A few weeks ago, another of Cobalt’s finest completed a very different journey.

On an overcast morning a few miles from Cobalt, 27,000 runners finished Seattle’s second annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon & Half-Marathon. They came from every U.S. state and 23 countries, but one athlete in particular was especially notable for us at Cobalt. On June 26, our own SEO Manager Lyda Hawes crossed the finish line near Qwest Field.

“I’ve been running for 15 years,” she said. The idea for a full marathon was always at the back of her mind as a lifetime goal. While she had already done a few less-intense events, such as 5Ks, and had worked her way up to a half-marathon, “It was time to take the next step.”

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon follows a typical 26.2-mile marathon format except that live local bands are stationed at every mile, entertaining runners and spectators alike. At the end of the race there’s a post-race concert. All together, there were three DJs, forty musical acts, and the headlining act Tonic, a 90’s rock band.

In addition to live music, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon is also a charity run, benefiting the American Cancer Society. Cobalt’s Hawes took the aid aspect of the event a step further. She worked with Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training, who provided training and coaches for five months leading up to the run. Every Tuesday evening, a group would run around Green Lake, along with Saturday morning runs that got progressively more challenging, with the longest run being 4.5 hours. The training paid off as Hawes’s run had raised $3,600 for the Society.

Early in the morning on June 26, the runners left Tukwila’s Gateway Corporate Center at 7:00 AM, winding their way along the shores of Lake Washington, over I-90, and through the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Aurora Bridge before finishing up at Qwest Field.

“It was hilly… and gorgeous. When I drive on the Viaduct, I think about what it was like to run that. The views from up there are amazing,” she said.

Of course, it wasn’t all fun and beautiful views. “It’s more than a physical challenge, it’s mental. When you get to the 20-mile mark, a part of you doesn’t want to” continue, she said. The support provided by other race participants kept her going. Cheerleaders from local high school were there till the very end; and when other purple-shirted runners from her charity team recognized each other, they yelled ‘Go team,’ as other participants shouted, ‘You are a rock star!’

At the 15th mile, one of Hawes’s friends joined and ran with her to the end, while her husband helped her run to the edge. As she finished in just over seven hours, a feeling of relief washed over her.

“I felt really grateful to get all 26 miles on my feet,” she said.

After the race she had a well-deserved Slurpee and took an “invigorating ice bath,” the training ritual that inspired her husband to call her “Lyda on the rocks.”

Hawes’s perseverance in running is unwavering, and though she is recovering from a hip flexor injury, she plans to do a 10K in September.

Only someone with her humble dedication would call this a “small step.” Go Lyda!

Margaret Kahn
Contributing Writer
The Cobalt Group
www.cobalt.com
www.twitter.com/CobaltMarketing
www.youtube.com/cobaltlive

Expect to see many intrepid cyclists attempting the ride this weekend, as the Cascade Bicycle Club’s 31st Annual Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic (STP) begins on Saturday, July 17. Procare Team Manager Josh Dand is looking forward to being one of many who pedal their way through 202 miles of valleys, farmland, and mountains.

Dand’s biking journey didn’t begin with STP, which is expected to draw 10,000 cyclists.

“When I [worked in] Seattle, I never biked,” he said; but when he was transferred to Cobalt’s Lynnwood office, and his coworker, Senior Account Advocate Raul Sedano, invited him to take a bike ride. They started cycling together at lunchtime around Edmonds and Lynnwood, which inspired Dand to start biking to work. He now averages around 120 miles every week, riding four days out of five, enough to “recognize coworkers by their bike racks.”

“The 30 mile road trip is a great way to begin my day,” he said. “[I can] decompress and work off stress.” Bicycling has helped bring him closer to his officemates. Dand, Sedano, and fellow first-time STP rider Robert Allen will be doing the STP together. Sedano is a veteran of the event; this year marks his seventh STP ride!

Participating in the largest, multi-day bicycle event in the Northwest, sponsored by Group Health, seemed to be the natural next step to Dand.

“It’s something I wanted to do for past couple of years,” he said. “I can’t believe I’m about to do it; I’m feeling pretty well on my way. I just had a bike tune-up, got a new chain, and [my] legs are feeling strong, nice and spry now.”

Spots go quick, with cyclists from all over America and the world vying for entry. Dand got extremely lucky with late registration and “wasted five minutes of company time” waiting in a virtual line.

Those five minutes paid off, as he now prepares to start at 7:30am on Saturday at the University of Washington. He and Sedano plan to bike around 105 miles before settling in for the night at a Chehalis campground around five or six o’clock. Every ten miles, rest stops with free food, water, bathrooms, and bike repair will be available. Along the way the bicyclists will cross rivers, climb 30 miles of hills, and ride in the shadow of Mt. St Helens.

“You can’t see it in a car. [The STP] is like a party on wheels,” Dand said in anticipation for the scenic beauty of Western Washington countryside

On Sunday, they will cross the finish line at Holladay Park and possibly attend the Finish Line Festival is at the end of each ride-day. Sedano and Dand will either stay the night, or drive back to Seattle that evening.

Dand is a machine that doesn’t seem to ever stop running. When asked if he would relax at all after this superhuman feat, he mentioned a massage on Monday and a little rest, quickly adding that he hopes this event “leads to more.”

The next time you drive down to Portland on business, imagine Dand doing it the hard way and scaling the same distance on two wheels instead of four.

Good luck to all three this weekend. Have fun, guys!

Margaret Kahn
Guest Writer
The Cobalt Group
www.cobalt.com
www.twitter.com/CobaltMarketing
www.youtube.com/cobaltlive

“I’m 53 years old, and I’m still learning,” said CEO John Holt while addressing the company on the morning of July 9. “Change is constant. You can either close yourself to it or open your arms to it.”

Holt had announced that Cobalt, the company he co-founded over 15 years ago, is now in the final stages of being acquired by ADP, one of the world’s largest providers of information technology. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2010. Until then, ADP Dealer Services and Cobalt will operate as independent businesses.

Once the acquisition is finalized John will lead the new ADP Digital Marketing group within ADP Dealer Services from Cobalt’s offices in Seattle. The new group will include all of the digital marketing capabilities of ADP, including BZ Results, Cobalt and Dealix. This organization will be uniquely positioned to deliver a comprehensive set of digital marketing solutions that will help transform the ways manufacturers and dealers market and sell vehicles and related services.

It’s going to be an exciting time, especially since Cobalt will still be Cobalt – the company’s vision and brand in the marketplace will continue. And Holt will still be here to lead the ADP Digital Marketing group onward to new ideas.

The company meeting was clearly a poignant moment for Holt, as he expressed his pride in the Cobalt’s accomplishments to the packed Seattle auditorium by videoconference to meeting rooms in Lynnwood and at Dealix and Integralink as well as by phone to hundreds of employees over the Internet.

“We’ve come a long way together, but we still have a lot to do,” he said.

Founded 15 years ago at the start of the Internet era, the company has grown its customer base and its capabilities to become a market leader – not just in websites but also in integrated digital marketing solutions for auto manufacturers and their dealer networks. ADP’s existing model complements Cobalt’s, since ADP solutions helps dealers convert opportunities created by Cobalt’s digital marketing capabilities into sales.

ADP’s financial strength, global footprint and capabilities in social media and other technology areas are expected to open up new doors for Cobalt employees and customers. Cobalt will remain laser-focused on building brand awareness for its customers and driving traffic to their stores.

“Some things will change, for sure,” Holt told employees this morning. “But many things will be the same,” he assured. He then entreated everyone watching and listening to keep doing what they’ve always done by sticking to the four C’s: Curiosity, Commitment, Creativity and Community.

“Stay curious,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to commit completely, with a full heart and mind. Be creative, even in the face of things that seem ‘the way they’ve always been.’ Keep community alive; it takes a community to have a company, and this fact is core to Cobalt’s success and spirit.

“I see life as one learning curve after another,” Holt said. “If you embrace them rather than run from them, you can drive yourself to personal achievements that may surprise you. Because of the things I tackled and learned, last year was the best year of my life. It’s daunting to try to make this year even better, but with this announcement it’s off to a pretty good start!”

Like we said – business as usual.

What’s next for John Holt, Cobalt, and Dealix? We’re not done yet. Not even close. Stay tuned.

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

Cobalt thought differently.

This year, Cobalt was one of nearly 300 local Washington businesses and individuals who donated money to keep the Family Fourth alive. In less than 24 hours after the announcement that the event would be on hiatus this year without sponsorship, the money had been raised and the Family Fourth was on again, thanks to a grassroots effort that started with Dave Ross, KIRO radio host, and Tom Douglas, local chef and entrepreneur. The effort spread quickly to others.

The story started for Cobalt with an email from Cobalt Professional Services Program Manager, Barbara Shackleton. She heard about it while listening to the radio on the way home from work on April 2nd.

“John Holt has always led Cobalt in supporting local charities and promoting quality of life,” she said. “I felt comfortable sending John a note and suggesting this as something Cobalt might want to support. The rest is history, as they say.”

The Lake Union fireworks show has special meaning for Holt. After the Family Fourth fireworks ended in 1991, he got on one knee and proposed to his wife, Susan. They were married after the same show 19 years ago.

“We were and are one of the companies that helped save the fireworks, at an employee’s suggestion,” said CEO John Holt in a message to the company on July 2nd. “You might enjoy them even more knowing this. I am going to watch with special pride!”

Cobalt is proud to have contributed to a Seattle tradition, and wishes everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July!

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

No, no – this is no misspelling. Caffeine is indeed a term we know well in the world of SEO. On June 8^th Google launched their update to Caffeine, their web indexing system, and it’s is giving some people the jitters. 

We, the Internet Managers, e-Commerce Directors, Dealers and SEO guys, creating optimal search engine results for our dealer pages, don’t like the idea of updates that require us to shifting established algorithms, which could result in a rankings change for our sites. Caffeine and other such updates are often released without warning and hence, without any preparation time.

According to the Department of Searchology, our Google Caffeine jitters should be minimal. The Department points out that Caffeine in general is NOT an algorithm update. Rankings will not be directly affected by these changes. What changes however is how fast Google can crawl through the indexed information and the amount of data that can be stored in its index at once.

How did it work before Caffeine was introduced?

• Robots, a.k.a GOOGLEBOTS, crawled sites and pulled all scraped information into the Google indexes.
• This newly indexed information was then processed through algorithms to determine which rank the pages would be rewarded based on the particular keywords.
• After these data were processed, the updated index was then pushed out to hundreds of data centers in clusters, which took approximately three months to have rankings updated.

With the newest Google Caffeine update the indexing process will push the indexed information to the data centers almost instantly. Webpage updates are at the data centers more quickly. A further advantage of Google Caffeine is the increase of the storage capability. Due to more involved webmasters and SEO firms, user-generated content has skyrocket over the years, leaving Google scrambling to index larger quantities of data.  Google Caffeine is now able to index basics like a new web page or credit attributions for inbound links. The attribution model did not change with this update and Google will be able to store more information for a much longer time

Is action required?

As I stated above, Caffeine’s update is not algorithm based therefore there is no SERP benefit and at this point doesn’t require you to modify your SEO strategy.  Your site updates will process and show results much faster than before. Due to the increased storage capabilities the value of smart optimizations will increase as well. Google will have a better view and idea of connectivity’s in regards to in- and out-bound links.

As it turns out, a little Caffeine is good – even for your nerves.  

The event was Seattle Business Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For 2010,” baseball was the theme of the evening, and Cobalt was one of the honorees present.

Zduriencik described a difficult season for the Mariners and a difficult year for business. No need to tell Cobalt about that. The economic downturn was felt keenly for anyone in the automotive space, and Cobalt was no exception.

Zduriencik also spoke fondly of someone he admires who, even at 78 years old, follows a simple mantra: “Never give up. Never give up. Never give up.”

It’s good advice. Even through the rough times, Cobalt stuck to what it does best. That includes treating employees well, thinking around corners, and stopping once in a while to play just as hard as we work.

All nominated companies went through a three-step judging process: a formal nomination phase, an independent analysis by a research firm that compiles and analyzes data from an employee survey, and finally, a selection of the winners by a panel of distinguished judges. Honorees in 2010 were split into four distinct categories: nonprofit, small, medium and large size companies.

At the end of the night, Cobalt was chosen as the second place winner in the Large Companies category. Other finalists named in the same category included PAML and Columbia Bank.

Nicole Walker from Cobalt Services, Keith Zackrone and Deepak Goindwani from Technology, along with the rest of the Cobalt team at the Westin dinner table were thrilled to hear that Cobalt was a finalist.

“It’s wonderful to be recognized by employees and objective business leaders as one of the best workplaces in the state,” said Cobalt’s VP of Human Resources Julia Pizzi, who accepted Cobalt’s award. “Knowing that Cobalt employees are confident in and happy about the work culture that has been created at the company reinforces the company’s ongoing commitment to our workplace values – transparency, dedication to employee career mastery and workplace health. Those are values that make a difference in good times or bad.”

To add to Pizzi’s comments, CEO John Holt said in a message to the company, “To say we couldn’t have done this without you is a bit obvious, but it’s true.” “This gives us lots of feedback about the things we’re doing right and the things we need to improve.”

It just goes to show that the mantra is true, and it works for good business just as well as it does for baseball. No matter what life throws at you, don’t give up.

Never give up.

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

Bill, a Cobalt salesman based in the Seattle home office and a repeat President’s Club honoree, said “I am extremely fortunate to have made President’s Club four times and cruising the Hawaiian Islands was by far the best! Cobalt does a terrific job of making us feel appreciated, and the result is more focus and dedication. It’s also a great time to build relationships with other successful reps and company leadership… The Pride of America was awesome. They had to break down the door to my stateroom to get me off the boat.”

Cassie, a Dealix saleswoman, also enjoyed her experience. “Being a part of this year’s President’s Club was an honor and an experience I will never forget,” she said. “My favorite part of the trip was seeing everyone from Dealix and meeting the folks from Cobalt, being with the best of the best. I’d be lying if I didn’t agree that the views from the cruise ship and the experiences we all shared were fantastic. There were many times my husband and I sat on our balcony, looking at the view, talking about what an amazing opportunity it was for us to be there in that moment.”

Cami, a business operations analyst in Cobalt’s Seattle office, was selected specifically as the honorary winner for 2009, as someone who worked with Sales regularly and helped them throughout the year. “President’s Club was such a great experience, and I’d like to thank the 2009 President’s Club members for electing me in! I was so honored to be recognized by the team,” said Cami. “My husband and I had so much fun and enjoyed spending time with the President’s Club members and their spouses. All of the islands were beautiful (and warm!!!) but our favorite is still Kauai.”

The executives on the trip valued the opportunity to work directly with the company’s top performers to understand areas for improvement and opportunity.

Earning a place in the President’s Club is a goal that any Cobalt salesperson can achieve, and Cassie has some advice for those looking to meet the high standards. Among her recommendations, she says, “Don’t ever stop giving it your all!”

Being the best may not be easy, but for those who make it at Cobalt, it does have its rewards. Congratulations to this year’s President’s Club!

Cobalt is proud to be named the winner of the TSIA STAR Award for Best Practices in Value-Added Support in the SMB category. Cobalt’s own Dan Dorgan and Juli Howarth were there to receive the award on May 5 at the Technology Services World conference in Silicon Valley.

The STAR Awards recognize technology companies who display exceptional leadership, innovation, and commitment in developing and implementing best practices. This award recognizes Cobalt’s commitment and focus on developing and delivering support offerings designed to help customers increase or accelerate the ROI on their product or technology investment as well as help the company increase overall product sales.

“We’re pleased to recognize Cobalt as a leading service organization that is setting the pace for the industry by pushing the envelope and delivering the strategies and tactics needed to help customers bridge the technology consumption gap,” said J.B. Wood, CEO of TSIA.

Since its inception in 1990, the STAR Awards have become one of the highest honors in the service and support industry, acknowledging the contribution of companies of all sizes to the continual improvement of service and support delivery industry-wide. Winning a STAR Award means that a company and their Support and Services Center have been acknowledged by their peers as being among the best in the business.

“I thank and congratulate each and every one of you for your contributions in making this award possible,” said Mark Dunn, vice president of services at Cobalt, in a message to the Services Team. “Let’s continue to do what we say we will do and exceed our customer’s expectations.”

Cobalt’s Services Team is happy with the addition of this prestigious award and looks forward to adding more to their collection!

Click for information on the STAR Awards.

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

Cobalt was founded in 1995, and this year celebrates 15 years of innovation and service in the automotive industry. In the past, we’ve celebrated at the Cobalt offices, at some select locations around Seattle, and even at Boeing’s famous Museum of Flight. This year, however, was something completely new.

On April 30th, a cool Friday evening, Cobalt employees from both the Seattle and Lynnwood offices gathered at the Trinity Nightclub for a night of good food, music, and dancing. Cobaltians explored the four rooms in Trinity, each with a different theme and style with pulse-pounding dance music that set the tone for the night. Bartenders in each room served the growing crowd everything from wine to mixed drinks and even Guinness on tap.

As things heated up inside, guests could step outside to cool off and get a bite to eat. Cobalt provided delicious sausages from several Dante’s Inferno Dogs carts as well as Hawaiian and Korean treats from “Seattle’s sauciest food truck,” Marination Mobile.

Back inside, the crowd grew and everyone cut loose to dance into the late hours of the night. Many guests, from those new to Cobalt to those of us who’ve been here for years, agreed that it was simply a blast – one of the most fun Cobalt parties ever, and that’s saying something!

Crystal may be traditional for a 15-year celebration, but Cobalt’s 15th Anniversary party did it  better, by creating a night filled with good memories for all who attended. Here’s to 15 years past and many more to come!

If you’d like to see more pictures from the evening, take a look at the Cobalt Talent Facebook page.

Hello my Friends:

I am proudly presenting my colleague Louise Smith and her guest post in conjunction with some thoughts of mine.

GUEST POST: Louise Smith and VJ

Of great interest to you is the acquisition of new customers, the engagement of your existing customers, promoting customer loyalty and driving revenues. Social Media works “with” your Owner Marketing email campaigns – to do just this. Relevancy and value are keys to successful email campaigns and social media. Here are some ideas:

In your email campaigns:

Implement links/buttons into your email campaigns to promote and link to your social media sites as well (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn). VJ’s thoughts: May be the customer is not ready right now to jump on your inventory page or visit your dealer URL, but he would like to see what else you are talking about in the future. Capture them!

Integrate (brief) teasers in your email campaigns about your social media postings such as your involvement, following or supporting local groups, charities, teams, events etc. VJ’s thoughts: An old PR rule is “Do good things and talk about it” – so do it and brag modestly!

Have so called “Calls-to-Action” in your email campaigns that promote postings of events and happenings that your dealership is involved in (Car Clinics, Open House, Charity/Fundraiser car detailing etc.) – then link these activities to your social media page with more information about events. VJ’s thoughts: Create RSVPs for customer evening events, make them feel important, make them your V.I.P.

Keep up the core premise of successful email marketing: right time, relevant messaging, of value to targeted customers. VJ’s thoughts: When tailoring your sales messags think about the three categories according to a study of Nielsen Online: Baby Boomers love monthly and quarterly cash-back savings  –  Generation X is looking for convenience factor (Loaner cars, Play area, Business center, WiFi)  –  and the Millenials just appreciating Specials and Deals in what is ”Cool and In” with instant gratification!

On your social media postings:

You need to be relevant, give value, share information, follow/support your “locals”, be conversational, embrace the fanatic fans and respond to the problems in a timely manner. VJ’s thoughts: Best example: Toyota, where were they the whole time when the issues of their recalls occurred. Now they are pumping millions of $$ into national ne page print-ads and prime time T.V. commercials.

Who to follow or to be-friend? Support your local teams, organizations, chamber, business groups, consumer groups, community events. VJ’s thoughts: Reach out to them and let them know about your ambitions for them. Tell your local community that you are supporting them and you will steadily talk about their deals (barber shop and the retiree Wednesday haircut for $7)!

Not sure what to “tweet”? – You can start off by re-tweeting relevant information about happenings in your community, great news about your brand, events etc. – share local business news. Is a neighbor business or a good customer who is a local business owner offering “specials”? You can support these in brief tweets or postings. VJ’s thoughts: Has a customer of yours “pimped” their ride and is this possible share worthy? Post it with a testimonial from them. Did you solve a problem for a customer – turning them into a satisfied customer – share it!

Always include a sign-up for email actions on Social Media site and promote a value (like free car wash, a special price for the next oil-change) of signing up for email sign-up. VJ’s thoughts: Allow your customer to decide if they want to follow you. Permission based marketing has since decades the highest ROI.

Call to action value of your service coupons on your website. VJ’s thoughts: Involve each of your profit centers – Service, Parts, Wholesale Parts, Bodyshop, and even Finance!

Keep your postings current. VJ’s thoughts: Please, it does not make sense you are telling on your website “follow me on twitter” and a customer who then finally follows you will see that your last post said “Happy Thanksgiving”, even so it is now March!

Be authentic in your postings, and do not speak about politics, race or use “bad” language. VJ’s thoughts: It happens and I showed it numerous times on my speaker sessions: ” Wow, the customers are so crappy today. Is it full moon or what?” – YES, this is an original twitter post I grabbed and just imagine when I would be a customer of this dealership, and had visited them today for an oil-change. How would feel? Really CRAPPY after reading this, right?

Be conversational, sharing and relevant! VJ’s thoughts: That means with all due respect – NO INVENTORY FEEDS appearing in your twitter stream. I see frequently tweets or facebook posts which are stating “Just uploaded a YouTube video of an 2002 Ford….” and a second later the next tweet says “Just uploaded a YouTube video of an 2004 Buick…” Come on, please!

Here are a few links that you may find as great resources:

• www.drivingsales.com ideas and help in establishing your social media plan
• www.dealerrefresh.com find out what other dealers and automotive peers are doing in Social Media
• www.SocialMediaBuzzer.com hands-on Social Media practice advice from an ex-dealer/e-commerce director