Though most of us are pretty far removed from the effort and activity of growing things, Thanksgiving still celebrates the blessings of the harvest.  Joined by friends and family, and perhaps someone who has nowhere else to go, it’s a day without appointment, one where the clock moves at a different pace.  Without a schedule to race around, there’s simply nothing to do but cook and prepare the meal, sit with people you like, and simple pleasures.

I love the fact that the world has forgotten about Thanksgiving, leaving it alone for the meaning we want to give it.  As I watch the folks around me head off to see their moms and dads, it’s easy to fast forward and think about my daughters, coming home to wherever Susan and I are.  Perhaps someday with children of their own.  It makes me think I should be heading east to see my mom.

Apart from my family, there’s nothing as important to me as Cobalt.  The enterprise has fed, clothed and roofed my family for 15 years, and I am enormously thankful for that.  The company provides these same benefits for more than 1,000 people and their families and friends, and of course we help create commerce for thousands of dealerships and tens of thousands of their employees – a pretty big impact.

It’s been a twisty, turny year and we’re still going through lots of change and challenge as we adapt to life inside ADP, but the big picture view seems A-OK to me.  I feel like we’re almost through the initial steep learning curve and vocabulary lessons, and I can see a path forward to assemble all the various digital marketing assets and initiatives we now own and provide even more value to our customers.  As important, I see ways we can create considerable value for ADP that I didn’t necessarily understand when we agreed to the transaction.

As I think ahead, I have tremendous anticipation for what’s coming next.  Moving to our new HQ will be exciting. The views are great and it’ll be good to be back in the downtown core. More than anything, I am going to like having so many of us under one roof.  It will draw our community even tighter, making us even more defined and forceful.  I love the fact that the folks on the phones talking to customers are just a few stairs away from the folks making the stuff their customers are using. Apply agile methodology to real-time customer feedback and it may be hard to go home at night to sleep.

More important is the opportunity we’re going to have to understand how, why, when and where advertising works, then multiply these findings times millions of shoppers on behalf of thousands of dealers.

When we announced the sale to ADP, I told Steve Anenen we would be the fastest-growing part of ADP Dealer Services.  I absolutely believe this today, exactly 100 days later.  We have some very good things going on, and that’s before we harness the true power of our combined assets and the breadth and width of ADP’s industry knowledge, scale and access.  We’re going to do our bit and more.

I think we’re getting through to the other side where the water will be smooth and flat, like the leeward side of the 520 on a stormy day.  Knowing it’s still pretty choppy, I will give my biggest Thanksgiving THANKS to the men and women of Cobalt, for their patience, their steadfastness, their optimism, their integrity, their thoughtfulness, their effort and their maturity.  We have kept our eye on the prize in the midst of considerable change. That’s the right thing to do, but not everyone is willing to rise to that standard.  We have and are, and that’s my Thanksgiving thought.

I hope the next few days are great days.  When you smile, stretch your cheeks.  When you exhale, lower your shoulders.  If you’re walking, stop, pause and turn 360 degrees.  Look up.  Think a thought, and take it a step further.  We have much to be thankful for, and it would dishonor our good fortune to not acknowledge the plenty we enjoy.  If you can, find a way to share it, extend a hand and pull another forward.  Goodness creates goodness.

Happy Thanksgiving.

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

Many came to see what had been constructed so far, bringing friends and family to share the experience. SEO Specialist Harmony Wallender was thrilled to visit the new office and brought her roommate along with her, finding freshly-painted walls and newly-laid carpet.

“The office is just cool,” recalls Wallender. “It has low cube walls and unfinished cement ceilings, lending it a modern cave feeling. The carpets were an excellent choice: dark grays sliding together in simple patterns. The porch off the lunch room is spacious and will be awesome in good weather and the cubes are flooded with natural light.”

Melissa Satterwhite, senior operations analyst in Cobalt’s Lynnwood office, describes her awed reaction, when she stepped out of the elevator. “It was amazing to see Puget Sound out the window,” she said. “I was astounded by all the light. The design of the new space places conference rooms in the interior areas, assuring that natural light is available for all workstations.  The open cubicle layout should encourage teaming and communication, too.”

Michael Villanueva, a Cobalt Diehard with over ten years with the company, also remarked on how teams could utilize their work areas. “You can tell that the space was laid out to encourage collaboration. The new office represents taking the next big step in our history, and I’m very excited to be a part of it.”

The new building will combine two existing Cobalt offices – everyone in Cobalt’s current HQ in Seattle’s Sodo district is scheduled to move in the last week of 2010, while the Services teams from the Lynnwood office will be moving into the new building in January of 2011. This will present new commuting challenges, but the new building is in a prime location.

“I especially like how close the train and bus are – only steps away,” said Gail Johnson, an SEO specialist currently working in Lynnwood. “If it’s raining the only time I’ll maybe have to get wet is when I’m crossing the street to catch the Sounder train.”

John Holt, Cobalt’s senior VP of digital marketing services, can’t wait to move in either. “Between the light and airy space, the fabulous views, the new 4,000 square foot gym, and the easy access to public transportation, it’s going to be a fantastic workplace.”

With all this change, the best part for many will be working together with old friends, as Wallender concluded: “But out of everything, I am most excited to be reunited with all of my wonderful coworkers who are in Seattle, and to all work as one company once again.”

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

On hearing these words of wisdom, senior ADP HR Business Partner Dale Gordon said, “Throw away the map, let’s use GPS!” Now why didn’t Kermit think of that?

On August 16th and 17th, Cobalt celebrated its own vision. All Cobalt employees were officially welcomed to the ADP family by Steve Anenen, president of ADP Dealer Services and John Holt, the newly-minted senior division vice president of ADP’s Digital Marketing Group, with other Cobalt and ADP leaders. Welcome gatherings were held in Seattle at the Bell Harbor Conference Center on the Seattle Waterfront, the Sofitel San Francisco Bay in Redwood City, and the Four Seasons Columbus in Hilliard, Ohio. In each case, Cobalt employees, now ADP associates, gathered for presentations and celebration now that the deal was done. Be sure to stop by the Cobalt Talent Facebook page to see more pictures of the celebration events.

It was a big day for Cobalt Senior Operations Analyst Melissa Satterwhite, a Cobalt Diehard with more than ten years at the company.

“I remembered the first time I met John, when he interviewed me wearing flip-flops, shorts and a t-shirt,” she recalled. “John was an early pioneer in automotive Internet marketing – some might argue he was the early pioneer – passionately believing that car sales would be radically changed through the Internet. The fact that each of us were sitting in the room yesterday, being greeted as ADP associates, is testament to his vision.

“This is a moment for celebration and reflection,” continued Satterwhite. “We celebrate that our hard work and determination has brought us to this point and reflect on our new opportunities with ADP.”

And John Holt? He’s glad that the deal is done, and he can get back to work. “Congrats to all of us and my thanks as well. This has been a team effort – one thousand plus strong, and I can’t believe how lucky I am to have led Cobalt and have the opportunity to continue in that role,” he said in a message to the company.

“There is a great big home for a kick-ass digital marketing group inside of ADP. I want to run the division that always gets more done than folks think is possible, with vision begetting new vision like a rising tide coming higher and higher on the beach. This is how we’ve done things for 15 years, and I see no reason to stop. The higher you climb the better the view.”

Maybe Kermit did see the solution after all – it was just years before GPS. His advice was simpler. Forget the map, roll down the windows, and enjoy the ride.

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

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

Video interview featured in the Nov 23rd issue of Dealer Digest Daily:

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 “DieHards”
On St. Patrick’s Day 2010, Cobalt will be celebrating its 15th anniversary, honoring its exponential growth as well as its hardworking and dedicated employees.  Within Cobalt there are 50 people who stand out and truly encompass the energy and drive of the company and its employees. These individuals have worked at Cobalt for nine or more years and are lovingly called the “Cobalt DieHards.” They are committed to the success of the company and focused on growing and learning with it. In total, the DieHards have given over 480 years of combined devotion to Cobalt.

As John Holt, Cobalt’s CEO, said, “Some of them have fancy titles; lots don’t. It doesn’t matter… they’ve given us sweat/commitment/contribution from their hearts for a long, long time… and that makes all of them the same… and very special.”

Remembering the Old Days
DieHards bring a unique factor to the Cobalt equation, offering unification as well as a wealth of knowledge about the industry and its transformations. When asked how they felt about being DieHards, many responded with “proud,” “old” and “excited.” To honor them, every summer for the past three years, Holt opens his home to the DieHards in celebration of their longevity and friendship, as well as in welcome of the newcomers to the group. They are given special DieHard name placards, jackets and, best of all, one extra personal day off each year.

“When I started working at Cobalt [in the late 1990s], most dealers didn’t have an Internet connection and many were using fax numbers to dial in. In order to present to a dealer or a group of dealers, I had to bring hardcopies of websites and a telephone line that was long enough to stretch from the fax machine to the conference room!” recounted Melissa Satterwhite, senior operations analyst and Cobalt employee for eleven and a half years.

The Drive for More
The DieHards have seen the company through many years of good times and some frustrations, including growing pains and winning large accounts like Lexus, GM and Volkswagen. Regardless, the excitement and motivation for the future is ever-present.

“We are constantly doing new things, working with new clients, growing and innovating. Cobalt is simply the very best at what we do. I am a firm believer of working hard and keeping your eye on the prize. If you’re looking to stretch your imagination and grow, then Cobalt is the place to be. Being a Diehard, we stick to it. I hope there is more of this as the years continue. More, bigger and better,” said Scott Sabo, director of enterprise sales operations and a Cobalt employee for eleven years and nine months.

For me, it was inspiring to speak with several of the DieHards. Their voices are strong and founded with pride in their individual accomplishments as well as in the success of the company. Getting to know Cobalt employees, young and old, long-standing and new, I have grown to recognize their motto of “work hard, play hard,” whether they are volunteering for charities, getting the job done or developing new and creative ways to cater to their customers.

Prepared for the Transformation
“A lot of companies don’t value seniority or longevity. It’s fascinating and honoring to be a DieHard at Cobalt. I receive so much support from the company, and I am dedicated to seeing this company be victorious. We’ve been waiting for the transformation when dealers and OEMs think about marketing online first, not third or fifth. The switch is happening; and I want to see it take place at an even greater degree,” said Alden Hopkins, creative director and a Cobalt employee for ten years and two months.

It’s safe to say that many Cobalt employees share the same sentiments. In the past year, Cobalt has succeeded in many ways by gaining large accounts and being recognized as one of the best digital marketing providers for dealers and OEMs. The upcoming anniversary party will be a celebration of past accomplishments and a welcome to the next big year.

Alyse Speyer
Contributing Editor
The Cobalt Group
www.cobalt.com
www.twitter.com/CobaltMarketing
www.youtube.com/cobaltlive

Party Planning
“Halloween is one of the big holidays where we really go all out. It took a month-and-a-half to plan the party. This year, I had a team of people helping with food and decorations and I couldn’t have done it without them. I really enjoyed managing the décor and hand-making the chandeliers,” said Sarah Morrison, executive assistant.

Cobalt Halloween began the week before the party with cube decorations and roaming witches brooms, chasing all who entered the lobby. Also included was the annual Poster Contest where employees were enticed by prizes to design this year’s poster featuring the pirate-themed company party. Allison Maslow took the win for her outstanding design.

A Graveyard Fit for a Pirate
Finally at 3pm last Friday, costumed employees gathered in the auditorium where spooky decorations of skull chandeliers and black draperies, as well as, pizza and drinks awaited them.

“We had a candy graveyard with tombstones where people dug up candy, pirate dog tags and stress balls. Many of the departments had themed costumes. There was a lot of sport and competition. Our department did the Roaring 20s and HR did a monopoly theme,” said Jeremy Helstrom, web builder.

Holt came dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow as he does every year; however, this year the Seattle Children’s Theatre added the final touches. Luckily for Holt, the makeup artists were well-versed in pirate makeup as they had been preparing for the Theatre’s production of Peter Pan. Other costumes included vampires and devils, a treasure chest and Elliot with ET.

Cobalt’s Costume Creativity
That’s not all. No Halloween party would be complete without friendly competition. There were several costume contests including Best Large Group, Best Small Group, Most Creative Individual and Best Cube Decoration. Best Large Group had stiff competition with Roaring 20s accepting the win and Monopoly as a close second. Best Small Group went to Iris Laband and Brian Hagins, the web analytics vampires. Kambrie Balser won Most Creative Individual Costume for her rendition of Betty Boop and Morrison won for Best Cube and her efforts in planning the party. Prizes included group Happy Hours and gift cards to various local merchants. All in all the party was a howling success.

Alyse Speyer
Contributing Editor
The Cobalt Group
www.cobalt.com
www.twitter.com/CobaltMarketing
www.youtube.com/cobaltlive

Chris Reed
Chief Marketing Officer, Cobalt

 I was talking to a close friend about a call I had received from a recruiter about an opportunity at a company called Cobalt in Seattle. We both had spent our careers at the cutting edge of technology and analytics, working with the world’s most sophisticated companies as clients. Our impression of the automotive industry was one of slow moving behemoths in decline. The idea of focusing my energies on that industry was just a non-starter; how could I stay on the cutting edge in such an industry? I told the recruiter that I wasn’t interested.

The recruiter was persistent. Did I understand that Cobalt was a leader in digital marketing, one of Google’s largest partners? Did I know that Cobalt had pioneered new practices in coordinated marketing across thousands of independent businesses? It seemed Cobalt was actually a digital marketing company that happened to specialize in the auto industry. What could it hurt to talk with them? I did talk to them and I’m glad I did. The auto industry is different. Buying a car, after buying a house, is one of the largest investments many of us make in our life. The car itself is more than a hunk of metal and plastic, it is symbolic of freedom and a means to express ourselves – whether that be to signal our status or our commitment to the environment. The industry has a rich history and many characters. What I discovered was that Cobalt was leading a quiet revolution within the industry, working with forward-looking manufacturers, Internet firms, agencies and dealers to exploit the rapid adoption of the internet by auto shoppers, lowering costs and bringing objective measurement to new areas of marketing.

As a marketer, I was fascinated by the opportunity to understand a specific shopping process in great depth, to deliver tailored experiences to the shopper to speed their decision, and to have the analytic insights to optimize their experience over time. Cobalt’s culture was also appealing. Having been in large companies and start-ups I knew I liked organizations that were still dynamic enough to create personal opportunity, but had sufficient scale to have market impact. Cobalt was in that “sweet spot” – I felt I could make a difference. The company’s culture was still guided by its founder, John Holt, and had a solid foundation of integrity and mutual respect, values that are important to me. I did make the move to Cobalt and I can honestly say there hasn’t been a boring day since. It is a pleasure to consult with a diverse set of clients and partners – independent business owners growing their businesses, advertising agencies and digital marketing leaders like Google and Yahoo! – to develop new cost-effective marketing approaches ideally suited to the times.

Today, Cobalt is ideally positioned within an industry in re-birth. The last year has shaken the industry to its core, challenging long held assumptions, opening minds to new approaches. There is absolutely no doubt that one of those new approaches will be the active embrace of the internet as a primary marketing channel for the industry. J. D. Power & Associates projects that the automotive industry’s spending on digital marketing will increase by 150% from 2008 to 2011. Cobalt is the clear leader in digital marketing for automotive retail networks – where the majority of this spend will occur. The industry itself is almost guaranteed to grow by 50% in the next few years from today’s depressed sales levels, as the market returns to the rate it needs to support population growth and vehicle replacement. If you are considering an opportunity with Cobalt don’t let the media image of the auto industry deter you. Here at Cobalt we are excited about the opportunity to transform and strengthen one of the world’s largest industries – come and join us!

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