Jumpstart Digital Marketing, Inc., an interactive media sales, marketing and technology company, has expanded into local dealer online advertising sales. The new division has been developed to enable automotive web publishers to take advantage of the rapid growth of online advertising by the nation’s more than 22,000 automotive dealers.

Jumpstart says it focuses on interactive media sales to the automotive industry. Established in 2000, Jumpstart represents automotive web sites such as NADAguides.com and Vehix.com to auto makers such as Chevy, Honda, Audi and Volkswagen; finance, insurance & warranty firms such as PeopleFirst, Insurance.com and Warranty Gold; and aftermarket providers such as Michelin and LoJack.

“In just two years, Jumpstart has established itself as the most expert and successful interactive media sales organization in the automotive space,” says Len Sims, general manager and senior vice president of NADAguides.com. “They have a crystal clear idea of the challenges facing online auto publishers and have provided exceptional solutions. Local dealer ad sales will be no exception.”

Among the dealers participating in Jumpstart’s charter local online advertising program are Sam Pack Auto/Five Star Ford (Carrollton, TX); Dorsett Mitsubishi (Terre Haute, CO); Christopher’s Dodge World (Golden, CO); and Elway Automotive Group (Denver, CO).

Jumpstart’s new local online advertising sales division is designed to be a turnkey solution for the digital automotive publishers it represents. Jumpstart claims it will provide sales people with expertise in media and who understand dealers; high-touch account management for dealers; ad trafficking; and a back office to take care of paperwork from thousands of potential local advertisers.

“Local dealer advertising is a huge market - $7 billion spent on advertising last year - but VERY hard to penetrate. But, the Jumpstart sales team has unsurpassed experience and automotive expertise and includes some of the early pioneers in selling interactive advertising to the automotive industry,” says Mitch Lowe, CEO of Jumpstart. “Because we understand the specific needs and challenges of this large and fragmented market, Jumpstart is in a unique position to help the auto channels of the top portals capture significant revenue from this market.”

Based in San Francisco, Jumpstart Digital Marketing, Inc. (jumpstartdm.com) is a privately held company that claims to maximize automotive advertising revenue for digital publishers. Founded in 2000, the company now has three revenue producing services for digital publishers: National Advertising Sales Representation; Local Advertising Sales Representation; and a technology-based New Car Shopping Program that provides revenue from lead-generation. Among its other national advertisers are GMC, Lexus, Toyota, Nissan, and Saturn. Some of the web properties it represents are NADAguides.com, Vehix.com, CarandDriver.com, Road&Track.com, and NewCarTestDrive.com.