PCG Consulting, Inc. announced the recipients of the 2012 Spotlight Awards following the 2012 NADA Convention in Las Vegas. The Spotlight Awards recognize the five best products at the Convention that fill important needs for car dealers.

The following companies/products were recognized with a Spotlight Award for excellence in…

The 23,000 NADA Convention attendees in Las Vegas had over 1,000 booths to visit in the exhibitor hall.  The 2012 Convention broke all attendance records according to Stephen Wade, NADA Chairman.  The automotive industry is healthy and the diversity of exhibitors and products on display this year has never been greater.

At the NADA Convention I take time…

The 2012 NADA Convention exhibitor hall was very active this year making the selection of the PCG SpotLight Award winners even more challenging.

This year five companies that attended the 2012 NADA Convention were selected by PCG as having outstanding products that will benefit the dealer community.

Dominion Be Back…

EATONTOWN, NJ – First Class Educators has just announced that ultra marathon runner, fitness expert and author, Stu Mittleman, will speak at the 2012 Digital Marketing Strategies Conference (DMSC).  

Mittleman, along with NFL trainer…

I have written about the influence of Jim Lecinski's book "Winning The Zero Moment of Truth" and the data that confirms that consumers are actively researching online during the Zero Moment of Truth prior to contacting a local car dealer.

This first contact, called the…

Dealer employees can submit a video walk-around that features themselves in a video walk-around. The car featured can be new or used, but the person in the video must be a current employee of the car dealership.

The videos will be judged by an industry panel that includes …

Car dealers are being scammed because of their desire to catch up with the Internet Reputation Management (IRM) bandwagon.  

The scam I am speaking of involves companies telling dealers that they will "post" reviews for the dealership as a  paid…

If you need a reason to register for DMSC 2012 in Las Vegas, I created a list below that speaks for itself.  

The all-star lineup of industry thought leaders, dealer principals, and educators is the basis for my claim that attending DMSC will ensure that you have the guidance to create a winning operations and marketing strategy for 2012.

In addition to DMSC, immediately…

Have you been able to quantify how much Autotrader, Cars.com, or other third party classified websites contribute to your dealership's ability to sell more cars?  

Have you questioned the importance of alternative classified websites like Craigslist or Ebay?…

If you have been around long enough, you'll remember that when the Internet first came to national attention, it was often called the Internet Highway.  Business owners were told that they needed to get their business on this promising new road.

I chuckled last year when Sean Wolfington showed by a vintage automotive marketing that…

At times I feel like a newspaper reporter on the Google "beat" just trying to stay up with the latest changes in Google search, Google Places, Google paid search, and their social strategy.  

This week I noticed that Google is exposing the details of the Google Places listing on a search that…

Google has made a major upgrade to the Google Analytics Interface and I will be writing a number of articles highlighting some of the most powerful features that can be leveraged by car dealers.

If you have not taken time to work through then new interface and reports, I strongly suggest that…

Tracy Myers has made his Cinnamon Challenge famous in YouTube.  You can watch a number of staff members attempt the Cinnamon Challenge and the videos are great!!  Most of them FAIL at the…

I visited a client at their dealership this past week. After my full day review which included time to meet and train their staff, I was asked by the Dealer Principal: "Just How Far Behind Are We?".



This is actually a common question that I get asked…

Community members are reminded that October 31st is the last day that you can take advantage of the Early Bird Discount for the 2012 Digital Marketing Strategies Conference.  

DMSC is being held just prior to NADA in Las Vegas, so you…

Google just made a big change in how they will track organic visits to your website.  If a consumer is logged into their Google Account and does a search in Google, and clicks on your link, you WILL NOT be told which keyword they used.

This has a major impact in keyword optimization and web content strategies. Google will still show referral website traffic but not the keywords used in search to arrive at your site.

Here is the official announcement from…

I was watching CNBC this morning in a Chicago hotel this morning and I was pleased to see a commercial that advertises that Ford Dealers will beat any locally advertised price on tires!  

This is exactly what local franchise dealers need from their manufacturers.  They need a message to fight back against independent…

About the 1st Automotive ZMOT Study

I've been profoundly impacted by a free book called "Winning the Zero Moment of Truth" by Jim Lecinski.  As a result of reading this book, I have created training materials, online workshops, and planning materials for car dealers on this…

We all know by now that at the end of July, Google changed how they calculate star counts on Google Places.  (see previous post)

Dealers that relied heavily on Dealerrater.com, Yelp.com, or…

I would like to invite members of this community who are going to Las Vegas for the fall conferences to add the AWA Ceremony to your agenda.  The Automotive Website Awards recognize the best technology, products, and services offered to car dealers.

The ceremony and cocktail reception is conveniently scheduled on Friday Night, October 7th at 6:00 pm…