Lighthouse award
George Nenni
Generations digital
The Lighthouse Award recognizes automotive industry leaders who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to education, leadership, and innovation. This year the award will be presented to Generations Digital founder George Nenni. Listen to Brian Pasch’s interview with George as they discuss how he reinvented himself to be a leading advocate and educator for the retail automotive community.
Business Intelligence
- Communication Intelligence by CallRevu
Product Review
Built with 30 million automotive specific data points, the Communication Intelligence Platform uses 10+ years of automotive-specific data to provide visibility across all lines, inbound and outbound calls, voicemails, and all text messages across all departments. The CallRevu solution uses Artificial Intelligence to provide automotive clients with the most accurate Department, Appointment, End of Call Status and Keyword capabilities possible. Monitoring by AI takes the human guesswork out of the analysis and the machine-learning consistently improves the process.
- PRIZM by Dealer Inspire
Product Review
PRIZM™ is Dealer Inspire’s proprietary reporting platform, providing dealers with significant insight into the performance of their digital marketing, solutions, and support. Synced with the dealer’s DI products and Google Analytics accounts via API, PRIZM aggregates a complete performance summary from one dashboard and has the ability to dive deep into each data source from an auto group or individual rooftop perspective.
PRIZM also instantly sends proactive alerts when key metrics are under or over performing as expected, empowering dealers to adapt and maximize their ROI strategies in the moment instead of after the month has ended.
Digital Marketing
- VINtv by LotLinx
Product Review
VINtv is powered by the LotLinx Data Network which tracks over 3 million active websites, including major listing sites, news outlets, social channels, and you and your competitors’ inventory and pricing. If someone is shopping, we know about it.
When a shopper shows legitimate purchase intent for your inventory, LotLinx artificial intelligence will serve your VINtv advertisements wherever the shopper consumes video media.
Our /AI/-powered engine will auto-populate video advertisements based on a specific VIN’s make, model, pricing, and incentives. All advertisements will direct to your customized Vehicle Details Page (VDP) for a turnkey buying experience.
- Digital Advertising Platform by Dealer eProcess
Product Review
DEP built and manages an industry-leading digital marketing platform. This extremely robust, data driven marketing platform is designed with the most advanced ad targeting capabilities, dynamic ad creation technology, AI optimization tools, and the industry’s most transparent reporting.
DEP’s digital ad platform uses data from industry partners to identify in-market auto buyers in a dealer’s marketplace with pinpoint accuracy and uses that information to weed out bad prospects so a dealer’s ad dollars can be allocated for the most “ready to buy” shoppers at any given moment. When a shopper is identified, we’re able to use shopper propensity and vehicle of interest data to hit them with the most relevant ad for them, regardless of what network they’re on.
Digital Retailing
- SARA Digital Retailing by Dealer eProcess
Product Review
SARA is a full-blown digital retailing tool that offers more insight into the customer’s current buying position than your standard website lead. Through the power of soft pulls and instant trade appraisals, the SARA lead provides a customer’s actual credit score, their current revolving debt, all auto loans they have, the value of their current vehicle, and the equity that they have in that vehicle.
The customer has the option for their preferred checkout method, including in-store, or delivery right to their door. All of that data is sent directly into the CRM so that when BDC reps or salespeople speak with that customer they have all the information in hand to have a perfect conversation. SARA offers ease of use, flexibility, lead generation, and extensive data capture!
SARA solves the problem of customers understanding the nuances of finance rates, leasing, and cash payments. The tool will use the ACTUAL real-time customer soft credit pull and trade-in information, to come up with the REAL monthly payment. Using the trade-in book that the dealer uses in store gives customers the best evaluation.
- 360 Auto Retailing by 360 Auto
Product Review
The future of Digital Retailing is personalized. This 360 Auto Retailing platform delivers a personalized shopping experience to each and every online customer. All customers will have access to PERSONALIZED offers and CUSTOM incentives with their own customer portal that they can access at any time. The Offers received by each customers are unique to the individual and based on their preferences, income, credit, and equity.
Shoppers have 24/7 access to their own custom portal and can shop in anonymity until they are ready to buy…either at the store or at their home. The digital retailing process should makes shoppers confident in their purchase while providing them with a personalized experience that makes them feel comfortable.
- Digital Motors
Product Review
Digital Motors is a configurable modern retailing solution connecting the physical dealership to the dealer’s online store to create transactable deals. Platform highlights include:
- Clean, consumer friendly ‘Apple-esque” user experience and brand representation
- Dealers can create truly transactable deals with firm offers of credit from certified bankers
- Highly configurable to ensure the that the dealership’s in-store process is mirrored in the online store (vehicle selection, trade value, protection plan presentation, credit applications) Turn on or off any of these steps.
- Helps dealers empower shoppers to complete as much of their process online as they want, creating a seamless handoff from online to showroom.
- Firm offers of credit from certified lenders
- Cox Automotive Digital Retailing | Best Cross Platform Integration*
Product Review
Consumers are provided with individualized car buying information to build accurate deals which will close at a higher rate. Built from comprehensive research and rigorous testing, this redesigned user interface breaks down a complex process into small, simple steps that will provide the shopper more transparency, trust, and control over the process. There is an intuitive workflow for the shopper with guided navigation – this results in increased engagement and sales opportunities.
Shoppers can build their deal from anywhere on any device. This year there is a new design which allows dealers to select the features they want to display, ranging from trade valuations with KBB Instant Cash Offer to integrated credit applications. Cox Automotive’s adaptable interface enables an enhanced store process and fully supports the dealership’s sales team.
- BuyNow AMPLIFIED by CarNow | Conversational Commerce Leader*
Product Review
CarNow’s MessageNow functions as an innovative communications platform designed to engage online shoppers using tools to answer customer questions during the course of the buying process. By recreating your standard showroom, MessageNow works to simplify the online shopping experience while tailoring it to your dealership’s specific branding and process. MessageNow helps dealers keep LIVE leads LIVE and keeps the customers on your own site resulting in a higher close rate.
- Virtual Retailing by Gubagoo | Conversational Commerce Leader*
Product Review
Virtual Retailing is a fully transactional digital retailing platform that puts supportive communication at the heart of the experience. Customers can get penny-perfect payments, value their trade, add rebates, F&I and accessories, take deposits, sign documents, and schedule delivery. Your team can jump in and guide customers through the process, and even switch to video conferencing for conversation, vehicle walkarounds, and screen-sharing. Or, lean on our elite chat specialists, who are fully trained in digital retailing and F&I process. Dealers can quickly pencil a deal live, and re-engage and re-target customers with new offers. Gubagoo’s Virtual Retailing builds trust and connection: with real-time chat, text, and video, your team can fully support customers through the buying process.
- Online Shopper by Dealer Inspire | Conversational Commerce Leader*
Product Review
Dealer Inspire Online Shopper allows consumers to save and compare multiple vehicles that includes their monthly payment options – all at one glance – in their own customizable Garage. This easy-to-digest shopping experience empowers consumers to quickly make real buying decisions on the dealer’s website. If they have questions, dealers can collaborate with them online in real time! Or a dealer could be watching a shopper in real time and may want to add vehicles for the customer’s consideration, make an additional incentive offer or suggest a different lender option. The salesperson can send a text to the shopper with a ‘magic link’ back to their garage with any changes they want to offer.
By integrating with the dealer’s captive and local lending institutions, online shoppers can customize personalized deals with real-time bank rates and affordable payments. Online Shopper can suit any sales process the dealer has including Finance and Accessories additions they might want to offer. When the shopper is structuring their deal, they can add any upgrades or F&I features that the dealer wants to offer and see how those upgrades will impact the monthly payment.
- Roadster Express Storefront | Best Analytics Integration*
- Special Recognition
EU Websites
- Smilenet
Product Review
The Smilenet Top Website Platform perfectly integrates with the dealer’s DMS for the automated syndication of new and used stock cars, with the management of the list price (MSRP) and any customizable sales specials and policies.
This solution is an exclusive for Smilenet in the Italian market.
Vehicle Detail Pages (VDP) and Search Results Pages (SRP) have a modern design and a detailed Google Analytics events schema to maximize lead generation and engagement on all devices. The platform is constantly updated and features a database of brands, models, and technical data of all cars available on the market today.
The Smilenet website platform includes accurate matching of standard accessories and options and a detailed stock photo gallery including full motion video which is very engaging for the consumer. Smilenet offers webchat for all dealers, including a video chat option.
Fixed Operations
- TEXT2Drive
Product Review
More than 1,700 dealer clients use TEXT2Drive to unlock new revenue by eliminating 80% of MANUAL communications. This allows technician and front-line staff the ability to give better service and improve customer loyalty.
This solution provides an automated process for Fixed Ops that includes service reminders, repair recommendations by video, integrated text approvals, parts notifications, and more. TEXT2DRIVE automates the entire payment process via text, while validating and securing payments through Speed CheckOut and Fraud Protect™.
Marketing Automation
- Acquire by AutoLeadStar
Product Review
Acquire replaces traditional marketing methods and manual activity with smart, machine learning that can deploy, test, optimize and change 1000s of messages across all ad platform in seconds. Acquire leverages a dealership’s website and CRM data to make sure all ads are in sync and updated with inventory and incentives in real-time. It creates endless combinations of keywords, ad templates, audiences and more – all outperforming human-created campaigns.
- Virtual Customer Engagement Platform by Outsell
Product Review
Outsell’s Virtual Customer Engagement platform creates an individualized consumer experience through smart AI-driven marketing automation in order to drive increased profits across sales and service. Proprietary technology harnesses massive amounts of data and creates accurate and powerful consumer profiles that engage customers and prospects where they are in their individual lifecycles. The full lifecycle journey puts the customer first, providing an Amazon-like experience that consumers expect today. From Early Ownership to the Shopping stage, Outsell provides effective predictive marketing for the dealer.
Sales Process
- DriveCentric CRM
Product Review
Customers today are looking for convenience and access. The DriveCentric CRM is designed to seamlessly integrate into the dealer’s sales process and provide just that. Even the classic vehicle showroom has been forced to evolve. Though customers aren’t perusing the showroom floor as before, the experience doesn’t need to disappear.
From calls to emails, texts, and Live Rooms, DriveCentric’s CRM brings every conversation into one unified platform. In the customer’s mind, they’ve been having one conversation with your salesperson the whole time. Traditionally, though, you’ve had to navigate between several lines of communication in a complicated sales dance.
Whether your salespeople are on mobile, desktop, or both, they can have a seamless conversation that customers have come to expect.
- F&I Advantage by SpinCar
Product Review
With F&I Advantage, dealerships can transform the F&I experience by introducing margin-enhancing F&I products before a shopper ever arrives at the showroom. Now, auto retailers can showcase value-added warranty and protection plans directly on their website, educating consumers on the need for supplemental insurance and protection solutions earlier in the car buying journey. F&I Advantage is a complete digital merchandising solution which can be fully integrated with dealers’ existing VDPs. It is tailored to the product options offered by each dealership, customized to each vehicle inventory type and features interactive image, video and explainer content. It’s a plug & play solution that can be live in less than 48 hours.
- llumiQUOTE by FRIKINtech
Product Review
In your CRM, we automate a first quality response to all your internet leads instantly with the answers to the shopper’s two biggest questions:
1) Is the vehicle available?
2) How much will it cost me?
Customers see vehicle photos, info, price and payment options with interactive term selections. They may also value their trade, select from available incentives, and involve a co-buyer by sharing the quote.
While customers interact with FRIKINtech’s illumiQUOTE, dealers watch in real time with live activity updates and alerts for buying signals and HOT leads. We illuminate the customer and dealer to achieve a frictionless transaction.
- MessageNow by CarNow
Product Review
MessageNow by CarNow functions as an innovative communications platform designed to engage online shoppers using tools to answer customer questions during the course of the buying process. By recreating your standard showroom, MessageNow works to simplify the online shopping experience while tailoring it to your dealership’s specific branding and process. MessageNow helps dealers keep LIVE leads LIVE and keeps the customers on your own site resulting in a higher close rate.
- Own.Set.Close by CallSource
Product Review
In order to OWN every lead, CallSource has merged their call tracking platform on top of shopper sessions to empower their digital attribution platform. Dealers can look at all leads generated from offline and online advertising: phone, chat, text and web form leads.
Dealers can SET more appointments by better managing their phone process. Nearly real-time alerts are generated when a phone up is mishandled whether the shopper is not reaching the right person or the sales rep did not invite the shopper into the store. That’s about 40% of today’s dealership calls. Most dealers don’t even know how to measure their phone performance
Some dealers don’t have the manpower to focus on phone ups. CallSource built out the final piece of the puzzle by offering a virtual BDC to help dealers CLOSE more phone ups by leveraging a team of industry experts.
- Sales Connect by Client Command
Product Review
Sales Connect by Client Command is a one-stop shop for customer intelligence. By connecting to a dealer’s CRM and DMS and overlaying real-time online shopping and behavioral data, dealers get an integrated customer data engine.
The salesperson is delivered consumer data at the precise moment that the shopper needs to hear from them. This includes consumers who may have shopped with the dealer previously, service customers or new buyers identified through conquest. This timely delivery sets the salesperson up for success and eliminates any harassment the shopper may feel with multiple phone calls in the early stages of their journey.
Sales Connect allows dealers to cut back on their vendor stack and create an omni-channel sales experience; one that empowers the entire car purchase path.
- Social Suite by Sincro
Product Review
Social Suite supports dealers through every step of a full funnel approach to deploying dynamic Automotive Inventory Ad campaigns. This includes the management of vehicle catalogs, image hygiene technology that enables better performance, customizable ad templates, the development of a mobile-optimized microsite and DMS data integration. Dealers get access to a comprehensive real-time reporting dashboard that shares all upstream (Facebook) and downstream (Google) campaign metrics, as well as a downloadable list of leads generated, lead sales and key attribution metrics like Cost Per Impression Sale, Cost Per Click Sale and Cost Per Lead Sale. All of this improves shopper experience and usability for dealers, while also driving proven results and a clear return on ad spend.
Reputation Management
- Podium Communications Platform
Product Review
Podium claims that they are the ultimate messaging platform where dealers can generate reviews, connect with website visitors, collect payments, and more – all through text.
Podium helps the dealer shrink down their online toolset, creating efficiency and reducing cost. They are effectively acting as the 1) website chat provider, 2) messaging tool, 3) reputation solution, and 4) they facilitate the service process through messaging.
They allow the dealer to own messaging as a channel by consolidating all messaging into one inbox and use it to quickly facilitate the consumer’s journey.
Rising Stars
- TURNx by LotLinx
Product Review
With TurnX, the LotLinx artificial intelligence platform utilizes billions of data points to provide an equilibrium equation of effective pricing and the right time to market your vehicle to maximize full profit margin potential.
- Tracks VIN performance compared to market standards for days-on-lot and active shopper demand.
- Compares pricing details from all major third party vendors and receives unbiased recommendations for setting your listing price.
Drive shoppers to your VDPs by launching digital campaigns directly from the in-site platform.
- Units Inventory by Dealer eProcess
Product Review
Units offers systematic inventory management from the first step to the last, no jumping from system to system to make changes or add content. Units provides dealer partners with industry-leading ways to access market data as well as display and merchandise their vehicles all in one system. Through leading technology and dealer support, Units gives the dealer command of their inventory data and can seamlessly publish their inventory across different platforms in a rapid manner. Customize your inventory BEFORE it’s sent to third parties – photos, overlays, content, pricing! Units performs great with ANY website provider.
- 360CXM by 360 Intelligent Automation
360 Auto Product Review
360⁰ CXM is an end-to-end platform that starts with identifying and prospecting the potential customer and culminates in the delivery of their vehicle. The 360 CXM provides the sales team with the exact data it needs to create custom experiences for conquest and retention prospects.
The five pillars include Auto Targets, Auto Mining, Auto Marketing, Auto Retail, and Auto Results.
- mDrive 2.0 by Market Scan Information Systems
Product Review
This app is new and literally puts digital retailing in the hands of the dealership sales staff. The dealer’s inventory is available on the app and enables the sales associate to display vehicles of interest to the customer. The list of vehicles can be sorted based on best value, i.e. PVI (Payment Value Index). When the vehicle has been chosen and the down payment – and monthly payment – have been determined, the deal can be pushed to, and executed within the store’s desking solution. The sales process is dramatically shortened, sales staff time freed up, dealer margin is improved – as is the customer experience.
The mDrive answers 2 questions: What can I drive? And What are my payments? If a shopper is searching based on payment, they are able to adjust the payment on specific VINs by changing their down payment or preferred term.
Based on a customer’s input, their credit score, down payment, preferred terms and monthly payment, mDrive will display corresponding vehicles in the dealer’s inventory.
The mDrive 2.0 app transfers lease or finance payment quotes directly into the store’s desking solution. Payments quoted reflect the dealer’s VIN-specific preferences and terms so that dealer margin is maximized.
US Websites
- Autofusion Automotive Websites
Product Review
Autofusion’s Complete Website Solution includes everything you need to succeed in a value-priced package. The consumer receives a seamless shopping experience from researching to digital retailing, or valuing their trade-in. No bouncing around with widgets.
If you can imagine it, Autofusion can build it – a website that precisely fits your needs. Autofusion’s Intent AI Engine runs at the core of our website platform analyzing the consumer’s behavior to deliver an experience personalized just for them.
- Dealer eProcess: Responsive Websites | Operational Excellence*
Product Review
Built mobile-first, the Dealer eProcess website platform is built for outstanding speed, unparalleled SEO capabilities, critical website personalization for shoppers, and a wide array of out-of-the-box features. The DEP team continuously works on new and better ways to drive consumer engagement on each dealer’s website and incorporates ways to better leverage the vast amount of shopper info they gather. Here are just a few of the DEP site features we thought dealers would find interesting:
Consumers approach shopping differently now. Maybe they’re focused on safety or technology. DEP allows the shopper to filter inventory across brands based on features such as leather seats, sunroof, third row seating – any feature that a shopper might consider important to their purchase.
The inclusion of high definition photos is immediately noticeable in the SRPs and VDPs. DEP makes it easy to scroll through vehicle photos on the SRPs so the shopper does not have to go back and forth from SRP to VDP as they inspect their different choices. DEP provides the dealer with important information about where their leads are really coming from (maybe it’s NOT the VDP) on the website so that the dealer’s website can evolve to take advantage of shopper behaviors.
Within the dealership, the sales team is provided with a detailed clickpath for each website visitor – did they visit the trade in page? What vehicles have they looked at? How fast is their journey moving? Great information so they know when to call and what to say. DEP will also send an alert if a customer has been off the grid for awhile and now suddenly revisited the dealer’s website. DEP can put customized offers in front of a shopper who may have visited the website 4-5X to incent them to engage with the dealership.
- Dealer Inspire Website Platform | Best in Class*
Product Review
From search to signature, Dealer Inspire websites is an innovator in connected marketing and technology solutions that make automotive retail faster, easier, and smarter for both shoppers and dealers.
Dealer Inspire is looking for a way to help dealers “win.” To this end, they are building an ecosystem of connected technologies to own the entire customer journey from search to signature.
- fusionZONE Automotive Websites
Product Review
fusionZONE websites are designed for high conversion and lead generation. The website platform features responsive technology with award winning conversion tools that dealers love. fusionZONE touts a conversion rate of more than 3% for its websites. Every fusionZONE website is built to meet ADA Accessibility guidelines right out of the box and features an easy path-to-purchase for all users. A key focus is enhancing the user’s mobile experience. fusionZONE’s goal is for their dealers to dominate the search results.
- Nabthat Website Platform | Innovator*
Product Review
Looking at where the internet experience will be in 5 to 10 years, Nabthat has created multi-million dollar website technology from the ground up. Dealers can now leverage high end technology to provide a very satisfying experience for the shopper – we don’t constrain their opportunities with a WordPress platform. Nabthat utilizes state-of-the-technology that is also used by Google, Netflix, Amazon and YouTube.
Nabthat websites are focused on customer engagement and journey partners based on actual user data. Nabthat creates intuitive consumer experiences which increases conversion and interaction in the form of leads, phone calls, and map directions. The recipe of consumer journey- based design combined with top tier technology generates a user experience that is compelling.
- Sincro Website Platform | Most Improved*
Product Review
Sincro Websites enable dealerships of every size and brand to win their local market. Powered by a third-generation AI, Sincro Websites capture shoppers by delivering a tailored and relevant experience for each visitor, building trust with shoppers while increasing leads, reducing days in inventory, and maximizing profit for dealers. The feature-rich platform also gives dealers the control to merchandise their inventory, update designs or layouts on the fly, and protect their online storefront from changing regulations – no coding or calls to support required in many cases.
1. Tailored Experiences: Powered by a third-generation AI, Sincro enables a dealer’s website to dynamically change content and messaging in real time to each visitor based on their shopping behavior from across the web. Dealers utilizing Tailored experiences see 55% more email leads, 28% more calls, 13% higher selling price, and 8% fewer days in inventory.
2. Inventory Merchandising: Sincro Websites merchandise vehicles to drive shopper engagement with tools like Vehicle Insights, Vehicle Badges, Offer Spotlight, data-driven inventory layout options, and others. Sincro uses continuous A/B testing to optimize the website and use merchandising tools that are working best for that dealer.
Web Merchandising
- ConvertNow by CarNow
Product Review
ConvertNow is CarNow’s advanced solution for converting more customers for both the sales and service at the dealership. ConvertNow utilizes its AI capabilities to guide the shopper and also delivers that info to the dealership staff so they can jump into conversations and know exactly what the customer wants. The customer always knows which steps are next, eliminating confusion and keeping them effectively engaged on the website. The sales team can work with more customers simultaneously and have all the pertinent customer data they need at their fingertips.
- Conversations by Dealer Inspire
Product Review
Conversations™ provides the instant, easy, digital experiences that modern consumers now expect. The Conversations™ messaging platform allows consumers to message directly with your business on your website, SMS Text, Facebook Marketplace, Messenger, Cars.com, and more: all inside one seamless, cross-device, and user-friendly experience.
The features included with Conversations™: a mobile app, sharable inventory, brochures, videos. And to provide that personal touch for the customer, conversational commerce is enabled by Ana Bot™ who can assist with Trade-In estimates and unlocking vehicle pricing; really the opportunities are wide open.
“Everything we do is for dealer ROI, and that’s the motivation behind the innovations our team continues to add every year. Conversations™ is built to connect today’s car shoppers with your dealership, wherever, whenever, and however they want to” – Joe Chura
- ChatSmart by Gubagoo
Product Review
The Gubagoo ChatSmart platform is aware of your customer’s behavior and browsing history, what marketing campaign they came from, and uses that info to engage the customer with an appropriate, personalized greeting. ( for ex: I see you are looking at a Rav4, Can I help you book your service appointment?)
ChatSmart’s dealer interface allows your staff to jump into conversations with feature-rich tools, such as inventory push, video conferencing, and tight integration with digital retailing. And ChatSmart’s highly-trained chat team is there to back you up with fully managed service.
The platform has over 100 integrations with industry partners, including CRMs, SMS, Facebook Messenger and Facebook Marketplace, Google MyBusiness, WhatsApp, OfferUp, Apple Business Chat, and trade-valuation tools.
- Automated Damage Tagging by SpinCar
Product Review
Car sellers can increase shopper trust and confidence with SpinCar’s Automated Damage Tagging (ADT). ADT enables dealers and auctions to seamlessly and accurately document and present a vehicle’s true exterior and interior condition directly on the Vehicle Details Page (VDP). With this powerful technology, dealers and auctions can quickly tag up to 45 interior and exterior locations for accurate, close-up damage visualization and details on the type and severity of the damage.
- ADT provides transparency by comprehensively presenting each vehicle’s true condition, enhancing the customer and bidding experience.
- The dealer can document damage while capturing images for online merchandising, with no need for additional tools or processes.
- Superlatives by TradePending
Product Review
Superlatives by TradePending highlights what makes new cars, and especially used cars, unique and different from the competitor. Superlatives uses real-time market data to showcase each vehicle’s supply and demand in your local market. Consumers see average time on market, high demand vehicles, or low inventory regionally. Superlatives can also call out high interest features such as Apple CarPlay or a lifted suspension.
When presented with market-driven facts, shoppers act with greater urgency to purchase. Dealers can also create their own Superlative Badge to highlight a special feature of the vehicle such as a unique towing package, new brakes, or one-owner vehicle. These Badges are not only helpful for shoppers but for salespeople who may be selling a vehicle they are not familiar with.
Sales teams are consistently confronted with price-only discussions. Superlatives provides market-relevant and vehicle-specific talking points for everyday customer interactions. Consumers that engage with Superlatives-enhanced inventory consistently outperform regular website visitors – typically tripling the pages per session and twice as likely to return.
Social Media