Pub. 13 2014-2015 Issue 2

N E W J E R S E Y C O A L I T I O N O F A U T O M O T I V E R E T A I L E R S I S S U E N O . 3 , 2 0 1 4 18 new jersey auto retailer NJ CAR Uses Various Tools to Communicate With Dealers BY BRIAN HUGHES, NJ CAR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Time is money, as the old saying goes. While none of us can manufacturer more hours in the day, NJ CAR has been working to get information to its members more quickly and more efficiently, using a variety of communication tools as its disposal. TheCoalitionhasworked to provide itsmemberswithmore andmore options to stay informed about the industry and NJ CAR’s efforts to protect and advance the interests of New Jersey’s auto retailers. Developments in just the last few years with computers, social media and smart phones, have given every individual who is “plugged-in” access to information from ANY location, at ANY time. NJ CAR began communicating with its members in 1918 with a hardcopy NewsLetter thatwas reproducedonamimeographmachine for decades until the photocopier came along. Just a fewmonths ago, the Coalition fully adopted the efficiencies of digital communication and stopped distributing the NewsLetter via regular mail. Instead, the NewsLetter is emailed as a PDF link to approximately 3,000 individuals, reaching more people than it ever has before. Speaking of email, NJ CAR is continually building its database of email contacts. We can create lists and communicatewith individuals who have a specific job title, live and work in particular Legislative Districts, workwith a specific line-make, or any number of otherways by breaking down the data stored in NJ CAR’s database. The NJ CAR Website (www.njcar.org ) is another resource that we continue to build upon to provide dealers with access to a wealth of information. The NJ CAR website educates members and their employees about issues that impact the industry, as well as the wide variety of products and services available from the Coalition to help dealerships in their day-to-day operations. With the creation of our VoterVoice Grassroots Tool, NJ CAR has made it incredibly easy for dealers and their employees tocommunicate directly with Legislators on issues that concern the auto retailing industry. TheCoalitionalsoperiodicallyutilizes socialmedia to reach those employees who are fans of FaceBook and Twitter. For those who can’t live without their smartphones, NJ CAR has developed free mobile applications for both the iPhone and Android platforms. TheCoalition also produces three or four-minute VideoNewsLetters on specific topics of interest to our dealer members, which are posted to our FaceBook page, NJ CAR website and available through the mobile apps. Not ALL of our communications are digital. NJ CAR continues to publish New Jersey Auto Retailer , our award-winning quarterly magazine that features in-depth articles on a variety of topics, written by dozens of experts in their field. One of NJ CAR’s primary goals is to keep its members informed about issues that impact the industry.Understanding that anyonewith an email account is inundated with dozens upon dozens of emails they don’t have time to read, NJ CAR makes every effort to keep its communications concise and limit their distribution to the appropriate individuals at your dealership.. But we need our dealer members and their employees to hold up their end of the bargain as well. While every communication from NJ CAR may not apply to your area of the dealership, please take a few seconds to skim NJ CAR’s communications to make sure you areaware of training, newCoalitionprograms, legislativeor regulatory developments, breaking news or any other issue that could potentially impact the franchised automotive retail industry in New Jersey. And don’t hesitate to contact NJ CAR’s staff for more information or clarification when a particular topic strikes your interest. Brian Hughes can be reached at 609.883.5056, x 315 or bhughes@njcar.org.