AdAgencyOnline.Net

Automotive advertising agencies rely on AdAgencyOnline.Net to surface, review and recommend new automotive advertising vendors and cutting edge automotive advertising applications.  The semi-annual Digital Dealer Conference & Expositions have always earned the support of Philip Zelinger, the host of  http://AdAgencyOnline.Net and the President of a national network of independent affiliated automotive advertising agencies — Ad Agency Online, L.L.C., to help his automotive advertising resource / networking portal live up to expectations.  Philip relies on the conferences to help him discover and share best practices with his automotive advertising and auto dealer/vendor clients and The 9th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition is no exception.

The 9th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition represents an opportunity for auto dealers and automotive advertising agencies to listen and learn from automotive advertising experts and dealership practitioners that share a philosophy that a rising tide floats all boats.  The sessions conducted by these auto industry professionals sharing best practices in automotive advertising and dealership operations are complemented by the exhibits presented by various automotive advertising and auto industry vendors who support the conference.  In addition to the attending the sessions and visiting the exhibits most auto dealers and automotive advertising agencies take advantage of the social networking that takes place in this real world venue to build on the relationships that they have matured throughout the year in their online social networking communities.

Philip invited Susan Tyson, the Marketing Director for Dealer Communications – the organizers of the 9th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition – to join him on his Automotive Advertising Experts blog talk radio show that will air on Friday, September 10th, 2010 on the blog talk radio station WAAOL, All Automotive Advertising News All The Time.  Philip commented on his decision to have Susan on the show to discuss the 9th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition with his online audience of automotive advertising decision makers, “I have already interviewed Michael Roscoe, the President of Dealer Communications, and Cliff Banks, the Vice-President and Editorial Director of Dealer Communications, to review previous Digital Dealer Conferences & Expositions and I am excited to hear from Susan with the expectation that she will provide a new perspective on the event.”

About Susan Tyson

Susan Tyson is the Marketing Director for Dealer Communications. She came on board mid-July with an initial concentration on the promotion of the 9^th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition. Previously, Tyson spent close to 8 years as a marketing manager at Cars.com, primarily focused on the convention and trade show programs. She ran the Cars.com exhibit at the 1^st Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition at the airport Marriott in Nashville in spring, 2006 and continued to manage the Cars.com presence at every Digital Dealer Conference through the 6^th event in Las Vegas in spring 2009 before moving to a sales-communications focused position. Tyson is looking forward to building on the successes of Dealer Communications and the Digital Dealer Conferences to bring world-class best practices to dealerships across the US.

About the 9^th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition:

The 9^th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition, October 12 – 14 at the Mirage in Las Vegas: New Ideas, New Revenues, New Efficiencies, Greater Profits. More than 600 dealership attendees are expected.

www.DigitalDealerConference.com

• A full schedule of sessions:
  • Over 70 workshops in 7 concurrent sessions headed up by top practitioners, trainers, consultants and thought leaders in the industry delivering the newest and best ways to incorporate SEO & SEM, chat, mobile and dealership best practices into your Internet business strategy
    • More than 15 dealership practitioners will share their experiences and deliver hands-on advice and tips
  • Savvy dealerships bring as many as 7 people so they can cover ALL the sessions

• Unparalleled peer network and idea sharing:
  • Formalized peer networking roundtables segmented by dealership size at the start and end of the conference
  • Networking and problem solving with dealership managers from across the US during food and social functions
  • Learn from fellow practitioners who have already solved the problems you’re dealing with

• Exposition with vendors that successful Internet dealers need to know:
  • The exhibit hall has grown to 60,000 sq ft – that’s bigger than a football field!
  • More than 70 companies – including more than 20 new exhibitors — demonstrating the latest and greatest technologies and solutions
  • Nowhere else you can learn so much in such a short period of time

• ·       The depth and breadth of the content of presentations has increased in proportion to the growing variety of job titles attending, including
  • General managers
  • Dealer principals
  • Internet sales managers
  • E-commerce directors
  • BDC managers
  • CRM managers
  • Pre-owned managers
  • F&I managers
  • Fixed operations managers
  • Content includes need-to-know information targeted for the seasoned pro and the newest Internet sales manager

 The sessions for the 9th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition  will feature speaking sessions, roundtables and a vendor exposition for dealership managers and directors who are interested in learning more about successfully doing business on the Internet.

 In addition to the 9 practitioners on the speaking roster are leading industry trainers, consultants and thought leaders covering topics that are of crucial interest to today’s successful automobile dealership managers. Here are just a few of the more than 70 sessions to be included:

  Differentiation vs. Alignment – The New Digital Marketing Debate. What is more profitable – marketing your dealership’s brand or riding your OEM’s marketing coattails? Brent Hillyer, VP of Enterprise Sales, The Cobalt Group.

  If It’s Broke, Fix It! Business strategy to make certain that more online shoppers find your ads, engage your ads, and respond to your ads, instead of your competition’s. Timmy D. James, director of sales, HomeNet, Inc.

 The Mobile Marketplace. Selling to the on-the-go shoppers. Sharon Knitter, senior director of consumer products, Cars.com.

 Vehicle History Affects Value – Justify your Pricing and Hold More Gross. Learn how you can buy your cars at the right price, advertise them right and sell them for more gross using vehicle history. Jay Luna, process improvement manager, CARFAX.

 Social CRM – What is it and How to Make the Most of It. How can you leverage social media and CRM together for the highest ROI? Jonathan Ord, CEO and co-founder, DealerSocket.

 The Social Revolution: Social Media in the Auto Industry. How social media has changed all the rules and how you can keep up. Duncan Scarry, owner and president, Moore & Scarry Advertising.

 The Future of Automotive Web Site Analytics and Data Mining. Turn your chat, forms and phone call data into a behavioral targeting weapon. Todd Smith, co-founder and president, ActivEngage, Inc.

 Ideas that Every Dealership Group Needs. Leveraging dealer group technology to maximize efficiency and profitability. Matt Watson, lead architect of VinSolutions’ applications.

Dealership practitioners already slated to present include Broderick Alley, Diehl Auto Group; Todd Crossley, Gary Crossley Ford; Andrew DiFeo, Hyundai of St. Augustine; Jim Flint, John Eagle Dealerships; Chris Fousek, Village Automotive Group; Kevin Frye, Jeff Wyler Automotive Family; Tim Jennings, Tom Sparks Auto; Shaun Kniffin, Germain Motor Company; Joe Orr, Hannah Motor Company.

Additional speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. Read the rest of this entry »

The DrivingSales Executive Summit is an exclusive automotive event, laser focused on cutting edge dealership operations.  Philip Zelinger, the President of Ad Agency Online, L.L.C. and host of AdAgencyOnline.Net, previewed the summit on the Auto Industry Insiders blog talk radio show featured on WAAOL, All Automotive Advertising News All The Time that aired on September 02nd, 2010. 

The DrivingSales Executive Summit features an invitation-only guest list of the most successful and innovative dealership operators in the country and world-renowned speakers to educate and inspire the collaborative process.  This year’s Executive Summit will be held at the beautiful Encore hotel in the electrifying city of Las Vegas, Nevada October 18th – 20th, 2010.

Philip announced on the show that Jared Hamilton, the organizer of the event and the host of his own auto industry focused social networking resource portal http://DrivingSales.Com, will be joining him on next week’s Auto Industry Insiders show to introduce breaking news surrounding the summit and to offer promotional discounts to the affiliated automotive advertising agencies of Ad Agency Online as well as their auto dealer clients.  Philip explained his support of Jared and The DrivingSales Executive Summit, “Jared is a contributing member of our network of networkers — Auto Industry Insiders — that is hosted on AdAgencyOnline.Net.  Our group leverages our resources and online relationship with our shared philosophy that a rising tide floats all boats.  The DrivingSales Executive Summit is a real world venue that exemplifies our members individual online communities desire to share best practices in automotive advertising and in day to day operations at an auto dealership.  After all, what are friends for!”    

The event kicks off with a 30,000-foot view of the latest media and economic trends just starting to touch the industry.  These high level discussions are then translated down to the 15,000-foot view of how some of the leading dealership innovators are incorporating these trends into new strategies that drive sales at the dealership level.  To complete the event are strategy collaboration sessions at the 10-foot dealership view where dealer operators participate with their peers in round table discussions about implementing specific aspects of these newly inspired strategies.  According to Jared, “The program will inspire you and leave you with a strategic plan to drive measurable results at your store.”

The topics and speakers presented are selected by the group of dealer attendees. This insures the topics are timely, relevant and that the speakers are of the highest quality for the audience.  The agenda is not sponsor driven, it is dealer driven.

Event Objective

The purpose of the executive summit is to provide an intimate setting for an advanced group of dealership operators to collaborate, learn and be inspired about the opportunities facing dealerships at the tip of the spear.  This is not a training event for ISMs, Sales Mangers or Fixed Operations Directors.  The event is focused on the topics facing Dealer Principals, GMs and decision-making Executives and giving them the knowledge they need to drive the overall strategy in their businesses.

The event themes are submitted by registered attendees and moderated by a panel of leading-edge dealers.  The panel allows topics to be submitted and voted on up to a few weeks before the event to ensure the event is as relevant and timely as possible.

A few of the topics to be covered at this year’s event:

Dealing with Price Compression:

Due to the transparency of the Internet, vehicle price are posted everywhere and this is compressing the margins on both new and used inventory.  How are progressive dealers handling online pricing and still maintaining vehicle gross?  Is the future headed towards one price?  How should you compete and prosper in this price-sensitive, yet transparent market? Read the rest of this entry »

Philip Zelinger, the President of Ad Agency Online, L.L.C. and the host of an automotive advertising resource / networking portal — AdAgencyOnline.Net, will be speaking to an audience of Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep dealers at the 6th Annual Chrysler Southeast & Southwest Business Center Service & Parts Business Conference.  The conference is being held at the Disney Resorts Contemporary Hotel in Orlando Florida from September 22nd – 24th, 2010.

The session being presented by Philip is titled Social Media And Fixed Operations; What Was – Is And Will Be.  The importance of fixed operations to generate profits to compensate for reduced new and pre-owned vehicle sales has become self evident as dealers struggle to cover expenses in a consolidating auto industry.  The focus of Philip’s session will be to advise auto dealers how to increase their absorption rate from fixed operations — the percentage of total dealership expenses that are covered by profits generated from service and parts — using social media to leverage their automotive advertising dollars. 

Automotive advertising agencies have learned to integrate service and parts messages in their conventional and digital marketing plans. However, according to Philip Zelinger, “The cost of using social media as an automotive advertising channel must consider the labor associated with the effort.  New automotive advertising applications have been introduced to the market that leverage the resources of auto dealers by increasing the efficiencies of their staff combined with the viral nature of pushing their messages through various social networking communities. People are still part of the process, however, technology has improved the R.O.I. for every automotive advertising dollar at a time when reduced automotive advertising budgets demand it.”

In addition to Philip hosting a session on social media his automotive advertising agency — Ad Agency Online, L.L.C. — will be displaying their products and services in a special section set aside for the attending auto dealers to learn about some of the new technologies and applications being developed to promote service and parts using social media and other internet based digital marketing methods.  The Chrysler Business Center explained the value for vendors planning to exhibit at the conference in material that they posted on their website promoting the event. “The Southeast and Southwest Business Conference Expo continues to grow every year. Many of our attendees have said the best part of the Conference is the Vendor Expo “It’s like shopping at a Dealership Candy Store, every product or service imaginable is there”. Our Dealers have challenges ahead growing their business and it won’t be possible without your Products and Services. We are planning to have over 300 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep Dealerships in attendance from 12 States.” Read the rest of this entry »

Automotive advertising agencies frustrated by reduced sales volume and profit margins have been forced to focus on fixed operations vs. vehicle sales to earn their fees.  Philip Zelinger, the President of Ad Agency Online, L.L.C. and the host AdAgencyOnline.Net, has advised his national network of independent automotive advertising agencies to help their auto dealer clients improve their absorption rate from fixed operations if they expect to survive in today’s struggling economy and consolidating auto industry. 

An auto dealer’s absorption rate reflects the percentage of dealership expenses that are paid from profits earned in parts and service.  According to Philip Zelinger, “As expenses rise and sales decline the need to maintain an absorption rate in excess of 85% to 90% has become a necessity vs. a goal.  Automotive advertising agencies who limit their marketing messages to sell cars will soon be looking for work as their auto dealer clients are forced to close their doors.”

Automotive advertising decision makers will be given some practical steps to help their auto dealer clients sell service and parts on the blog talk radio station — WAAOL, All Automotive Advertising News All The Time – that is featured on AdAgencyOnline.Net.  The Lunch With Phil Discussing Automotive Advertising blog talk radio show scheduled for this Wednesday, September 01st, 2010 will be dedicated to improving profits from fixed operations.  Several automotive advertising vendor solutions focused on integrating selling processes between new and pre-owned vehicles sales and fixed operations will be reviewed by Philip as he shares best practices with his online audience.

Philip will also be discussing his plans to host a session at the 6th Annual Chrysler Southeast & Southwest BC S&P Business Conference that is being held at the Walt Disney World Contemporary Resort September 22nd – 24th, 2010.  The SEBC – SWBC service and parts business conference anticipates an audience of over 300 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep Dealerships from 12 states.  Attendance by vendors, auto dealer senior managers and guest speakers like Philip Zelinger promise to make this year’s conference the most productive ever for auto dealers anxious to increase their R.O.I. from their service and parts departments.

Philip will be hosting a session titled Social Media And Fixed Operations; What Was – Is And Will Be.  According to Philip, “My session is designed to reassure service and parts managers that they are not alone.  Automotive advertising agencies have always integrated service and parts messages into their automotive advertising campaigns.  However, the goal of previous advertising was to sell vehicles with service taking a supporting role.  The importance of fixed operations and their responsibility to carry the water for the dealership with increased absorption rates has forced automotive advertising agencies to rethink their priorities.  Conventional wisdom confirms that service sells cars but that message has taken on a new meaning when applied to the increased role of the Internet and social media.  The market is a conversation that exists before, during and most importantly after the sale.  The dialogue is more often focused on the servicing of the vehicle than the initial sales transaction.  I plan on sharing best practices in the use of social networking communities like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and similar online networks of friends to make sure that the attending Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep Dealers learn how to join in on the conversation from the inside out vs. from the outside in.  In addition to teaching the dealers how to participate in social networking communities without alienating their new online friends, I will be introducing several cutting edge technologies and automotive advertising applications that provide efficiencies to leverage the limited resources in staff and budget of today’s profit challenged auto dealers to take advantage of the viral nature of social media.” Read the rest of this entry »

Philip Zelinger, the President of Ad Agency Online, L.L.C. and host of the automotive advertising resource / networking portal AdAgencyOnline.Net, announced today that he will be reviewing eCarList and their new mobile appraisal and inventory management application TrueTarget Mobile for consideration by his affiliated automotive advertising agencies.  Philip will be interviewing Len Critcher, the CEO of eCarList, on the blog talk radio station featured on AdAgencyOnline.net — WAAOL, All Automotive Advertising News All The Time.  The Automotive Advertising Experts show hosting the interview is scheduled to air on Friday, September 03rd, 2010 from 12:00 Noon to 12:30 PM EST. 

The pair of automotive advertising insiders will be sharing best practices with automotive advertising agencies who regularly tune into WAAOL to listen and learn about new technologies and Internet driven applications that promise to change the way that auto dealers buy and sell cars.  Philip limits his product reviews to cutting edge vendors with proprietary applications and he confirmed that eCarList qualifies on many levels.  “I reviewed eCarList once before during a previous interview with Len Critcher and I knew then and there that I would have to keep in touch with him.  I was so impressed with his inventory management and marketing platform that I recommended him to one of my valued vendor clients, SiSTeR Technologies, Inc..  Based on the successful results of that introduction I am always looking for other shared opportunities with eCarList so when Len offered me a sneak preview of his new mobile appraisal and inventory management platform I jumped at the chance.  I want to take credit for introducing it to my affiliated automotive advertising agencies and my growing audience of automotive advertising decision makers who turn to me to find the latest and the greatest in technology driven automotive advertising solutions.  I am confident that the TrueTarget Mobile suite of products and services being introduced by eCarList will not disappoint them.”

About Len Critcher

With a successful background in marketing and technology, Len Critcher established one of the first Internet focused dealerships in the United States in 2001.  As a pioneer in online automotive sales, Critcher is often heralded as one of the “fathers” of online automotive marketing.  At age 28, Critcher was profiled in Forbes Magazine for his success in online automotive retailing.  Recognized as an authority in online inventory management and marketing, Critcher is often invited to speak to large groups and industry events to share his unique passion and insights into his “real world” automotive successes. In 2006, Critcher founded eCarList and has led the organization in its record growth and is also the chief architect of the company’s product development.  Critcher and his businesses have also been featured in People, Time Magazine, USA Today, CNN, American Way, Dallas Business Journal and more.

Critcher received a BA from Southern Methodist University and resides in Dallas, TX with his wife Pamela, and two young children, Carson and Sailor.

About TrueTarget Mobile

TrueTarget Mobile is the first and only mobile appraisal and inventory management application on the market to deliver both wholesale and retail data including Cars.com, AutoTrader, eBay, BlackBook, NADA, AuctionNet, Carfax, AutoCheck and more.  All data is complimented with intelligent market data including Market Days Supply, Price Variance, Option Filtering and Real-time competitive views.

Features of the app include an intuitive VIN scanner, VIN paste and quick-adds if you’re away from the vehicle, and direct integration with the eCarList desktop software.  Our dealers have the ability to photograph, price, edit and upload vehicles directly from the App to our inventory management software which instantly updates the website and retail sites. Read the rest of this entry »