Maximize Online Presence, Sell More Cars With Lower Per-Vehicle Advertising Costs Than Traditional Classified Listings

Kelley Blue Book to Boost Dealer Showcase Offering with All-New Online Vehicle Classifieds Launch

IRVINE, Calif., June 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Kelley Blue Book will enhance its Dealer Showcase package to include Inventory Listings with the launch of The Trusted Marketplace(SM), an all-new online car shopping experience, which goes beyond traditional classified listings. On its top-rated Web site www.kbb.com, this enhanced offering reaches local in-market shoppers, provides prominent placement on kbb.com and special recognition. Showcase Dealers will receive a feature-rich Dealer Storefront page within The Trusted Marketplace, providing consumers with detailed information about the dealership, as well as new lead opportunities, special messaging and merchandising opportunities. With more than 12 million visits to kbb.com each month, Kelley Blue Book is in a unique position to engage a large majority of these highly qualified, in-market vehicle buyers in The Trusted Marketplace.

Other exclusive advantages of the Dealer Showcase and Inventory Listings package include: highlighted inventory listings, more inventory ad units, unlimited listings for Showcase makes, inventory integrated within kbb.com's research section, and high quality leads, ultimately resulting in more sales.

Current and new customers can take advantage of these features and savings through an early-bird program, by signing up for the Showcase Dealer package before September 30 for a low, nominal fee. During the fourth quarter of 2009, the program will switch to an innovative, pay-for-performance model, allowing dealers to better manage vehicle costs. Rather than paying a premium price for inventory placement, dealers on kbb.com only pay for actual leads received from the Web site's online shoppers. This new pay-for-performance model helps the industry sell more vehicles and lowers per-vehicle advertising costs.

"With the Dealer Showcase and Inventory Listings package, dealers can effectively maximize their dealership and inventory exposure to local in-market shoppers on kbb.com," said Mike Romano, senior vice president of dealer strategy for Kelley Blue Book. "They gain access to a larger audience of serious buyers, which could drive additional new- and used-car leads, resulting in increased sales."

The Trusted Marketplace will integrate its best-in-class online vehicle research with dealers' inventory listings, making kbb.com a one-stop-resource for new- and used-car research and purchases. This will allow consumers to confidently find specific vehicles of interest and help dealers to efficiently sell those selected vehicles to serious, in-market shoppers. As The Trusted Resource® for vehicle values and information, the company will also incorporate Kelley Blue Book® Suggested Retail Values into used-car classified listings to assist dealers in selling their vehicles.

Dealers wishing to obtain additional information on The Trusted Marketplace or become a Showcase Dealer can call 1-866-561-3559.

About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)

Since 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, has provided vehicle buyers and sellers with the new and used vehicle information they need to accomplish their goals with confidence. The company's top-rated Web site, www.kbb.com, provides the most up-to-date pricing and values, including the New Car Blue Book® Value, which reveals what people actually are paying for new cars. The company also reports vehicle pricing and values via products and services, including software products and the famous Blue Book® Official Guide. According to the C.A. Walker Research Solutions, Inc. - 2008 Spring Automotive Web Site Usefulness Study, kbb.com is the most useful automotive information Web site among new and used vehicle shoppers, and half of online vehicle shoppers visit kbb.com. Kbb.com is a leading provider of new car prices, car reviews and news, used car blue book values, auto classifieds and car dealer locations. No other medium reaches more in-market vehicle shoppers than kbb.com.

SOURCE: Kelley Blue Book

Web site: http://www.kbb.com/