Interactive session provides deep dive into social/digital strategies that help dealers sell cars; Early-bird registration now open!

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – June 18, 2012 –Facebook and Google will present at the fourth annual DrivingSales Executive Summit (DSES), the most authoritative digital marketing event for innovative dealers. Early-bird registration is now open for the summit held Sunday, October 21 through Tuesday, October 23, 2012 at the Bellagio Las Vegas.

The session, sponsored by the industry’s digital marketing leader Dealer.com, will take a deep dive into how dealers should be leveraging digital advertising and social media to strengthen their brands, drive opportunities and build lasting customer loyalty. 

“We are excited to announce this session for the DrivingSales Executive Summit – an event that, for the first time in our industry, brings these two digital leaders together to provide inside information and strategies dealers need to successfully market -- right where the majority of their current and future customers are spending most of their digital time: on Facebook and Google,” said DrivingSales Founder and CEO Jared Hamilton.  “These presentations will cut to the heart of what dealers need to know to maximize their digital opportunities with today’s customers -- and they will get the information directly from the source.”

Doug Frisbie, Facebook’s Head of Automotive, Global Vertical Marketing, and Kate Balingit, Dealer Strategist for Google’s Auto Industry Development Team, will each present at the session, titled Digital Deep Dive. Structured as an interactive session where attendees can ask questions, the Q&A will be facilitated by Dean Evans, Chief Marketing Officer of Subaru of North America.  The presentations will take place on October 23^rd at 10:00 am Pacific Time. 

“We are firm believers that both the digital advertising and social networking channels will grow to become the most important medium for auto dealers to promote their brand and connect and engage with their customers, existing and potential,” said Rick Gibbs, president and CTO of Dealer.com and keynote sponsor.  “We are thrilled at the opportunity to sponsor this keynote session, which brings together two powerhouses to educate and inspire the auto industry.”  

The Facebook and Google session is one of several high-profile keynotes scheduled for the summit, including a joint keynote with the J.D. Power & Associates Automotive Marketing Roundtable. 

The fourth annual DrivingSales Executive Summit brings together the most progressive dealers in the country, along with world-renowned speakers, all focused on pushing the auto industry’s ‘innovation boundaries’ and translating the latest trends and business realities into solid 2013 action plans for every dealership department. The summit is 100 percent dealer-driven and has a vendor-neutral policy, meaning no vendor influence on presentation selection and adherence to a strict dealer-to-vendor ratio.

Last year's summit was standing room only, and although DSES 2012 will allow for an expanded number of registrants, it is expected to sell out quickly. To register for the event, and take advantage of early bird registration, click here.

For more information about the DrivingSales Executive Summit, visit: DrivingSalesExecutiveSummit.com or contact dses@drivingsales.com.  Stay tuned for DSES news as it develops on www.twitter.com/drivingsales and on facebook.com/drivingsales. Participate in the conversation with the #DSES hashtag as preparations continue throughout the year.

About DrivingSales

Founded in 2008 and dedicated to the dealer community, DrivingSales is a business intelligence and data company that delivers unbiased*, profit-building information to make automobile dealers more successful through three distinct channels: DrivingSales Data, DrivingSales University and DrivingSales Media. DrivingSales Data houses the largest database of cross-vendor, dealership performance data in the North American auto industry and provides dealerships with the most statistically accurate performance benchmarks and metrics for their marketing and technology investments.

DrivingSales University is a fully interactive online university that offers advanced profit-building strategies to automotive professionals through hundreds of classes taught by world-leading experts. DrivingSales Media connects dealers to peers and information through its global media assets, including DrivingSales.com, the world’s largest automotive social network; The Dealership Innovation Guide, an industry leading quarterly publication; DrivingSales Executive Summit, the top automotive conference for progressive dealers, and DrivingSalesTV, Web TV covering everything car-dealer related.

Approximately one in every three dealerships in the United States has a registered member in the DrivingSales community.

*Vendor Neutral Policy: Dedicated solely to making dealerships more profitable, while also providing benefit to automakers and the industry as a whole, DrivingSales adheres to a strict vendor neutral policy through each of its channels. This means the company only provides unbiased information, not ‘pay-to-play’ follow up services -- and never accepts payment in exchange for media coverage or lets potential advertisers dictate messaging or create bias in any of its channels.

About Dealer.com

Dealer.com is the leader in automotive digital marketing solutions – serving automotive retailers, manufacturers and media companies worldwide. The company's innovative, award-winning digital marketing and advertising platform significantly lowers the cost of customer acquisition, enhancing dealers' efficiency and profitability. The company employs over 600 people in its Burlington, VT and Manhattan Beach, CA offices. Dealer.com's commitment to employee health and wellness makes it one of the country’s most desirable places to work, and in 2011 was named best overall company in the U.S. at the American Business Awards for companies with under 2500 employees. For more information visit dealer.com.

Media contacts:

DrivingSales

Melanie Webber, melanie@mwebbcom.com, 424 603 4340

Angela Jacobson, angela@mwebbcom.com, 714 454 8776