Gumiyo Blog

How I used my mobile phone to buy my new car

2009-01-15T09:39:00.000-08:00

I just bought a new car. I also happen to work for Gumiyo and some of our best customers are automotive dealers who use our mobile marketing platform to sell cars. What a fantastic opportunity to put my theoretical punditry to the test and actually use these mobile tools for real.

Here’s what I did: After determining that I wanted a certified pre-owned or new vehicle, I took time during the week to visit all the local dealer Web sites in which I was interested. Living in Los Angeles, the largest retail automotive market in the country, meant that I had a lot of choices. (By the way, I should state that Gumiyo does not view SMS and the Mobile Web as a replacement for a good traditional Web site. Mobile should be used to enhance that Web site and empower traditional advertising.)

I went to all these dealership Web sites to scan availability of the models and trim that interested me. Some of those dealers had Web-2-Mobile widgets (part of the Gumiyo platform) that let me send vehicles from a Web page to my phone where I could save them for later reference. I later discovered just how handy this was.

Now, some dealers didn’t have that widget on their sites so I went to a third party lead provider where they have a similar widget. Here’s the difference: The dealers who had their own widget were able to track my activity and source me as an organic lead, not an expensive 3rd party lead. Plus, the message I received back from the dealers’ Web-2-Mobile widgets were dealer-branded and not branded with the third party's brand. Big difference.

I also checked the newspaper knowing that some of the local dealers had placed mobile calls-t-to-action in their ads. In fact, one of those dealers was using the model name of a car I liked as a keyword. Knowing these dealer Go Codes™ would come in handy when I needed to access their content from the road.

By Saturday morning I’d sent about 15 individual vehicles listings to my phone from about 6 different dealers, and I was now in an obsessive quest to buy a car. I was the epitome of a down-funnel car buyer with money burning a hole in my pocket.

I was gone for seven hours that Saturday and all I had was my mobile phone. I must have gone back and forth between my text message "bookmarks" and the dealer’s mobile Web sites 40 or 50 times while on the lot or pulled over enroute to the next dealer. I was whipping my phone out to show the sales reps what I was interested in, I was using it to look up phone numbers and directions, and I was doing additional searches for similar vehicles. I also accessed 5 CARFAX reports while I was out there.

In fact, I found one vehicle on the dealer’s mobile site that I missed the previous day which was the sole reason I came back to his lot. The sole reason! Remember, I was out and about and not going back to the house to check the Web. I even started paperwork on that car and if that dealer would have just cut the price a bit more we would have had a deal.

Now, the big question is, “Did I buy a car as a result of using mobile?” The answer is “yes.” A dealer I was interested in and from whose Web site I texted a car had actually sold that vehicle by the time I visited him that weekend. I clicked that mobile listing to call him. He said he could find me what I wanted and we talked about price. We also texted quite a bit in order to keep me updated on his progress.

I bought my car on January 10th and it all started because that dealer made his store and his inventory easily available to me while I was on-the-go.

I love my new car, too.

Mobile Web changes rules of game for newspapers

2009-01-02T09:45:00.000-08:00

In an increasingly interactive world, newspaper companies are searching for innovative ways to increase revenue, create new value and maintain relevance. They are all looking for the same exact formula — instant value for advertisers and readers, fast and simple deployment and positive ROI.

The industry's shift to digital and online formats has been going on for years. Now a new trend is emerging that targets on-the-go consumers anytime and anywhere through SMS text messaging and the mobile Web...

Read complete article in Newspapers and Technology...

Mobile Marketer Daily: L.A. Times launches mobile marketing initiative

2008-12-16T09:23:00.000-08:00

Mobile Marketer Daily, one of the most widely read online publications for the mobile marketing industry, has written a piece about our initiative with the Los Angeles Times...

Tribune Co.’s Los Angeles Times is turning to mobile to increase revenue and create new value for its automotive and real estate advertisers.

The newspaper tapped mobile marketing and technology provider Gumiyo Inc. for the mobile marketing initiative, which connects consumers with the Los Angeles Times’ classified print and online automotive and real estate advertising via mobile. Read on...

Gumiyo Teams with the Los Angeles Times to Launch Mobile Marketing Initiative for Automotive and Real Estate Advertisers

2008-12-15T12:34:00.000-08:00

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With newspaper companies nationwide launching innovative ways to increase revenue and create new value, Gumiyo, the nation’s leading mobile marketing and technology provider, today announced a venture with the Los Angeles Times (www.latimes.com) offering the latest online and mobile technology marketing solutions. The mobile marketing initiative connects consumers with The Times classified print and online automotive (www.latimes.com/cars) and real estate (www.latimes.com/homes) advertising.

The new service lets in-market car shoppers and home buyers use simple text messages and the Mobile Web to access detailed advertiser listings, photos, and videos and view them on almost any modern mobile handset. As an added benefit, the platform also enables car shoppers to access complete, on-demand CARFAX® Vehicle History Reports™.

“This mobile marketing initiative gives consumers a fast and easy way to shop,” said Eric Larson, president of Gumiyo. “It turns traditional classified advertising into truly interactive media by giving consumers a way to directly engage The Times’ dealers, agents, or brokers listings anytime, while also allowing advertisers to reach thousands of busy, motivated buyers.”

The Los Angeles Times and latimes.com reach over 40 percent (1.3 million) of households in its designated marketing area (DMA). latimes.com, and its Internet marketing partner Cars.com, receive more than 3 million unique visitors each month looking to purchase a new or used car.

“With this initiative, we can now offer infinite space for a rich-media, interactive user experience that can be uniquely combined with The Times local, time-sensitive ads,” says Ken Nail, Director of Automotive Advertising for the Los Angeles Times. “Put simply, readers can get the best of both the print and interactive worlds and we see this as a great way of extending our advertisers’ reach to consumers on the go.”

The Los Angeles Times mobile marketing initiative is powered by Gumiyo’s Mobile Ready platform, a turnkey mobile marketing solution that integrates with traditional and online advertising to increase response rates and ROI. Simple text-able keywords, unique to each dealership, agent or brokerage, are incorporated into the auto retailer or broker’s print advertisements, classified and online listings. Consumers use the keywords to quickly and easily send text messages to receive additional vehicle or property information. The system automatically replies to the buyer with a text message that includes basic information and a link to the advertiser’s rich-media Mobile web site.

"Our mobile initiative gives homebuyers instant access to details on homes they are interested in buying, keeping them engaged and stimulating fast leads for the listing agent,” stated Leslie Lindemann Director of Real Estate for the Los Angeles Times. “The Times news coverage and advertising is the first place many homebuyers turn to in their search for a home, and working with Gumiyo greatly enhances that experience for both buyers and sellers."

Dealers and real estate agents can subscribe to the mobile marketing service for one low monthly fee that includes unique keywords, custom outgoing text messages and a branded mobile Web site. Mobile web pages for properties and vehicles are generated automatically from existing inventory data that include complete descriptions, photos, videos, vehicle and home reviews and CARFAX reports (automotive only). Advertisers can also build custom mobile campaigns for various aspects of their businesses including service specials or open house events. Dealerships and brokers that sign up for the new program can become “mobile ready” and begin driving new business in less than a week.

About the Los Angeles Times

The Pulitzer-prize winning Los Angeles Times (http://latimes.com) is the largest metropolitan daily newspaper in the country with a daily readership of 2 million and 3 million on Sunday. The Times has been covering Southern California for 127 years and reaches a combined print and interactive local weekly audience of 4.5 million. The fast-growing latimes.com now draws 10 million unique visitors monthly.

The Los Angeles Times Media Group portfolio of products also includes LA, Los Angeles Times Magazine; The Envelope (http://theenvelope.com); Metromix (http://losangeles.metromix.com); Times Community Newspapers; Hoy (http://hoyinternet.com) and California Community News, with an overall reach of approximately 5.3 million or 40% of all adults in the Southern California marketplace. It is part of Tribune Company, one of the country’s leading media companies with businesses in publishing, the Internet and broadcasting. Additional information is available at http://latimes.com/mediacenter.

Gumiyo Introduces Mobile Lead Management for Auto Dealers

2008-12-11T15:39:00.000-08:00

Woodland Hills, CA (PRWEB) December 11, 2008 -- Gumiyo, the nation's leading mobile marketing and technology provider, today announced the release of Mobile Lead Management™ (MLM), a set of tools developed to help auto dealers maximize ROI from their mobile marketing campaigns. The lead management solution integrates seamlessly into Gumiyo's Mobile Ready platform, enabling dealers to quickly and easily capture, process and manage real-time mobile phone SMS text messaging inquiries from consumers.

"Mobile Lead Management is very similar in purpose and function to Internet lead management," said Rich Abronson, vice president of marketing for Gumiyo. "These tools ensure that in-coming mobile phone leads, which come from down-funnel car buyers, are properly tracked and responded to so that dealers can connect with on-the-go customers and make the sale."

Gumiyo's Mobile Lead Management solution centralizes dealership efforts to reach and interact with mobile consumers responding on an immediate and emotional basis to a dealer's traditional advertising. Using cutting-edge methodology, it lets sales staff capture, monitor, and act on in-coming mobile phone leads with communication tailored to the preferences and tolerances of each buyer.

Features of the new solution include:

Capture of mobile leads from in-market car buyers in one central system.
Native integration with the dealership's CRM system via ADF format
Tracking lead events such as lead form submissions and replies to text messages from consumers and dealers.
Routing of lead alerts in the form of text messages and email--in real-time--to sales personnel for immediate follow-up
Detailed reports on leads, conversions, and other vital mobile lead data for review, analysis, cross-reference with historical sales data, and integration with follow on service and fixed operations

The Gumiyo Mobile Ready platform is a turnkey mobile marketing solution enabling automotive retailers to launch a mobile presence, merchandise inventory and listings to mobile phones, and run mobile marketing campaigns. Simple mobile phone response codes, unique to each dealership, are incorporated into the auto retailer's print advertisements, classified and online listings. Consumers use the code to quickly and easily send text messages to the dealer for additional vehicle information. The system automatically replies to the buyer with a link to the dealer's mobile Web site.

"An effective mobile lead management program is critical to the success of any mobile marketing campaign," said Abronson. "It ensures that dealers can reach buyers, provide relevant content, initiate a dialogue and, most importantly, generate revenue from their mobile strategy."

Read what Mobile Marketing Watch
had to say...

Gumiyo Announces New Mobile Ready Platform for Newspapers

2008-12-02T17:15:00.000-08:00

Woodland Hills, Calif. -- December 2, 2008 --
With newspaper companies nationwide searching for innovative ways to increase revenue, create new value, and maintain relevance in an increasingly interactive world; Gumiyo, the nation's leading mobile marketing and technology provider, today announced the release of a powerful new suite of online tools that enable newspapers to offer rich Mobile Web and SMS campaigns to advertisers. The mobile marketing solution lets advertising departments construct entirely new revenue streams that fit seamlessly within their existing ad sales business, regardless of circulation size.

"Newspapers recognize the consumers' shift to a mobile lifestyle and have begun adopting mobile technology to retain and recover advertising dollars," said Rich Abronson, vice president of marketing for Gumiyo. "It's a natural evolution of the printed page."

Newspapers recognize the consumers' shift to a mobile lifestyle and have begun adopting mobile technology to retain and recover advertising dollars
It's a natural evolution of the printed page.

All newspapers are looking for the same exact formula - instant value for advertisers and readers, fast and simple deployment and, most importantly, positive ROI from day one
The Gumiyo Mobile Ready Platform is a low cost, easy to implement solution that can immediately begin generating results and revenue.

Gumiyo's Mobile Ready Platform can be privately labeled and integrated directly into a publication's existing ad sales business, providing in-depth, interactive, and media-rich content that is linked to the advertiser's display and liner ads. The platform can also mobilize a paper's classifieds section by delivering matched listings to on-the-go consumers, and creates additional opportunities to engage those consumers beyond the printed page. Combinations of its unique engagement tools keep local consumers and advertisers connected and communicating.

The Gumiyo platform is a proven mobile marketing solution in the retail automotive and real estate markets, two of the leading advertising sectors for the newspaper industry. Several large metropolitan and small-town newspapers are successfully deploying the platform for these sectors, as well as for retail advertisers and employment listings.

"All newspapers are looking for the same exact formula - instant value for advertisers and readers, fast and simple deployment and, most importantly, positive ROI from day one," said Abronson. "The Gumiyo Mobile Ready Platform is a low cost, easy to implement solution that can immediately begin generating results and revenue."

Check out these stories on Gumiyo's Mobile-Ready Platform for Newspapers:

Mobile is Huge and Growing - Just Look at the Numbers

2008-11-11T09:23:00.000-08:00

Invariably, whenever we introduce ourselves and the Mobile Ready Platform, there is a need to "set the table" with some statistics that describe the size, usage patterns, and demographics of mobile phone usage. In fact, the landscape is evolving so rapidly that we feel we're changing out PowerPoint slides every other month or so. Below is our attempt to create a clearinghouse of useful statistics which we will do our utmost to keep current.

Text Messaging in the U.S. - Sheer Numbers
In 2007 there were 189 billion text messages sent according to the Gartner Group in December of that year. In that same report there was a projection of over 300 billion sent text messages for 2008. However, Neilsen Mobile reported that by Q2 2008 mobile subscribers were sending an average of 357 text messages per month, and the CTIA Wireless Association reported that 75 billion text messages were sent in June 2008. This dramatic 450% increase in SMS usage from two years ago appears to smash the 300 billion projection, possibly even doubling it.

Who's Texting?
In a nutshell, it seems like everybody is. SMS is a "killer app" in ways similar to email, Web browsers, and instant messaging. The cool thing is that it is ridiculously simple and there is not a phone on the market without SMS capability. Our teenagers dominated the medium in its early days, but their parents soon caught on as they were receiving text messages from those very same teenagers: "Mom, can u pik me up from the mall?"

In December of 2007, Pew Internet and Life reported that 60% of 18-29 year olds were texting on a daily basis and that 32% of 30-49 year olds were doing the same. While authoritative statistics about 2008 have not yet been released, I believe it's safe to assume there has been a dramatic rise given the sheer overall volume of text messaging.

Update: Nielsen Mobile reported in December 2008 that 203 million of the 263 million U.S. mobile subscribers paid for text messaging. In addition, 57% of all mobile subscribers age 13 and older text on a daily basis. And what about teenagers? They sent an average 1,742 messages per month in Q2 2008. In fact, I just check my own 16 year old daughter's phone bill and discovered that she had sent 1,258 text messages in the past 3 weeks. I'm very grateful we have an unlimited data plan!

The Mobile Web
Consumer Mobile Web access is also seeing dramatic growth, especially with the large increase in full-featured smartphones. Further fueling this increase in Mobile Web access is the fact that more and more carriers are offering "all-you-can-eat" data plans. In fact, Nielsen Mobile reported in July of 2008* that already 95 million U.S. mobile users pay to subscribe for Mobile Internet access. This is remarkable considering this number represents over half of the roughly 165 million unique Internet users in the U.S. The report also showed that those accessing the Mobile Web regularly (about 40 million) was demographically diverse.

In other words, the Mobile Web offers opportunities for half of all Internet users to access interactive content at anytime and from anywhere, and it should also be noted that standard, smaller screen flip-phones have been Web-enabled for some time. The same report stated the average business with a Mobile Web presence sees a 13% lift in traffic on top of their tradition Internet presence. At the end of the day, if you think it's important for your business to have a traditional Web site, then it's safe to assume it's also important to have a Mobile Web presence as well.

What about Video?
This is definitely a growth area in the mobile space. Of course, smartphones are driving video technology advances and video usage is projected to dramatically increase as a result. Already, 31% of U.S. mobile users (91 million) have a video-capable phone (Neilsen Mobile, Q1 2008). Video changed the Web and it will do so for the Mobile Web as well.

In Conclusion
When combined together; well-placed SMS calls-to-action, effective outbound text message campaigns, and Mobile Web sites are an incredibly effective way to connect businesses and consumers. Critical mass has been reached whereby consumers are willing and able to use their mobile phones for tasks other than making phone calls. It truly has become a mass marketing medium that is always on, always present, and 100% personal. This is an amazing opportunity for advertisers and the Mobile Ready Platform makes it possible to realize it.

*Critical Mass: The Worldwide state of the Mobile Web. Nielsen Mobile, 2008

Webinar: More Leads, More Touchpoints, More Sales

2008-10-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

Learn how you can reach in-market car buyers anytime and anywhere by taking advantage of the "always on, always present" nature of their mobile phones! This webinar will be led by Gumiyo's National Account Manager Jana Trantow. Click on the session date below to reserve your webinar seat now:

• Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008 11:00 AM Pacific / 2 PM Eastern

• Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008 11:00 AM Pacific / 2 PM Eastern

• Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2008 11:00 AM Pacific / 2 PM Eastern

• Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008 11:00 AM Pacific / 2 PM Eastern

Description:
The mobile phone has truly become the next mass media with the rapid, everyday adoption of text messaging and the Mobile Web among U.S. consumers. As a result, automotive dealers can take advantage of the "always on, always present" mobile phone to present their showrooms, inventory, and promotions to in-market car buyers wherever they are.

This session will discuss how today's U.S. consumers are using their mobile phones and how dealers can take advantage of this to make their existing advertising efforts more powerful and more effective. In addition, we'll also show how the Gumiyo Mobile Marketplace platform can help dealers sell faster by creating entirely new opportunities for car buyers to view and interact with vehicle inventory.

The Best Silent Sales Person - The Mobile Phone

2008-10-17T14:34:00.000-07:00

It's a fact that in-market car buyers will visit the lot after business hours when there is no salesperson available to greet him or her. Dealers have used a variety of tactics to capture information about these after hours walk-ups, but these tactics require the customer to do too much work.

Text messaging combined with the Mobile Web offers an exciting new alternative. Dealers are placing text-able Go Code™ keywords in conjunction with Stock Number on each window label enabling customers to send media-rich vehicle information directly to their phones.

Not only does this save complete vehicle information to the phone that the customer can take with him, the dealer gets immediate feedback and alerts when after hours car buyers are accessing vehicle or dealer information.

Don White's Timonium Chrysler Jeep
In this example, Don White's Timonium Chrysler Jeep and Dodge has created a window label template (left) that includes the Go Code "DONWHITES." Next to it is a blank space for the vehicle stock number. The combination of the Go Code and a specific stock number directs the potential buyer straight to that car on their mobile phone where they can view the complete information, see pictures and videos and even view a CARFAX Vehicle History Report.

Auto Dealers Report Growing Consumer Response Rates with Mobile Marketing

2008-10-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

Auto dealers using Gumiyo's mobile marketing platform are experiencing increased market penetration with the new media channel that can reach consumers anytime and anywhere. Dealers report that text messaging response rates are continuing to increase since the launch of their mobile campaigns, with some dealerships receiving hundreds of messages each month.

Woodland Hills, CA (PRWEB) October 6, 2008 -- Auto dealers using Gumiyo's mobile marketing platform are experiencing increased market penetration with the new media channel that can reach consumers anytime and anywhere. Dealers report that text messaging response rates are continuing to increase since the launch of their mobile campaigns, with some dealerships receiving hundreds of messages each month.

"With mobile marketing, we're able to give our customers another way to reach out and touch us," said Bob Cockerham, owner of Car World Kia Suzuki, located in New Mexico. "They really enjoy being able to text message our stores and access vehicle and inventory information on the Mobile Web. It's a great way to talk to people on a personal level."

In August, twenty of the most active "mobilized" dealers received a combined total of over 1,000 text messages from mobile consumers seeking additional store and vehicle information.

"Mobile is a different type of medium that attracts its own customers," said Cockerham. "We were surprised at how many people prefer this method of communication."

Universal City Nissan, located in Los Angeles, California, has also seen growing results from their mobile marketing efforts. Over the past few months, the auto retailer has been averaging more that 100 text messages a month from on-the-go consumers.

"Our mobile campaigns are becoming an important part of our marketing mix. The more we promote our mobile program, the more consumer responses we get," said Mike Sage, Universal City Nissan partner, vice president and e-biz director. "It gives us a unique opportunity to connect with consumers we might otherwise have missed."

Eric Miltsch from AuctionDirectUSA.com located in Victor, New York; Jacksonville, Florida and Raleigh, North Carolina, is another retailer that has been using Gumiyo's mobile marketing platform to promote their inventory. "I receive several text message alerts every day telling me when a customer has responded to one of our mobile promotions and for which specific locations. It gives us an opportunity to reach out and talk to more people," said Miltsch.

AuctionDirectUSA.com's unique mobile response code is mentioned in the company's TV, radio, print and online ads. "Mobile is an extra layer to all of our marketing efforts. It insures that the message doesn't stop with one particular media."

Miltsch notes that while the summer months are usually the slowest time of the year, since the implementation of Gumiyo's mobile marketing platform, sales have been steady with the addition of the mobile channels. "The convenience factor makes it a great tool. It lets our customers access vehicle data wherever they're at," said Miltsch, who adds "Wherever our customers are, that's where we want to be."

Superior Nissan adds adds SMS to their electric sign

2008-10-07T15:28:00.001-07:00

We’re constantly asked how to place Go Codes™ in order to get maximum results. Superior Nissan of Carson, California recently added the mobile channel to its marketing mix and demonstrated how Go Code placement can turn a costly electric sign into a two-way, interactive engagement piece.

The Nissan dealer has an enormous electronic billboard overlooking one of the busiest freeways in the United States – Los Angeles’ Interstate 405. Since adding a mobile call-to-action, the electric billboard is producing a steady stream of text message leads.

They Found a Better Way

2008-10-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

Like many car dealerships, Bob Baker’s Better Way sits right near a freeway. Located in San Diego, Calif., that freeway is more often a parking lot than an autobahn. So, to capitalize on the proximity to a captive audience, Bob Baker’s Better Way has placed its Go Code “BOBBAKER” on every light pole facing traffic, generating many leads for the dealership.

For more tips on how to maximize the ROI for your Gumiyo Go Code, make sure to attend our weekly webinars every Thursday at 2 PM Eastern / 11 AM Pacific. For more information, contact us at (888) 486-9611.

J.D. Power Automotive Roundtable: Mobile Web session

2008-09-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

If you are attending the J.D. Power Automotive Roundtable in Las Vegas, then don't miss our very own Eric Larson at the following session on Wednesday, October 8:

Mobile Web: Starting to Show, Will it Grow?
Just about everyone has a cell phone; this "third screen" has yet to prove itself as a viable marketing opportunity. The panel will share their experiences and challenges with the mobile web.

Eric will be joined by Jason Gruber of Platform-A and Brandon Lucas of MySpace.com.

More about the event...

Dealership Customer: Car World Kia Suzuki

2008-09-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

If the goal of any advertising campaign is to generate more leads and ultimately more sales, Car World Kia Suzuki's recent use of its Go Code™ serves as an ideal measuring stick for success: more than 200 texts in the past six weeks. The activity hit a high point on August 2 when nearly 30 people texted CARWORLD to 48696 during an infomercial on local Santa Fe, N.M. television.

"We mentioned our Go Code™ several times during the spot we ran that morning," said Bob Cockerham, Car World Kia Suzuki's Owner. "We pulled out each car, showed it to the camera and explained that the viewer could make their shopping easier by texting 'carworld' to 48696. We're been very excited with our results so far – Gumiyo is probably pound-for-pound the best investment a dealer can make in internet marketing."

But Car World didn't just promote its Go Code™ on television. The dealership placed texting instructions on its website and included it in a newsletter sent to all potential customers. As with many of Gumiyo's most successful clients, the more Car World integrated its Go Code™ into every facet of its marketing mix, the better the results returned.

"So far, our customers have enjoyed the fact that they can have our inventory texted to them," Cockerham said. "It's been a no brainer for us – text messaging and the mobile internet are the wave of the future. These days, like most dealerships, we're looking to cut expenses and Gumiyo isn't one of them. We think this platform is going to continue selling cars for us."

Introducing a relatively new technology such as text messaging to a potential customer base has its pros and cons – some people are slower to adapt while others can't embrace the technology quickly enough. However, Car World's success came from respecting their audience enough to assume that most people would be curious enough to follow the instructions in the ad and look up the inventory. They were right.

"There's sometimes a mentality to cater to the lowest common denominator," Cockerham said. "The truth is, people are really intelligent and catch on to new things right away. By integrating our Go Code™ into our advertising, we gave our customers another way to reach out and touch us."

Placing the Go Code™ into its advertising mix was just the beginning. Car World tested its messaging and made sure it resonated with its customer base. The next step for Car World is to completely immerse its Go Code™ into every facet of marketing.

"We're putting our Go Code™ into Sunday shoppers, email replies to customers and every other piece of advertising we have," Cockerham said. Once we get it all up and running on our end, we know we'll see a definite difference with our customers."

And that difference will be more leads, more touch points and ultimately, more sales.

Is your dealership Mobile Ready?

2008-09-05T13:32:00.000-07:00

The mobile phone as a mass medium has finally come into its own as a viable marketing channel for automotive dealers. Today, dealers across the U.S. are integrating the car buyer’s mobile phone into the marketing mix by launching mobile versions of their dealership Web sites and formatting their inventory for display on the mobile screen. With the introduction of the “mobile call-to-action” (think American Idol text message voting), traditional dealership advertising becomes virtually “clickable.” In other words, when a car buyer encounters a newspaper ad, lot sign, TV commercial or radio spot that interests him, he can access more information about the dealership or vehicle immediately on his mobile phone. The “on-the-go” consumer no longer needs to be in front of a computer screen or remember a Web address, but the modern mobile phone is always on, always present and outfitted with SMS text messaging and a Mobile Web browser.

It works like this: A dealership engages a mobile marketing provider to generate a Mobile Web site and mobile vehicle inventory listings. Specialized, textable keywords are created that point to a mobile homepage, mobile landing pages, or vehicle listings. Dealers then place these keywords into traditional advertising to create mobile calls-to-action that might look something like, “See our inventory on your mobile phone now, text FREDAUTO to 48696.” A text message is returned to the car buyer with dealer, vehicle, or promotional information along with a link that launches the phone’s Web browser.

In much the same way that dealers needed to become “Internet-ready” several years ago when the Web matured as a mass medium, so too the dealers (and related vendors) need to become “mobile-ready.” What does this mean?

Firstly, it starts with the dealer getting a mobile Web site and mobilizing the on-lot inventory, and this is easily enough accomplished by engaging a mobile marketing provider as mentioned above. However, a Mobile Web site is definitely not a case of “build it and they will come.” In fact, just like a dealership Web site, a dealer’s mobile presence is most effective when it properly integrates three key areas: Marketing and advertising, CRM, and Inventory Management.

Mobile-Ready Marketing and Advertising
A mobile-ready dealership engages it’s marketing department or outsourced marketing agency to integrate mobile into the mix. At its simplest level, this means regularly including mobile calls-to-action into all traditional advertising in much the same way as toll-free numbers and Web addresses. In order to get maximum benefit, a dealer’s marketing department or agency should be coordinating creative artwork, headlines, promotions, and campaigns with Mobile Web pages and outgoing text messages. In effect, this coordination bridges the gap between the traditional and online marketing efforts.

For example, if there’s a special financing promotion being advertised in the newspaper, then the dealer should include a mobile call-to-action in the newspaper ad artwork that will open a Mobile Web page with more information. In turn, the results need to be measured and the creative needs to be tested and refined to maximize results.

According to Dave Burrell, Automotive Director at The King Partnership, a Raleigh, North Carolina Automotive Advertising Agency, "By incorporating Mobile Marketing into our clients' advertising plans, we have been able to view the effectiveness of each clients' traditional advertising campaigns in real time. This has enabled us to maximize our dealer's advertising dollars and to help generate quality leads for them."

Because marketing people do this for a living, it’s important that they be up-to-speed with regard to tactics and strategies unique to the mobile channel. Fortunately, a good mobile marketing platform provider can generally train and certify marketing and advertising professionals to effectively make use of the medium.

Mobile-Ready CRM—Mobile Leads are HOT
Leads generated from on-the-go consumers should be considered hot and treated with a greater sense of urgency than Internet leads. In fact, a lead generated from the Mobile Web or as a reply to a text message should really be treated like a phone-up. Because mobile calls-to-action are placed in local advertising that is focused on down-funnel activities like sourcing pricing and availability, it can be assumed that the buyer is pretty close to a purchase. At the very least, the lead is coming from someone who is, at that very moment, engaged with a dealer’s advertising. What better moment than to engage a customer who is having an emotional response to a dealer’s offering.

Important to remember as well: Mobile-generated leads are much less complete than an Internet lead and dealers need to be prepared for that. The car buyer who contacts the dealer through a traditional Web site has a full-sized Web browser and keyboard with which it is easy to submit a fair amount of personal contact information. In contrast, some mobile leads may include nothing but a mobile phone number. With this said, a mobile-ready dealership will ensure that its lead response process reflects the urgency of the mobile phone.

Mobile-Ready Content and Inventory Management
For any dealership it makes little sense to implement a mobile marketing strategy if it doesn’t include up-to-date vehicle inventory. Separate or manual vehicle data entry doesn’t make sense for the busy dealership so it is imperative that the mobile marketing solution integrates with a dealer’s inventory management solution.

In practice, a store will advertise specific used or new vehicles in newspapers, classifieds, TV commercials or other local venues. Accompanying those ads are mobile calls-to-action enabling a car buyer to immediately pull up more photos and information of specific vehicle on his cell phone. Consequently, vehicle information should be accurate and in sync with the dealer’s Web site and the various third party sites like cars.com or autotrader.com. In addition, Laws regulating how long a sold vehicle may remain online apply to the mobile space as well.

When researching a mobile solution, dealers should ensure that their data feeds will seamlessly “plug” into it. In fact, it should take little more than a phone call for the dealer to get his inventory activated for display on mobile phone.

In addition to vehicle specifications and photos, there is a variety of other content that should also be considered. For instance, dealers should inquire about mobile video, 3rd party content and reviews. As a dealer you don’t need to be managing two Web sites. In fact, most of the content on a dealership Web site is automatically generated and published to the Web site by a 3rd party provider. Luckily, the same can be done for the mobile space thus negating the need for the Web site vendor to provide a mobile solution.

Mobile-Ready easier to achieve than Internet-ready—and easier to manage
Several years ago, there was a constant buzz in the air about dealerships getting Internet-ready. Making that move to the Internet involved a lot of moving parts, required hiring and training of dedicated staff, and introduced a slew of technical issues. As such, it took quite a bit of prodding but most dealerships today have implemented sophisticated Internet marketing strategies that integrate various (if not all) aspects of the car sales and marketing process. It’s paid off handsomely. Those dealerships that didn’t get online probably went out of business or were purchased.

Today, mobile is the next big wave but compared to the Internet, mobile is a snap. A number of lessons learned on the Internet can be repurposed to the mobile space, and implementing a mobile strategy can be relatively painless with the help of the right mobile solution vendor.

The existing Internet staff at a dealership should be able to easily manage the addition of a mobile presence. Adjustments to creative advertising involve little more than the ink required to include a mobile call-to-action. In fact, the biggest challenge is for the marketing department to get used to the mobile call-to-action in the same way it got used to including toll-free numbers and Web addresses on everything. Considering what the modern retail dealership has accomplished online, getting mobile-ready is a cakewalk.

Chrome Systems and Gumiyo Partner to Deliver First Mobile Phone Vehicle Videos

2008-08-27T15:50:00.000-07:00

PORTLAND, Ore., Aug 27, 2008 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Chrome® Systems Inc., a subsidiary of DealerTrack Holdings, Inc. and an industry leader in collecting, enhancing, and distributing best-in-class automotive data, today announced it has partnered with Gumiyo, the retail automotive industry's leading mobile marketing company, to deliver Chrome's Video Showcase of full-motion new vehicle video test drives to mobile Web consumers using Gumiyo's dynamic mobile marketing platform. This will put high quality videos of new vehicle inventory directly into the hands of mobile phone users for the first time, providing auto buyers with dynamic and informative vehicle presentations to help drive sales...

Read full release in MarketWatch

UPDATE:
Mobile Marketing Watch had some great things to say about this...

Webinar: Mobile Marketing Best Practices for Retail Automotive

2008-07-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

Launching a mobile marketing initiative is easier than you think, and it's true potential is realized when integrated with traditional advertising. In fact, when the mobile channel is combined with print, radio, TV, outdoor, and on-lot signage; suddenly these traditional ad venues become measurable direct response sources.

Upcoming sessions:

Thursday, October 30, 11 a.m. PT, 2 p.m. ET
Canceled - To schedule a webinar session, please call (888) 486-9611
Thursday, November 6, 11 a.m. PT, 2 p.m. ET
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/152470775
Thursday, November 13, 11 a.m. PT, 2 p.m. ET
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/802861723

This session is designed to jumpstart new automotive dealers, partners, and ad agencies or departments who have recently launched their mobile presence using the Gumiyo Mobile Marketplace platform. In this Webinar, we'll cover:

Campaign Types
Review of how it works
Creating mobile calls-to-action
Placement
Text message creation
Industry codes of conduct
Account configuration

Are You Mobile Ready?

2008-07-28T14:52:00.000-07:00

Gumiyo, the nation's leading retail automotive mobile marketing company and technology provider, today announced the launch of a new "Mobile Ready" initiative for retail automotive advertising agencies, automotive content providers, and CRM companies. The program establishes a mobile solutions professional group and certification process that designates members as ready to meet the mobile marketing needs of their dealer clients. Learn more at http://www.getmobileready.com

Read the full press release...
Read what Mobile Marketing Watch has to say...
The King Partnership, a Raleigh-based, full-service Advertising & Marketing Agency, has partnered becomes among the first to earn the Mobile Ready designation. More...

Dealership Customer: Boyette Auto Mall Adds Mobile to the Mix

2008-07-14T11:51:00.000-07:00

Text "BAM" to 48696!

Boyette Auto Mall has taken the mobile channel to heart by leveraging both their print advertising and their TV commercials with mobile calls-to-action.

The King Partnership, Boyette's advertising agency, has developed a practice around mobile marketing and has chosen the Gumiyo platform in order to deliver mobile campaigns for it's clients.

Gumiyo VP and Co Founder to speak at Fall 2008 Digital Dealer Conference

2008-07-09T09:42:00.000-07:00

If you're planning to be in Dallas for the Digital Dealer Conference on October 6, we invite you to attend this session led by Rich Abronson, Gumiyo's co-founder and VP of Products and Marketing:

Marketing Through Mobile Phones: The Power of the Newest Mass Media
Strategies and tactics for reaching car buyers on their mobile phones anytime and anywhere

The mobile phone has quickly emerged as the most powerful media format for reaching consumers, surpassing both TV and the Internet. The paid adoption of text messaging and use of the mobile web presents auto dealers with a unique opportunity to connect with in-market buyers any time and anywhere to display their showrooms, inventory and promotions.

This session will discuss the US consumer mobile phone landscape, emerging mobile advertising trends and how dealers can take advantage of the mobile web to create highly effective advertising and promotional campaigns. In addition, we’ll discuss mobile marketing best practices and explore tactics that dealers can use on a daily basis to engage the on-the-go car buyer, increase consumer leads and sales.

For more information: 5th Digital Dealer Conference & Exhibition

Digital Dealer: Adding Mobile to your Marketing Mix

2008-06-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

by Rich Abronson
Co-Founder and Vice President

Marketing through mobile phones is increasingly finding its way into the advertising mix for dealerships across the country, and the promise of reaching consumers who are “on-the-go” has great appeal. The increasing ubiquity of SMS text messaging and the mobile web can transform a dealer’s traditional advertising into a virtually “clickable” medium. The first step is for a dealer to “mobilize” their vehicle inventory and create a mobile phone-optimized presence for their stores by engaging a mobile marketing platform vendor. Once setup, the next task is for the dealer to begin driving that mobile traffic...

Read the full article...

Automotive News: Dealership marketers take to text messaging

2008-06-03T17:05:00.000-07:00

Who's sending that text message to your cell phone? It could be your neighborhood auto dealer.

Dealers are joining other auto advertisers in marketing on mobile phones. Consumers now can gain access to many dealerships' listings of new and used vehicles — complete with photos, prices, condition reports, contact information and directions to the showroom — on their phones.

Consumers rather than dealers activate the text messages.

Dealers, meanwhile, are using traditional print and broadcast ads to alert cell phone users to the new venue...

Read the full article at Automotive News...

Gumiyo To Be Showcased at Dow Jones VentureWire Wireless Innovations Conference

2008-04-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

Gumiyo is pleased to announce we will participate in the Dow Jones VentureWire Wireless Innovations conference. We’ll present on Tuesday, April 22^nd from 11:50 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. and 12:40 – 1 p.m. in Salon 7 at the Sofitel San Francisco Bay. The Sofitel is located at 223 Twin Dolphin Drive in redwood City, Calif. We’re looking forward to seeing everybody there!

For a complete agenda, visit: http://wirelessinnovations.dowjones.com/agenda.

Can You Sell Me Now?

2008-04-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

Check out this profile on our company’s CEO, Shuki Lehavi, by Eric Miltsch on WhyBuyUsedCars.com. The piece explains our company history, the origination of the word Gumiyo and the future of mobile marketing.

Gumiyo Partners with HomeNet to Bring New Mobile Web Marketing Solution to Auto Dealers

2008-04-08T10:25:00.000-07:00

Gumiyo, the automotive retail industry’s leading mobile marketing company, today announced a new partnership with HomeNet, Inc., a leading provider of vehicle inventory management and marketing solutions, to provide auto dealers with a single-click mobile Web marketing solution.

Woodland Hills, CA (PRWEB) April 8, 2008 -- Gumiyo, the automotive retail industry’s leading mobile marketing company, today announced a new partnership with HomeNet, Inc., a leading provider of vehicle inventory management and marketing solutions, to provide auto dealers with a single-click mobile Web marketing solution. Built on Gumiyo’s dynamic mobile marketing platform, the new service extends HomeNet’s Inventory Online (IOL) Marketing Suite to mobile phones, literally putting a dealership’s inventory and showroom directly into the hands of qualified and interested buyers. It enables dealers to connect immediately with in-market consumers anytime and anywhere, providing them with on-demand detailed inventory listings, vehicle photos and Carfax reports.

"Our partnership with HomeNet marks our commitment to making mobile marketing a mainstream advertising channel for automotive professionals," said Shuki Lehavi, president and founder of Gumiyo. "It gives one of the largest dealer client bases in the industry direct access to a turn-key, virtually no-touch mobile Web marketing system to help sell their vehicles faster."

HomeNet’s popular Inventory Online (IOL) Marketing Suite currently serves more than 12,000 automotive dealership locations throughout the United States and Canada, processing over 2.5 million vehicles each day. The strategic partnership gives IOL users access to IOL goText, the new mobile marketing solution powered by Gumiyo’s mobile Web technology. IOL goText allows dealers to instantly distribute their vehicle inventory to the mobile Web with one click.

"In today’s world, consumers don’t just want on-demand information – they expect it," commented HomeNet CEO Jesse Biter. "IOL goText makes it easy for dealers to empower prospective buyers by equipping them with real-time access to robust inventory information anytime, anywhere. IOL goText is a terrific addition to the IOL suite and we expect that this powerful marketing tool will give dealers a competitive edge in their respective markets."

IOL goText automatically formats, optimizes and syncs a dealer’s on-lot inventory for the Mobile Web. Once optimized, the new solution provides tools to connect car buyers with the dealership using simple SMS text messages.

Similar to text message voting popularized by American Idol, consumers can access the dealer’s inventory via their mobile phone by keying a short Go Code(TM) (a simple keyword unique for each dealership) into the body of a text message and then sending it to 48696. The codes are marketed through the dealer’s TV, print, radio and billboard campaigns, making traditional automotive advertising "clickable", trackable and measurable.

The reply message that comes back to the user includes information on the dealership and a mobile Web link to a media rich version of the dealer’s showroom. Every vehicle listing viewed by the user on the mobile Web has a way for the buyer to send a text message to the dealership, initiate an email or live phone call, or notify the dealer that they would like to be contacted by phone or email.

Go Codes can also be extended with the last eight digits of the vehicle identification number (VIN) or the dealer’s stock numbers to take a mobile consumer directly to a specific vehicle.

About Gumiyo (www.gumiyo.com)
Gumiyo provides a platform that matches and connects buyers and sellers by extending classifieds, marketplaces, and businesses to mobile phones. With its flexible private-label solution, Gumiyo enables organizations to quickly incorporate the mobile channel into their marketing mix with minimal investment while getting the best and latest technologies the mobile medium has to offer.

HomeNet, Inc. is a privately owned automotive technology provider. Founded in 1996, HomeNet's core focus is providing innovative technology solutions to help automotive dealers increase online sales. HomeNet offers its products to a variety of customers including dealers, OEMs, website providers, CRM providers, digital lot management firms, finance/leasing agents, auction agents, and more. The company is based on Christian principles and is headquartered in West Chester, PA, with satellite offices in AZ, FL, GA, IA, IL, TX, and UT. For more information, please visit www.homenetinc.com.

See who's picked up this story and what they're saying...

Gumiyo, HomeNet Launch “Holy Grail” Mobile Solution for Automotive Dealerships --MobileStance.com
“Mobilized” Car Shopping With Gumiyo & HomeNet --Mobile Marketing Watch