According to Black Book® data, used vehicles model years 2008-2012 overall depreciated -0.3% in March, showing continued strength in seasonal retention compared to the -1.1% rate in February. Domestic cars gained in value by +0.7%; import cars depreciated -0.6%; domestic trucks gained in value by +0.6%; and import trucks depreciated -0.8%. Average pre-recession depreciation is historically between -1% and -2% monthly, and Black Book expects overall 2014 depreciation of -13.5%.



March…

How good does it feel to accomplish something?

Some of us feel good just getting through the checklist we have for the day.…

DMEautomotive named as Dealer Marketing Magazine’s 2014 Technology Leader in Service Marketing for Driver Connect

Daytona Beach, Fla., April 9, 2014 -- DMEautomotive’s (DMEa), the leader in science-based, results-driven automotive marketing, has received the prestigious Dealer Marketing Magazine Technology Leadership Award for the second…

With Big Data and analytics having been the hot topic over the past couple of years, many dealers are recognizing that they can increase the effectiveness of their marketing. Many dealers, however, outsource much of their digital marketing to vendors that sell them on the use of their data to achieve this. The problem is that most vendors don’t really use it as they say they…

It’s been widely reported by social media experts that organic reach for Facebook pages has plummeted in the past 6 months; from as high as 15%, to the current 1-2%.  As a public company, Facebook has a need to appease its shareholders by monetizing its platform as much as possible. Facebook knows that there is a fine line between delivering relevant content that users want…

I believe that you start your day with a good thought,

and end your day with a good thought.

Your mind is like a computer,…

In a recent announcement by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, it was revealed that Yahoo will soon stop allowing its users to login using their Facebook or Google credentials. This move is an effort by Yahoo to better control its content and services. On the surface, the move makes sense and…

DMEa Driver Connect joins with leading prepaid maintenance provider to put Fidelis PPM in the palm of the customer’s hand -- and powerful mobile marketing and retention at the dealership’s fingertips

Daytona Beach, FL –April 8, 2014 – DMEautomotive (DMEa), the leader in science-based, results-driven automotive marketing, today announced that…

Both automotive management and…

How much influence does ‘change’ have on today’s car shopper? In the past, financial motivations drove the behavior of car shoppers, but our desire to simply change is viewed as the main reason we shop for a car today, according to a new study from the car-leasing marketplace Swapalease.com.

 

According to results of an online survey presented to more than 1,000 drivers across…

You want change, then it is about you.

Just do it!

Have a great attitude…

Let’s face it, times are changing. We are in an age where technology is advancing rapidly and it’s changing the way people run their lives. The creation of the mobile app has replaced how the world uses the internet, changing businesses all over the world. People are finding apps more simple, useful, and faster than websites. Mobile apps are bringing businesses more widespread consumer mobile adoption as it enhances their corporate marketing strategies. This mobile take over isn’t just…

Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of Beggs on the Used Car Market, with the latest vehicle valuation data from Ricky Beggs and Black Book. We trust you have had a good week on the retail lots, in the auction lanes and airwaves and within the finance offices.



For those of you who have commented over the past several weeks that you expect the market to soften, you will…

"...you can't just throw it on there and expect it to generate more sales leads or help you sell more cars"

When the internet began to commercialize in the late 90's, you could throw up a website with a few nice pictures and you were ahead of the competition. Then you had to add your inventory just to be competitive. The same is true with live chat on your website - you can't just throw it on there and…

Here is a great thought to start our week out with!

Being an old Navy guy this picture hits home.

Notice how calm the waters…

Most discussions about Social Media between automotive advertising agencies and their auto dealer clients center around R.O.I.; or their perceived lack thereof. I accept responsibility for providing proof of my performance. However, I question short term quantitative evaluations that don't consider the qualitative long term benefits of customer loyalty, satisfaction, retention and residual income derived from a comprehensive marketing plan that includes social media.



A real world…

Volvo's Concept Estate, the Future of the Volvo Lineup. 

Cutting Edge Technology combined with impeccable luxurious styling both on the exterior and interior with an iPad-styled touch-screen display system. 

Some pictures of the Volvo Estate for those who haven't seen them yet, it's…

A good social media advertising campaign (or any marketing campaign at all, for that matter) should be guided by science. Testing, monitoring, adjusting, and testing again are the cornerstones of a good marketing strategy.

Much of what we do in the car business comes with assumptions. We do things that we have known from past experience to be successful.…