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Fully equipped to handle mobile sales drive E. Hanover dealer taps market with text messages, social networks BY JARED KALTWASSER ON ONE END of Gene Epstein’s desk at Warnock Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep is a pair of full-page newspaper ads from competing dealerships. At the other end is his computer. In the middle sits his cell phone. Epstein, director of business development at the East Hanover dealership, said he uses all three items to reach customers, but the latter two are becoming more important as his company tries to reach an increasingly connected and informed customer base. “What we’re seeing is a new generation AT A GLANCE Warnock Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep ■ HEADQUARTERS: 175 Route 10 East Hanover, 07936 ■ FOUNDED: Parent company founded in 1976 ■ MANAGEMENT: Tim Ryan, general manager ■ PERFORMANCE: A promotional text-messaging campaign of some 3,000 customers resulted in 62 calls, 36 visits and eight sales. of clients,” he said. “This is a new generation, and they have a new buying mentality.” The dealership is enjoying a resurgence of sales in the slow recovery from the recession, Epstein said. That’s due in part to Chrysler Group LLC’s decision to get back into the leasing business, but he also attributed it to the dealership’s evolving advertising efforts. The dealership has embraced new media such as e-mail, Facebook and the dealership’s website to attract customers and, in December, Warnock tried a new method — text messaging. “The way it was presented was it’s so inexpensive, we can’t not do this,” he said. The company mined a database of 24,000 customers and netted 3,000 cell phone numbers. A promotional message sent to that list resulted in 62 calls, 36 visits and eight sales. Epstein said in a good month, the dealership sells nearly 200 cars. Most sales result from customer referrals, but he said the 4 percent return rate on the text message campaign was a success, because he believes those sales wouldn’t have happened without the texts. “Looking at the analytics of all of this, I can look at you and say we probably wouldn’t have seen these people,” he said. “The eight people were in (the store) because of that text message.” Epstein said text messages offer the dealership a more reliable way to reach customers, giving Warnock an easier way to track the marketing push’s success. Warnock contracted with Californiabased Trumpia on the text campaign. Four-year-old Trumpia offers new media advertising across a variety of platforms, including text, e-mail and social media. Gene Epstein said a text-messaging campaign ‘was so inexpensive, we can’t not do this’ to try to sell cars at Warnock Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, in East Hanover. Trumpia’s CEO, Ken Rhie, said advertisers today must use multiple channels to reach customers. “It’s no longer just printing, no longer just e-mail, no longer just having a website,” Rhie said. “It’s all of that plus new technologies.” Epstein said he agrees with the “wide net” philosophy, and said the company plans to use text messages again, though next time, they’ll target the texts to more specifi c groups of clients. While new media means new learning, Epstein said it also means the dealership has access to more data. They previously relied on customer surveys to track advertising effectiveness. “We’ve reached a point where we can now post-mortem a given sale,” Epstein said, “when I can look you square in the face and tell you where it came from.” Epstein doesn’t believe any advertising method is a silver bullet, and said the dealership will continue to use traditional advertising methods. The goal, he said, is to get out the company’s message, and he’s willing to use any productive method to achieve that goal. “Each of these methods is nothing but a tool,” he said. “It’s just a tool in the arsenal.” E-mail to: jkaltwasser@njbiz.com MAKING IT Making It explores how businesses and nonpro ts are meeting the economy’s challenges and opportunities. Contact Beth Fitzgerald at b tzgerald@njbiz.com Suite Escape Best time management tip: Sleep less, work more. Jose Cruz Senior managing director, HFF Let your assistant control your calendar. Bernie Flynn President and CEO, New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Co. Prioritize with a vengeance, and always do the most important task rst each day. Jim Kirkos CEO, Meadowlands Regional Chamber Prioritize what is most important and ensure those things get done rst. I also surround myself with talented people who I trust and can delegate critical tasks to. Brenda Ross-Dulan Southern New Jersey regional president, Wells Fargo Ron Rickles New Jersey managing partner, Deloitte LLP Stay focused on the big picture; don’t let the multitude of little things get in your way. NEXT WEEK The March panelists talk about March Madness. 10 March 7, 2011 ◆ NJBIZ www.njbiz.com Christina Mazza
grapevine grapevine Another hospital seeks partner Jersey City Medical Center wants to partner with a larger health care system. Grapevine has learned the hospital has asked for proposals, which were submitted under a confi dentiality agreement, and that Jersey City Medical is close to a decision. Driving auto insurance reform The insurance industry is anxious to see regulations the Department of Banking and Insurance has been drafting to reform the PIP portion of auto insurance. The industry expected DOBI to introduce the draft regs in fi rst quarter 2011, but now that time frame looks uncertain. Personal injury protection, which covers medical benefi ts, is the costliest part of auto insurance. PIP was not reformed during deregulation in 2003, so it’s now putting pressure on the entire system, two industry sources said. “The industry can’t contain the cost anymore. The premiums are going to start to skyrocket,” one source said. If PIP is not reformed now, by 2013, New Jersey could be back in a crisis similar to 2001, when affordability and availability were issues, the sources said. Passing on 2 Riverfront loan Northwestern Mutual was approached to lend for 2 Riverfront Center, in Newark, but passed on the deal about three to four weeks ago, a source in the fi nancial community confi rmed. The project is the new home proposed for Panasonic Corp. by SJP Properties and Matrix Development Group. Grapevine was unable to learn what other lenders, if any, have been approached about the $102 million project. Pining for Bagger The Rich Bagger lovefest continues at HINJ. The pharma advocacy group still hopes Bagger will someday become its president and CEO. An insider said “significant” members of HINJ have made clear that Bob Franks’ successor, Dean Paranicas, is fi ne, but they want Bagger if he leaves the governor’s offi ce. “They’re willing to let the Rich scenario play out,” the source said. As Grapevine reported in December, Bagger was courted by HINJ early in its search process, but reportedly told the group he remained committed to the governor. The insider said either way, it’s unlikely Bagger would work at HINJ: If Bagger left the Chris Christie administration, he’d probably want a salary more in line with the gazillions he made at Pfi zer. Some HINJ members also covet Mike Ferguson, who helped pass the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefi t while in Congress. Ferguson is now running a D.C. lobbying fi rm. Maybe if Ferguson gets a seat on the Sports Authority, he’d spend more time in Jersey. It ain’t easy saving UEZ Municipal offi cials are hopeful they will be able to rescue the state’s Urban Enterprise Zone Authority by describing the positive effect the program has had on zones, according to a senior lobbyist. However, if state offi cials follow through on a consultant’s report that found the program wasteful, they are going to push for a replacement to the program that would provide a similar benefi t. The details of a potential UEZ replacement haven’t been worked out. Seeing red over regulation The state’s Red Tape Review Commission is aiming for far-reaching results, at least according to one of the commissioners. Regu- COL-2894 7.5 x 10 lations covering “virtually every aspect of business in the state of New Jersey” will see some streamlines, the commissioner said, calling duplication of efforts and duplication of licensing just two examples of some obstacles businesses face. There’s apparently no dissent among the members. The commission members “are clearly all in the same direction” when it comes to cutting red tape, the source said. “No one is against regulation. Just foolish, and onerous, unnecessary regulation.” Need to exchange this policy Trenton business lobbyists already are vying for changes to bills recently intro- Count On The Business Bank Of New Jersey duced to create state health care exchanges for individuals and businesses to shop for insurance when federal health reform is in full swing in 2014. The bills create a seven-member board of directors to oversee the exchanges — and banned from the board are health care and insurance industry professionals. “Absolutely nonsensical,” said one industry insider. “Health care and insurance professionals are vital to the success of these exchanges.” Grapevine reports on the behind-the-scenes buzz in the business community. Contact Editor Sharon Waters at swaters@njbiz.com. Columbia Offers Expert Business Banking Services Lines of Credit • Prime Line of Credit for Professionals • Term Loans • SBA Loans Permanent Mortgages • Construction Financing • Business Checking Attorney Escrow Accounts • Direct Payroll Deposit • Night Depositories Retirement Plans • Business Online Banking • And More! To learn more about our many Business Services and how we can help your business grow, visit our nearest office or call: 1-800-522-4167 Convenient Offices Throughout New Jersey Main Office: 19-01 Route 208 • Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 • 1-800-522-4167 columbiabankonline.com Count on Columbia. Member FDIC www.njbiz.com NJBIZ ◆ March 7, 2011 11
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