Internet Car Referral Services - Who will dominate?
27 August 1998
The Changing Face of Automobile Retailing - Internet Car Referral Services - Who will dominate?
METUCHEN, N.J.--(AutomotiveWire)--Aug. 27, 1998--Industry leaders strut their stuff at
Auto Retailing on the Web Conference - Nashville.
November 16 & 17
Internet retailing of automobiles is gaining a foothold in the market. Inteco Corp., a market research firm that predicts consumer acceptance of emerging technologies commenting on Internet car shoppers - "A conversion rate of 50% is reflective of the ease and economy of reaching serious customers." Car customer referral services are popping up like mushrooms. The big question in most dealers' minds is who will dominate. With which service should they align themselves - if any?
Six leading Internet car buying referral services have agreed to appear on a panel to discuss the future of Internet assisted new and used vehicle retailing. Scheduled to appear in a two-hour panel discussion will be some of the top performers in this growing segment in automotive retailing.
Representing www.autoconnect.com, will be its CEO, Chip Perry. Mr. Perry heads up the Internet site for used vehicle listings - a joint venture of ADP, Dealer Systems Division and Manheim Auctions. Microsoft's Carpoint site, www.carpoint.com, will also send a representative. Carpoint is a joint venture of Microsoft and Reynolds and Reynolds.
The CEO of AutoWeb, www.autoweb.com, Payam Zamani, will also sit on the panel along with Greg Stuart, Vice- President of Marketing for www.cars.com; the used vehicle site formed by a consortium of major market newspapers.
A relative newcomer to the automotive Internet referral segment - Priceline, Inc. - will be represented by Ken Elias, Director of Automotive. Priceline, www.priceline.com, with a huge advertising budget featuring spots using William Shatner as a spokesperson, has expanded from selling airline tickets to the Internet marketing of new cars and trucks.
Others like autobytel.com, Inc. have been invited but have not yet confirmed their participation.
This session will cap a two-day event devoted to presentations from a number of automotive industry and Internet experts. Other speakers include Doris Ehlers of J.D. Power and Associates, Jayne Waida of iTRiBE, Inc., Karen Piurkowski of Polk's Consumer Loyalty Group, Bob Van Der Ploeg of FastNet, Inc., and Jim Berline of The Berline Group, a Detroit based advertising group associated with the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, The Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News.
The two-hour discussion will be moderated by Jim Muntz, the Publisher of several auto industry related newsletters, including Dealer's Edge and the recently launched monthly, Auto Retailing on the Web - The auto dealer's guide to on-line profits.
Internet referral services make up the bulk of the activity in this new medium for the retailing of cars and trucks. Attendees will hear from each, with ample opportunity to judge for themselves which site will ultimately dominate this competitive market.
Conference attendees will include auto dealership executives anxious to improve Internet sales, as well as auto manufacturers, Internet referral and service firms, advertising and public relations firms. All are looking for the edge in what promises to be the next retailing revolution in the very competitive automotive segment.
The conference theme is - "How to develop a successful Internet strategy."
The Auto Retailing on the Web Conference is sponsored by WD&S Publishing of Metuchen New Jersey. WD&S is a provider of automotive industry newsletters. Conference details can be obtained from www.dealersedge.com, or call 800-321-5312.