Anyone using iHeart's XVin solution - looking for feedback

[kevinfrye]

Had a demo with iHeart this morning and their XVin solution. It appears to be a retargeting solution, but I am curious if anyone is using it and what their feedback is.

 

[Ryan Everson]

$1 per VDP view seems a little pricey when they are using dynamic Facebook AIA and Google Display Ads to generate the traffic.

Although compared to LotLinx's average cost per shopper of around $3-4 using similar tactics, it seems like a bargain.

They sure have dealers' trigger words nailed down though - conquest your competitor's traffic and cancel your third parties!

Did iHeart actually develop this program? Historically they've been more of a middleman reseller of other companies' white-labeled services...

 

[Ryan Everson]

Also, for other DealerRefresh users, here's a video overview of xVin since there seems to be no mention of this product anywhere online (including iHeart's own website):

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJoFdjaCLrk

 

[kevinfrye]

$1 per VDP view seems a little pricey when they are using dynamic Facebook AIA and Google Display Ads to generate the traffic.

Although compared to LotLinx's average cost per shopper of around $3-4 using similar tactics, it seems like a bargain.

They sure have dealers' trigger words nailed down though - conquest your competitor's traffic and cancel your third parties!

Did iHeart actually develop this program? Historically they've been more of a middleman reseller of other companies' white-labeled services...

I kept pressing for where they were getting the data from the "3rd party anonymous sites". It appeared to just be retargeting. Curious is someone us using it and looking closely at the behavior on their website (with goals and conversions) as it clicks through. If it is just retargeting, you already paid once to generate the VDP (eg. they looked at that specific car on AutoTrader) and then XVin is just retargeting that specific car wherever the shopper goes. Am I incorrect?

 

[Ryan Everson]

I kept pressing for where they were getting the data from the "3rd party anonymous sites". It appeared to just be retargeting. Curious is someone us using it and looking closely at the behavior on their website (with goals and conversions) as it clicks through. If it is just retargeting, you already paid once to generate the VDP (eg. they looked at that specific car on AutoTrader) and then XVin is just retargeting that specific car wherever the shopper goes. Am I incorrect?

It's not retargeting in the traditional sense - AutoTrader is certainly not letting xVin place a retargeting pixel on their website. I'm guessing they are just overembellishing how a standard run-of-the-mill in-market audience operates and/or grabbing device id's from other ad exchanges that exist on Autotrader.com

 

[kevinfrye]

Xvin is just generating vdps views and grading itself on how many they bring a dealer. Same as all the others and SEM. They don't have the tech that Lotlinx does to eliminate dreamers and "shoppers" and focus on low funnel buyers. Lotlinx had really upped their technology in the last 2-3 years. It's no longer smoke and mirrors and their platform using a dealers GA shows the raw data. And LX can tell you who is a "net new" shopper (not on the site in the last 2 years) and who isn't. Not a retargeting tool but certainly takes the consumer journey and where they've been into the equation

The traffic coming in has a UTM tag, so I can measure if it is engaging or not. Lotlinx would appear to come in at 3x the price - are you telling me that Lotlinx is converting 3x or more better? (I have not tested yet, completing due diligence)

 

[Ryan Everson]

Xvin is just generating vdps views and grading itself on how many they bring a dealer. Same as all the others and SEM. They don't have the tech that Lotlinx does to eliminate dreamers and "shoppers" and focus on low funnel buyers. Lotlinx had really upped their technology in the last 2-3 years. It's no longer smoke and mirrors and their platform using a dealers GA shows the raw data.

Our analytics data has shown that LotLinx traffic isn't typically high quality when compared to other traffic sources (including our internally managed dealership Facebook automotive inventory ads).

In our experience, LotLinx traffic tends to have an extremely high exit rate (1-page visitors only) and a very low goal conversion rate, all while charging a premium.

 

[Ebenn]

Define high quality? Does the car move off the lot or not? Who cares about vdps if it doesn't sell. Low funnel buyers who want the specifc vin they deep linked too don't send a lead, and don't need to click through multiple pages. Verfiy this is the car they want to buy...go to the dealership and get it! Average days in campaign on Lotlinx is from 11-20 days before its sold. Are there times when Lotlinx has no impact? Of course, as with all. Lotlinx isn't about leads or conversions. Conversions as you said are very low. Low funnel Buyers don't need to email or text or want to be bothered by a follow up call. They want to buy the car. Lotlinx is not for dealers who define success with a high vdp count nor for dealers who want "leads". Lotlinx is for dealers who want to move inventory. It's not for everyone. I had a dealer say.."i don't know how Lotlinx does it but the cars I put in campaign sell and that is all I care about".

 

[joe.pistell]

Both are true...

In our experience, LotLinx traffic tends to have an extremely high exit rate (1-page visitors only) and a very low goal conversion rate

Low funnel Buyers don't need to email or text or want to be bothered by a follow up call. They want to buy the car.

Successful Auto Retail is both math and art... analytics and domain based gut calls.
I love auto.

 

[Ryan Everson]

Both are true...




Successful Auto Retail is both math and art... analytics and domain based gut calls.
I love auto.

We went from “its no longer smoke and mirrors and it’s all in Analytics”, back to don’t trust Analytics, trust your gut.

Could we at least get some map views and VDP print stats?