DMEautomotive Introduces Driver Connect (SM) 2.0: Brings Dealerships Even Closer to Mobile Customers

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., June 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- DMEautomotive (DMEa), the science-inspired, results-based automotive marketing leader, today unveiled Driver Connect^SM 2.0, a major upgrade to its industry-leading, dealer-branded, consumer-facing mobile app.

Driver Connect 2.0 includes a number of new tools and features to help dealers market to their increasingly mobile audience, and incorporates a user interface design that is clean, flat, and more efficient for speedier customer interactions. Driver Connect 2.0 also adds the ability to market to customers with information-rich, customizable new and used vehicle detailed specifications, and native tablet support for iPad Classic, iPad Mini, iPhone and Samsung Galaxy – an important addition given that tablets are forecast to outsell notebooks for the first time this year.¹

"Driver Connect started a new mobile app revolution in the dealership, and version 2.0 represents that revolution's next wave," said Mike Walther, president and CEO of DMEautomotive. "The enhancements essentially transform this mobile app from a communication channel into a real-time relationship-building tool. And given the jaw-dropping speed at which mobile app usage is growing, it provides dealerships with an even more powerful marketing platform to drive sales, retention and loyalty."

Driver Connect 2.0 delivers the premier mobile experience in its most advanced form with a powerful marketing platform that will drive sales, retention and loyalty to the marketplace. This new version further enables dealers to meet the growing wave of mobile app users. In 2013, for the first time, the majority of Americans (56%) now own a smartphone, with 31% reporting that it represents their primary way of accessing the Web.² Time spent with mobile has seen a growth curve of 50% annually for the last four years, with U.S. consumers now spending more than 2.5 hours daily on their smartphones and tablets, nipping at the heels of the time they spend with TV (168 minutes daily).³

Driver Connect 2.0 Enhancements:

Driver Connect 2.0 brings one of a kind, user-friendly functionality not currently offered by any other dealership app. Where Driver Connect 1.0 captured the technology and backend requirements that make up a successful dealer mobile app, Driver Connect 2.0 substantially enhances the dealer-consumer relationship by offering a superior set of tools and features along with an enhanced customer experience with a unique streamlined layout - giving the customer easy access to more features and tools without the 'digging' that other apps require.

Driver Connect 2.0 continues to provide dealership customers with a suite of cool, truly useful and personalized automotive tools – as well as features that keep them engaged and spending, such as "one tap" service appointment scheduling, new and used inventory search, tools to manage their entire "family fleet's" service histories and targeted dealership alerts. But the enhancement of Driver Connect 2.0, which is fully integrated with DMEautomotive's Customer Journey marketing and retention program, brings real-time, immediate marketing and deeper, customizable content to its app experience. 2.0 enhancements include:

• Brand new, flat, clean user interface with more efficient navigation.
• Easier account creation, with automated vehicle detection, so customers no longer need to do any VIN scanning or manual entry of VINs.
• Special Offers can now be precisely tied to a specific vehicle (e.g. stock # 123ABC) or class of vehicles (e.g. all Lexus IS250s in inventory) – leading to much higher conversions.
• Consumers who tap Special Offers now go directly to the vehicle details page (for a specific car) or a search results page (for a class of vehicle).
• Enhanced inventory display: new vehicle detail pages now display significantly more information. And dealers can customize to display as much (or as little) info as they want – down to 4-door, antilock brakes, leather seats, sunroof, etc.
• Enhanced inventory aggregation allows customers to seamlessly, simultaneously search under every rooftop in the same dealer group, keeping that customer within the dealer's brand.
• Dedicated marketing tool allows Fixed Ops managers to market their parts service departments to app users.
• Native support for Apple and Android tablets, including the iPad Classic, iPad Mini, and Samsung Galaxy.

Driver Connect was designed from the ground up by DMEautomotive, the company that literally wrote the book on dealership best practices with mobile apps (The Pocket Revolution: The Complete Guide to a Killer Mobile App), and was recently named a finalist for 'Product of the Year' by the 2013 American Business Awards.

About DMEautomotive

DMEautomotive (DMEa) is the industry leader in science-based, results-driven automotive marketing, and provides turnkey marketing to the largest and most innovative automotive organizations, from automobile dealerships to many of the largest aftermarket companies in the U.S. DMEa's uniquely panoramic view of the complete automotive sales and service market, combined with its cutting-edge, science-based marketing programs, increases customer yield, conversion and retention.

DMEa does not take marketing performance on faith, and each product and service is measured by a simple, precise scientific approach: Is it true? Prove it. Will it work? Test it. Does it generate results? Show it! Supported by DMEa's proprietary, cloud-based Red Rocket Technology Platform, the DMEa product suite includes science-based, data driven, multi-channel customer acquisition and retention marketing programs; best-in-class campaign reporting; data management and analytics; auto-focused Customer Interaction Center solutions, and complete on-site mail and email fulfillment services. Headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida, DMEa also has major operations in Jacksonville, Florida.

¹ IDC report, 5/2013 See: http://www.siliconbeat.com/2013/05/28/tablet-sales-to-exceed-notebook-sales-this-year/

² The Pew Internet and American Life Project, 2013

³ Flurry Analytics reports, 2012 & 2013

SOURCE DMEautomotive