Tognetti's Start-Up Has Grown Into A Cutting Edge Data-Driven Digital Advertising Firm

So far we've spent a lot of our time blogging about the charity work that Jeffrey Tognetti has done; none of his charity work would be possible, however, if Tognetti were not as good at what he does as he is.

Jeff Tognetti works as a strategist at multiple companies that he helped develop and found. One of these companies is DealerX, a digital marketing company that uses cutting edge data-driven digital advertising and helps autodealers in America by working primarily with RTB, known as real time bidding.

As we've highlighted in past updates, DealerX is a bit unusual in the automotive world because of its approach to digital marketing. Thanks to his years of experience in the business world, Tognetti knew when DealerX began that the company would need to do things a little differently to stand out as an automotive marketing business.

During an interview at the 14th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition in Orlando, FL., Tognetti explained that DealerX sets itself apart from other digital marketing companies that work with autodealers in that it relies heavily on data target an extremely specific demographic, and does so far more than many other automotive businesses do.

Image courtesy of openclipart.org

 Tognetti believes that most autodealers are not taking advantage of the opportunities data driven marketing provides. While some businesses use data constantly to reach the right people with the right ads - and do so well at this that Target actually famously predicted a girl was pregnant - the auto industry overall has not caught onto this trend. DealerX focuses on autodealers because Tognetti feels that many dealers do not know how to, or choose not to, use data driven marketing in their practice, despite the fact that data driven marketing is extremely effective and useful in the modern digital age.

Tognetti describes DealerX's process as such: the marketing team finds people who are in the market for specific cars online, and uses the data that's available to target specific shoppers with ads designed just for them. As a person goes from website to website DealerX's systems collect more user data to help develop better and more relevant ads, eventually showing exactly what the person is looking for based on their search data.

 Tognetti uses these data-driven practices to enhance the business of Media Revo and DealerX’s clients, which have brought more than  $2 billion for their client’s businesses as of 2012.

DealerX uses data to its advantage by capturing information on its clients and building a digital profile based entirely on a person’s data. The system works so well that DealerX’s platforms and software can also help people remember certain steps they need to take in maintaining their vehicles – for example, a person who buys a car and who has a profile with DealerX could have a coupon for an oil change appear in their online advertising six months after buying their car. Tognetti describes the process as "ultraconcise" - data can allow marketers to develop everything they need and to target the right people with the right ads at the right time.