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Digital Dealer eZine
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SOMETHING ON YOUR MIND?
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Editor's Picks
Ed, We Hardly Knew You
General Motors today said that Edward E. Whitacre, Jr. will step down as chief executive officer on September 1, 2010, and as chairman of the board by the end of the year. Dan Akerson, 61, who has served on the GM board of... »
The Pain of Buying a Car
A series of recent -- and painful articles and blogs in the mainstream press reveal we still have a lot of work to do in customer perception in our industry. The lesson for dealers is, if you can brand your dealership as the... »
Driver Error to Blame in Toyota Cases
A recent investigation conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that drivers may be to blame for the crashes involving Toyota vehicles. CNNMoney.com said researchers found drivers may not have applied... »
Blogs
Blog: Let's Play Make a Deal -- Cliff Banks
by Cliff Banks
Several months ago, I wrote that 2010 would be a year of acquisitions in the technology space. Whether I’ll be able to brag about my predicting abilities at the end of the year remains to be seen. These deals are hard to get across the finish line for a lot of reasons. I know of at least one significant buy that recently fell apart at the end. Click here to read the full blog.
It’s Good to Do the ‘Get Around’
by Joe Webb
One reason study abroad programs are so popular for today’s youth is that they can open one’s eyes up to new experiences and cultures. Often, some of our fondest memories in life stem from our vacation and travel experiences. They expand our thinking and change our beliefs about how we fit into our world. Very few things can have as profound an impact as going from place to place – or as I like to call it, “doing the Get Around.” Click here to read more.
Benefits Build Relationships
by TJ Wisner
Research tells us that sales people, in general, cannot describe the difference between their products' or services' (F&B's) features and benefits. For that matter, most companies and many marketing “experts” often fail to properly delineate the key differences between features and benefits. Click here to read more.
Ford, Be Fair to Your Mercury Dealers
Cliff Banks
Ford Motor Co. and its President CEO Alan Mulally are today’s feel good story basking in the warm glow of what has been a good run the last couple of years. And yes, it is deserved. Mulally and company have done a remarkable job guiding Ford through the recent recession to profitability while hitting some homeruns with newly launched products. But -- there is a but -- Ford seems to be getting a free pass on the Mercury story. Click here to read the full blog.
Daily Affirmation
“Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures.”
--H. Jackson Brown, Jr., Life's Little Instruction Book
Click here to read more Daily Affirmations
9th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition Information
9th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition Announces First Round of Speakers
The first round of speakers for the 9th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition has been released. The event, scheduled for October 12 to 14, 2010, at the Mirage in Las Vegas will feature sessions, roundtables and a vendor... »
Latest News
GM Profit Reaches $1.3 Billion; Will File IPO this Week
General Motors Company today announced its second quarter 2010 results, marked by revenue of $33.2 billion and net income attributable to common stockholders of $1.3 billion, resulting in earnings per share on a diluted basis of... »
Interview with E-Commerce Director Chris Fousek
The Village Automotive Group in Massachusetts first jumped on the Internet wave in 1999. They were even posting inventory online as early as 1999. E-commerce Director Chris Fousek recounts some of those early days, and shares... »
9th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition Announces First Round of Speakers
The first round of speakers for the 9th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition has been released. The event, scheduled for October 12 to 14, 2010, at the Mirage in Las Vegas will feature sessions, roundtables and a vendor... »
Ewanick Talks Website Branding
Joel Ewanick, head of North American marketing for General Motors Corp., sat down with Marketing Daily and discussed the all-new websites for GM’s four core brands. Ewanick shares the thoughts behind Buick’s website and how that... »
Dealer Shoots Car Thief
A dealer took matters into his own hands when he tracked down three men who stole a vehicle from his dealership. The StandardSpeaker.com reported the owner of the used car lot allegedly fired shots at the men who were getting... »
Automaker Ads Push Consumer Pride
What do the years 1970 and 2010 have in common when it comes to advertising? The answer is the cultural conditions, according to a story in Brandweek, are about the same mostly with the economic instability the country is... »
600 Chrysler Dealers Invited to Fiat Event
Chrysler Group LLC announced this week it has invited about 600 of its dealer to attend the Fiat Experience on August 30 in Detroit. Chrysler said the Fiat Experience will provide dealers with a comprehensive overview of Chrysler... »
More News »
Expert Advice
Structure and People: The Key to Executing a Great Process
If process is the foundation of superior Internet sales performance, then structure and people are what leverage that foundation to create success. Implement the right structure and people and your sales will soar. What... »
Profiles of Success
E-Commerce Director Chris Fousek, Village Automotive Group
The Village Automotive Group in Massachusetts first jumped on the Internet wave in 1999. They were even posting inventory online as early as 1999. E-commerce Director Chris Fousek recounts some of those early days, and shares... »
White Papers
Reaching Automotive Consumers Online - A dealer Web site Builder Story
How do you ensure your dealership website comes up first in the search engine when I customer searches for vehicles in that area? What automotive dealer websites builders do the best job of getting their clients in the first... »
Share Your Opinion
Angry customer's video on YouTube gets 110,000 views. What would you do if this happened to you?
Click here to share your thoughts in the Forums section on the Automotive Digital Marketing Professional Community.
New Products and Services
9th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition Announces First Round of Speakers
The first round of speakers for the 9th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition has been released. The event, scheduled for October 12 to 14, 2010, at the Mirage in Las Vegas will feature sessions, roundtables and a vendor... »
The Real Deal: Social Media Marketing and Reputation Management Strategy Instead of clever widgets and gadgets.....
Although, we got plenty of useful tools and proprietary apps... Your dealership needs to partner up with a team that has a well planned, tested and proven approach to the social web. Unlike other forms of marketing, social media can hurt you if it is not handled properly!