Cobalt Group Drives Customer Relationship Management with Ultimate Golf Challenge
18 January 2000
The Cobalt Group Drives Customer Relationship Management with Ultimate Golf Challenge
SEATTLE--Jan. 18, 2000--Marketing Program for Auto Dealers Links Consumer Passion for Golf
with Internet-Based Systems for Building Brand, Loyalty and Sales
The Cobalt Group , a leading provider of Internet solutions for the automotive industry, today launched the Ultimate Golf Challenge, an Internet-based marketing program for automobile dealers and manufacturers that combines interactive gaming software with sophisticated customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities.
Customized for each participating dealership, Cobalt's Ultimate Golf Challenge will be distributed by dealers to their existing and prospective online and traditional customers, initially in CD-ROM format. In addition to customizing the packaging and the disk for specific dealers, the CD-ROMs can include manufacturer and dealer branding ranging from static advertising to product video and audio clips or commercials. The game will also include direct links to a dealer's Web site, enabling dealers to encourage direct customer interaction with their online dealership and capture valuable information about both existing and prospective customers.
"The affinity between golf and automobiles is one of the strongest in sports marketing, and golfers are also avid players of electronic golf games," said John Holt, co-chief executive officer of The Cobalt Group. "Cobalt's Ultimate Golf Challenge is an excellent way for dealers to leverage two favorite customer pastimes: golf and interactive gaming, and link an exciting promotional give-away to direct ongoing Internet-based customer interaction."
To receive a copy of the game, potential or existing customers must visit a dealership or a participating dealer's Web site to register, which allows the dealer to collect key demographic and car ownership data. The information can then be utilized by the dealer in customized communications and promotions. Once customers receive their copy of the game, they can "unlock" a second complete 18-hole golf course, simply by completing a short online registration.
As customers play rounds of virtual golf, manufacturer and dealer branding images are integrated into the game and customized buttons link players directly to the dealer's Web site where they can review new model information, search for a used car, or send e-mail to the dealer requesting a service appointment or a new part.
Friendly Software, the developer of Cobalt's Ultimate Golf Challenge, provided the original source code for the hugely popular Microsoft(R) Golf and Grolier's Greg Norman Ultimate Challenge(R) Golf. Friendly Software has granted Cobalt an exclusive license to deploy Ultimate Golf Challenge for use in the automotive industry. The game is a highly realistic PC golf simulation designed for both the experienced and novice golf gamer. The initial Cobalt version features 18 notable holes from popular golf courses in Myrtle Beach, SC, a mecca for U.S. golfers.
"Besides being the most realistic golf simulation available, this product also provides one click access to extensive online play and competition options, which is really the key to driving users to dealer web sites," said Steve Melnyk, former stand-out amateur and PGA TOUR(R) player, now a partner in Friendly Software.
After distributing Ultimate Golf Challenge disks, dealers can e-mail their installed customer bases and invite their customers to participate in a special online promotion such as a hole-in-one contest or a closest-to-the-pin promotion. Dealers can join together in marketing co-ops formed by Cobalt to sponsor national contests with substantial cash prizes, providing entertainment for existing customers and encouraging new prospects to come to their physical or online dealerships to register to play. Dealers are also free to push golf-related content via e-mail to their installed customer bases, ranging from instructional materials to PGA TOUR schedules to e-commerce catalogues featuring golf equipment.
"For the production cost of a promotional keychain, Cobalt's Ultimate Golf Challenge demonstrably enhances a dealer's overall marketing program and builds long-term customer relationships through integration with other Cobalt customer relationship management products," said Holt. "It's not just a great promotional item; it's a high-return investment that entertains existing customers and new prospects. We expect to offer similar games in other popular sport segments to help dealers reach out to targeted and desirable customer groups."
The Ultimate Golf Challenge is part of a broader push into automotive CRM by The Cobalt Group, which recently announced the release of its Lead Manager and Service Solution 2-1-1 products. "Dealers can drive deep customer relationships and e-commerce themselves, provided they have access to cost-effective tools to get the job done," said David Potts, vice president of business development and product management for The Cobalt Group. "Cobalt's Ultimate Golf Challenge makes one-to-one relationship marketing easy and affordable, and it's integrated with Cobalt's entire Internet-based tool suite to make it easy for dealers to one-stop shop."
For more information on Cobalt's Ultimate Golf Challenge, call 800/909-8244, ext. GOLF, or visit www.cobaltgroup.com/golf.
About the Cobalt Group
The Cobalt Group(TM) , based in Seattle, is a leading provider of Internet-based automotive products and services. Through Web development and hosting, data management and online car referral services, Cobalt helps dealers, dealer groups and automobile manufacturers harness the power of the Internet to better serve their customers.
With approximately 5,000 dealer Web site clients, over 10,000 dealers using its parts locating system, and relationships with 16 automotive manufacturers and more than 50 of the 100 largest dealer groups in the United States, Cobalt is one of the leading technology companies serving the automotive industry. Cobalt operates DealerNet(R) (www.dealernet.com), one of the best-known automotive destination sites on the Web, and PartsVoice(R) (www.partsvoice.com), a leading OEM auto parts locating and data management.
Cobalt offers Web site services that are endorsed by the National Automobile Dealers Association.
For more information, please visit The Cobalt Group at www.cobaltgroup.com.
The Cobalt Group, Cobalt, DealerNet, PartsVoice, Service Solution 2-1-1, Friendly Software, Microsoft, Grolier's, Ultimate Challenge, and PGA TOUR are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners.