AUTOMOTIVE ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Now Digital

JKR Acquires Now Digital to Enhance Online Services

JKRAdvertising / Auto Industry in the News, Automotive Advertising, Company News, Internet Advertising, JKR Advertising News, JKR in the News, Press /

December 11, 2014

We have some exciting news to share! JKR Automotive Advertising has acquired Now Digital, the automotive division of Orlando-based online company Now Marketplace. The acquisition gives JKR new levels of expertise and support as it grows its menu of digital marketing services.

About Now Digital

Now Digital’s offerings include Web site design and re-design; profit center updates and compliance submission with professional, themed and interactive graphics and coupons; landing page development for specific ad campaigns and competitive comparisons; microsite creation; and banner creative. The company also provides consulting to dealers on digital marketing and best practices in BDC and Internet process management through their unique “90 Days from Now” program.

“JKR’s strategy has always focused on core segments where we can be the industry leader, and digital marketing is fundamental to our growth strategy and future,” said Kevin Baumann, CEO and Senior Partner at JKR. “In Now Digital, we have found the perfect partner to immediately take our digital advertising department to a market-leading position.”

Founded in 2009, Now Digital will continue to be led by Christy Roman, who remains as President. “JKR and Now Digital complement each other very well,” said Roman, an industry veteran whose many auto-related achievements include developing a highly profitable software program for autotrader.com. “JKR now can call upon a one-stop shop that will help clients leverage their traditional and Internet advertising to the best advantage. We look at things from a very granular viewpoint, something most digital agencies don’t do. These things give us the ability to successfully impact and improve a dealership’s online presence.”

Many of JKR’s clients already enjoy the benefits of our online services, but the new addition to our family takes our digital product offerings to an entirely new level. We invite you to find out more by calling us at (321) 397-0777.

JKR Automotive Advertising: We Move Cars.

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Post-Pandemic Dealer Gross Profits are Down – But They Don’t Have to Stay There!
March 13, 2024
It is no secret that dealer gross profits per vehicle are down sharply in the post-COVID automotive world. According to a recent article in Automotive News, gross profits of the six largest publicly traded dealership groups plunged significantly from Q4 2022 to Q4 2023. One of them was actually down 35% per vehicle!

The article explains: High interest rates, more expensive vehicles and a steadier post-pandemic supply chain continue to soften demand and bring it closer to pre-pandemic levels. Still, new-car buying has remained strong overall …

This means that, while sales volume is similar, overall bottom lines are lower for many dealers due to the reduced gross profits. What about your dealership?

Being Realistic
It’s time to turn the page! The time for dealers to simply be order takers for people willing to pay MSRP for a vehicle (and in some cases more) has passed and dealers have to work hard once again to achieve acceptable gross profits.

Selling a high volume of cars doesn’t control gross profits, no matter how much you wish this was the case. Correct processes and menu pricing – and strict adherence to them – do!

What kind of processes?
∙ Slow down the transaction! Your sales staff has to once again sell the customer on the features and benefits of every new and pre-owned vehicle on your lot.

∙ Your salespeople and managers should devalue the customers’ trade-in value (politely, of course) as much as possible. After all, if the customer expects you to lower your price, shouldn’t you be able to do the same on their trade? Remember, you’ll have to fix it up, put your name on it and resell it to someone else with all the tenacity you would a brand-new car. So make sure you buy it right … because the profit is made when you buy it, not when you sell it!

∙ To that end, management should be ready and willing to leave the desk and do thorough walk-arounds on each trade to ensure the best outcome for the dealership.

The Cure for Low Gross Profits
If you are like a lot of dealers these days, you could use some good news. Here it is: while you may not have the capability to achieve profit margins similar to those you enjoyed during the pandemic, they could likely be improved. JKR’s clients enjoy the benefit of attracting not only more customers, but better ones, too!

If meeting and exceeding your sales goals (and increasing gross profits at the same time) sounds great to you, you need to call us. Don’t settle for reduced gross profits when help is out there to get you closer to where you’d like to be.

Want to know how we do it? Reach out to Senior Partner Richard Brauns (407) 701-4233 or Partner/Vice President Jon Albert (407) 718-2494 today.

JKR Automotive Advertising: We Move Cars.

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