NEW YORK, NY, Jan 31 (MARKET WIRE) –
Today, two leading technology providers in the automotive marketing industry, ActivEngage and HookLogic, announced a strategic alliance combining the companies’ live chat and targeted incentive technologies into a comprehensive solution for automotive dealers. The integrated solution, designed to drive the highest quality leads into local dealerships, will become available immediately to ActivEngage and HookLogic’s current customers and partners, including Hyundai of St Augustine, DCH, Apple Auto, Acton Toyota, Suzuki of Wichita and Hendrick
Chevrolet.

ActivEngage’s live chat technology enables dealers to gain valuable, real-time business intelligence and shopper insights, such as geo-location and shopping history, to better meet customer needs and drive intelligent, guided, helpful conversations that turn website traffic into targeted leads. HookLogic’s AutoHook solutions provide dealers with an advanced platform for managing the delivery of time-sensitive, high-value incentives that can only be redeemed in-store, turning qualified leads into showroom visits and test drives. The strategic alliance between the two companies brings a first-of-its-kind, fully integrated solution that combines the best of both technologies for automotive dealers and marketers.

“Online leads are only good for dealers when they walk into the showroom for a test drive, where sales reps can work their magic,” said Ted Rubin, co-founder and president of ActivEngage. “Live chat and targeted incentives are both, on their own, huge opportunities for dealers because they allow sales teams to shine and provide strong online-offline strategies to get online shoppers into local dealerships. It was a natural fit with HookLogic, and we truly believe that one plus one equals ten in this partnership.”

Dealers who implement ActivEngage’s flexible live chat implementations on their websites turn, on average, eight out of 10 conversations into qualified leads and gain granular insights into what individual shoppers are in market to buy. Dealers leveraging in the integrated solution are now able to target those shoppers with the highest purchase intent into local dealerships with targeted incentives through HookLogic. HookLogic’s Lead-to-Show solution typically results in close rates as high as 38 percent, and a cost per incremental vehicle sale as low as $80.

“ActivEngage had an impressive reputation among the dealers we were already working with, and we recognize they are a true leader in live chat technology,” said David Metter, president of automotive for HookLogic. “We look forward to a successful partnership and driving unprecedented results for our combined clients.”

About ActivEngage:
ActivEngage’s proprietary business intelligence helps automotive dealers meet the needs of shoppers
by providing dealerships easy to use, powerful website tools. Advanced live chat services let dealers identify, initiate interaction and communicate with website visitors in real-time. The essential person-to-person Meet and Greet that dealers require at the physical showroom is now possible on the dealership website through ActivEngage. This proactive website engagement decreases abandonment rates, and increases website lead generation with the thousands of visitors the average dealership receives each month. ActivEngage provides the edge that dealerships need to engage more customers who browse for information because it starts building a personal relationship with shoppers from the moment they hit the website. ActivEngage offers three tiers of service to ensure that all website visitors’ experiences are enjoyable and uncomplicated, thereby increasing the value of dealership websites through better lead generation.

About HookLogic’s Incentive Solutions for the Auto Industry
HookLogic powers targeted incentive programs that drive in-market shoppers to auto dealerships and other lead-driven businesses. HookLogic solutions are easily implemented, work with nearly any marketing medium and enable end-to-end reporting and optimization. Headquartered in New York City, the company has offices in Ann Arbor, MI, Atlanta, GA and Manchester, UK. Clients include MileOne Automotive, Germain Motor Cars, Suburban Collection, Acton Toyota, and AutoTrader.com. Learn more at www.leadtoshow.com.

Share the wealth!

VinSolutions selects Contact At Once! and embeds new communications product.

ALPHARETTA, GA. January 30, 2012 – Contact At Once!, the dealer chat software leader, and VinSolutions, an industry-leading developer of Internet-based Customer Relations Management (CRM), Internet Lead Management (ILM) software and all-in-one Dealership Marketing System, today announced the immediate availability of a new product that extends the VinSolutions suite of dealer solutions, enabling fully integrated tracking of website visitors using real-time analytics and proactive chat greetings that increase website conversion.

“As we worked with dealerships to develop comprehensive online marketing and customer relationship solutions, it became clear that dealer chat is a ‘must have’,” said Sean Stapleton, Chief Sales Officer at VinSolutions. “In seeking more than a superficial level of integration, we evaluated numerous chat software vendors, selecting Contact At Once! based on both their rich API’s that enabled us to tightly embed their solution, and on the built-in connectivity to their dealer chat network which includes many of the websites from which our dealers get leads.”

“No dealer wants the hassle and complexity of having to use different chat solutions for each website on which their inventory appears,” said Contact At Once! Founder and Executive Vice President, Marc Hayes. “By embedding our solution, VinSolutions has greatly simplified things for their dealers who can now utilize a single chat solution to manage chats originating from their dealership’s website as well as the third party and OEM websites that are part of the Contact At Once! dealer chat network.”

The new VinSolutions product is available immediately. Interested dealers may contact their VinSolutions account representative for additional information.

About Contact At Once!
Contact At Once! is the leading automotive chat software provider and operator of the industry’s only dealer chat network connecting more than 9,000 auto dealers with the websites car shoppers visit most often. Adding Contact At Once! dealer chat software to a website typically increases a dealership’s sales conversations by at least 25%. Named to the Inc. 500 as one of America’s fastest growing businesses in August of 2011, Contact At Once! is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information about the company’s auto dealer chat product, please visit: www.autodealerchat.com.

About VinSolutions
VinSolutions, headquartered in Overland Park, KS, consolidates data from all areas of an automotive dealership helping dealers to find, sell and keep customers more profitably with their fully-integrated “Dealership Marketing System.” VinSolutions’ all-in-one internal management and external sales and service marketing solution platform includes search marketing, online advertising, social media marketing tools, mobile marketing, websites, ILM (Internet Lead Management), CRM (Customer Relationship Management), sales force automation, desking, appraisal, finance, used vehicle marketing and market pricing, inventory management and distribution, window stickers, automated video tours, loyalty management and targeted marketing with email, text, direct mail and telemarketing services. This cloud-based system is available for large dealer groups and individual dealerships from anywhere an Internet connection is available and can be viewed from any smartphone including BlackBerry, Google DROID and iPhone. VinSolutions’ Dealership Marketing System is installed by their implementation experts and supported by best practice retail strategy consultation, process training and customer care.

Share the wealth!

KIA has selected Contact At Once! as their chat provider for Kia.com, Regional Kia websites and dealership websites.

ALPHARETTA, GA. January 24, 2011 – Contact At Once!, the leading dealer chat provider to the automotive industry, and Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced the achievement of a milestone – enablement of the 500th Kia dealership with dealer-to-buyer chat capabilities, which allows for a real-time personal communication between a prospective Kia customer and a Kia dealership salesrepresentative.  Kia holds the distinction of being the first OEM to define and implement a comprehensive chat strategy for its dealer network.  Kia uses chat to increase by 25 percent the number of online car shoppers that schedule appointments with dealerships while shopping on tier one, tier two, and tier three websites as well as third party automotive websites.

“Utilizing Contact At Once! with 500 Kia dealerships speaks to KMA’s commitment to customer satisfaction and is a reflection of the value the Kia brand provides consumers with a host of standard technology, safety, and convenience features in all its vehicles,” said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing & communications, KMA.  “The use of dealer-to-buyer chat capabilities provides Kia dealers another way to connect with new, younger, more online oriented and more affluent customers who have been taking an interest in our attractive, fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive vehicles such as the Optima, Sorento and Soul.”

In November 2011 alone, each Kia dealer accepted an average of 93 inbound chat requests from online shoppers.  This number includes chats that originated on Kia.com, regional Kia sites, as well as shoppers on dealership-specific websites.

“Kia sustained record growth in 2011 and we have been honored to provide the brand with enabling technology,” said John Hanger, CEO, Contact At Once!  “It has been rewarding to see more car shoppers connecting with Kia as the brand deployed our solution.”

The Contact At Once! chat solution is in use in thousands of dealerships across North America.  Shoppers can connect with dealers via icons or photo-enhanced greetings placed on OEM and dealer websites as they navigate the Internet.  The Contact At Once! dealer chat solution is centered on real-time personal communication between a car shopper and a dealership sales person.

Once added, Contact At Once! software displays a presence-aware chat icon whenever a dealership representative is online and available.  Dealers can easily answer chat requests anytime from their laptops or PCs, or via their smartphones and mobile devices using a free mobile chat app provided by Contact At Once!

KMA affiliated dealerships interested in gaining the most out of dealer chat on their websites should visit http://www.autodealerchat.com/schedule-demo to request a demonstration.

About Contact At Once!

Contact At Once! is the leading automotive chat software provider and operator of the industry’s only dealer chat network connecting more than 9,000 auto dealers with the websites car shoppers visit most often. Adding Contact At Once! dealer chat software to a website typically increases a dealership’s sales conversations by at least 25 percent. Named to the Inc. 500 as one of America’s fastest growing businesses, Contact At Once! is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information about the company’s auto dealer chat product, please visit: www.autodealerchat.com.

About Kia Motors America

Kia Motors America is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 755 dealers throughout the United States and serves as the “Official Automotive Partner of the NBA.”  In 2011, KMA recorded its best-ever annual sales total and became one of the fastest growing car companies in the U.S.  Kia is poised to continue its momentum and will continue to build the brand through design innovation, quality, value, advanced safety features and new technologies.

Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at its website – www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com.

Share the wealth!

CarChat24 Dealer Chat Integrates with Edmunds.com Data

Palm Harbor, Florida (January 25, 2012) – CarChat24.com

CarChat24 the premier U.S. and Canadian provider of 24/7 staffed dealer live chat support and dealer chat software has successfully integrated Edmunds.com data with its New Auto Dealer Chat Software. Integrating the Edmunds.com data into our new dealer chat software took some extra time and delayed our Beta and launch, but we believe it will be well worth the wait, as it adds tremendous value to our application. Our Operators, Always-Free dealer subscribers, and Premium CarChat24 dealer chat software subscribers will now have the Edmunds.com data right there at their disposal while chatting with site visitors. We are ecstatic about being the first dealer chat software provider to integrate with Edmunds.com data!

This dealer chat operator console integration will allow CarChat24 Dealer Chat Software subscribers to gain access to pricing and vehicle specifications for 36,500 different trim levels of over 6,000 car models from 1990 through the current model year.

CarChat24 is preparing for an Extended Beta and is encouraging dealers to sign up now by offering the use of the premium version of their software for free including 24/7 staffed back-up support during testing. Interested dealers can click the link below to learn more.

About CarChat24.com – CarChat24 provides 24/7 hosted Live Chat Support & Dealer Chat Software for new and used car dealership websites. CarChat24 helps dealers sell more vehicles by converting a higher percentage of their website visitors into quality leads. Since June of 2006, CarChat24 has been helping car dealers improve their sales and customer service on the Internet. Our mission is to empower car dealers with cutting edge live chat technology, and provide the professional staff and superior processes needed to obtain the best possible results. We are committed to helping our clients get the best return on investment from their websites. We strive to make our support service the very best and are always looking for innovative ways to give our dealers the edge over their competition. Follow CarChat24.com on http://www.twitter.com/CarChat24 and fan CarChat24.com on Facebook

Share the wealth!

CarWoo! Fuels Continued Growth With $6M In New Funding

December 14, 2011 – Burlingame, Calif. – CarWoo! announces the closing of a $6M funding round, bringing total funding to over $12M. With the funding, CarWoo! is adding industry veterans Rudi Thun, formerly General Manager of AOL Autos, and Phil Yeh, previously from Dealix.

CarWoo! finalized the additional funding from investors InterWest Partners, Comcast Ventures, Blumberg Capital, Raymond Tonsing and others. Having more than quadrupled its dealer network over the past year to over 11,000 dealers, CarWoo! intends to use this round of funding to continue that level of growth with their consumers, to launch new products, to further develop the team and to cultivate strategic partnerships.

Michael Yang, Managing Director at Comcast Ventures, says, “We are excited to be part of such a fast growing company. The trajectory that CarWoo! is on with regard to engaging car shoppers, dealers, and automotive manufacturers has accelerated over the last year. CarWoo! has positioned themselves as the win-win solution in the industry.”

The addition of Thun as Chief Operating Officer and Yeh as Vice President of Marketing brings additional industry specific expertise and discipline to the existing CarWoo! team.

Thun comes to CarWoo! after over nine years at AOL, where he was responsible for the strategy, product, marketing, editorial, design, and development of AOL Autos and Autoblog.com. During the past several years Thun doubled AOL’s automotive web traffic to over 10M unique visitors per month while also doubling revenue. Thun is a graduate of Cornell University and earned an MBA from the Walter A. Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

“CarWoo! is the most innovative online automotive company I have seen in a long time,” says Thun. “When the opportunity came to join the CarWoo! team, I was eager to jump on board. I truly believe that CarWoo! will permanently change the way cars are bought and sold and I really look forward to being a part of the change.”

Yeh joins CarWoo! from SpeedDate.com where he was also Vice President of Marketing. Previously, he spent four years at Dealix, the largest lead provider to auto dealers nationwide, where he was Director of Marketing and ran consumer marketing for automotive portals including UsedCars.com. Yeh holds a degree in Business Administration and attended Santa Clara University School of Law.

“Having Rudi and Phil join our team, closing this round of funding, and demonstrating the strong progress to date are all great endorsements of what we are doing,” says Tommy McClung, CEO of CarWoo!. “We have gained significant traction throughout the industry. CarWoo! is supporting over 11,000 dealers, and with our new initiatives in 2012, we are poised to become the foremost online destination for car buyers and sellers alike.”

About CarWoo!
CarWoo! provides the online MarketPlace where buyers get great deals with no games and dealers are able sell cars online using their own unique approaches with a full understanding of the buyers through the CarWoo! transparent MarketPlace. Buyers remain anonymous, get great market prices, save a ton of time and dealers are ensured buyers who purchase within 3.5 days 80% of the time. As seen on The Today Show, CNN Money and other leading national media outlets, CarWoo! is the only true online MarketPlace for car buyers and sellers. CarWoo! was founded in 2008 by serial entrepreneurs, Tommy McClung, Erik Landerholm and Michael Young. With early funding by Y Combinator, CarWoo! is based in Burlingame, CA and is now funded by Blumberg Capital, Comcast Ventures and InterWest Partners, and others. Find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/carwoo and on Twitter at twitter.com/carwoo.

Share the wealth!