NEW YORK – October 4, 2011: Adding momentum to its innovative solution set for automotive dealerships, Jeff Kershner will join HookLogic’s automotive team in a senior sales management position. Kershner is one of the most influential voices in the automotive online marketing world and one of the top bloggers in the space. His move to HookLogic comes on the heels of a $9.5 million round of funding from Bain Capital and raises HookLogic’s profile in the automotive e-commerce space.

Kershner has established himself as one of the most knowledgeable, passionate voices in the auto industry as founder of DealerRefresh, which is the leading thought leadership and strategy source for car dealers and manufacturers. He is a lifelong and experienced automotive professional, starting in the car dealership business at 18 and serving in almost every area of the business, from parts, to sales, to writing. Kershner has been one of the leading industry proponents of capitalizing on digital marketing, media and e-commerce.

“This new role allows me to fuse my passions for online marketing and selling cars,” Kershner says. “I absolutely love this business and the challenges it brings. HookLogic’s incentive solutions for driving in-market shoppers to dealerships make it the company to watch because, while dealers have become experts at generating leads, HookLogic is an expert at converting those leads into showroom visits.”

The move reunites Kershner with David Metter, president of HookLogic’s automotive division, giving the company two of the best known marketing professionals in automotive. “Jeff adds credibility to our automotive offerings and reassembles a team that had great influence in the retail automotive e-commerce space,” said Metter. “I never envisioned anyone other than Jeff in this role. It’s another proof point for HookLogic’s automotive solution.”

HookLogic’s targeted incentive programs and partnership with lead-scoring solution provider RL Polk have helped clients achieve an average 20 percent increase in close rates by converting more consumer leads into showroom visitors. Clients include Germain Motor Company, Suburban Collection, Herb Chambers Auto Group, and AutoTrader. Kershner’s addition concurs with a hugely successful first half of 2011 in which it signed a channel partnership agreement with AutoUSA Internet Sales Solutions, the premier independent Internet lead provider, to power its ShowPro suite of products.

Also joining the automotive team is Ryan Gerardi as the director of business development. Gerardi previously held a similar role at HomeNet, helping the company achieve incredible growth from 2005-2008. Gerardi will be responsible for developing existing and future partnerships with marketing solution providers, agencies and other relationships as HookLogic continues its automotive growth.

About HookLogic’s Incentive Solutions for the Auto Industry
HookLogic powers targeted incentive programs that drive in-market shoppers to auto dealerships and other lead-driven businesses. HookLogic solutions are easily implemented, work with nearly any marketing medium and enable end-to-end reporting and optimization. Headquartered in New York City, the company has offices in Ann Arbor, MI, Atlanta, GA and Manchester, UK. Clients include MileOne Automotive, Germain Motor Cars, Suburban Collection, Acton Toyota, and AutoTrader.com. Learn more at http://www.hooklogic.com/auto1/.

Media Contact
Carla Vicens Rudder
blast! PR for HookLogic
(919) 833-9975       x7003
Carla@blastpr.com

The project is a culmination of things. It is meant to offer auto shoppers a more private way of obtaining purchase information from local auto dealers and retailers. The site also offers dealers and retailers a social networking platform to promote their specials and cultivate high-quality prospects.

AC features a marketplace similar to Craigslist but rather than having dealers and merchants post ads in a market, shoppers are expected to post requests to which dealers and merchants may respond. The service is free for everyone.

AutoConverse.com supports communication in the format of a blog or forum which is visible to the public or in the form of private messaging which is only visible to the designated members. In either case, the Shopper is not forced to give up his or her phone number and email address in order to have a conversation with dealers and merchants. This is how the site provides a more private way of communicating.

This is how the site provides a more private way of communicating.

The site offers four different member types for people to distinguish one another – Shopper, Dealer, Merchant, or Agent, each containing its own unique set of links that can appear on the member’s profile. An Agent would be someone who represents multiple dealers or merchants, or a webmaster using the site to promote his own automotive sites and interests.

Members can optionally link to their Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare profiles along with links to their blog and website. Dealers have the ability to link people to dealer review sites like Carfolks.com or their dealership page on DealerRater.com.

Dealers, Merchants, and Agents can then create Merchant Sites which are WordPress-based microsites meant to promote a dealership or other brick and mortar storefront, or a website. These members can create as many merchant sites as they like and whatever content they publish to their merchant sites also appears on the AutoConverse.com activity stream.

This is an abridged version of the original press release which has further detail and quotes.

BlogPro Automotive is the first of what we hope to be numerous derivatives of the AutoBurst blog marketing program built and designed for small businesses and budding entrepreneurs to get a jump on their product offering and their own marketing strategy.

Your feedback on the release and its contents are welcome here. Thanks to everyone who has and/or continues to support us. it’s been a wild ride these past several months, that’s for sure.

Shouts out to Mark Dubis for helping with our first press release.