Auto dealer-branded, consumer-facing mobile app is recognized for its exceptional value in the business-to-business product category: Driver Connect is increasing appointments, visit frequency and incremental revenue for auto dealership service departments

Jacksonville, FL – May 19, 2015 – DMEautomotive’s groundbreaking mobile app for auto dealerships, Driver Connect, was named a Finalist today in the Business-to-Business Products category in The 2015 American Business Awards, and will ultimately be a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie® Award winner in the program.

The American Business Awards are considered the nation’s preeminent business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. 

Launched in 2012, and designed with the customer to dealer relationship in mind, the award-winning Driver Connect mobile app provides auto dealers with a powerful mobile marketing platform, offering features that engage customers, improve service and drive loyalty, all while helping dealers increase service retention and revenue.

“We are proud that Driver Connect has been honored by the American Business Awards for the second time, this time for its business-to-business focus,” said Mike Walther, president and CEO of DMEautomotive.  “Since we first introduced Driver Connect, the smartphone landscape has expanded rapidly and we have continued to innovate and enhance Driver Connect to meet this evolution, something we could not have done without invaluable feedback from our auto retailer customers. As a result, Driver Connect, and DMEa’s Service Connect for the aftermarket, have become one of the best, and most powerful service retention/customer loyalty-driving tools available to auto dealerships and aftermarket service providers today.”

According to auto retailer data, customers using Driver Connect are 73% more likely to purchase a car and will spend up to 7% more on that car than customers without the app. Additionally, customers using Driver Connect make up to 25% more service appointments, with a service visit frequency that grows 3.7 times faster than customers without an app. DMEautomotive estimates an annual lift of $144,000 in incremental dealership service revenue for every 1,000 app users.

More than 3,300 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including Startup of the Year, Executive of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Live Event of the Year, and Human Resources Department of the Year, among others.

Finalists were chosen by scores of business professionals nationwide during first-round judging in April and May.  Members of several specialized judging committees will determine Stevie Award placements from among the Finalists during final judging, to take place later this month.

“So many fascinating and inspiring stories of success were submitted to the ABAs this year,” said Stevie Awards president and founder Michael Gallagher.  “We congratulate all of our 2015 Finalists on their achievements.”

Driver Connect has won multiple awards, most recently including the 2015 Digital Edge Award from IDG, and the 2015 and 2014 AWA award for mobile apps.

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

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.

About the Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in six programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.  Stevie Awards programs receive more than 10,000 nominations from organizations in more than 60 nations each year.  Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com.

Media Relations

Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, (424) 603-4340, melanie@mwebbcom.com
Crystal Hartwell, mWEBB Communications, (949) 929-4637, crystal@mwebbcom.com