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| MARCH 2008 | |
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| MARCH FOCUS: AUTO INDUSTRY | |
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The down-turn in the economy, coupled with skyrocketing prices at the gas pump, has turned up the heat on auto dealers and the auto industry as a whole.  With fewer buyers in the market for a new vehicle, the competition for business is fierce. Dealers are searching for innovative ways to attract the attention of prospects, bring them into their showrooms, and stay in contact until a purchase has been made. They are pouring money into their Web sites and Internet marketing campaigns in hopes of engaging prospects online. In their quest, some dealers have discovered the power of digital entertainment incentives. Digital incentives such as music downloads and cell phone entertainment are ideal from a giveaway  standpoint because they appeal to virtually every demographic base and can be customized to meet the unique tastes of the recipient. From a dealership perspective, digital incentives are powerful because they answer the three musts in automotive marketing: They motivate potential buyers to stop by the dealership for a test drive, they enable sales agents to capture valuable prospect information for ongoing communication, and they build web traffic – enabling dealers to reinforce their automotive brands, message and service offerings.  
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| NEWS YOU CAN USE: 2008 DEEMED “YEAR OF INTERNET” FOR AUTO DEALERS | |
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| They may have been slow to adapt, but auto dealers nationwide are now embracing the Internet with open arms and wallets. According to an October 2007 study sponsored by Black Book®, nearly 75% of all franchise auto dealers plan to increase spending on their Web sites during 2008 – including investing in tools that enable them to facilitate and control online transactions. This same study found that nearly 60% of dealers plan to invest in search engine optimization to drive more Web traffic, and to increase spending on direct e-mail promotions to promote online inventory to prospective customers. 
The increased focus on the Internet is a direct response to the online shift in consumer research and shopping behaviors, which has been reflected in the high quality leads dealerships are obtaining through their Web sites. Black Book representative Mike McFall says these trends promise to make “2008 a watershed year for dealer Web sites.” “Dealers will continue to invest in their own brands and will continue to refine their online business practices, making their Web sites a more important part of dealership operations than ever before,” notes McFall. The shift toward Internet dealerships means dealers will need to drive Web traffic, making digital entertainment promotions a perfect solution. By giving prospects a music download or cell phone entertainment card, dealerships are providing them with a branded passport to their Web site. |
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| MUSIC NEWS: SHIFT TO DRM-FREE MUSIC BENEFITS PROMO INDUSTRY | |
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 Until recently, digital music featured Digital Rights Management (DRM) restrictions that made it impossible to download music directly to MP3 players or iPods. The idea behind the software encryption was to safeguard against copyright infringements by preventing consumers and would-be piraters from copying and distributing digital music. But the DRM restrictions made downloading music to an MP3 player a nightmare, and protests and pressure from consumers, digital music stores and musicians themselves have changed this. All major labels are now making music files available in a DRM-free MP3 format, which translates into great news for the promotions industry. In the past, consumers needed to download their free song to their computer and, in some cases, burn the song to a CD and then re-burn it to their computer before they could download to an MP3 player or iPod. Now, with the DRM-free MP3 format, consumers can download the track directly to their MP3 player or iPod – making digital music a powerful, universal incentive. |
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| WE'RE COMING Featured below are the trade shows we will be exhibiting at over the next month. Please stop by our booth for a visit and contact us if you would like to schedule a private meeting. April 10-11 Booth #525 |
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| ENTERTAINMENT LICENSING AVAILABLE Motivate consumers to act by giving them access to mobile games, ringtones and images from the hottest new movies, TV shows, video games and CD releases to hit the market. Working in conjunction with our digital content partners, CFS is partnering with the top entertainment license providers to deliver compelling new digital content to the brands and retailers you serve. Current licensing opportunities include ringtones and wallpaper images from Kane & Lynch: Deadman Walking and Rush Hour 3, as well as dozens of top action and adventure mobile games themed around favorite movies, TV shows and video games. |
