The Trusted Marketplace(SM) Now Live On kbb.com

Vast™ Provides Search and Advertising Platform for Kelley Blue Book's The Trusted Marketplace

IRVINE, Calif., and SAN FRANCISCO, July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com, the leading provider of new car and used car information, today announces the launch of The Trusted Marketplace, a new online car shopping experience on its top-rated Web site utilizing Vast's search and advertising platform. Vast.com, Inc. is the leading provider of online marketplaces in auto, travel, and real estate. The Trusted Marketplace guides consumers to the vehicle that best matches their needs while helping dealers better reach in-market car buyers.

"Kelley Blue Book and Vast share a vision for the ultimate online marketplace: one that provides the most helpful customer experience while delivering dealers the best value in the industry," said Justin Yaros, executive vice president, product design & development with Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com. "We achieve both by presenting consumers with the best-matched vehicle to their search criteria, resulting in more serious, down-funnel prospects for dealers."

In the fourth quarter of 2009, Vast's platform will help Kelley Blue Book make a revolutionary move to a pay-for-performance model, allowing dealers to better manage their vehicle marketing costs. Paying on a per lead basis allows dealers to closely track their costs and realize the value of each high-quality, consumer-interest lead.

"The Vast platform is creating a new online standard in automotive, providing incredible value for dealers with a pay-for-performance model," said Phil DuPree, president of AutoUSA. "We are thrilled to be an early participant on the Vast platform and the new kbb.com."

"Kbb.com and Vast could not be more timely with an ROI focused solution for dealers," said Gary Marcotte, senior vice president of ecommerce for AutoNation. "Working with Vast over the past year we know the model works for dealers better than anything else out there, and with kbb.com's high-quality in-market shoppers, there is no better marketing opportunity for dealers today."

With 12 million visits to kbb.com each month, Kelley Blue Book is in a unique position to engage highly qualified, in-market vehicle buyers in The Trusted Marketplace. Dealers can do several things to promote their listings in the search results within the set of vehicles that meet the consumers' preferences:

• The Trusted Marketplace program rewards local dealers' high-quality, competitively priced listings rather than dealers who pay premium prices for placement.
• Dealers can become a Kelley Blue Book Showcase Dealer by September 30, 2009 and receive a feature-rich Dealer StoreFront page within The Trusted Marketplace on kbb.com, as well as new lead opportunities, special messaging and merchandising opportunities for a nominal monthly fee.

"We are thrilled that we were selected to power kbb.com's The Trusted Marketplace," said Kevin Laws, president and CEO of Vast.com. "With Kelley Blue Book's online automotive leadership position, the company will be able to demonstrate a search marketplace to the entire industry that is measurably more efficient and effective for both buyers and sellers than a typical online classified solution."

For more information about The Trusted Marketplace: http://mediaroom.kbb.com/kelley-blue-book-launch-all-new-online-vehicle-classifieds-trusted-marketplace or for additional information on becoming a Showcase Dealer, please 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.

About Vast.com

Vast.com, Inc works within the auto, travel, and real estate industries to create online marketplaces for the world's most respected companies. Vast is replacing the current online classifieds model with the world's first search and advertising platform optimized to match buyers with ideal, available inventory and sellers with buyers who are interested in their unique products. Partners such as Kelley Blue Book, Orbitz Worldwide, and AOL have integrated Vast's custom platform into their portals to serve over 20 million consumers per month. For more information, visit www.vast.com.

SOURCE Kelley Blue Book

SOURCE: Kelley Blue Book

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