Spent a week in Vegas leading up and over Super Bowl weekend immersed in the world of car dealerships, auto makers and the best and brightest minds at the Digital Marketing Strategies Conference (DMSC) and attending the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention. Wanted to share some highlights to give you an insider view of what goes on behind the scenes with highlights of what happens when 20,000 automotive industry professionals gather in Las Vegas!
Digital Marketing Strategies Conference (DMSC) Tuesday - Friday
Best Speaker by far was Inspiration Speaker - Todd Durkin, CEO of Fitness Quest 10 Strategy. If you ever have the opportunity, run do not walk to hear this man speak! He will energize you and the entire room.
Fitness Quest 10 is a premier health and human performance facility in San Diego CA. We specializing in Sports Performance, Personal Training, Massage Therapy, Pilates, and Yoga. Owner and founder, Todd Durkin, is a leader in the fitness industry training athletes like LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Carson Palmer, and Reggie Bush just to name a few. Todd’s passion for health and fitness has lead Fitness Quest 10 to be recently named one of the top 10 training facilities in America by the nationally publicized Men’s Health magazine. To find out more information about Fitness Quest 10 please visit his website at www.FitnessQuest10.com.
Lots of thought leaders and awesome workshops during DSMC on social media strategies and connecting with shoppers at ZMOT, Winning the Zero Moment of Truth, a new Google 75 page FREE eBook. Attended social gathering galore with some of the brightest minds in the industry. Had the opportunity to keynote on "What is Your Strategy To Dominate Your Market with Women Buyers?" to rally dealerships to deliver a WOW experience to women.
Thank you Brian and Glenn Pasch and PCG Digital for including me in this powerful thought leader educational event.
This month featured the country’s most revered auto show NAIAS’, Detroit Auto Show. Upon first thought of the show chills of excitement made me giddy to be able to see the latest models for 2012 and beyond. Car manufacturer’s attended from across the globe and provided more than enough options when it came to new vehicles coming soon (or within the next year) to local dealerships. The theme from the major auto players seemed to be adding diversity to vehicles so they could perform at multiple levels. The line-up was immense while advances in safety, and technology were very clearly enhanced.
The show was also a way for manufacturer’s to show they have not only been listening to consumers but they have been heeding the call and meeting their needs. One of the most buzzed about vehicles at the show (which has been kept tightly under wraps) was the new fully redesigned Ford Fusion. No longer a big brother version to the Focus, the Fusion is now completely its own unique car. It has midsize sized feel with a streamlined and sporty vibe. The Fusion will be offered with eco-options such as the pure electric Energi and the Fusion Hybrid models which will be released in Fall. The coolest aspects of the Fusion Energi is that it takes half of the time to charge an Energi than most other electric cars within its class and it more than doubles the amount of electric drive time.
Ford then continued to show their eco-friendlier side by announcing they will be launching six electric and hybrid cars releasing this year to early next. They are the Ford Focus, Fusion (standard, hybrid and Energi), C Max Energy, C Max Hybrid, and Ford's Transit Connect Van. Fusion Hybrid designers say they look to the release and the capabilities of the hybrid in achieving up to 47 miles per gallon later this fall.
Holiday Car Shopping? Costco Auto Program and GM have partnered to bring Costco members GM Preferred Pricing at participating dealerships, along with a $500 Cash Card
to use on any Costco goods! We sat down with Gina Paolino, president of the Costco Auto Program, and India Rayl, VP of Marketing for the Costco Auto Program, to talk a little about the initiative.
Established in 1989, the Costco Auto Program has always operated with the same philosophy, according to Gina: “To make it easy for Costco members to purchase vehicles at a great price. We select dealerships across the nation that offer both service and value, and we direct all of our members into those dealerships.” These select dealerships are subject to a training and certification program to ensure that Costco members receive only the best in service and value when they shop for cars there.
This GM promotion is unique in the Costco Auto world. Though they are often approached by OEMs to partner, they want to make sure that the program's value doesn't suffer as a result. “Our very first promotion was with Volvo,” says Gina, referring to their 2007 partnership with the manufacturer “and it worked out extremely well,” saying that this program's success was a major contributing factor leading to the current, comparatively larger, promotion with GM.
Remember me and my story this Holiday Season. Buckle Up and Say No to Buzzed Driving !!!
We left for home Thanksgiving day in the twilight, filled with Grandma Cleo’s cooking, lots of hugs and our heads filled with family stories shared in laughter.
The drive on Palmdale Highway 138, a two land undivided road, was lined with cars coming and going like bumper cars. I always hated this part of the drive and kept checking my speed to stay at 55 MPH, which was not my normal routine driving practice.
After about ten minutes, feeling overly cautious, I looked over at my son in the front passenger seat and noticed his seatbelt was not fastened and sharply told him to “Put on your seatbelt, NOW!”, and glanced over my shoulder to make sure my other son was buckled up!”
Thirty seconds later a small car driven by a drunken women with five children, only one two year old in a restraint system, swerved from the oncoming traffic right in front of me. There was no way to avoid the accident. I slammed on my brakes to attempt to stop in time. Her oncoming speed and my oncoming speed were equal to at least 110 miles an hour. Not enough time to stop.
That moment of impact will be imbedded in my soul forever. Three of the five children were killed instantly. The woman driver killed her only daughter and two of her sister’s children. The driver (She) survived along with the two year old in the car seat and one other young boy cousin.
In this Ask Patty interview, Jody DeVere sits down with Pennzoil Motor Oil's Dr. Bob Sutherland and talks about some of the myths (and facts too) about motor oil - from the science of how motor oil improves fuel economy to the long-term effects of motor oil on engine longevity, Dr. Bob explains it all with Jody in this great video. Check it out!
Today we're pleased to bring you something a little bit different on the Ask Patty blog - an audio interview. Listen in as AskPatty.com CEO Jody DeVere sits down for a chat with Kathy Cloninger, CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA. The two discuss the importance of the GSUSA's mission, how the Girl Scouts have touched Kathy's life in particular, as well as her new book, the extremely aptly-titled Tough Cookies.
Listen in below!
About the book:
Millions of American businesswomen, thought leaders, and politicians received their first lessons in salesmanship, money management, marketing, teamwork, and fulfillment in the Girl Scouts. The Girls Scouts has shaped the lives of more than 50 million alumnae alive today. Eighty percent of American female senior business executives and business owners are former Girl Scouts. In March 2012, the Girl Scouts will celebrate their 100th anniversary. Tough Cookies captures the essence of this iconic organization and the principles that have allowed them to build and sustain a 100-year-old organization.
Under current CEO Kathy Cloninger's leadership, the Girl Scouts has transformed and enhanced its ability to develop leadership in young women. Tough Cookies outlines the rise of the Girl Scouts, this recent and dramatically successful shift, and lessons that are applicable to make any business or organization a success.
Last week, I had the opportunity to spend an hour with Mr. John Wesley, CEO of Universal Lubricants, to talk about the latest trends in motor oil manufacturing. We've talked about synthetics like G-Oil and re-refined products like Valvoline Nextgen here on the blog before, but this is the first interview we've done with someone in the industry, and it was truly enlightening.
First, some history. Universal Lubricants has been around for a while - I was surprised to learn that the company is nearly a century old. Founded in 1929, Universal Lubricants is nearly as old as the auto industry itself. It was founded as a seller of branded lubricants to the budding automotive, railroad, and agricultural industries in the Dakotas, and over time their influence extended across the midwest and into the southwest. Ever the pioneering company, Universal cut the ribbon on their re-refinery in August of 2009 and started creating an amazing product - recycled motor oil.
AskPatty.com CEO Jody DeVere appears in a new book, along with several friends and partners in the industry.It's called Entrepreneurial Insanity in the Tire Industry, and if you're in the tire industry that title may feel familiar to you.
The book asks tire businesses owners to look at whether they are behaving like a "small business" or an entrepreneur. Author Roger McManus, with input from some significant players in the tire business, defines the question and lays out a road map of Entrepreneurial Insanity - a guidebook for the small business owner to embrace the entrepreneurial spirit and truly shine. As you'd expect, this isn't a book about money - it's a book about attitude, and we're proud to be part of it.
Women at the SEMA Show are way out-numbered by the guys and I always enjoy reporting from an insider woman's point of view on the women and women friendly-ness growth each year at SEMA for my readers to enjoy as this show is not open to the public. There were so many amazing and cool custom car builds on display inside and outside show grounds it was hard for me to get from point A to point B in time for all my many meetings. I have to stop, look and take a ton of pictures and do so many car crazy girl car lust... Ooohhh and Aaahhh's. My favorite display custom vehicle this year was this adorable miniature woody child's wagon and trailer on display near the media center, pictured.
The APPEX Show and the SEMA Shows are the premier automotive specialty products trade events in the world held each year at the Las Vegas Convention Center and Sand's Convention Center. It draws the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products.
As part of the AAIW, the SEMA Show attracts more than 100,000 industry leaders from more than 100 countries for unlimited profit opportunities in the automotive, truck and SUV, and RV markets. The displays are segmented into 12 sections, and a New Products Showcase featured nearly 1,500 newly introduced parts, tools and components. In addition, the SEMA Show provides attendees with educational seminars, product demonstrations, special events, networking opportunities and more.
During the SEMA Show and inaugural, the first SEMA Award was presented to the Chevrolet Camaro for the Hottest Car, the Ford F-Series for the Hottest Truck and the Jeep Wrangler for the Hottest 4x4-SUV, in Las Vegas.
Each year I see introduced more and more eco-friendly green products, greener vehicle technology and solutions that I find and beleive are exciting for many women. These touch every aspect of the automotive market from vehicle technology, fuel systems, tires to automotive paint solutions to creating retail locations with energy saving in mind and recycling programs. The automotive industry has embraced going green at the SEMA Show this year more than ever!
On Monday before the SEMA Show opening I attended the Tire Industry Association Tire Industry Honors event. Tire Review Magazine honored two AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly®clients as finalist for the 2010 Top Shops. Tires, Tires, Tires, based in Sioux Falls, S.D., is the 2010 winner of the Tire Review Top Shop Award presented by Ammco/Coats.
“The program is a step forward in getting women to speak their minds and become more informed about what’s going on,” Patty says. “After their house, vehicles are the second largest investment they’re ever going to have, so they need to take care of them. There are more widows, single women and divorced women out there today – and they want to be independent. If we can make them feel comfortable and educate them at the same time, then we consider that a success.”
Fleischmann adds that the strategies learned in the AskPatty.com program can be applied to all customers, not just women. “Male customers also notice the changes,” he says. “They won’t complain about sitting in a wooden chair, but they sure like sitting in leather. They also won’t complain about a bathroom that is not up to the quality they’d want at home, but they certainly do comment when you offer the little extras.”
(Howard and Patty Fleischmann of Community Tire and Steve and Kim Nerheim of Waukegan Tire pictured with Jody DeVere CEO AskPatty.com)
Waukegan Tire with four location in North Chicago. As a company, Waukegan Tire has been aware of the need to pay special attention to women consumers. “We operate in a male-dominated industry that traditionally has not focused on the needs or wants of women, who account for more than half of our customers,” Scroggins explains. “I realized it would be a great benefit to our employees to go through the AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly program, and our employees felt they learned how to communicate better with female consumers.”
The partnership has been valuable in other ways. “Once our entire staff went through the program’s training and all of our shops became AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly, we began to pursue the realm of digital media,” says Scroggins. It has lead directly to expanding the company’s use of social media by putting employees’ automotive expertise and newly acquired communication skills online to interact with female customers."
Tuesday November 2nd I arrived bright and early to the SEMA Show for the first day at our booth, located in the South Hall Global Tire Expo, and was busy all day meeting with many tire dealers and dealer groups. Some highlights on Tuesday were meetings with Ken and Angela of Passchal, makers of the beautiful recycled tire inner tube luxury hand bags we raffled off during the show, Escort PassportIQ makers of a cool radar detector/GPS device, EZY Tire a new site to connect tire buyers with tire dealers, lunch with several representatives from NHTSA to work with them on their Distracted Driver Education & Safety programs and meetings with Bartec on Tire Pressure Monitoring System maintenance. Bartec USA are world leaders in TPMS I will be working with them to help women learn more about tire safety and TPMS education.
Tuesday evening I went over to AAPEX at the Sand's and attended the annual 2010 Automotive Communications Awards (ACA) organized by the Car Care Council Women’s Board, the awards and reception are sponsored by a variety of aftermarket companies and organizations. I am a member of the the Car Care Council Women’s Board which is comprised of professional women and men, including company executives, service shop owners, service writers, motor sports figures, association executives and consultants, who are dedicated to informing female audiences about proper vehicle maintenance and safety, while encouraging young people to investigate automotive career choices.
Congratulations to Kristin Brocoff Marketing & Public Relations Manager of CarMD.com on your Car Care Council Women’s Board (WB) 2010 Automotive Communications Awards (ACA). The mission of CarMD.com is to empower consumers and the vehicle market by providing them with the tools and information needed to make educated decisions about vehicle health and maintenance.
Congratulations to Paula Lombard President of Wexco Industries and Founder of AutoTex PINK, a women-owned company that sells wiper blades, auto parts and accessories for your Car Care Council Women’s Board 2010 Automotive Communications Award (ACA) for the Educational Article "Your Car, Like You, Needs the Right Diet". Ten percent of each AutoTex Pink wiper blade purchase, year-round, goes to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Through this partnership, AutoTex PINK hopes to benefit those affected by breast cancer and help by increasing awareness and contributing to funding for research.
Wednesday November 3rd, Lori Johnson, an AskPatty.com top automotive expert woman and owner of Ladies Start Your Engines who runs professional car care clinics for women for major brands like General Motors, joined me in our booth to help met with the many visitors to our booth. Highlights from Tuesday include an interview with Sarah Lee of MyCarLady on the state of women in the auto industry, the SEMA Ambassador luncheon, a trip to visit the 3M booth and took a look at some of the awesome new consumer products women will love and topped off my Wednesday at SEMA with an AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly® evening Top Shop celebration with clients Waukegan Tire, Community Tire and Larsen's Auto Service at Roy's Hawaiian Fusion and after dinner laughed until we turned blue at Harrah's Improv Theater.
Thursday November 4th our day started at my favorite event during SEMA; the SEMA Business Women's Networking Breakfast, were I was honored with a nomination for SBN "Woman of the Year". The 2010 SBN Woman of the Year award is presented to a woman who has demonstrated recognizable outstanding achievements and contributions in the automotive industry. This well deserved "Woman of the Year" award went to past SBN Chairman, Kelli Colf of Eaton Detroit Spring, congratulations Kelli, (pictured to the left).
Congratulations as well to Wade Kawasaki the honoree for the SBN 2010 Athena Award.
Many of the AskPatty.com automotive expert women and other women leaders in the automotive aftermarket attend SEMA and the SBN Speed Networking Breakfast each year and it was wonderful to have some quality time together during SEMA and the SBN events.
Here is more link love for some amazingly inspirational and talented automotive aftermarket women leaders!
Lori Johnson Owner and Instructor - Ladies Start Your Engines is a light maintenance class for women. Lori who works with large brands like GM teaches her basic car care class for women at venues such as car dealerships, colleges, tire dealerships, independent service and repair shops, local adult education centers and women’s organizations. She enjoys empowering women with automotive knowledge so that they can feel confident when servicing or purchasing parts for their vehicles and she helps them become a more informed consumer.
Diane Larson Owner/Manager - Larson's Service Peabody, MA, a Woman-Owned AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly® independent service and repair center.
My new woman hero in motorsports is Emily Miller, Off-Road race car driver and team driver for Rod Hall Racing. Trained by off-road racing legend, Rod Hall, Miller debuted as a team driver at the 2006 Baja 1000. She has multiple podium finishes and wins as both driver and navigator. She holds the distinction of being the only woman to “Ironman” the longest off-road race in the US taking third in the Stock Full Class. She repeated the 1000 mile race in 2009 - winning the Stock Mini Class. In 2009, she was a driver in the Stock Mini Class and helped the team capture first place.
Read her blog post on "Being a Woman" on what she is doing to help oppressed women in third world countries. Emily is truly an inspiring role model for women behind the wheel or not!
Later that day really enjoyed meeting with the exuberant Dave Gunderson, President of Meguiars (from 3M) and his marketing team to discuss efforts to market to female consumers. Meguiar's research found that women want three major things in the DIY detailing: Information, convenience and efficacy.
Notable and interesting SEMA eco-friendly meetings were with Earthgarage.com a new place to learn how to make your car greener. It's the easy way to find, review and share available- right-now products and services to increase your fuel economy, reduce your carbon footprint and save money and Hankook Tire gave a sneak peek at a new line of low rolling resistance fuel economy saving tires. Products include the Enfren Eco, an environmentally friendly product that will hit the market in late 2011."Designed for high performance 'eco-driving,' the Enfren Eco can help improve a vehicle's fuel economy," says Bill Bainbridge, Director of Brand Communication Hankook Tire America. Continental Tire was honored for its ProContact with EcoPlus Technology tire that was said to improve a vehicle’s fuel efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. It has an 80,000-mile limited tread-wear warranty. Continental Tire also announced the winners of its “How Eco Are You?” photo contest, which challenged consumers to enter their most creative and original ecologically impactful photo.
Friday and the last day of SEMA was spent meeting with some of my collision industry contacts at 3M, I-CAR Education Foundation, Collision Kids, Jordan Hendler, Collision Industry Foundation and Aaron Schulenburg from the Society of Collision Repair at the SCRS booth in the North Hall. I visited the TIA booth and actually won some prizes in the money box LOL and met with TIA Executive VP Ray Littlefield over coffee and was was able to take a bit more time to see many more vehicles on display before packing up our booth and heading back home with sore feet, tired and a big smile on my face as this car crazy girl loves all the sights, sounds, wonderful people, products and fun during the SEMA Show each year!
A big thanks to Lori Johnson of Ladies Start Your Engines, get well wishes to Jim Smith Editor of Tire Review Magazine , thank you for all your help and support to AskPatty.com during SEMA 2010. Now if my poor feet will just stop aching from walking the 17+ miles covered during the show on foot, I will really be a happy car crazy girl! Check out my SEMA Show videos on Facebook, too!
While women have been regular fixtures worldwide from the beginning of the automobile era in other forms of motorsports, such as sports-car racing, rallying and Formula 1, NASCAR did not allow women on its tracks, in its garages or pits until NASCAR's modern era began in 1972. At first, only accredited female journalists were permitted. Several years passed before other professional women were allowed to join them.
She dreamed of becoming an astronaut and became a top woman of NASCAR. Dale Earnhardt once told Alba Colon that she wouldn’t last a year working at NASCAR’s highest level: the Cup Series.
He was mistaken.
I had a rare opportunity to meet Alba Colon just before the race at Auto Club Speedway where Danica Patrick completed her 1st NASCAR race in February. No, Danica is not the top woman in NASCAR, Alba Colon is, she is the top female engineer in NASCAR's premium series. As the General Motors Program Manager for Chevrolet, she is the only woman at the top rung in any NASCAR-sanctioned series.
Colon, born Alba Lynnette Colon Rodriguez in 1968 in Salamanca, Spain, began her career with General Motors in 1994 after graduating from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus, as a mechanical engineer. Prior to moving to the United States, Colon was a project engineer for Sterling Pharmaceuticals in Puerto Rico.
Women working in responsible positions in NASCAR racing are a more common sight these days, with a large percentage of the marketing/public relations/communications work force being made up of women. And, of course, there are women competing directly against men on the race track. This is nothing new in motorsports, but for NASCAR Alba Colon is one of today's powerful women in the sport and GM Racing's Chevrolet Program Manager for NASCAR Cup racing in 2001.
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