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VIDEO NEWS THAT MOVES PEOPLE & IDEAS | Marketing, Leads & Sales Today | | The fundamentals of automotive marketing, leads, and sales continue to evolve. |
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| Table of Contents |
March 10, 2010 |
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This Year's NADA Convention
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Report from Orlando: The Automotive Digest editorial and video team got a wealth of fresh insight NADA Convention - we conducted nearly 100 on-camera interviews with key industry leaders, and we'll be running those them in each issue of Dealer Management Weekly and each issue of Dealer Digest Daily. In this issue, AutoTrader.com's Chip Perry talks about the continuing evolution of marketing, sales & leads - and how to use them today. We also talk to IMN's Brian Epro about using e-newsletter as a powerful and engaging soft sales tool; and to Mark Goodenow from BDO Consulting about problems that continue to plague automotive suppliers. Also in this issue: used car industry reports from Manheim and OPENLANE, industry movers & shakers, and a concise rundown of the week's significant news developments. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Let us hear from you: What do you think of Dealer Management Weekly? How can we make the publication better? Drop me a line at ted@automotivedigest.com and let me know. Ted Roberts, Managing Editor
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Chip Perry
AutoTrader.com
President and CEO
Marketing, Leads & Sales Today
The fundamentals of automotive marketing, leads, and sales continue to evolve - and video is an important part of the process.
- [Read More] |
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Brian Epro
IMN Loyalty Driver
Vice President
E-Newsletters as a Marketing & Sales Tool
Sending customers e-newsletters with soft, engaging content is powerful stealth marketing - one that lets dealers make great use of their databases.
- [Read More] |
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Mark Goodenow
BDO Consulting
Director
Landscape Rough for Automotive Suppliers
In 2010, the landscape for most automotive suppliers is still looking pretty gloomy.
- [Read More] |
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Stats and Smart Charts
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Top 10 Web Brands For US Users - January 2010
[Click to enlarge graphic]
 Significance of the Data
- Facebook is top 10 web brand users spend most time on
- Facebook users average 7 hours a month in January
- Only brand in top 10 that had users increase time spent for the month
- Google still top of the list and Yahoo not far behind
Source: Nielsenwire - Feb. 16. 2010
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Industry Conferences
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San Diego, CA April 26-29, 2010
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Las Vegas, NV May 9-12, 2010
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Novi, MI June 8-9, 2010
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Marina del Rey, CA June 8, 2010
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Marina del Rey, CA June 9, 2010
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Las Vegas, NV June 14-17, 2010
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Tom Webb
Manheim Consulting
Chief Economist
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Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index
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Wholesale used vehicle prices rose in February, even after accounting for large normal seasonal upswing in pricing. Index stood at 118.1 in February, representing a 0.4% increase from January and an 11.9% increase from a year ago.
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Dr. Nagi Palle
OPENLANE
VP of Analytics
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OPENLANE Market Index
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Used car sales declined in February while new car sales were up. Year-over-year used car sales are down 1%, and new car sales are up 12% relative to February 2009. Used vehicle price levels remaining steady.
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Potential Wholesale Supply of Used Vehicles:
Remains constrained by the low level of new vehicle sales.
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US Used Car Prices:
Flat in first 2 weeks of February, then gained 2 percentage points above January 2010.
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Wholesale Market Demand:
Demand for used units in the wholesale market remains strong.
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Minivan Prices Dipped in 2nd Week of February:
Then increased 5 percentage points above January 2010.
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Higher Incentives May Not Hurt Residuals:
GM increased transaction price $4K from year ago -- a positive sign.
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SUV Prices in February:
Increased in first week, then ended with the same January 2010 levels.
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Used Vehicle Retail Sales:
Preliminary numbers suggest modest gain in February.
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Trucks Had Largest Fluctuation Mid-Month:
Truck prices dropped 11 percentage points in 2nd week of February.
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Mid-Priced Cars Show Strength:
Short supply at auction due to reduction in off-rental units, and prices strong.
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Despite Trucks' Mid-Month Movements:
Trucks' month-average levels remained on par with January levels at 111 points.
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Van Segments:
On a year-over-year basis have shown the biggest gains.
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Canadian Used Car Prices:
Ended February 12 percentage points below January 2010.
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Toyota Residuals for Recalled Models:
Weakened in recent weeks, expect part of recent decline will be reversed.
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Other Segments Compared to January 2010:
Minivan increased 5 percentage points, SUV dropped same amount, trucks were level.
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People Going Places
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Derrick Kuzak
Ford Motor Company
Group Vice President
Ford's Group Vice President, Global Product Development, Derrick Kuzak, was officially selected as a recipient of the 2010 National Academy of Engineering (NAE) award, the highest honor and most prestigious award in the engineering community. Kuzak has overall responsibility for all aspects of the company's product development globally. In this role, he leads a team responsible for efficient development and delivery of Ford's product portfolio around the world.
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Steve Millstein
ATX Group, Inc.
President
Steve Millstein, President of ATX Group, Inc., a leading provider of connected vehicle (or telematics) services for the global automotive industry, today announced his decision to retire as president, effective March 31, 2010. He will actively continue with the company as senior advisor, providing ongoing advice and counsel on industry trends and strategic growth. Millstein has been a leading figure in the development of the connected vehicle industry and has overseen the dramatic growth and transformation of ATX.
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| The Next Big Thing |
NADA Chairman Presents Priorities to Congress
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The Administration and Congress are moving ahead on several legislative fronts that will directly affect auto dealers and the driving public. Issues range from the Toyota recalls, availability of inventory financing, and integrating California environmental standards as part of EPA regulations. NADA Chairman Ed Tonkin was in Washington to meet with Senators to present the NADA's views on these issues. Individual dealers will need to be vigilant and make their opinions known to the representatives.
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EPA Holds Key to Mahindra's US Launch
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It may be an unlikely time for a new automaker to enter the U.S. market, but India's Mahindra is poised to do just that. The automaker hopes to boost home country exports to emerge as a power on the world automotive stage. Mahindra's initial entry will be a compact pickup that will compete against Ranger and Tacoma. Mahindra's last hurdles: it must get by the EPA and satisfy safety concerns.
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| Internet Sales & Marketing |
Polk Launches New Direct Mail Tool
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R.L. Polk & Co. has launched Automotive Lists Online, a new Web-based system that enables dealers and direct marketing agencies to quickly order highly-effective automotive marketing lists for use in vehicle sales and service marketing campaigns. The new online list ordering system identifies consumers that are most likely to own a particular brand of vehicle, who are in the market to purchase a specific vehicle and who are likely to spend within a particular budget amount, among other criteria.
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New Toyota Ad Campaign Emphasizes Having Loyal Customers During Crisis
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Ironically, Toyota ads done months ago are popping up everywhere, and Toyota decides to move forward on its ad campaign and sell more cars even as inquiring minds argue safety.
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| The Green Dealership |
GE Energy to Offer Smart Electric Vehicle Home Charging Systems
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Electric vehicles charging in homes are expected to create problems for utilities attempting to manage demand. Smart charging systems will not only alert utilities when vehicles are tapping the grid but could enable owners to program charging at reduced off-peak rates.
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Dow Chemical Bringing Lithium Battery Jobs to Michigan
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Dow Chemical is benefiting from state incentives by building lithium-polymer batteries for electric vehicles in Michigan. Dow Kokam MI LLC is a joint venture formed last year between Dow Chemical Co. and South Korean partner TK Advanced Battery LLC. The facility entails a $394 million investment from Dow Kokam MI over the next three years and will create 320 full-time jobs by February, 2014.
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| F&I Administration |
Lending for Dealer Inventory a Priority for NADA
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With support from President Obama's Automotive Task Force, the NADA is pushing lenders to release more money to dealers to finance new and used inventory. NADA would also like Congress to guarantee more SBA funds.
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Experian Reports Trends in Auto Financing
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Due in large part to the troubled capital markets, Experian Automotive reported that captives lost a relatively large share of outstanding loan balances in the third quarter of last year, compared with the third quarter of 2008. In fact, captives were down 5.4 percent or about $12 billion. Meanwhile, outstanding balances in the finance and other categories fell a dramatic 22.7 percent or $23 billion.
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| Used Vehicle Sales and Remarketing |
Black Book: Wholesales Prices Maintain Upward Momentum in February
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The Black Book reports that 63% of used-car models showed wholesale value increases in February. Premium sporty cars and compact cars had jumps in average value. As more Toyota models return to the auction lanes, they're seeing relatively strong demand.
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LeasePlan Recognizes Auction Partners at Conference of Automotive Remarketers
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The Conference of Automotive Remarketers includes Consignor Recognition Awards ceremony in which LeasePlan highlights its top performers. The Top Sales Achievement Award went to ABC Birmingham with Manheim NJ and Manheim Arena Chicago receiving Outstanding Service Awards.
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| Aftermarket Trends & Issues |
Nissan Recall Could Affect 540,000 Vehicles Globally
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Nissan is recalling 540,000 vehicles due to potential defects in fuel-gauge components and brake-pedal pins. The recall affects Titan pickups, Armada SUVs and Quest minivans. Most vehicles were sold in the US, but some were sold in Mexico, Canada, Japan and other markets.
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OmniVision Sensor Now Shipping to Tier-1 Suppliers
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A new CMOS image sensor from OmniVision Technologies is currently shipping to Tier-1 suppliers. The sensor can be used in 360-degree view cameras or other automotive vision applications such as blind-spot detection.
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