Every automotive specialty equipment company should also take the time to understand how television can efficiently and effectively deliver marketing messages.Experts Counsel Industry on the Hurdles and Benefits 

Any media outlet—print, the Internet, radio, billboards and more—can be used to market the businesses of automotive aftermarket companies. But there may be none that offers the reach and cost-per-thousand (CPM) advantages of television. To help manufacturers, retailers, installers and even warehouse distributors learn about the benefits, perceived hurdles and costs of TV marketing, the SEMA Show will present a super-session seminar entitled “Understand and Maximize Investments in Automotive TV Programming.” The event will be presented Monday, November 3, (the day before the official opening of the SEMA Show) from 3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. in room N258 adjacent to the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Breaking news from SEMA member companies, including Hastings Manufacturing, J&L Marketing, Flaming River Industries, Kit Car Builder, The Hybrid Shop, Drake Automotive Group and more.

The SEMA Garage is officially open and ready for business. After months of planning and renovation, SEMA recently held a party to introduce the SEMA Garage to the automotive industry. Many were able to see firsthand such features of the Garage as the photo cove, 3-D printer, training center and emissions lab. The Garage has been so well received and generated such interest that media from New York to Los Angeles are taking notice, and the SEMA Garage is making headlines.

Web Analytics Update admin Wed, 10/01/2014 - 10:25

IBM continues to spin off projects from its Watson analytics computer, which gained fame after beating top human contestants on the game show “Jeopardy.”The Latest Tools for Getting the Most From Your Web and Social-Media Marketing

Businesses looking to evaluate the return on their efforts in web and social-media marketing can take heart: There are scores of analytical tools available that can precisely show them how well their campaigns are doing.

In social media, those just getting started in analytics would do well to check out Hootsuite. A powerful social-media dashboard that allows users to manage all of their postings and other activities on all the major social-media networks, Hootsuite is also packed with a wide variety of analytical tools that show how well you’re doing on social media.

Nearly 25% of buyers attending the SEMA Show reside outside the United States. Show attendees are invited to participate in three interactive sessions regarding emerging international markets where top specialty-equipment distributors and retailers will discuss business challenges and opportunities and identify the best-selling products for street-performance, off-roading and other growing niches.

In the past, the creation of an Interest-Charge Domestic International Sales Corporation (IC-DISC) has allowed U.S. manufacturers from a number of industries to greatly reduce the amount of tax paid on their exports—and the automotive industry has been no exception. For example, tax specialist alliantgroup recently helped one company that produces LED lights for a variety of motor vehicles receive $235,600 in tax savings on their exports. Another company that creates fabrics and composites for automotive applications was eligible to receive $539,000 in tax dollars for its IC-DISC.

Installers Compete in Inaugural Wrap2Wrap Battle at the 2014 SEMA Show admin Wed, 10/01/2014 - 09:45

3M has challenged all graphics experts to showcase their talents using 3M Wrap Film Series 1080 and face off in the Wrap2Wrap Battle. Installers began competing in online knockout rounds in August, and two finalists will go head-to-head, Thursday, November 6, at the 2014 SEMA Show.

Digital Lizard, an official service provider of the 2014 SEMA Show, is offering Showgoers 20%–50% off of printed materials.Digital Lizard is offering 2014 SEMA Show exhibitors and attendees 20%–50% off of printed materials. As an official SEMA Show partner, Showgoers will benefit from lowered costs and on-site customer service at the Show.

Exhibitors can send files directly to Digital Lizard, and the company will print the job for the event and even deliver materials to their Show booths. They can do this within hours, ensuring that exhibitors have the amount of handouts, fact sheets and other materials required for the entire Show

Retailer Spotlight admin Wed, 10/01/2014 - 09:21

The tuner shop has six lift-equipped bays, including a four-poster with alignment and balancing systems. Kaizen Tuning also has a dyno and full fabrication capabilities.Kaizen Tuning Partners With Suppliers for Success

“It was brutal, but we really saw a need,” he recalled. “I took delivery of one of the first Nissan GTRs on the East Coast. I’ve been to Japan many times and have seen how that car is treated over there. You don’t even need an appointment at a Nissan dealership for service. Here in the United States, [the dealership] didn’t really know how to handle a $100,000 supercar. They were treating it like a Sentra or a Maxima. That wasn’t going to work for me, so I started servicing it out of my home garage. After we were probably a month in, I had about five of them in my driveway. My wife told me it was about time to find someplace to do the business full time.”

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