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Ben Herd’s unique expertise is in leading enterprise scale projects in web consumer experience, digital advertising, and business intelligence. His experiences include product and innovation management for the World-wide Retail Buying Experience for Amazon.com.  He is also a key founding member of Microsoft's adCenter paid search business.   Ben joined Cobalt in Feb 2013 to redesign inventory merchandising and help dealers offer the best consumer vehicle shopping experiences on the Internet.…

You know this story: The new GM comes in, sweeps out the current management, and replaces them all with "his" or "her" guys and gals.

Maybe this is smart, but it doesn't seem so. ESPECIALLY with eComm Directors and Internet Directors who are juggling websites, reviews, reputation, lead sources, training, marketing, and CRM, all while very often leading a sales team AND desking deals.

Revolution is a natural affair of human organizations, and--though dangerous and painful--revolution is very different from a radical takeover and replacement of the government by the military in the RESULT. History shows that a coup is hardly ever an…

"You don't get paid for the hour.  You get paid for the value you bring to the hour.” 

~ Jim Rohn

Recently, I had a day in which the time seemed to sit still.  I glanced at the clock for the tenth time and it was only 1:30pm.  How could this be?  I felt like I had already completed a full day worth of work and it should be closer to 4:30pm!  I looked back at my to-do list that at the beginning of my day seemed so daunting and jam-packed with exhaustive activity.  I even questioned a fellow peer fearing a practical joke had been played on me by resetting my clock.  Nope, it was only 1:30pm. 

My office is normally a beehive of activity and most of my day is spent balancing all this activity with what I am actually tasked to do…

Cam ▪ paign 

/kam ‘ pān/

Noun

A series of military operations intended to achieve a particular objective, confined to a particular area, or involving a specified type of fighting.

Verb

Work in an organized and active way toward a particular goal, typically a political or social one.

So, we now have the official definition of the “Campaign.” Full disclosure, the word “military” in the definition was a surprise but let’s go with it (btw, a big thank you to our military and the brave men and women who defend this country 24/7, 365.) Plus, it may help us explain how to execute a strong successful campaign that delivers an ROI most only read about because they fear “pulling the trigger” on an all-out, full throttle, balls to the wall, pedal to the…

There's a disturbing trend I'm seeing in the automotive industry when I visit websites. Perhaps it's been like this for a while and I simply took my eye off the chat ball. When I see chat windows that instantly prompt for the customer's contact information, it makes me cry a little inside.

This isn't what chat is supposed to be about. I'd love to have that debate with anyone. Chat is an alternative means of instant information. In other words, it's more akin to phone calls than to anything else. If you believe in having a barrier of entry for your customers to chat, then you should have your receptionist answer the phone with, "Thank you for calling XYZ Motors. Can I have your name, phone number, and email address, please? No? Okay, thank you for calling."…

The social media universe converges each year in Austin, Texas for SXSW. And the festival offers a lot of opportunities for those like myself, who are focused in the application of social media in the automotive world. 

One big name on the scene is Chevrolet. They’re in attendance with a couple of their new models to demonstrate their technologies, like the OnStar 4G LTE communications and data system in the all-new Corvette Stingray. 

The automaker also has a number of speakers for sessions on tech and strategies they’ve determined will enhance the customer experience, such as listening to what your customers are saying and how to get your brand into the conversation in a meaningful way.…

Do you ever see that customer in your showroom on their mobile phone? Find out what behaviors they may be exhibiting to not miss out on potential sales.

Get the Hard Facts from Samantha Cunningham at POTRATZ, and learn how to dominate mobile shoppers.

The automotive industry is an exciting place right now, and March is full of new ideas. Here at ActivEngage, we love innovation and bringing you the top stories from around the web every week so you can know what to expect as the industry changes. In this week’s edition of the Top Ten, you’ll read about Apple CarPlay, the new NHTSA Recall Labels, and a dealership’s viral video that has critics divided.

10. Ford Dealer in Minnesota Offering Gun Voucher with Truck Purchase

Actually, the voucher is not specifically for a gun. It is for a sporting goods store that sells guns, and consumers with a background…