughout the national automotive industry, mine included.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">October 19, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="A. J. is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View A. J.'s Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=82227121&authType=name&authToken=jECv&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">A. J. Maida</a>, <i>Digital Marketing Manager, Papa's Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Viper</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold is a great person with a ton of drive. Just look what he has done for Digital Dealer the last 2 years! His connections in the industry are fantastic and he is very well respected by many of the Automotive business leaders of today. He definitely would be someone I would personally strongly recommend to any organization looking to improve it's market share or awareness.<br/><br/>Sean Stapleton<br/>Chief Sales Officer VinSolutions” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">October 19, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Sean is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Sean's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=10420729&authType=name&authToken=HnH_&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Sean Stapleton</a>, <i>Chief Sales Officer, VinSolutions</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold is a solid guy to work with. He has limitless energy and tackles any project with vengeance. I am glad to have him on my side. His knowledge of Social Marketing has been very helpful to me in developing my client base.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">October 19, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Joe is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Joe's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=3941802&authType=name&authToken=UXPo&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Joe Birch</a>, <i>Owner, In-House Graphics Inc.</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold has brought tremendous improvement and benefit as the Director of Interactive Media at Dealer Communications. I have worked directly with Arnold in several different roles, including as a speaker at the Digital Dealer conferences, as a presenter with online training hosted by Dealer Communications, and as a participant at the Digital Dealer Conferences. Arnold's close attention to detail combined with his ability to keep abreast of this fast-moving automotive market have enabled him to be one of the few leaders in this industry. He has brought new ideas and innovative approaches that have not only improved the content of the Digital Dealer Conferences, but have also helped them reach record attendance levels. I highly recommend Arnold Tijerina to anyone that is seeking a leader in Automotive.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">October 19, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Kevin is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Kevin's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=17749655&authType=name&authToken=86GQ&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Kevin Frye</a>, <i>eCommerce Director, Jeff Wyler Automotive Family</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“From day one, Arnold has been a source of tremendous personal and professional support. He knows everyone in the industry and has been generous with his guidance. As an online marketer for Digital Dealer, I see him invested with being above the curve and delivering dealers an educational but fun experience. He is always thinking of new and creative ways to engage attendees and market in unconventional ways. I highly recommend Arnold as a friend and peer.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">September 14, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="April is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View April's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=22850775&authType=name&authToken=PsVK&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">April Rain</a>, <i>Digital Development and Training Supervisor, Cuneo Advertising</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference-position"><div class="postitle"><h3 class="false"><strong><font class="title" face="inherit">Director of Community and Dealer Services<br/></font></strong><b style="font-size: 13px;"><font class="miniprofile-container /companies/1396658?miniprofile=" face="inherit"><b><a class="company-profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/company/?trk=pro_other_cmpy"><font class="org summary" face="inherit"><strong>DrivingSales.com</strong><br/><br/></font></a></b></font></b></h3>
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<div><div class="reference">“Arnold is a social guy. Smart and skilled, Arnold made a lot of really great things happen within our company. He engaged our user community creating involvement and social response that was greatly needed. Arnold also helped to innovate and organize internal processes that were very effective in our small-business start-up. He's reliable, hardworking and... pretty funny too.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">March 3, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Tommy is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Tommy's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=12956126&authType=name&authToken=2QwW&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Tommy Bay</a>, <i>Director of Marketing, DrivingSales.com</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold Tijerina is a consummate professional and a true leader in automotive digital marketing. Arnold is an exceptional trainer and strong advocate of dealer education for the betterment of our industry. I would recommend Arnold as a leader, consultant or team member of any digital marketing company or dealership.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">March 3, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Rob is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Rob's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=14692272&authType=name&authToken=gpoX&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Rob Fontano</a>, <i>Digital Sales & Marketing Director, Marazzi Motors</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“I highly recommend Arnold Tijerina. Arnold is a rare breed in our politically correct world. Arnold will tell you exactly how he sees it and he usually spot on with his assessments. Arnold has a contagious personality that has made him an A player in today's industry. I have been privelaged to work with Arnold and would highly recommend him to anyone who has the oppurtunity.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">February 28, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Russell is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Russell's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=57492936&authType=name&authToken=dbBq&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Russell Grant</a>, <i>National Sales Manager, eXteres Auto</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold continues to be a true student of the industry and can be counted on to help bring to light new technologies as well as innovative use concepts. He has a huge network of friends and experts in a variety of positions. If he doesn't know the answer, he will find out and point you in the right direction. I am excited to see him in his new position as I believe his objectivity and work ethic will continue to help many.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">February 27, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Bryan is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Bryan's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=60781438&authType=name&authToken=whS_&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Bryan Armstrong</a>, <i>General Sales Manager/e-Commerce Director, Menlove Toyota Scion</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference-position"><div class="postitle"><h3 class="false"><strong><font class="title" face="inherit">Senior Account Executive - Central and Southern California<br/></font></strong><b style="font-size: 13px;"><font class="miniprofile-container /companies/55236?miniprofile=" face="inherit"><b><a class="company-profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/company/?trk=pro_other_cmpy"><font class="org summary" face="inherit"><strong>HomeNet Automotive</strong><br/><br/></font></a></b></font></b></h3>
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<div><div class="reference">“Arnold is someone you can count on to get the job done while being both innovative and efficient. He brings a lot of energy to the team and is someone the entire team can count on.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">October 19, 2011</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Timmy D. is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Timmy D.'s Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=11298114&authType=name&authToken=x7d-&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Timmy D. James</a>, <i>Director of Sales, HomeNet Automotive</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“I worked with Arnold on a Summit that the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association hosted in September, 2010. Arnold was responsive and worked well under tight deadlines and multiple requests. He was organized and showed attention to detail during a busy time period.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">September 19, 2010</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Adria A. is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Adria A.'s Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=3199858&authType=name&authToken=uhbg&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Adria A. Ellerbrock, MBA</a>, <i>President / Director of Marketing, A Figure of Speech, Inc.</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold has a strong aptitude and an open mindset to nearly anything. His diverse and eclectic background in managing different aspects of the automotive retail and supplier environments has provided him with the experience, contacts and knowledge that greatly assists his clients and associates.<br/><br/>I've enjoyed spending time with Arnold in discussing different aspects of our industry and working on providing unique angles and solutions for the dealers we work with. Arnold is a regular at the series of industry events that spans each year, both assisting with the organizers and adding value for the attendees. It is a pleasure to work with him and I can confidently recommend Arnold.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">September 18, 2010</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Gary is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Gary's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=2876766&authType=name&authToken=dDhc&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Gary May</a>, <i>President/Consultant, Interactive Marketing and Consulting Services (IM@CS)</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“I've known Arnold for three years (which is a lengthy time in the automotive internet sales environment) and rarely do I meet someone with both in-the-trenches internet sales experience AND passion for digital marketing and social media. Few have Arnold's prowess to develop a stronger online brand identity for a client better than Arnold and he continues his string of success as a sales machine and social media all-star. I highly recommend getting to know Arnold Tijerina as his outside-the-box thinking coupled with his skills at connecting with people online are second to none.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">September 10, 2010</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Joe is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Joe's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=17945648&authType=name&authToken=DaO2&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Joe Webb</a>, <i>President, DealerKnows LLC</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold is an amazing person. Very knowledgeable, and is always welcoming with a positive attitude.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">September 8, 2010</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Ken is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Ken's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=46289684&authType=name&authToken=_M4V&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Ken Bond</a>, <i>Marketing Advisor, O.A.S</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“I have known Arnold for a few years from his days as Internet Director to his current position with HomeNet, He brings many years of experience to the table as well as a forward thinking mentality. It is my pleasure to endorse Arnold towards any opportunity that is available to him.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">September 7, 2010</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Stan is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Stan's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=20667036&authType=name&authToken=_hBZ&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Stan Sher</a>, <i>National Internet Sales Director, Dealer Synergy</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“During the time I have known Arnold he has impressed me with his knowledge of digital marketing and automotive retail processes. As a salesperson he has the dealer in mind a quality not often found among providers in this idustry.<br/><br/>In all one of the good guys in the automotive industry for sure.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">September 4, 2010</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Larry is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Larry's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=14923779&authType=name&authToken=kzUZ&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Larry Bruce</a>, <i>VP Managed Marketing Solutions, Reynolds & Reynolds</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold is beyond amazing, he is incredible. Arnold comes by connectivity and leadership in interactivity, naturally. Arnold is beyond connected. Arnold is beyond plugged in. .....Arnold is wired. He has the personal talents, skills and abilities to produce amazing results, without breaking any pressure.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">September 2, 2010</font><p class="qualities"><b>Top qualities:</b> Great Results, Expert, High Integrity</p>
<p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Tim is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Tim's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=2368715&authType=name&authToken=c1xx&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Tim Jackson</a>, <i> </i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Mr. Tijerina is a persistent, well organized professional. Attention to detail is foremost, but his relaxed attitude always puts you at ease. Terrific person to work with on ANY project.”<font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">July 11, 2010</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Kathrine is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Kathrine's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=11342336&authType=name&authToken=662N&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Kathrine Rend</a>, <i>Owner, Rend Graphics</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold is a hard working and very dedicated member of the our team. He believes in HomeNet so much he even got our logo tatted on his forearm.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">December 17, 2009</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Derek is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Derek's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=23126757&authType=name&authToken=miOi&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Derek Hammond</a>, <i>Senior Account Executive - Eastern Region, HomeNet, Inc.</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference-position"><div class="postitle"><h3 class="false"><strong><font class="title" face="inherit">Internet Director<br/></font></strong><b style="font-size: 13px;"><font class="miniprofile-container /companies/?miniprofile=" face="inherit"><b><a class="company-profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/company/?trk=pro_other_cmpy"><font class="org summary" face="inherit"><strong>Conant Auto Retail Group</strong><br/><br/></font></a></b></font></b></h3>
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<div><div class="reference">“I meet Arnold Tijerina a while back and i will never forget it. Arnold knows internet sales better than most and he is passionate to the bone. It is evident in is deep knowledge and understanding of automotive shoppers and I always pick up a tidbit or new idea when we are together. He is a great person who is loyal and trustworthy and once you get to know him you will be able to call him a friend just as I do.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">March 3, 2010</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Todd is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Todd's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=16364325&authType=name&authToken=tn-A&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Todd Smith</a>, <i>President, ActivEngage, Inc.</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference-position"><div class="postitle"><h3 class="false"><strong><font class="title" face="inherit">Internet Director<br/></font></strong><b style="font-size: 13px;"><font class="miniprofile-container /companies/286071?miniprofile=" face="inherit"><b><a class="company-profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/company/?trk=pro_other_cmpy"><font class="org summary" face="inherit"><strong>Moss Bros Auto Group</strong><br/><br/></font></a></b></font></b></h3>
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<div><div class="reference">“Arnold is extremely personable and a pleasure to work with! He is a huge asset to any company that would be honored to have him as part of their team!” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">September 27, 2010</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Tara is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Tara's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=15422782&authType=name&authToken=0hEq&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Tara Gibson</a>, <i>Senior Regional Sales Executive, Reply</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“I would highly recommend Arnold for any position, or duty. He is a hands on type of manager with a vast knowledge of both the Automotive industry and Internet sales. He will role up his sleeves and tackle any challenge. Arnold is great at thinking out of the box and finding solutions or improvements to any situation.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">September 25, 2010</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Richard is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Richard's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=65688131&authType=name&authToken=0wug&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Richard Chew</a>, <i>Internet Sales Manager, Moss Bros Auto Group</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold is a rare asset within the auto industry that I first encountered when he was working at Moss Brothers Auto Group in California. His dedication and commitment to the goals of his team always seem to transcend any personal interest or agendas others would have in similar situations. A superb communicator with the uncanny ability to reformulate the information available in such a way as to make it far easier to understand. Arnold is admired by many people in the auto industry for demonstrating the power of social media marketing mastery on a first hand basis while others were first learning of the social web's existance. He has surprised me on several occassions with his ability to get things done, I definitely give Arnold Tijerina my highest recommendation for any mission critical position that requires an adept manager with excellent communication and problem solving capabilities.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">September 18, 2010</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Ralph is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Ralph's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=3953992&authType=name&authToken=9Vfl&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Ralph Paglia</a>, <i>Consulting Practice Leader, Reynolds and Reynolds</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold is one of the most passionate enthusianstic people you will ever meet. He is truly committed to success and building others to reach their goals. His work ethic and dedication have proved valuable as he always improves any situation he encounters.”<font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">December 17, 2009</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Stephen is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Stephen's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=51777971&authType=name&authToken=G6hy&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Stephen Bridges</a>, <i>Vice President of Consulting, BZ Results</i><br/><br/></p>
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<div class="reference">“Arnold is a self starter who strives to be the best. Great working knowledge of anything he puts his mind to. Arnold's ability to turn "anything" into a deal makes him a great salesperson.” <font class="date" face="inherit" color="#666666">December 15, 2009</font><p class="distance deg_1"><abbr title="Christy is your connection"><font class="network-degree" face="inherit" color="#3399CC">1<sup>st</sup></font></abbr> <a title="View Christy's Profile" href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=45319905&authType=name&authToken=wDWD&goback=%2Enpv_7202644_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1">Christy Chew</a>, <i>Internet Manager, MOSS BROS. AUTO GROUP</i><br/><br/></p>
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</div>Looking for a New Opportunitytag:www.dealerelite.net,2011-10-27:5283893:BlogPost:2372642011-10-27T16:00:00.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
Hi everyone,<br></br>
<br></br>
I'm in the market for a long-term position in which my experience and knowledge can assist a company in its growth. If you know of a company and/or have a position in which my experience may be a good fit, please don't hesitate to reach out to me or share my interest.<br></br>
<br></br>
For a brief resume of my skills, <a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4am9mdo2k6zYzRjYjE4NWMtMWY0Ny00ZjE3LWJkZmMtOWNmMmFhYjlkODJl" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br></br>
<br></br>
Or, for a more…
Hi everyone,<br/>
<br/>
I'm in the market for a long-term position in which my experience and knowledge can assist a company in its growth. If you know of a company and/or have a position in which my experience may be a good fit, please don't hesitate to reach out to me or share my interest.<br/>
<br/>
For a brief resume of my skills, <a target="_blank" href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4am9mdo2k6zYzRjYjE4NWMtMWY0Ny00ZjE3LWJkZmMtOWNmMmFhYjlkODJl">click here</a>.<br/>
<br/>
Or, for a more comprehensive look at my experience, please visit my <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/arnoldtijerina" target="_blank">LinkedIn profile</a>.Consumers Want Video Walk-Arounds. Here's Proof!tag:www.dealerelite.net,2011-10-27:5283893:BlogPost:2371712011-10-27T14:30:50.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p>In my days with <a href="http://www.homenetauto.com/" target="_blank">HomeNet Automotive</a>, a new feature was released that allowed our customers to upload live video into their inventory for distribution to the third-party websites that would allow it.</p>
<p>Being in sales, I wanted to have a real video in which I could show potential clients the possibilities and an actual example of what one would look like so I enlisted help from a friend of mine who's a GM at a nearby dealer group to…</p>
<p>In my days with <a target="_blank" href="http://www.homenetauto.com/">HomeNet Automotive</a>, a new feature was released that allowed our customers to upload live video into their inventory for distribution to the third-party websites that would allow it.</p>
<p>Being in sales, I wanted to have a real video in which I could show potential clients the possibilities and an actual example of what one would look like so I enlisted help from a friend of mine who's a GM at a nearby dealer group to allow me to video one of his employees doing a walk-around.</p>
<div>After filming it, I used it here and there when showing a demo of IOL Pro, HomeNet's core inventory management software. After I left HomeNet Automotive, I promptly forgot about it.</div>
<div>Recently, I came across it in my YouTube video list and was <b>ASTONISHED</b> to see that it had almost <b>12,000 views</b> in about 21 months! That's an average of 570 views per month! This is without ANY exposure or publicity whatsoever. It was not on a blog post or anywhere. I can only guess that these 12,000 people came across this video via keyword searches either within YouTube or via a Google search. I did a quick keyword search and was astonished to see that my non-distributed or promoted video ranked 2nd in Google organic search results!</div>
<div><img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/6/6/0/6/2/236027-226066/venza.jpg?a=65"/><br/><br/>Imagine if this video had actually been a part of that dealer's actual inventory on their website as well as all the third-party sites. Given that this was a new vehicle, it could have been added to all of the listings for this model and year vehicle in their inventory. They could DOMINATE Google searches for their brands. <br/><br/>The proof is in the pudding. I highly doubt the people watching these videos decided randomly to watch a video walk-around of a Toyota Venza. It's more likely that these were consumer's interested in that vehicle.<br/><br/>This is advertising GOLD and cost them absolutely nothing.<br/><br/>If you want to watch it, here's the video:<br/><br/><iframe frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NQzmUMecOqM?wmode=opaque" height="315" width="560"></iframe>
</div>Digital Dealer Webinar with Joe Webb and Tim James TOMORROW!tag:www.dealerelite.net,2011-10-19:5283893:BlogPost:2336112011-10-19T13:42:40.000ZArnold Tijerinahttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/ArnoldTijerina
<p>Make sure to…</p>
<p>Make sure to <a href="https://dealer-communications.webex.com/cmp0306l/webcomponents/widget/detect.do?siteurl=dealer-communications&LID=1&RID=2&TID=12&rnd=0191779672&DT=-420&DL=en-US&isDetected=true&backUrl=%2Fmw0306l%2Fmywebex%2Fdefault.do%3Fnomenu%3Dtrue%26siteurl%3Ddealer-communications%26service%3D6%26main_url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fdealer-communications.webex.com%252Fec0605l%252Feventcenter%252Fevent%252FeventAction.do%253FtheAction%253Ddetail%2526confViewID%253D280035519%2526siteurl%253Ddealer-communications%2526%2526%2526" target="_blank">REGISTER</a> for tomorrow's Digital Dealer webinar with Joe Webb and Tim James!</p>
<p>10/20 at 11:30am EST</p>
<p><strong>Merchandizzle:</strong><em>To market your inventory profitably, you've got to add more sizzle to the steak, yo!</em></p>
<p><em>with</em></p>
<p><em><strong>Joe Webb</strong>, founder of DealerKnows Consulting and <strong>Timmy D. James</strong>, AutoMotive Merchandising Online, and the former director of sales with HomeNet Automotive.</em></p>
<p>The majority of your dealership’s calls and e-leads come from specific inventory listings found online. The content and quality of your online vehicle ads will single-handedly determine your profitability. Your best bet for success is to incorporate the new, proven fundamentals in online merchandising that maximize all of your online touch points (your web sites, online classifieds, mobile/text, QR codes, Facebook, YouTube and other social media). Utilizing these new digital tactics will improve your organic SEO, lead volume and dealership brand and convert more online lookers into in-store buyers. </p>
<p>In this fun and informative webinar, two automotive Internet and inventory merchandising experts will teach you the key elements to improve the way your inventory ads are created and showcased, along with multiple inventory marketing strategies that will earn your dealership street cred (whether you're a little bit country or a little bit rock n' roll… or maybe even a little rap).</p>
<p><strong>After attending this webinar, you’ll know: </strong><br/>1. The best team structure, staff, time and costs associated with inventory marketing.<br/>2. Specific "how-to" best practices to both promote your inventory through inventive pictures, social marketing channels, and technology.<br/>3. A detailed six-step process to write engaging and creative vehicle descriptions to connect to a range of customers (from rural to urban) and convert more lookers to buyers than ever before.<br/>4. How to best utilize video to increase consumer clicks to your inventory listing pages and through to your web site.</p>
<p><strong><img class="photo_padding" align="left" height="120" width="100" alt="image" src="http://ddwebinar.com/WEBINAR/images/WEBB.jpg"/>Joe Webb</strong> is the founder of DealerKnows Consulting, an automotive Internet sales training firm specializing in advancing dealers through both on-site and virtual consulting. Webb has been called "the funniest guy in the car business" and consults nationwide, showing dealerships success by instilling proven Internet marketing practices. He's been a top-rated speaker at Digital Dealer Conferences (eight-time speaker) and a previous writer for <em>Digital Dealer</em> magazine. In the past, he found success in the trenches when he created and managed an award-winning e-commerce department for a Chicago dealer group.</p>
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<p><strong><img class="photo_padding" align="left" height="120" width="100" alt="image" src="http://ddwebinar.com/WEBINAR/images/James.jpg"/>Timmy D. James</strong> is a leading automotive digital marketing expert and a well-respected industry trainer. He is currently bringing AutoMotive Merchandising Online to the market and is the former director of sales with HomeNet Automotive, where he led the rapidly-growing automotive digital marketing provider's direct-to-dealer marketing, sales and product initiatives. James has helped thousands of dealers dramatically increase their sales by implementing proven Internet marketing 'best practices' that are consistently employed by top e-dealers nationwide.</p>
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