Cobalt Newsroom - Press Release

Cobalt Granted 4th Patent for Core Technology in Automotive Digital Marketing

September 25, 2008

Continued innovation highlights Cobalt's digital marketing services leadership

SEATTLE - Cobalt, the leading provider of automotive marketing solutions and services, announced today that it has been granted its fourth patent relating to its multi-tier digital marketing platform. Cobalt provides a comprehensive digital marketing infrastructure capable of meeting the diverse needs of multi-tier networks of automotive dealers, dealer associations and manufacturers, balancing the need for consistent consumer experiences across a network with the diverse needs of the autonomous members of the network. These capabilities have enabled Cobalt to become the nation's leading provider of automotive digital marketing, servicing over half of all U.S. automotive dealers.

The automotive industry is characterized by one of the world's most complex distribution networks. Dealers are independent franchised businesses working within a manufacturer's brand marketing and distribution structure. Individual dealer franchises may then aggregate into dealer groups and industry associations. A focus of Cobalt's continuing commitment to innovation has been to improve the marketing effectiveness of individual dealers in the context of their dealer network, maximizing the sales opportunity delivered to the dealer from their manufacturer while providing the dealer the local control they need to run their business. Cobalt has created a proprietary platform that balances the respective needs of an individual dealer, dealer associations and related manufacturers, including technology to:
  • Provide dealers control of their websites within design guidelines approved by their franchisor
  • Manage content across arbitrary hierarchies of dealers, groups, associations and networks
  • Automate promotional coordination across regional and national dealer networks
"The issuance of another patent demonstrates Cobalt's long term commitment to fundamental innovation that drives ROI for dealers and their OEMs," said John Holt, Chairman and CEO of Cobalt. "Cobalt's technology provides the company a competitive edge that has enabled us to achieve the market leadership position we hold today."

Multiple elements of Cobalt's digital marketing services are protected by issued and pending patents (including U.S. Patent No. 7,000,184; U.S. Patent No. 7,039,704; U.S. Patent No. 7,062,506; and U.S. Patent No. 7,386,786), providing Cobalt with a fundamental technical advantage in continuing to meet the needs of distributed retail networks like the automotive industry.

About Cobalt
Cobalt is North America's leading provider of automotive marketing services. For thirteen years, Cobalt's mission has been to help automobile dealers and manufacturers increase their retailing effectiveness and profitability. Cobalt provides marketing services to nearly half of the automotive dealerships in the United States, as well as automotive dealers in Canada and Mexico. Cobalt's marketing services are endorsed by two-thirds of the world's major automotive manufacturers.

Contact Information

Amy Hatch
Email: ahatch@cobalt.com
Phone: 206-219-8132

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