Community Counts
Over the past few months, I have had the privilege of getting to know a few of these well-respected and enthusiastic DieHards. They have shared with me their stories of Cobalt’s past and present and are certainly on board for the future. Cobalt’s exponential growth within the past decade and a half is undeniable and couldn’t have been accomplished without them.

“Seeing us grow from dot com to big company is amazing. Throughout the ten years I’ve been with Cobalt, no matter what department, there’s a feeling of close-knit, small community. I love working at Cobalt because of the people I work with as well as our strong leadership,” said Ben Patawaran, account advocate.

DieHard Dedication
In Part One of this article, I wrote about the amazing transformation Cobalt underwent from using dial up connections and hard-copies of websites to being first in line for dealer and OEM digital marketing. One thing that remains consistent with Cobalt, despite new technologies and the ever-changing automotive industry, Cobalt has held true to its motto of “work hard, play hard.”

“During the 2001 earthquake, I was the safety coordinator for my floor and had to make sure everyone evacuated. I ran through the floor to double check; and there was still one person typing away at her desk. She just had to send off one email before leaving. That’s dedication!” said Patawaran.

Room for Even More Growth
Many of the DieHards began when Cobalt had fewer than 100 employees. Now, the company has grown to over 1,000 strong, expanded their offices across the nation and gained large accounts with Lexus, GM and Volkswagon.

“Winning GM was definitely one of the greatest accomplishments we’ve had at Cobalt. We were in the right place at the right time. After that moment, we doubled revenue, hired 350 employees and did 5,000 websites. The aftermath of that sale was incredible,” said Matt Muilenburg, vice president of enterprise marketing solutions.

With its efforts to double innovation, the company’s growth trajectory will not taper for quite sometime. Cobalt remains on the pioneering end of digital marketing for the automotive industry with its unique and successful digital ad packages that coordinate marketing messages from the brand to the dealer.

Work Hard, Play Hard
Another point that rings true for Cobalt’s corporate culture is its strong sense of community. Aside from company parties, events and celebrations, trust and camaraderie is the foundation of Cobalt and one of the reasons why the company has so many DieHard employees. In everything they do, DieHards and newer employees, alike, work hard and play hard.

That’s why, when Seattle Metropolitan magazine published a list of the 13 Best Burgers in Seattle, several people on Cobalt’s Human Resources team felt a need – nay, a duty! – to investigate for themselves. Thus began a quest for the best hamburger in Seattle.

The group first headed out to West Seattle for a burger at Zippy’s where they were not disappointed but not yet overwhelmed with meaty goodness. Next came Skillet Street Food, which had burgers cooked in a shiny silver Airstream trailer parked near Safeco Field, only a few blocks away from Cobalt’s Seattle office. Cobalt employees tested Skillet’s signature bacon jam and delicious, herb-seasoned fries. These items were far more unique than the previous outing.

Still, employees weren’t convinced of and didn’t limit themselves to Seattle Metropolitan’s list. Many workers and friends recommended Lunchbox Laboratory in Ballard. Off they went to a tiny shop, and perhaps, the rudest service outside of a real New York deli (maybe that’s part of the charm!). The Lab offered the most diverse menu imaginable with about 20 daily creations and the option of building your own from a menu of different meats, breads and condiments. Look at that burger on the upper left. Eat one of those, and you won’t need another hamburger for a month!

Blue Moon Burgers in downtown Seattle was next, another recommendation not on the original list. Closer to home and with a friendly, casual atmosphere, the burgers here were tasty but lacked individuality. A few weeks later, Cobalt employees took a chance on a nearly unknown spot on the Seattle Waterfront: the Grubstake. These burgers were simple with only three variations on the classic combination of bun, cheese and grilled meat. While the burgers  were delicious and a meal in themselves, the small selection of side items (huge potato wedges or sweet onion rings) were not as satisfying.

The most recent stop was Two Bells Tavern. While they did not offer fries, the six different burgers on the menu more than made up for it. Served on a baguette and looking beautiful, Two Bells ranked high on most of our lists, and the cozy tavern atmosphere made it easy to want to hang out for a while.

So which is the best so far? Opinions differ. Skillet and Lunchbox Lab seem to be the strongest contenders with Grubstake and Two Bells close behind. For some, which burger is best depends partially on one’s gastronomic mood of the moment and budget, of course. (One creation at Lunchbox Lab costs roughly the same as two of the Grubstake’s huge delights.)

But the quest continues. Who knows what will be next? Something that will delight the senses and excite the palate is sure to follow. Perhaps, when you’re truly looking for the best, you never stop looking. However, one can always hope!

The Cobalt Group
www.cobalt.com
www.twitter.com/CobaltMarketing
www.youtube.com/cobaltlive

Normally Cobalt focuses on local charities for giving, but in January events took a different turn. Everyone at Cobalt has seen, along with the rest of the world, the devastation in Haiti. On January 13th, Cobalt CEO John Holt announced that Cobalt would be making a donation of $2,500 to the Red Cross specifically for the Haiti relief efforts.

“It is unbelievable that such an awful thing has happened to a population that already lives in such difficult conditions,” said Holt, followed by an offer to match employee donations up to an additional $2,500.

The response was immediate. By January 15th, two days after the initial announcement, Cobalt increased the donation match amount to $5,000. One week later, on the 22nd, Holt sent a follow-up announcement: “The Cobalt community has been very supportive. Thank you. The tragedy is still building and the restoration efforts will be long and tortuous.” Cobalt employees had already “blown away” both initial donation targets and the new match amount was set at $10,000.

As of January 26th, Cobalt employees have also surpassed the $10,000 goal. Included in that amount is one employee who alone contributed $1,000 and another whose children contributed a jar full of coins collected over time from their allowance.

This means that Cobalt and Cobalt employees will together be making donations of over $22,500 to the relief efforts in Haiti. From an effort that started with modest goals, it has grown as the need has grown.

Cobalt chose to give to the Red Cross in this case because they are reputable; and more importantly, they have the scale to deal with a large disaster. We also encourage any efforts for the people of Haiti. In the words of CEO John Holt, whatever you can do, “the important thing is to give.”

The Cobalt Group
www.cobalt.com
www.twitter.com/CobaltMarketing
www.youtube.com/cobaltlive

Cobalt believes the same thing, a belief that manifests itself in many ways. For the next few months, Cobalt is sponsoring two Cobalt employees – Mark Bathum and Shane McSimov – in their efforts to do good.

Mark is realizing a goal he has had for 20 years, and started seriously trying for in 2008 – to race for the US Paralympics ski racing team. In 2010, in Vancouver, he will achieve that dream, but only after a lot of hard work and arduous training. Mark raced all last season to see how it would feel to do it. This year he’ll still be working, though remotely, while ramping up his ski training schedule in preparation for the big event. Cobalt will be following his efforts closely and supporting him in his bid!

Mark’s not the only one reaching out, though. Shane McSimov, another Cobalt employee, is organizing his own charity event in a very different way: a charity ping-pong game. Shane has challenged Scott Harrison, the founder of the organization charity: water to a $5000 ping-pong match in New York City, with the money going to build a well for a community that needs fresh water.

As Shane says, “A ping pong match in NYC can that save lives overseas and give clean drinking water to an entire community for 20 years; that’s a game worth playing.” The event will take place in early 2010, and will be streamed live on Ustream.com.

We’ll be writing more about Mark and Shane in the next couple months. Until then, keep updated on Mark’s progress on his website at www.markbathum.com, and you can donate to Shane’s ping-pong game by clicking here.

Cobalt is proud of both Shane and Mark for their efforts to give to something greater than themselves. As hard as we work, Cobalt also knows that when it comes to what really matters, it’s just what you do.

The Cobalt Group
www.cobalt.com
www.twitter.com/CobaltMarketing
www.youtube.com/cobaltlive

When describing his experiences with the Paralympics, longtime Cobalt employee Mark Bathum used these words to describe his fellow athletes and their attitude toward the endeavor.  He finds the idea of giving up a piece of your own life to benefit the lives of others an inspiring and humbling act.

Cobalt believes the same thing, a belief that manifests itself in many ways. For the next few months, Cobalt is sponsoring two employees, Mark Bathum and Shane McSimov, in their efforts to do good.

Mark will be racing for the U.S. Paralympics ski racing team, a goal he has had for 20 years and started seriously trying for in 2008. In 2010 in Vancouver, he will achieve that dream, but only after a lot of hard work and arduous training. Mark raced all last season to see how it would feel to do it. This year he’ll still be working, though remotely, while ramping up his ski training schedule in preparation for the big event. Cobalt will be following his efforts closely and supporting him in his bid!

Shane McSimov, the second Cobalt sponsored employee, is organizing his own charity event in a very different way: a charity ping-pong game. Shane has challenged Scott Harrison, the founder of Charity Water, to a $5,000 ping-pong match in New York City with the money going to build a well for a community that needs fresh water.

As Shane says, “A ping pong match in New York City can save lives overseas and give clean drinking water to an entire community for 20 years. That’s a game worth playing.”

The event will take place in early 2010 and will be available live on Ustream.com.

We’ll be writing more about Mark and Shane over the next few months. Until then, you can keep updated on Mark’s progress on his website at markbathum.com; and you can donate to Shane’s ping-pong game here.

Cobalt is proud of both Shane and Mark for their efforts to give back to the world. At Cobalt, we work hard and know that when it comes to what really matters, “it’s just what you do.”

The Cobalt Group
www.cobalt.com
www.twitter.com/CobaltMarketing
www.youtube.com/cobaltlive

The Cobalt Group
www.cobalt.com
www.twitter.com/CobaltMarketing
www.youtube.com/cobaltlive

Robin Pisz, national interactive marketing manager for Lexus, and Theresa Haven, manager of the marketing communications campaign management division of Honda Motor Company, were also awarded at the same dinner. Previous recipients include Pamela Rodgers, Dealer Owner of Rodgers Chevrolet, Lynn Myers, General Manager of the Pontiac-GMC division at GM, and Bobbi Gaunt, the now-retired President of Ford Motor Company.

The Professional Achievement Award has been presented every year since 1997, to recognize women for their commitment, professionalism and success in the automotive industry.

“These women embody qualities well worthy of recognition, and we are privileged to honor their achievements,” said  McKoy. “Not only are they successful and accomplished in their careers. They are also leaders in business and their communities, and serve as role models.”

Jody DeVere, WAAI President, had this to add: “We are so pleased to present these women with the Professional Achievement Award and congratulate them on this much-deserved honor.”

This is the second award Zornosa has received in 2009.  She was earlier recognized by TARGUSinfo with the 2009 Market Leadership Award. Both awards stem from the leadership role taken by Dealix for the creation of the Qualilty Pledge and Hassle Free Lead Retrun – innovations that have been embraced by Dealix’s customers, the nation’s franchised auto dealers.

Upon receiving the WAAI honor, Zornosa said “An award like this is really a recognition of the great work done by the whole Dealix Team. I am truly honored to be part of such a great group!”

Congratulations to Anna Zornosa for all her accomplishments in the automotive industry, and on receiving this well-deserved recognition!

The Cobalt Group
www.cobalt.com
www.twitter.com/CobaltMarketing
www.youtube.com/cobaltlive

For years I’ve asked dealers why they advertise in newspapers, radio, and on TV. I usually get the same answer, “because we always have,” or I hear “because it creates good traffic!” I typically follow up with the question, “how do you know?” That’s when I hear the crickets chirping. I will never tell a dealer to quit advertising with the traditional mediums, just show me the ROI! After all, if I spend $10K on a newspaper ad that runs through a weekend, shouldn’t I expect a nice return on that investment?

High performing dealers today are turning to online advertising to survive during these turbulent times. They must be able to measure all the effectiveness of their advertising and make quick, intelligent decisions on whether the ad is working or not. Digital marketing is one of the true silver bullets in advertising. Everything is measured and can be changed instantly. You want to push an old age unit, put it online with an attractive price. If that doesn’t work (and we will know within a day if it does or doesn’t), throw it on usedcars.com and just get rid of it then move on.

Automotive advertising companies that want to help their dealers need to learn how to partner with the store. They have to understand the dealer’s goals and integrate a complete advertising strategy. Everything that a dealership does offline should drive traffic online! Today a dealership can make a minimal investment in digital marketing, and for just a few thousand dollars they can have an advertising campaign in a box. All digital advertising should be designed to drive traffic, be it walk-in, phone-in or email leads.

Automotive advertising companies that want to help their dealers are thinking of new and creative ways to drive qualified traffic to the dealer. Technology can be overused in dealerships in so many ways today, do your sales consultants know how to do a proper meet and greet, can they take an inbound call on a sold vehicle and get the prospect excited to visit the store? We have to make sure that dealers understand that it’s time to go back to the blocking and tackling in the dealership, and as far as advertising goes, there are companies that are experts on how to drive qualified traffic to your dealership. It’s time to start listening to those experts and putting together the proper mix of traditional advertising and digital marketing!

The Cobalt Group
www.cobalt.com
www.twitter.com/CobaltMarketing
www.youtube.com/cobaltlive

The Cobalt Group
www.cobalt.com
www.twitter.com/CobaltMarketing
www.youtube.com/cobaltlive

The holiday season is here, and at Cobalt that means we give a little more, financially and otherwise. In a previous entry we talked about Cobalt’s involvement in Northwest Harvest. In December, Cobalt is working with Treehouse and Childhaven, “two Seattle-based charities that do enormously important work for children and families. Children are the most vulnerable members of our society and the economy has pushed many more Washington families towards hardship,” in the words of CEO John Holt.

Cobalt has worked with both organizations in past years. This year Cobalt is donating $10,000 each to both Treehouse and Childhaven, and also matching employee financial contributions up to an additional $5,000 through December 23rd.

Decorated Christmas trees stationed throughout the Lynnwood and Seattle offices give employees the opportunity to make a more personal contribution to a child in need. The trees, part of a toy drive also sponsored by Treehouse, are hung with colored tags which describe presents Seattle children have wished for. Employees can choose a tag and purchase the presents themselves, then bring them in and place them under the big tree in the lobby to be donated. This is one small gesture that will hopefully make the holiday that much brighter for a child.

“It’s a thin line between fortune and despair,” said John Holt, “and I believe we recognize and honor our good luck when we reach out a hand to another.”

At Cobalt, reaching out with gifts from the heart is just one more sign of the holiday season.

The Cobalt Group
www.cobalt.com
www.twitter.com/CobaltMarketing
www.youtube.com/cobaltlive