For more than 20 years, DriveChicago.com has provided new- and used-car traffic to CATA member dealers at no charge. The mission of DriveChicago.com is simple: “Cultivate new- and used-vehicle shoppers, guide them through the selection prices and pass them to CATA member dealers.” In carrying out its mission, DriveChicago.com has become a well-known and trusted resource in Chicagoland that helps consumers locate vehicles at new-car dealerships.
Dealership information and inventory listings on DriveChicago.com are provided at no cost to CATA dealer members. DriveChicago.com’s inventory team works with the inventory providers of individual dealers and internet managers to make sure dealership information and inventory listings are up to date.
Offering a fully responsive architecture, DriveChicago.com is device-friendly, meaning it works on desktop, tablet or mobile. The site displays search results based on zip code and does not offer premium or paid listings. At any given time, there are roughly 120,000 new and used vehicles listed on DriveChicago.com, making it the largest local site for car shoppers.
DriveChicago.com has entered into several partnership agreements wherein CATA dealer inventory is syndicated on various community web portals. Partners have included ClearChannel Radio, the Daily Herald and the Chicago Sun-Times. The syndication agreements with these companies provide operating revenue for DriveChicago.com and also place CATA member dealers’ inventory in front of more prospective customers. This same inventory feed is available to local dealer organizations for use on their websites. In the past, Infiniti, Chevrolet and Acura have taken advantage of this valuable service.
DriveChicago.com partners with CARFAX to offer free vehicle history reports and WebBuy to provide trade-in quotes. Leads generated from inventory listings and these services are delivered to CATA dealers at no cost. Additionally, DriveChicago.com provides expert reviews of new vehicles from local automotive journalists. It also has the largest listing of local car shows and cruise nights.
In 2015, DriveChicago.com and Automotive Internet Media (the technical provider for DriveChicago.com) developed and started offering CATA dealers a linking program called CarClicks. The purpose of CarClicks is to provide CATA dealers with direct links to their websites’ vehicle details pages. The program is one of only two currently offered nationwide and is the only linking program that targets shoppers in the local Chicago metro market. In the past year, DriveChicago.com has sent more than 80,000 online shoppers to the websites of CATA dealer members.
DriveChicago.com is also used as a marketing platform for CATA public-facing operations. DriveChicago.com was the go-to information source for the CATA’s million-dollar “Lease You Can Do” campaign. It’s also the digital home for the CATA’s USO/Barbecue for the Troops summertime dealer fundraising event. For more information on DriveChicago.com and the services it provides, contact Mark Bilek at mbilek@drivechicago.com or (630) 424-6082.
DriveChicago on WLS AM 890
For more than 20 years, the CATA has produced the DriveChicago radio program. Currently, on WLS AM 890, the program is hosted by CATA Marketing Director Jim OBrill and DriveChicago General Manager Mark Bilek. As Chicago’s only automotive-themed radio programming, DriveChicago gives the CATA and its member dealers a voice concerning automotive matters.
DriveChicago on WLS delivers a lively and frank discussion of everything automotive — providing a dealer’s perspective of the automotive industry, including new-vehicle reviews, in-depth interviews with industry experts, tips for maintaining your vehicle and insight into new trends and technologies — all the while having a little fun along the way.
