Ford's YOY income dropped by $38B or 2 cents per share in the third quarter. The company remains positive about their earnings though, and it is a comparison against some of their best earnings ever.

http://bit.ly/smJf3Y

More and more people are moving to Internet auto shopping on their SmartPhones, in fact, the year over year increases in shopping for a car beat increases in social media and gaming. Yup folks, a mobile presence is getting to be more and more of a requirement if you dealership is going to position itself to be involved in the sale of a vehicle found online.

JD Power found a year over year increase of forty-one percent on people using a SmartPhone to shop for a vehicle online. Now 24% of SmartPhone Internet users shop on their device… Interactive Marketing John Druien 2011-10-26 07:40:16 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/124

With holiday road trips coming up, Cars.com has partnered with Pandora to create 3 custom stations - "Road Trip," "Car Songs" and "Tailgate." The stations can be accessed thru the car, computer, iPad, iPhone and more…

http://bit.ly/oU3ScK

Have an extra $400-$600,000? You could be the proud owner of one of the 3 Back to the Future DeLorean's that still exist when they go up for Auction in December.

http://bit.ly/rjww32

Although Hyundai's loyalty rating dropped 4.4 percentage points over second quarter, it remains the brand with the most loyalty at 48 percent. Toyota is right behind it with 47.9 percent. Makes you wonder, with all the trouble that Toyota has had, how it maintains such strong loyalty and what would happen to Hyundai if a major recall, an earthquake or some other dire situation befell its brand. Or is the earthquake part of the reason that Toyota IS so high?

How loyal are you to your brand?

http://bit.ly/psLaIe

So to make up for the off year for Toyota and Honda due to the tsunami and earthquake, will there be an incentive war in the fourth quarter? AutoNation's Mike Jackson does not think it will be as wild as sources such as Kelly Blue Book feel it will, however he agrees that it will be a strong quarter in new car sales. Jackson feels that incentives will be better than have been seen in the last 6 months, but not enough to trigger a price war.

What are your thoughts on this? I personally think that OEM's… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-10-03 08:38:14 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/120

Ever heard of LemonFree.com? It's an automotive shopping portal that is growing in visitors and popularity and just this week they have revisited their look and launched a mobile site to continue to increase traffic and leads. The new mobile site will work with all mobile devices and allow shoppers to view the 2.3 million vehicles listed on the site, and contact participating dealers.

And for those of you that understand the importance of driving Vehicle Detail Page (VDP) traffic, LemonFree.com does include the VIN in each vehicle's URL. What more information on how to include LemonFree in… Interactive Marketing John Druien 2011-10-03 08:21:31 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/119

A new survey from AutoUSA released that most Internet departments will spend the same, if not more money on online marketing through the rest of 2011. Of the dealerships that said they were planning to cut spending, over half of them decided to take the cuts within traditional marketing, not online. Forty percent of dealers that plan to increase spending, are planning on increasing that spending on Social Media and Reputation Management.

http://bit.ly/or8xXD

According to a new article that came out today in Auto Remarketing, Art Spinella of CNW, says that newspaper is still beating other mediums in driving dealership lead traffic. According to a dealership, Cox Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, in Wilson, NC, newspaper is the best medium for driving store traffic, and this is according to the Internet Manager. Rather than making this an opinion piece, I want to get your feedback….what do YOU think about newspaper advertising as the most active medium for driving dealership traffic? Make sure to follow UpShift Digital on Facebook and comment there.

Here's… Media John Druien 2011-09-27 07:39:20 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/117

So where are you in the whole Facebook face-off? Are you pissed? Are you posting a nasty picture about what Facebook did to YOUR Facebook (really? Do you pay to be there? I don't). How about sharing the status update that Facebook is going to start charging you unless you post that status and your profile pic turns blue. That's a hoax by the way .... a really old one.

I, for one, like the new Facebook changes. I am a pretty frequent user and would say that I am there multiple times, every day, even if I… Interactive Marketing John Druien 2011-09-26 10:34:10 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/116

Some good news for Saab Automotive, NV as it announced on Wednesday that they had received approval to reorganize.

http://bit.ly/otVNMY

Chevy discovers that more dads are running car pools these days. Read about the rise of the "Dad Mobile."

http://bit.ly/q0wPqk

As the Chevrolet bowtie logo nears its 100 birthday, the theories of how that design came to be again hit the blogosphere. Where did William Durant, the co-founder of General Motors, get the inspiration that became the most famous logo of all time? There are multiple different sources and ideas and here are just a few.

The Paris concept…One of the earliest suggestions for where the bowtie came from centers around a piece of wall paper from a hotel in Paris. The theory was published in 1961 in The Chevrolet Story and stated that Durant was traveling in… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-09-08 09:02:29 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/113

Brands you don't often see with recalls popped up in the news today with a couple of issues. Honda revealed a couple of recalls affecting over 85,000 vehicles and BMW's recall could include more than 200,000 cars.

The BMW recall includes 3-Series sedans from 2002 - 2005, which is over 241,000 units, about a concern with the rear-lamp unit that could lead to damage to the ground terminal of the connector, ultimately resulting in intermittent or permanent loss of functionality of one or more of the rear lamp functions (tail light, brake light or turn signal.) Many of… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-09-07 08:54:50 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/112

Interesting that Ford and Toyota have partnered to bring some Hybrid and On-Board internet technologies to the market together. Is this perhaps in response to the Volt and success coming to Chevrolet and the Leaf and Nissan? As this is "breaking news" will be interesting to follow the story over the next few days.

http://bit.ly/puNHIH

Fiat-Chrysler released their quarterly results yesterday, the first time the results were released together, and the new was positive. Quarterly net revenues were up 40.2 percent to 13.2 billion euros. Had they not been paying back the American and Canadian governments for their bail-out cash, the company would have actually seen a net positive income for the quarter.

After a personal trip to Italy, I have a new opinion of the combined company, and see that the Fiat relationship is actually a very positive one for Chrysler. In the past, I had the vision that Fiat was the… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-07-27 09:08:28 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/110

A brake light malfunction requires Ford to recall as many as 25,000 trucks that were built at their Twin Cities plant. The multi-function switch that operates the brake, hazard and turning lights may have been shipped with a subcomponent that will malfunction. The end result is brake lights not illuminating and the risk for a crash from vehicles behind.

The recall includes the Ford E-250, E-350, E-450 and E-550 from 2002 to 2007. Excursions from 2002 - 2005 and Rangers from 2004 to 2011 model years are also included.

Dealers will begin making repairs August 15th.

… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-07-21 13:05:39 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/109

Monday Porsche announced a mobile tag program (using QR codes) to allow potential buyers a way to get additional information on the vehicles that they are looking at, even though they may not be able to get to the dealership during working hours.

A scan of the mobile tag, on select Porsches, will give the shoppers access to micro websites with additional information, review and yes, even the option to listen to the engine. Which I would agree means Porsche has a good understanding of their audience.

Porsche has also announced that that dealers can now use… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-07-13 08:38:26 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/108

June saw not only a near record for CPO sales, but also saw a strong increase in the prices on CPO vehicles over last year. Last month say an 8% year over year increase according to statistics from Autodata Corp. AutoTrader.com indicated that the prices of many of those CPO vehicles are climbing too. Seventeen of the 20 most popular CPO models saw price increases in the month of June.

The Certified Honda Accord saw an 11% price increase and the Civic models sale a 10% increase. The Toyota Highlander increased by nearly 11% and the Ford Mustang… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-07-12 07:21:40 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/107

According to LeaseTrader.com demand is increasing for the previously suffering automotive segments such as mid-sized trucks and SUV's. Gas prices dropping nearly 50 cents since May (as confirmed by the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration) has had a major contribution to this increase in demand.

The vehicle seeing the biggest uptick include the Honda CRV with demand up 10.2% since June 1st. Other leaders include the Ford Edge, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Highlander and Mazda CX-9.

http://bit.ly/oAJDaX

200 Cadillac dealers across the country will be upgrading their facilities over the next two years, to truly represent the luxury in luxury brand. The announcement comes on the heels of the brand announcing that it is improving their Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) program as well.

I have long said that the domestics are lagging behind the imports when it comes to facilities that represent the quality of the brand. Buying a car has to be beyond the vehicle itself, but most impress a potential customer on what the ownership cycle will be like as well. Many of the… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-06-14 10:15:39 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/105

One of Google's best sellers is leaving for start up Media6Degrees

http://bit.ly/kSKiyf

I knew this one was coming, and had actually heard that eCarList was neck and neck with Vin Solutions to be purchased by AutoTrader. Interesting buy from DealerTrack. And congrats to Len Critcher for building a strong company from the ground up to get bought out.

Again my question is, Who's next? And where the heck is Cars.com in all this acquision fevor?

http://bit.ly/iw2ExX

AutoTrader continues their massive acquisition into the full digital solution company and away from the auto portal stand alone concept. Watch this space for more information - this is a BIG deal! What is Cars.com doing? The space is about to get interesting and I am afraid someone's at risk of getting left behind.

After General Motors posted a $3 Billion profit for first quarter 2011, the auto manufacturer opted to reinvest in the American sports car, the Corvette. GM has agreed to invest $131 million into the Bowling Green plant that will create 250 new jobs.

GM North American President, Mark Reuss stated that "This is a significant day for anyone who believes that America should build world-class, high-performance products." The investment in Kentucky is part of the $3.4 Billion investment that General Motors has made since 2009. These investments have created approximately 9,000 jobs.

These are important figures for… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-05-08 20:48:56 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/101

Fuel prices are again the main consideration when making a vehicle purchase, according to the latest Kelly Blue Book Intelligence. Fuel prices, coupled with current economic conditions are making a majority of people buying both new and pre-owned vehicles change their purchase decision. As you will remember, in 2008, the last time we faced these prices, a large majority of shoppers were driven to Google and began to include "gas mileage" as part of their vehicle search.

The majority is so great that KBB stated in April, 84 percent of survey respondants said that fuel ecomony was a… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-05-05 07:41:40 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/100

This is not the type of article I usually post on the UpShift Digital blog, but wanted to get the word out on Steve McIntosh's murder on Friday.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/Arlington222-120527664.html

As college exams approach, Honda is using their new site "Study Break" to create a social tour to introduce and market six all new models of the 2012 Civic. The tour will start off at Arizona State University and continues until May 5th. Students can tour the vehicles and get chances at free lunches by texting  special codes found on vehicles. (do people actually still do short codes?)

For more information check out http://www.civicstudybreak.com

According to an article from today's AutoRemarketing (link below), Cars.com is stating that the increasing wholesale market pricing is making its way onto the retail side of the business as well.

Cars.com states that the average price, across all makes, saw a 10% over the last year. The biggest increases were Hyundai, up 22% (I told you they were a brand to watch), Mercury up 19% and Ford up 14% (another brand I have been bragging about since Cash for Clunkers). The Chevrolet Camaro saw the biggest model increase at $2,312 over last year and the Ford F… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-04-14 09:29:43 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/96

The "Black Book" managing editor Ricky Beggs said that never before has the pricing guide made so many adjustments in one single week. There were more than 22,000 price adjustments last week. The demand for "clean" rated pre-owned vehicles in soaring skyward.

The highest percentages of increases last week were at 74 percent. The overall gain was $61, as nine out of ten car segments increased. There were three segments that increased over $100, including entry midsize, up $117, compact cars, up $104 and near luxury cars, up $101. Entry level just missed the $100 increase mark at… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-04-14 09:12:35 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/95

March was another spectacular month in the space of CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) sales, finishing with the second strongest month of sales on record. There were 162,092 certified units sold in market, according to Autodata Corp. That number is an 11.7% year over year increase and a 21.2% jump from the last month.

The CPO market, in first quarter, is up 13.6% over 2010, moving a quarterly total of 419,593 units. Autodata also reported that seven brands - Hyundai, Kia, Maserati, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru and VW - had their best CPO months ever, and several other brands were near… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-04-11 11:20:43 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/94

According to a recent study by TrueCar.com, after analyzing over 8 million vehicle purchases last year, men tend to buy big and fast and women are more likely to be value conscious or have fuel economy in mind. Thinking of your last vehicle purchase - what did you buy and why?

For brands, Mini had the highest proportion of female sales with 47.9 percent of their vehicles being purchased by women. Kia was second with 46.8%, Honda with 46%, Nissan forth with 45.5% and Subaru fifth with 45%.

The make with the highest number of male buyers… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-04-08 09:55:29 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/93

Would you believe that Buick, a brand that most people wrote off years ago, actually outsold Lexus for the first two months of 2011? And for good reason, Buick has built some hot cars! In March, even though Lexus passed the brand again, Buick gained 20.9% in increased sales over the same month last year. For the first quarter, Buick has seen a 39.2% jump over the same quarter last year. It seems that forgetting about the sleep GM brand would be a mistake, and maybe  it did make sense to sunset Pontiac instead.

The oldest model in… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-04-07 16:04:24 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/91

As the earthquake in Japan continues to affect the automotive industry in many areas, Chrysler confirmed on Wednessda that they were going to have to lessen overtime production from some of their production facilities. The Chrysler spokesperson, Katie Hepler, said "We have not experience any disruptions to regularly scheduled production as a result of the issues in Japan. We are, however, taking some planned overtime out of our production schedule in an effort to conserve supplier parts that are potentially impacted by the disaster."

Related to that Toyota continues to deny that it has no plans to end… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-04-07 09:48:44 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/90

In Cars.com's new "Kicking Tires" Blog they name Ford with the highest brand loyalty. What's yours? Everyone knows I am loyal to GM - most specifically Cadillac (loves me the V)

Read at this link http://bit.ly/fC0F7Q and comment here on UpShift's Page

There was a huge spike in March used car sales according to CNW Research. The team said that passenger cars were the biggest growth segment, but over all the category saw a 38% jump over February and more than 4% year over year. There were just under 2.35 million used cars sold with passenger vehicles making up 45.8% of the sales. SUV sales were a smaller percentage of the mix than they were a year ago - 17.8% of the total versus over 20% a year ago.

Ford's turnaround is affording the OEM to pay top execs a handsome bonus this year. Alan Mulally will receive an estimated $26.5M. Last year he earned his $1.4M salary plus an over $9M bonus. This represented a 30% salary reduction that Ford reported Mulally took in both 2009 and 2010, in order to help the company recover.

Ford is absolutely showing some strong recovery, very much represented in Louisville as the plants ar retooled and set to hire over 1000 new employees. Ford also fared very well through cash for clunkers in the automotive recover accelerator in 2009,… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-04-05 09:09:21 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/86

Yes, I will warn you from the onset that this is going to be a rant, and it will probably offend people, so fasten your seatbelts, or maybe better yet, don't read any further. Oh, and shock and surprise, I am not talking about newspaper today, i am going to talk about a media that, when I worked in the newspaper business, we already thought was dead. Yes, I am going to talk about the non-existent empire that died in the 70's called RADIO.

This rant was brought on by a Tweet… Media John Druien 2011-03-30 20:16:57 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/85

It appears that many dealers are using foresight that new Japanese vehicles are going to be harder and harder to come by over the summer months, and are therefore willing to pay more for auction cars to ensure that their pre-owned inventory is well filled. Over the last week, Black Book's Ricky Beggs stated that the ever improving economy and rising fuel costs were showing the needs for more inventory (pent up demand being met) that auction values were climbing, but the strongest growth segments were those of late model Japanese imports. While the bidding made it to a… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-03-30 07:50:33 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/84

CarMax announced that they are launching the "EasyShop" program at two of their stores in North Carolina. EasyShop allows a car buyers to complete more of the buying and trade process online, before arriving at the dealership, without removing the 5 day guarantee.

CarMax is launching the online buying service in its Raleigh and Fayettesville, NC stores. Raleigh was the 2nd CarMax chain store opened in the country. The EasyShop service includes:

• Hold a vehicle for 3 days
• Schedule a Test Drive
• Apply and receive Financing Information
• Start and Pay for a transfer… Interactive Marketing John Druien 2011-03-29 08:54:04 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/83

  After Yellow Media was sold to Trader.com they are selling off their share of Dealer.com to Apax Partners. Dealer.com has stated that the minority ownership is not expected to change the day-to-day operations of the web development site.

  http://bit.ly/i78mSy
  

  Interactive Marketing John Druien 2011-03-28 10:55:47 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/82

  The thought around the country is that the Japanese auto manufactures shut downs are sure to cause shortages and price spikes in the United States to not only Japan exports but vehicles built in America that have parts built in the areas ravaged by the earthquakes and tsunami. Many of the plants are still shut down, waiting for parts necessary for assembly, and the Toyota and Honda stores across the country are urging buyers to act now before prices increase due to limited inventory. The feel is that the value of used cars and trade ins will increase as… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-03-24 10:19:41 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/81

  Do you drive a Hyundai Elantra? Click here for details on two new recalls regarding Air Bag deployment.

   

  http://bit.ly/eTFQ1y
  

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-03-22 08:23:51 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/80

  Automotive Sales have been on the incline every month since September, with that incline slowing in February. The first two weeks of March, according to Dataium, have shown upwards of a 5.7% decline. Dataium monitors what they call the Auto Shopper Intensity index, which is driven off online shopping traffic and leads.

  The brands that were the leaders of the pack in February, regards to inclines, were Subaru and Infiniti. BMW showed the largest drop.

  Rising fuel and food prices, along with the crisis in Japan, are sure to have more of an impact on sales, more… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-03-22 08:18:35 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/79

  If you're a frequent reader of my rants, you know that I think charging for online content, whether you're the New York Times Company or The Dallas Morning News is a little crazy, however, Lincoln has decided to get into the mix. A Lincoln ad, running on NYTimes.com is offering unlimited access to the content, for free, for the rest of the year. Of course the NYT company gets to pick who gets it and it is only available to 200,000 users. NYT is saying that it will most likely chose from their heaviest online users. Isn't that backwards?… Online Marketing John Druien 2011-03-19 11:53:08 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/78

  Dealers are not too worried about the import supply becoming depleted, but dealer giants like Sonic reported Thursday that they will use their pre-owned buying channels to suppliment the supply. Do you feel that there will be enough nearly new vehicles available within the supply chain? How will the drop in leases during the 2008-2009 buying years affect the supply of used vehicles and does that put this plan at risk?

  
  What are your thoughts?

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-03-18 10:57:01 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/77

  AutoTrader announced on Tuesday that they were launching their dealer chat feature to help dealers advertising vehicles on the site would have a faster way to respond to customer questions. I continue to question - if we can't get dealers to respond to email in a timely fashion, does adding instantaneous response tools not make the holes even bigger? With email, customer expect to have a response within an hour - with chat, it is RIGHT NOW…I think this will make the less able even, well, less able…what do you think?

  
  http://bit.ly/igl2pL

  Interactive Marketing John Druien 2011-03-16 09:12:16 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/76

  For those of us that work with dealers for a living, it is always interesting the numbers of web inquiries that are still ignored. Dealers based their entire online spend on closing ratios and ability of one lead provider to convert to sales vs. another, however, stats still show that upwards of 25% of email leads still go unanswered. Key reasons you ask? Bandwidth of internet sales team and "curb appraising" the lead are most likely the type causes.

  Pied Piper Management Company ranked the all major US brands and determined the top brand in response to online… Interactive Marketing John Druien 2011-03-15 09:41:30 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/75

  New details are coming out on the affect that the earthquake and tsunami has caused in Japan, dwarfing the information that was available yesterday.

  Toyota is reporting that they have closed down 12 plants in Japon through at least Wednesday, March 16th. This could cause a loss of output of up to 40,000 Toyota units. Their profits will be cut by 6B yen ($72M) for each day that operations are shut down.

  Nissan suspended operations at 4 plants through Wednesday and additional 2 until Friday. There were 2,300 Nissans that were damaged by the tsunami.

  Nissan… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-03-15 08:54:18 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/74

  As anyone could imagine, the Auto industry in Japan will take a major hit from the devastation still continuing there after last week's horrible earthquake and tsunami. Differing reports are coming in as just how impacted each of the four major manufacturers (Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Suzuki) that supply the United States have been.

  Toyota employess at the companies in the Tohoku region were evacuated to safe areas. The quake let the automaker shutting down four of its plants total. They have stated as of this morning that production has restarted at all of their facilities.

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-03-14 09:20:39 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/73

  Dealer to Dealer Auction sales reports show figures down in 2010 according to Jay Cadigan, President of the National Auto Auction Association. Although, he added, this was not unexpected given what happened to the industry in 2008.

  It is only the 4th time in 13 years that the Dealer Auction space has seen a decline. The largest percentage of vehicles sold in the dealer to dealer auction space are those of dealer consignment, with repo's in 2nd place. 44.3% and 43.7% respectively. This shows that dealers are still moving a considerable about of wholesale and aging inventory to… Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-03-11 12:14:08 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/72

  Location based marketing tools, like Foursquare, continue to gain popularity with users and are a simple tool to add some interaction with your dealership visitors, with little effort from you. Great Article in DrivingSales.com by Paul Potratz on 3 simple steps. Give it a read…http://bit.ly/ikbwHF

  Interactive Marketing John Druien 2011-01-28 14:04:04 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/71

  Chevrolet, the brand that was started by racer Louis Chevrolet and GM founder William Durant in November, 1911, starts their 100th Birthday Celebration at the Detroit Auto Show.

  Chevrolet started out, in Detroit, with the Series C Classic Six and has now spread to brands in over 130 countries. The Volt moves Chevy into the electric car market and the brand plans to increase their small car offerins with the Sonic in 2011 and the Spark arriving in the US in 2012. Of course Chevrolet has 60 year histories with their perennial nameplates, the Corvette and Camaro.

  … Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-01-13 09:33:58 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/70

  Winners just announced -

  North American Car of the Year, Chevrolet Volt.

  North American Truck of the Year, Ford Explorer.

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2011-01-10 08:17:30 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/69

  There are many things that will make you avoid a certain brand? Is it just the price? The look? The cool factor? (Yea, the Porsche Cayenne is STILL a mini van). JD Powers is here to tell us what are the key reasons folks may or may not buy a certain brand and how the stigma that has affected some brands like Hyundai for years is finally starting to lessen.

  According to an Auto Remarketing article the number one reason that buyers avoid a certain brand is exterior styling. JD Powers says that 35% of avoidance boils down… Auto Industry News John Druien 2010-12-15 08:28:54 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/68

  According to KBB the trouble Toyota brand is rebounding on their consideration list. The list applies to people who are moving into the market of purchasing a new vehicle, and would consider buying a Toyota. Ford flew past Toyota at the end of last year, and continued to keep in that spot due to their recalls. Even though Toyota is in the #1 spot, Ford and Honda are right behind them.

  Oh, and Toyota just announced a new recall on the Sienna…

  
  http://bit.ly/ewuxrT

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2010-12-14 08:42:13 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/67

  So what do you think is next on the plate for AutoTrader.com? Take over small countries in the Caribbean? Buy Dealer groups? Nothing really seems impossible for the company that has been in acquisition mode snapping up vAuto, Kelly Blue Book and HomeNet over the last 3 months. The company is truly taking over the automotive online marketing world and is far surpassing the visibility of other players that had previously worked up to 'neck and neck.'

   

  The next step for AutoTrader appears to be getting in the middle of the finance business. They claim that… Interactive Marketing John Druien 2010-12-07 07:54:41 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/66

  US Car sales Climbed 17% in November to a new SARS of 12.26 million!

  
  That's a huge jump over the previous month. The dealer that said, in October, "it's starting to feel like 2006 again" wasn't kidding. And it makes the nearly $2 billion in automotive digital technology acquisions make more sense (even before we find out what AutoTrader is going to pay for HomeNet).

  
  It's time to fly or get out of our way!

   

  http://tinyurl.com/Novembersales
  

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2010-12-02 12:14:13 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/65

  The PRNewswire article about AutoTrader's decision to make yet another purchase started with the descriptive phrase, "AutoTrader.com, the Internet's ultimate automotive marketplace and consumer information website," a statement that is becoming more and more true. As someone that has bled the purple blood of cars.com for over 12 years, seeing another step in the right direction by 'Trader, while cars.com just runs another Superbowl ad disappoints me. 

   

  AutoTrader came out of Wednesday and stated that they have agreed to purchase HomeNet, whose main online solution is "Inventory Online (IOL) a vehicle marketing suite that claims to… Interactive Marketing John Druien 2010-12-02 12:08:43 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/64

  Porsche's Facebook reaches 1 million fans. There's quite a lot of activity around the millionth fan. Become a fan before December 31st and you could get your name on a Porsche Special Edition.

  
  So does the brand's focus on social networking have any effect on their sales? Their November 2009 sales were up 49% over 2009. That happens to be the 6th consecutive month that Porsche has seen double or triple digits increases over 2009.

  
  So social networking certaining can't hurt huh…

  http://tinyurl.com/porschefacebook
  

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2010-12-02 08:38:43 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/63

  In the ongoing cycle of digital automotive acquisition this year, it will be announced today that AutoTrader has purchased Kelly Blue Book and its sister companies CDM Data and CDM Dealer Services. Terms of the deal were not released but inside estimates are in the neighborhood of $550 to $600 million. These two acquisitions are sure to have a major ripple effect in the industry and are creating a monopolization of dealer services that Cars.com has been largely silent on.

  
  More to come…

  Interactive Marketing John Druien 2010-10-26 10:24:21 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/62

  Electric Vehicles aren't the only ones that will get the Federal Tax Credit. The credit starts at $2,500 and goes up to $7,500 vehicles. Any vehicle with at least a 4 kilowatt battery is eligible. The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf are most likely eligible for the whole credit.

  
  More detail from Edmunds:

  http://bit.ly/doqXK2
  

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2010-10-15 09:38:54 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/61

  Are we seeing the end of the stand-alone Lincoln dealership, as we also approach the sunset of the Lincoln brand? With only 264 stand alone Lincoln stores left in the country, and an average of less than 6 cars a monthly being sold in those showrooms, is the $2 million that Ford is asking those dealers to invest in their physical locations going to be the nail in the coffin of what was once considered a flagship luxury brand? Many see the end near, but something had to be done, before the Lincoln just becomes the car you catch… Auto Industry News John Druien 2010-09-27 09:52:37 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/60

  Looks like acquisition week continues in the digitial auto space with company 3 going in so many days. Internet Brands, the parent company of CarsDirect.com and Autos.com (as well as some other lead gen companies) sells to a private equity company for $640 million!! The value of digital advertising resources is at an all time high. And companies are seeing it. Grab the ownership of pure play digital companies now.

  
  What does this mean to the cars.com's of the world? It means that companies that are NOT tied to media players and the sales staff (which… Interactive Marketing John Druien 2010-09-20 16:51:15 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/59

  Do you know exactly what a walk in customer is? Do you know how they got there? Are you still marketing to the “drive-by” customer? Yes, that means you Mr. or Mrs. Dealer that still wastes money on the giant Purple Gorilla. There is no such thing as a drive by customer, and if one claims to be, it is wasting your time to deal with them.

   

  Studies, like CapGemini tell us that 92% of car shoppers with Internet access use the Internet to research their vehicle. Polk data shows us that 80% of all auto… Interactive Marketing John Druien 2010-09-17 10:04:30 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/57

  Tougher economic times are ensuring that people are keeping their vehicles longer than ever. See some ideas on what to do when your vehicle flies past 100,000 miles.

   

  http://tinyurl.com/100kcar

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2010-09-16 08:55:47 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/56

  Why is there such a huge disconnect between the power of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, and the dealer base perception of that power? Even product resellers get into the game, saying they or their dealers just don't believe that the social networking sites have any value. I think the true answer to that question is straight up fear. Car dealers are no longer the early adopters when it comes to new technology. They no longer jump onto things because they have tried, unsuccessfully many many different tools, and due to the lack of customer support for… Interactive Marketing John Druien 2010-08-10 10:23:24 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/55

  To help clarify its position, GM officials said in a statement, "Today's emotional debate over a poorly worded memo on our use of the Chevrolet brand is a good reminder of how passionately people feel about Chevrolet. It is a passion we share and one we do not take for granted," the automaker noted. (AutoRemarketer)

   

  Sounds like Chevy just figured out a way to appear like it was working on consistency to test what the world thought about the moniker. The world speaks and agrees with UpShift Digital - Chevy Lives!

   

  http://tinyurl.com/chevylives Auto Industry News John Druien 2010-06-11 07:47:11 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/54

  Or is this a brilliant strategy for a passionate viral focus group?

  http://adage.com/adages/post?article_id=144366

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2010-06-10 13:26:19 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/53

  What is your first sign of a dealer in trouble, a dealer that just doesn't get it, and a dealer that can only sell successfully for a limited period of time, because they are selling in SPITE of themselves. Yes, folks, the car market is back and dealers are once again selling cars in spite of themselves. And that has brought back the old fears and yes, let's call the baby ugly, the old stupidities that we had all hoped went away in 2008. Dealers are still just flat out scared of the Internet, so much so that the… Interactive Marketing John Druien 2010-06-04 11:28:57 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/52

  Is it finally time for the Mercury brand to fade away? Some in the industry are spurring up the rumor that top executives from Ford will be creating a plan to kill the brand. The proposal will be presented to the company directors in July. It may be time that those rumors begin to come true, and for many, the time may be right. The brand represented less than 2% of Ford Motor Company's sales in first quarter, 2009, and according to inside information, the remaining family members, that still own 40% of the total company, feel that it… Auto Industry News John Druien 2010-06-01 19:03:37 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/51

  Did you know that Hybrid vehicles get better fuel ecomony in the city than on the hwy? How is that you ask? Because in the city a hybrid runs on almost all electicity and on the hwy, they have to burn some fuel.

  
  The Toyota Prius rocks everyone's list as the most fuel economic vehicle with 48 HWY and 51 CITY. What's the rest of the list, and the worst?

  
  http://tinyurl.com/Top10FuelEfficient

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2010-05-27 20:03:50 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/50

  Ford is making their move back into the spolight as the company is poised to retake over the #2 spot in U.S. auto sales from Toyota, for the first time since 2006. Although recent smears to Toyota's name have helped accelerate the process, smart moves from the U.S. auto maker has started this rise to the top in early 2009.

  
  Ford is a smart company, I have said that many times to the hundreds of trainees that have taking my automotive sales classes over the last couple of years. The spotlight on their smarts really started… Auto Industry News John Druien 2010-04-28 10:51:25 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/49

  A great blog from DrivingSales.com shows the two main reasons that a dealer's social networking strategy fails:

   

  1) Dealer's not leveraging their social assets properly

  2) Looking for ROI in all the wrong places.

  
  Personally, I think it goes even farther than that. I don't think the typical dealer creates any type of Social Networking strategy before they get into the process. Ask your self as a dealer - who is my audience? If the answer is "everyone that may buy a Ford" then you are NOT on the right track. Do… Interactive Marketing John Druien 2010-04-14 10:09:09 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/48

  Still fighting to have a social network strategy within your dealership? Sounds like Bing may be forcing your dealership to come up with one. While roaming across the country meeting with dealer after dealer, it is still rare to find a dealership who has not only embraced Facebook but Twitter as well. Finding a dealership that has even heard of Foursquare is almost non-existent. According to DrivingSales.com, having a Foursquare strategy may be forced by Bing, as they begin to provide real-time Foursquare Tips on their search engine. 

   

  So what exactly is Foursquare and how does…

  Interactive Marketing John Druien 2010-03-29 06:33:53 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/46

  The 2009 Cash for Clunkers program was found to have a better impact on new car sales, the automotive job market and the environment than was previously thought, and did not have nearly the impact on future sales that the industry experts had originally predicted. According to a year long study conducted by Maritz Automotive Research Group determined the outcome from Cash for Clunkers, or the CARS programs was actually very positive in many areas, and largely responsible for the positive upward trend that the auto industry is still enjoying. The study included 36,000 CARS buyers in the study… Auto Industry News John Druien 2010-03-10 08:02:03 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/45

  Good news is coming for over 600 of the 2000 General Motors dealers that had received notice that they would be losing their franchise licenses when those licenses came up for renewal this October. Although GM would not commit to the exact number, several media sources are saying numbers between 601 and 661 dealers. As mentioned several months ago here, the letters contain some GM core business criteria and that following those actions will allow the dealers to immediately resume to business as usual. It was discussed in earlier articles that some of these criteria would help some GM… Auto Industry News John Druien 2010-03-08 07:44:41 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/44

  The February outcome is a positive result from mixed emotions. Toyota's troubles and northeastern United State's horrible weather threatened the experts into thinking it may have been a slow down month in the growing upward trend. Not so much the case. The industry saw a month of nearly 780,000 sales which is a 13.5 percent increase from February, 2009. Relatively speaking, last February was about the bottom of the biggest auto slump in history. The February pace adjusted the SAAR rate to 10.4 million units, on the better side of the middle projections. Call that a B-.

   

  …

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2010-03-03 08:29:23 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/43

   General Motors announced yesterday that the impending sale of the Hummer line to China's Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Co. will not happen. Allegedly, involvement from the Chinese government had an effect on the sale not proceeding. GM had been working to divest the line for approximately a year, and had considered several different options. The latest attempt falling through will result in the end of the Hummer brand. Exact date for the disappearance still to come.  

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2010-02-25 08:53:31 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/42

  Odd news from the spring Consumer Report brand ranking issue with Toyota remaining the #3. In light of the numerous recalls and Toyota of North America's Jim Lentz appearing before the House investigation committee to attempt to explain that the acceleration problem expressed in multiple models had more to do with floor mats and gas pedals. Perhaps it is true that media overshare has created more hype than necessary for Toyota.
  
  Although Toyota did retain their overall ranking, Consumer Report's did end up dropping a couple of their models following the recall and ultimately the suspension… Auto Industry News John Druien 2010-02-24 07:49:10 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/41

  Forbes.com lists the safest small cars of 2010, but some of them are receiving a couple of "acceptable" ratings, not good. What exactly does "acceptable" mean? Surprisingly, the Smart fortwo has made the list, in the category of the rear test rating. Seeing those vehicles on the street, makes me wonder just want was used to check that out? Other Smart or Hummer? http://tinyurl.com/safetyonforbes

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2010-02-22 07:48:22 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/40

  Twitter, Facebook and other entry points into Social Networking are a point of concern for all dealers, including Toyota Dealers.  Everyone knows that they should be using the sites, especially the big two, and everyone realizes (ok most everyone) that marketing on Social Networking sites is a completely different strategy than traditional auto dealer marketing. And that is where is stops. Hours and hours of conversations with dealers from California to New Jersey shows that everyone agrees they need to have a page, but no one has a great idea on how to use those pages. They want to… Auto Industry News John Druien 2010-02-04 09:58:46 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/38

  Toyota is making some unprecedented moves in one of the most dangerous safety recalls affecting a large portion of their owners. Waking up to a news story several days ago surrounding the last words of a family’s 911 call as their Toyota vehicle began accelerating uncontrollably and ultimately smashing into an SUV and killing all four passengers onboard is a chilling revelation to exactly how bad the Toyota situation is. The original story was that in some vehicles the floor mats were catching the gas pedal and causing the drivers to lose control of the vehicles acceleration. That story seemed…

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2010-01-27 12:55:53 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/37

  Let’s face it folks, we’re leaving a rough year for many in media companies and the automotive industry alike. 2009 saw many dealerships go out of business, auto companies downsize, and media companies lay off the wrong people. Therefore all that sadness and economic strife caused a lot of people to develop a fine whine. “Whoa is me” was the line of the year, I can’t sell any cars, my email leads are no good, what’s this social media stuff or how can I sell more with newspaper ads like it is 1984. If that was you, or everyone around…

  Interactive Marketing John Druien 2009-12-31 11:39:13 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/36

  Several days ago the statistics were released regarding 2009 dealership closings through the first 11 months of the year. The numbers, although staggering, should really not be surprising. And to people who deal with these stores on a daily basis, they are not surprising at all. Time and again, when dealing with stores that are still in operation in spite of themselves, it has crossed my mind that being in the dealer acquisition business, or to find use for empty buildings and paint for lease signs, might actually have some type of future.

  So what are the numbers of stores…

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2009-12-19 13:36:11 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/35

  The numbers are in from the Post Cash for Clunkers month that many were calling the “Hangover” month—which expected to show that automotive sales would plummet after all that free money. Those who read my blog religiously (and thank you for that) will remember that I did not think that C4C had completely depleted the pent up demand that was existing since the market started it’s downward slide last September. I felt, and feel, that the availability of eligible, and really all, new vehicles ran out before everyone that needed to buy a new car had actually done so.

  The…

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2009-10-02 13:37:11 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/34

  Article BodyIn late breaking news from Wednesday afternoon, The Penske Group (PAG) has halted their decision to take over the Saturn brand from GM. Penske stated that their decision was made as a result of being able to find companies to create product, outside of the contracted vehicles that GM had agreed to make. Penske had negotiated a contract with another, undisclosed, manufacturer to independent supply vehicles and parts. The Board of Directors of that other group voted against the agreement. Without an agreement, Penske did not feel it made sense to move on, there was too much risk of…

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2009-10-01 09:23:29 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/33

  An interesting study by cars.com showing the results of the Cash for Clunkers program by buyers was published in Auto Remarketing Today. The program payouts are winding up now, with the government approving and/or paying out for 589,040 sales to the tune of $2.482 Billion. (and yes, the government is catching up as $2.157 Billion has actually been paid out) Interestingly enough, the program was very successful in sales to folks under 34 years old, that were not in the market for a car, but felt that the offer was simply too good to pass up. Of the under 34…

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2009-09-24 00:02:40 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/32

  As GM works to build confidence back into their core brands, Chevrolet, Buick, GM and Cadillac, they have just announced their new 60 - day guarantee. If you don’t love your new GM vehicle, you can return it. So what are the details behind this event. So far, they seem pretty easy to understand. Any purchase, outside of medium duty trucks, can be returned from day 31-60, as long as the vehicle has less than 4000 miles. The program covers all 2009 and 2010 models, as long as delivery happens before November, 30th. The refund will include all vehicle cost,…

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2009-09-14 10:56:52 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/31

  The deadline for the Cash for Clunkers program has been posted as 8pm EDT on Monday, August 24th. Over $1.9 Billion has been claimed for 457,000 deals. Some claim that this has not been a success, and that it simply robbed future purchases from the coming months. Although I was very skeptical about the program in the early days, spending countless hours in dealerships, and watching full showrooms on recently dull afternoons, I have changed my opinion. Of course there is the possibility that it has stolen a few future sales, but the pent up demand was so intense that…

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2009-08-21 10:20:23 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/30

  Lots of information swirling around about the longevity of the Cash for Clunkers or Cars program (www.cars.gov). And it is causing confusion within the public sector and within the dealerships. Visiting several dealerships with week, it was exciting to actually see floor traffic again, and Internet departments are reporting higher than normal lead counts. But the questions are abounding, from everyone. Standing at the business desk for a while yesterday, I heard customer after customer and salesperson after salesperson come up and ask questions about eligibility, ordering vs. delivery, mpg guidelines etc. The key to the program is…

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2009-07-31 16:11:04 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/29

  Interesting article on Forbes.com yesterday that discussing that $65 Billion will be pulled away from traditional advertising in 2009. The measuring stick used in the story, that $66 Billion is an annual TV aggregate spend, shows just how staggering the affect of interactive advertising has become.

  Now where is the auto industry in all of this? Unfortunately, the former leaders of advertising strategy have been largely stuck behind a firewall of agency inability. For example, many auto dealerships are still hiding behind creative agencies that feel traditional buys (print, broadcast, out of house) are the only media to buy. Why?…

  Online Marketing John Druien 2009-07-23 10:41:10 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/28

  Dallas, TX ? UpShift Digital™, LLC announced today that they will be launching ResponseLogix in the Denver market. ResponseLogix, headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA provides advanced technology solutions for managing automotive dealer Internet leads. UpShift Digital will be tasked with successfully marketing, selling and servicing the full suite of ResponseLogix?s products and services to auto dealerships in Denver.

  In addition, UpShift Digital has added a new member to their team to lead the dealer acquisition and retention efforts in Denver.  Danyelle Kohler joins UpShift Digital and is taking on the role of Regional Director - Automotive Product Sales.  Prior to joining…

  Media Justin Erbskorn 2009-07-22 16:23:43 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/27

  UpShift Digital, the cutting edge interactive automotive consultancy based in Dallas, TX, has launched their new website on June 28, 2009. The new site is Technorati friendly (md2rvy875a) and can be accessed from a number of social networking sites. Be sure to check back often for updates.

  Interactive Marketing John Druien 2009-06-29 01:15:54 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/26

  With Chrysler killing it?s diesel engine plans for the Dodge Ram 1500, can we now start to expect smaller, cheaper Dodge Pick up trucks? The diesel engine was actually a ?coming soon? feature, but had been highly anticipated, and may have help Chrysler take a larger bite out of the truck market, as gas prices are starting to creep back up again. Sources say that the motion was uncovered with the Bankruptcy hearings, and that the contract to build the engines, with Cummins, has been voided. At least temporarily. So just what WILL the new Chrysler look like? Enquiring minds…

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2009-06-19 09:42:53 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/24

  So the “Cash for Clunkers” bill passed today, making dealers and shoppers alike all aflutter with anticipation. But wait until you read the fine print. Yes, it is true that the bill can provide you up to $4500, in voucher form, towards the purchase of a new car (has to be new) and a dealership that has registered to be a “Cash for Clunkers” dealership. That already sounds a little bit shady to me. But that’s not the fine print. The used car that you are trading in has to be worth less that $4500 and newer than 1984 in…

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2009-06-18 23:52:54 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/23

  I don?t know if I am slightly biased because I spent years working in a Chevy store, or because the last 4 vehicles I have owned are GM?s, but I really like the new GM TV spot.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-oEudd6AYM

  My question to you is… would you buy a new GM vehicle, right now? I know that I would, without question. I don?t have any fear that GM will continue bigger, and stronger. Chrysler, not so confident.

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2009-06-08 23:51:43 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/22

  Helping dealers move into the world of social media will in most cases be a long and hard road. One area where we can begin is to help them understand what is spam and what is truly an opportunity to recognize feedback. Step number 1 to helping our dealers is to stop hiding from or deleting neutral or negative information, but learn from it and market better tomorrow than they did yesterday.

  A true challenge we run into as media companies is having the sales team that is educated enough, or passionate enough to truly become a marketing partner to…

  Interactive Marketing John Druien 2009-05-29 17:16:13 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/21

  Is the automotive industry really ready for social media? I would argue in many cases the automotive dealer base still has some growth to do on the website marketing side of the business, and even more so in the Search Engine Optimization side. When I talk to a dealer about how they staff around updating and maintaining their virtual dealership, most respond with very concerning information. For the dealer that hires multiple people to drive cars around their physical lot, keep the inventory clean and even know to park the CUV by the west showroom door because they ran some…

  Interactive Marketing John Druien 2009-05-28 20:33:53 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/20

  AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Chrysler announced Thursday in a motion filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court that it plans to shut down 789 dealerships as part of its reorganization process.

  Chrysler has notified affected dealers, and it was widely rumored Thursday that General Motors would make a similar move on Friday.

  Chrysler?s reduction would represent roughly 25 percent of its dealer network and 14 percent of the automaker?s sales volume. Reportedly, the majority of these stores are in large metropolitan areas, where several Chrysler dealerships often compete head-to-head in the same city.

  If the motion is approved by the…

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2009-05-15 18:33:00 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/19

  Since GM stores are allowed to stay open 18 months, and actually not forced to close even if requested, unless GM files bankruptcy, the names of stores closing has been very limited. (GM did not terminate the franchise agreements like Chrysler did, but will not renew them?most expire in October, 2010) In the DFW area, the news has only revealed that Moritz in Arlington will be staying open.

  The Tampa Bay Business Journal reported that 6 AutoNation GM stores were on the cut list, but did not reveal which stores.

  Asbury Automotive has reported that they will be losing a…

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2009-05-15 16:41:50 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/18

  WASHINGTON, D.C. — With the threat of store closings looming, dealers across the country are taking action. 

  On Wednesday, more than 100 dealers met with House and Senate members to encourage them to ask President Obama?s auto task force to slow down plans to reduce General Motors? and Chrysler?s dealer networks.

  John McEleney, chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association, which organized the dealer fly-in, called the proposed rapid cuts a ?bad idea? that would put thousands of residents out of work and hinder the country?s efforts to climb out of a recession.

  ?This would have adverse affects on…

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2009-05-14 17:31:00 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/17

  If the news industry was as adept with its technology and finance as it is with its corporate whining and pleading, we would all be a lot better off. Not content with the Associated Press (AP) and Rupert Murdoch picking fights with Google over links to stories, the Newspaper Association of America trotted up to Capitol Hill to claim ownership of facts and to demand payment for them.

  James Moroney, publisher of the Dallas Morning News, claimed a ?quasi property right? over facts that were being used for ?commercial gain,? not by readers but by ?someone else.? Search engines and…

  Media Justin Erbskorn 2009-05-12 22:09:28 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/16

  CARY, N.C. — A new national organization to support dealers in the buying and selling of late-model pre-owned vehicles in the fast changing automotive landscape has been formed, it was announced here today by Ron Smith, president of Cherokee Automotive Group.

  The new entity, known as the Pre-Owned Automobile Dealers Alliance (POADA), is projected to provide a wide range of sales-oriented programs to dealers selling a high percentage of late-model pre-owned vehicles. 

  Smith said dealers affiliated with POADA will retail primarily cars and light trucks that fall within an age range of current-model plus four years. POADA-affiliated dealers will…

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2009-05-11 18:00:34 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/15

  DETROIT — General Motors Corp. is expected this week to accelerate talks with the United Auto Workers union and move toward closing about 2,600 dealerships.

  The giant auto maker also is likely this month to approach banks holding secured debt, hoping to work out terms to ease the company?s debt burden.

  Reaching agreement on these fronts is critical if GM is to restructure outside of bankruptcy court.

  The company has new leverage as it re-engages in talks, thanks to the bankruptcy filing last week by Chrysler LLC. But differences between the two auto makers mean that leverage…

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2009-05-06 17:55:48 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/14

  CHICAGO — Though news from Chrysler and General Motors dominated auto media coverage last week, almost three-fifths of U.S. consumers claimed that the challenges facing the domestic auto industry and the economy won?t impact whether they buy from American automakers, according to a recent Cars.com study.

  More specifically, 59 percent said their vehicle choice wouldn?t be influenced by struggles among domestic brands and in the U.S. economy. Also, only 20 percent indicated that the threat of bankruptcy would keep them from considering buying American.

  ?I think it?s clear that most Americans believe that the American car manufacturers…

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2009-05-05 18:16:50 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/13

  DETROIT — Chrysler Financial is no longer offering auto loans for car buyers beginning Friday, according to dealers who were briefed by the company.

  The move is likely to make it more difficult for many Chrysler dealers to sell vehicles for at least the next several days until they can move to a new lender, the dealers said.

  Chrysler Financial said Thursday it will effectively shut down its operations and its lending activities will picked up by GMAC LLC, the giant finance arm affiliated with General MotorsCorp. The move was triggered by the bankruptcy filing by auto maker Chrysler…

  Auto Industry News Justin Erbskorn 2009-05-01 21:20:57 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/12

  AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Chrysler announced Thursday afternoon that it has reached an agreement in principle to partner with Fiat, but the embattled automaker was unable to avoid bankruptcy as it couldn?t reach a deal with its lenders.

  Chrysler chairman and chief executive officer Robert Nardelli also said he will step down following ?the emergence of the new company from Chapter 11? and the completion of the Fiat deal.

  When the process is complete, the Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association will own 55 percent of the new company, while U.S. and Canadian governments will own proportionate shares of a 10-percent…

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2009-05-01 18:02:12 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/11

  The Treasury Department has sweetened its offer to holders of Chrysler?s secured debt in a last-minute attempt to keep the iconic American automaker out of bankruptcy court, according to people briefed on the matter.

  To win over several hedge funds, who have been holding out for better terms, the Treasury increased its cash offer by $250 million, to $2.25 billion, these people said. If all of the secured holders agree to the new deal, which would give them the cash in exchange for retiring about $6.9 billion of debt, Chrysler may be able to stay out…

  Auto Industry News Justin Erbskorn 2009-04-30 03:53:22 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/10

  For the first time, there?s evidence that local media companies who are ?doing it right? in the online space are actually showing revenue growth exceeding that of the pureplay Web companies in the same markets. These are companies who view the Web as an opportunity for business development, and demonstrate it by dedicating resources and personnel to the task of growing online revenue, instead of placing the responsibility on existing employees.

  This remarkable finding comes from new Borrell Associates data and should bolster the hopes of local media companies to seize the moment.

  In crunching the preliminary numbers,…

  Media John Druien 2009-04-29 17:48:35 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/9

  Article BodyPreparing for a Chrysler or GM bankruptcy is an ugly thought that nobody wants to discuss. However, if you are prepared for such an incident you could save your store hundreds of thousands of dollars.

  If your manufacturer does file BK, your dealership will be hit in two main ways. First, consumer confidence will fall, making the bankrupt franchise?s products harder to sell and sending ripples through the retail and wholesale markets. Second, your dealership?s cash flow will be significantly altered in the form of holdback, incentive, warranty and other payments that are owed your store.

  Here are some…

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2009-04-28 11:28:38 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/8

  DETROIT — Chrysler LLC has reached an agreement with the United Auto Workers union to cut the company?s labor costs, a key victory for the auto maker in its battle to avoid filing for bankruptcy protection.

  Chrysler still has to hammer out a debt-reduction deal with banks and other secured lenders, and has until May 1 to do so. The U.S. Treasury, which has kept Chrysler afloat with more than $4 billion in bailout loans, has given the company until the end of the month to restructure its labor costs, reduce its debt and finalize a planned alliance with…

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2009-04-27 19:35:09 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/7

  DETROIT (AP) — General Motors will announce a restructuring plan at 9 a.m. EDT today. The storied Pontiac brand is dead and more car factories and jobs are about to disappear ? the latest casualties of a plan that GM is counting on to help it stave off bankruptcy protection. The plan is being announced as GM makes an offer to its bondholders to swap debt for company stock. GM owes $28 billion to large and small bondholders, and under Securities and Exchange Commission rules, it must disclose its operational plans when it makes an exchange offer.

  Two people…

  Auto Industry News John Druien 2009-04-27 18:00:39 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/6

  The Treasury Department is directing Chrysler to prepare a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing that could come as soon as next week, The New York Times reported Thursday.

  The Treasury has an agreement in principle with the United Auto Workers union, whose members? pensions and retiree health care benefits would be protected as a condition of the bankruptcy filing, The Times reported, citing people with ?direct knowledge of the action.?

  In addition, Fiat of Italy would complete its alliance with Chrysler while the company is under bankruptcy protection.

  Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan told Bloomberg News that it was her understanding…

  Auto Industry News Justin Erbskorn 2009-04-24 16:01:15 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/3

  RDA survey shows Ford outperformed Honda in initial quality and improved upon its previous customer satisfaction scores.

  Ford?s quality performance efforts are paying off; the latest customer satisfaction survey reports that in initial quality ?a vehicle?s performance during the first three months of use? Ford?s 5 percent increase over its last scores has allowed it to surpass Honda and statistically tie at the top with Toyota.

  Specifically, the study shows Ford?s domestic brands with a combined average of 1,228 TGW per 1,000 vehicles during the first three months of ownership, besting the 1,422 TGW level for Honda and statistically…

  Auto Industry News Justin Erbskorn 2009-04-23 08:29:08 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/4

  The 2009 BMW 335d
  

  Diesel and high performance don?t normally sit in the same sentence, but take a look at these figures: 155 mph, 0 to 62 mph in 6.0 seconds and 428 lb.-ft. of torque. Compare those numbers with these: 155 mph, 0 to 62 mph in 5.6 seconds and 295 lb.-ft. of torque. Okay, so which one is the real performance car? The first set of figures apply to the 335d, the second to its gasoline alternative, the 335I. Away from the test track the turbodiesel?s midrange torque and flexibility would absolutely out-do…

  NYC Auto Show Justin Erbskorn 2009-04-18 09:40:16 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/2

  Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe
  

  Cadillac CTS-V
  

  Dodge Circuit EV
  

  SLR Class McLaren
  

  The New Nissan 370Z
  

  Hyundai EQUUS
  

  Chevrolet Cruze
  

  Fisker
  

  NYC Auto Show John Druien 2009-04-12 21:44:56 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/5

  Bentley Continental GT
  

  Honda Civic Hybrid
  

  BMW 7 Series
  

  NYC Auto Show John Druien 2009-04-12 09:40:16 http://www.upshiftdigital.com/articles/article/1

  The UpShift Digital Articles space is primarily dedicated to interactive marketing within the automotive industry. The purpose of our blogs are to monitor the key happenings, reveals and updates within the automotive sector, such as new models, new information regarding everything from hybrids to the latest exotic vehicle on the market.

  We will also spend a good portion of the space discussing interactive marketing, from both a media perspective and from that of an auto dealership. Best dealership practices, from merchandising techniques, photos suites and pricing models, to how to properly recognize and manage online shoppers when they begin to…

  Interactive Marketing John Druien 2009-04-11 11:29:46