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News
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Car makers see end to sales slide
The three biggest car makers in America called a bottom to the long decline in U.S. auto sales as the industry reported its smallest monthly sales drop this year, The Wall Street Journal reports. New-vehicle sales in June fell 28 percent from a year earlier to 860,000 cars and light trucks, according to the market-research firm Autodata Corp. That would be the smallest decline in any month this year. "We believe the industry is moving beyond the bottom," said Bob Carter, group vice president of Toyota Motor Co. in the U.S. "The weak economy's grip on the auto industry appears to be lessening."
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Kbb.com names most-researched new-vehicles in first-half '09
Redesigned Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Fusion, Volkswagen Jetta, Lexus RX350 in Top 20
Kelley Blue Book said the Honda Accord was the most-researched new-vehicles for the first half of 2009. kbb.com is one of the most trafficked automotive research sites with more than 12 million visits per month, so which specific vehicles consumers are checking out on the site has become a leading indicator of sales patterns for manufacturers, Kelley says. Kbb.com's top 20 Most-Researched New Vehicles for First-Half of 2009 had Japanese models taking the first nine spots followed by Ford Mustang and No. 10.
[FULL STORY]
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Warning issued about 'Cash For Clunkers' online scams
The recent passage of the "Cash For Clunkers" bill has sparked a nationwide wave of interest in the program, which provides up to $4,500 to car-owners who trade in their old "clunker" for a new, more fuel efficient alternative. However, the flood of enthusiasm for the program has led to the emergence of scams targeting car owners looking to benefit from the program. CashForClunkersInformation.org, a consumer information site that has educated the public about the new program since its inception, has issued a warning to consumers and is providing specific instructions on how to avoid scams on their Web sites.
[FULL STORY]
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GM deadline crucial
The U.S. Treasury Department could stop financing General Motors Corp.'s restructuring, forcing the automaker to liquidate, if a sale of GM's best assets is not approved by July 10, President and CEO Fritz Henderson testified Tuesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, The Detroit News reports. Emphasizing the deadline puts pressure on the court to endorse the sale quickly. The Obama administration set it as a way to ensure that the sale, with so many participants, doesn't fall apart, a person familiar with the matter said. But it is unlikely that the administration would push GM into liquidation, absent a major setback, given that it has agreed to invest $50 billion in the automaker's rescue. During bankruptcy proceedings earlier this month, Chrysler LLC reiterated that it had a firm government deadline to sell its good assets to Italy's Fiat SpA, which helped keep the case on track for a speedy emergence of the new Chrysler Group LLC. Like Chrysler, GM is using Section 363 of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy code, which allows it to divide its assets and sell the best to form a new GM; the bad assets remain in court as part of the old GM to be liquidated.
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Save the Date
Several weeks ago, Jack Fitzgerald, Alan Spitzer, and Tamara C. Darvish worked to form the Committee to Restore Dealer Rights. The primary focus of this committee is to secure passage of the Bipartisan Automobile Dealer Economic Rights Restoration Act of 2009, which now carries 202 Congressional Cosponsors and 10 Senators. The committee was formed in the wake of the Chrysler and GM bankruptcies to protect the rights of thousands of terminated auto dealerships and customers and communities they serve. As the process of the Bankruptcy hearings for Chrysler and GM progressed, and both Manufacturers initiated new Dealer Agreements for the “move forward” dealers, it became more than obvious that all Dealers, whether “rejected” or “move forward” were is dire need of this exact legislation that House introduced as HR2743 and the Senate as S1304, says Darvish, of the DARCARS Automotive Group and Washington Director – NADA Member – Committee to Restore Dealer Rights. Read her letter to dealers inside.
[FULL STORY]
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 Read the July issue of Digital Dealer before it comes out in print! Click here
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Terminated Chrysler dealers offered free 'rebound' training
Former dealership general manager Dave Anderson is offering auto dealers who lost their Chrysler franchise agreements a free $1,500.00 training package to help their businesses rebound. Anderson, the president of LearnToLead and a popular Dealer magazine columnist, says, "As someone who used to manage a large group of dealerships in Northern California, I can just imagine how devastating it would be to have a major franchise terminated without warning. I want to do something for these guys. "While this offer of free training products and services won't change anyone's fortunes overnight, I hope they will help these former Chrysler dealerships rebuild their businesses," he says. "There are no strings attached, no "gotchas", no fine print. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I shoot straight." For more information click here
[FULL STORY]
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How can advertisers get through to teens?
The first generation to grow up digital is online nearly all the time,emarketer notes in a story this week. According to the “Teen Advertising Study” by Fuse Marketing and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, 45% of U.S. teen Internet users were heavy users of the Web. Thirty-eight percent characterized themselves as average users, and 16% were light users. Teen Web users were active users of online media—90% used e-mail, 83% watched online video and 72% were social networkers. Authors of the survey wrote that the most effective ad content for reaching teens had “people like me enjoying the product” and humor. Least effective were ads that caused an emotional response or “personal interaction” with an ad.
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NADAguides names 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid 'Car of the Month'
Since its introduction earlier this year, the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid has garnered an impressive list of accolades, including the title "Most Fuel Efficient Mid-Size Car in America." Today, the Fusion Hybrid receives another honor as it is named the NADAguides.com "Car of the Month" for June.
[FULL STORY]
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VisiStat releases LeadCaster
VisiStat, Inc. has announced the release of LeadCaster, its newest add-on module. LeadCaster, a real-time lead generation application, marks VisiStat as the first Web analytics service to offer live leads within an analytics environment, the company said in its announcement.
[FULL STORY]
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The Best of Digital Dealer magazine
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Learn more about the CRM solution chosen by the Holman Auto Group (as featured in July 08 Digital Dealer magazine). Read about Holman Auto Group here, and visit us online at www.autobase.net.
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Internet sales in a struggling market
by Daryl Sanders
With the slowdown in store traffic, it’s time for auto dealerships across the nation to think and act differently than ever before. As a result of decreased sales, many stores have nearly shut off their ad budgets, other than short-term event efforts. Why? During these days of uncertainty, potential customers aren’t responding even to the best advertising efforts. However, in spite of this economic slump, there are opportunities that are coming into our store that we are not maximizing efforts to convert. After all my years in the car business I propose that most stores are missing prospective customers every day. So, as a seller, how do you find the hidden buyers and what do you do with them? Read more
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