Cobalt and Dealix will join industry leaders on two panels at this week’s 2009 Automotive Internet Roundtable

JohnHolt_Cobalt-glasses4x5-f1Cobalt and its Dealix division will join key industry leaders at this week’s J.D. Power and Associates’ 2009 Automotive Internet Roundtable in Las Vegas. Cobalt is a proud long-time sponsor of the annual roundtable.

This year, Cobalt president and CEO, John Holt will be a member of the event’s October 14th panel, “Juggling the Customer – Don’t Drop the Ball.” This panel will examine who is responsible for maintaining the customer relationship and how effectively manufacturers and dealers are coordinating efforts to deliver valuable information to the right people at the right time. Holt will join executives from AOL Autos, General Motors, Sonic Automotive and American Honda Motor Co., Inc on the panel.

On day two of the Roundtable, Anna Zornosa, general manager of Cobalt’s Dealix division and a Cobalt EVP, will join the panel, “Beyond the RFQ: Optimizing the Purchase Process for All Online Shoppers,” along with executives from AutoTrader.com, Kelley Blue Book, Kia Motors America and OneCommand. The panel will discuss the current state of the automotive lead industry and the best ways to address the challenges and goals of the vertical.

For more information about the 2009 Automotive Internet Roundtable please visit www.jdpower.com/corporate/about/roundtable/. To learn more about Cobalt and its Dealix division please visit www.cobalt.com and www.dealix.com.

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Cobalt Employees Join Annual AIDS Walk

AIDSWalkpic4According to the U.S. Center of Disease Control and Prevention, about 1.1 million people in the United States are infected with HIV/AIDS. With millions of Americans currently without health insurance and the high cost of medications, promoting health education and supporting the communities affected by this devastating disease are causes that many employees at Cobalt support.

On Saturday, September 26, Cobalt employees dedicated either their time and/or money to Lifelong AIDS Alliance’s Annual AIDS Walk in an effort to care for those affected by the disease and promote HIV/AIDS education.

Demand for Service
“This is a cause that is very important to me. I know a lot of people affected by the disease. When Cobalt accepted Lifelong as a charity, I wanted to help out. I’ve been a volunteer at Lifelong for eight years, and this is the first time that there is a waiting list for its services,” said Matthew Browning, manager – technical support and captain of the Cobalt Group AIDS Walk team.

Lifelong began in 2001 with the merging of the Chicken Soup Brigade and Northwest AIDS Foundation. In addition to providing education and prevention services, Lifelong assists HIV/AIDS patients with housing, medical care, insurance and nutrition counseling – providing groceries, fresh meals and, of course, soup.

Continued Support
This year, the Cobalt Group team consisted of eight walkers who raised $1,800 toward the cause and tackled the five-kilometer walk together. Some team members brought their spouses and children to the event.AIDS Walk Pic

“This was my first time doing the AIDS Walk and I will definitely do it again next year,” said Maureen Meier, accounts receivable specialist. “It was a lot of fun. It’s great that Cobalt gives us the opportunity to do things for the community outside of the office, instead of just handing over a check. We had a great time getting to know each other on a more personal level.”

For the past two years, Cobalt has participated in ongoing charitable events, cultivating strong relationships both within the company and its surrounding community. The AIDS Walk is one of many charities that Cobalt supports. Last month, more than 80 Cobalt employees in the Seattle area participated in an ongoing Habitat for Humanity project.

Alyse Speyer
Contributing Editor
The Cobalt Group
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What is it like to be a Web Analyst at Cobalt?

web-analytics-and-statisticsAre you a strategic thinker who is passionate about actionable analysis and data-driven business improvement? Cobalt, the leader in automotive intelligence with over 10,000 automotive retail websites, is seeking experienced Senior Web and Optimization Analysts/Managers, and Web Tagging Specialists to work in a unique advertising and analytics environment.

What is the Role of a Web Analyst at Cobalt?
The Web Analyst (WA) plays an integral role in delivering campaign and site insights and strategic recommendations to internal and external teams, under the direction of a senior manager or the director. The WA’s day includes working closely with other analysts, media and program planners, strategists, developers, creatives, agencies of record, and clients. Duties might include analyzing and providing recommendations for campaign and site performance, compiling and comparing data, building reports, creating tagging and reporting specifications, etc. The WA might also work with promotion and development teams to conduct A/B/MVT tests using Test&Target. This includes managing tests, identifying and capturing the right variables, and analyzing the results with Test&Target and other statistical tools.

The WA will utilize different classes of analytics, including descriptive, qualitative and predictive analytics.  These disciplines will not only be applied to traditional web behaviors, but also emerging factions including mobile and social media behaviors.

A Cobalt Web Analyst is a highly self-motivated person, dedicated self-learner, team collaborator, intellectual powerhouse, and a person consumed with understanding digital media and all its variations.

If this sounds like you, check out the open web analytics positions at Cobalt.

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Cobalt Supports Solid Ground at Fundraising Luncheon

SolidGroundLogoJulia Pizzi
Vice President, Human Resources

Imagine losing your job after 18 years of service because the memory loss from your recent brain tumor surgery prevents you from remembering how to actually do your job. And soon after this happens, your spouse is laid-off. Suddenly find yourself, your child and your spouse homeless and without hope. Life changes in a flash; without warning. It could happen to anyone, at any time. That’s where the Solid Ground story starts.
 
More than 800 community leaders, including Cobalt executives, gathered at Solid Ground’s Building Community luncheon last Friday to hear Margaret’s story, knowing that there is hope when organizations like Solid Ground exist and receive support. The Luncheon was an important fundraiser for Solid Ground, an event where guests could invest in a world without poverty. Funding from the luncheon supports Solid Ground’s 27 programs, which help over 38,000 households, like Margaret’s, to overcome crisis and build better futures.
 
Solid Ground is an organization that Cobalt is proud to sponsor all year long. Solid Ground’s work includes; providing shelter to women and children (the average age of a homeless person nationally is 9 years old), providing employment training and teaching participants better nutrition. A current Solid Ground project is the building of 106 units of affordable housing for 72 families and 34 individuals!

“The many generous speakers at the Solid Ground luncheon clearly demonstrated how a single act of generosity can make a huge difference in a single family’s life,” , said Cobalt attendee Max Steckler, VP, Advertising Products. “We must be accountable to each other to truly be a community.  Now that’s perspective!”

Lettice Link is another example of an innovative gardening program that creates access to fresh, nutritious and organic produce seeds and gardening information for families with lower incomes. They shared a handout about it at the luncheon called Gardening for Good Nutrition: A Guide to Growing Your Own Healthy Food
 
Geoffrey Canada, the keynote speaker, named one of “America’s Best Leaders” by U.S. News and World Report for his pioneering work helping children and families in Harlem was inspirational. He shared the insights he gained from more than 20 years dedicated to ending poverty in his community. He pioneered what the New York Times Magazine called “one of the most ambitious social experiments of our time” as President and CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone, Inc.

“The work that the team at Solid Ground supports is part of what makes Seattle a vibrant, caring community.  By focusing on supporting children and families, they provide much needed services that have an immediate and long lasting impact on our city.  I am humbled to have the opportunity to be a part of this amazing work,” said Greg Meyer, Sr. VP of Product Development at Cobalt, of the Solid Ground luncheon.

For me, it was energizing to be surrounded by people taking community action to make the world better. Gandhi’s words ring true: “The future depends on what we do in the present.”

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