PR & News Ansira Completes Acquisition of CDK’s Digital Marketing Business

[Jeff Kershner]

This morning @CliffBanks broke the news on Ansira Partners finalizing the purchase of CDK Global Digital Marketing Business.

April 22, 2020 — Ansira Partners this morning announced it has finalized the purchase of CDK Global Digital Marketing Business and is renaming it Sincro. including all advertising solutions and website services.

The deal positions Ansira to expand its automotive business, specifically with General Motors, one of CDK’s top OEM clients. Ansira has had a long relationship with Honda, which last year, presented the agency with its annual Premier Partner award.

CDK’s website business took a hit last year when GM opened what had been a 15-year exclusive relationship to three other vendors, Dealer Inspire, DealerOn, and Dealer.com.

CDK placed its digital advertising and website business into a discontinued operations category last year following its announcement in July that it would begin a sales process for the division.

CDK (at the time it was ADP Dealer Services Group) acquired the website business in 2011 when it purchased The Cobalt Group, one of the early automotive Internet pioneers for more than $400 million.

Ansira announced in February it was acquiring the digital business from CDK.

Continue reading over on the Banks Report.

 

[Alexander Lau]

Well, they can't fuck it up any more than it already has been, there's that!

 

[Ryan Everson]

It sounds like Ansira (formerly Sincro (formerly CDK (formerly Cobalt)) may be preparing for a sale of their digital marketing / website business again - rumblings of mass layoffs and reports of not paying their rent.

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2023/06/07/landlord-sues-ansira-downtown-st-louis-rent.html

https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Ansira-Reviews-E340323.htm

While Cobalt websites have never been the most advanced or innovative, I've always respected the tremendous level of dealer support they provide. Their GM website choice pitch was the promise to resolve support tickets within X hours (I can't remember the exact number, but it was impressive).

Will this level of service continue, and if they are indeed for sale, who is most likely to acquire them next?

 

[Alex Snyder]

It sounds like Ansira (formerly Sincro (formerly CDK (formerly Cobalt)) may be preparing for a sale of their digital marketing / website business again - rumblings of mass layoffs and reports of not paying their rent.

While Cobalt websites have never been the most advanced or innovative, I've always respected the tremendous level of dealer support they provide.

I spent NADA with their team and was very impressed with the people working there. They completely changed my perception which had been hardened through years of being forced to use CoBalt websites in OEM mandates.

Fast forward 8 months and most of my contacts have been laid off or quit. Without those talented people, the value of that whole thing significantly decreases. The tech ain't worth a lot. I have to believe the revenue is now at risk.

If the buyer believes management is the problem, a VC with a formula might be a good buyer. For a low enough price, it might be worth it to Cox or CARS to take a competitor off the map.

 

[Ryan Everson]

I spent NADA with their team and was very impressed with the people working there. They completely changed my perception which had been hardened through years of being forced to use CoBalt websites in OEM mandates.

Agreed! I think it's been a tough reputation for them to shake, but they had good people and support.

The tech ain't worth a lot. If the buyer believes management is the problem, a VC with a formula might be a good buyer. For a low enough price, it might be worth it to Cox or CARS to take a competitor off the map.

Affinitiv has a history of acquiring "low-tech" automotive vendors and seemingly letting them coast on cruise control. They are already participating in a lot of OEM programs, so could be an easy plug-and-play suitor?

Reynolds and Reynolds is another company that traditionally "innovates" through acquisition. Could they purchase to gain entry to OEM programs and provide a minor upgrade to their current Naked Lime offerings?

Regarding Cox or Cars, I think Cox would be the better match to gain back some of their lost DDC market share.