IRVINE, Calif. — Car buyers are shopping around less, report being less satisfied with the price paid for a vehicle, and less often trust that the dealership gave them the best deal, according to the 2018 Cox Automotive Car Buyer Journey Study.

To help alleviate these pain points on both sides of the transaction, Kelley Blue Book today announced the launch of its new Trusted Advisor Program, which, from online to in-showroom, streamlines the vehicle trade-in and purchase process delivering the fast, easy and more enjoyable experience dealers and consumers deserve, according to the announcement.

Trusted Advisor was designed to educate dealers and car shoppers through a full-suite integration across digital and print marketing platforms, including:

• “Dealer Differentiator” callouts to set participating dealers’ classified listings apart on KBB.com and Autotrader.

• Marketing capabilities to announce and support dealers participating in the program in both online and offline advertising communications, in addition to a marketing assets web portal to support dealers’ advertising and marketing needs.

• Displaying the Kelley Blue Book Price Advisor and KBB.com rating, reviews, and awards content directly on the dealership’s website.

• Access to KBB’s LeadDriver, providing a quick view of trade-in valuations while capturing leads, and KBB’s Instant Cash Offer, generating actual offers for vehicles.

• Inventory pricing analysis reports to help dealers understand where dealers are pricing their vehicles compared to the Kelley Blue Book Fair Market Range.

• The online and printable KBB Price Advisor Report with comprehensive information about vehicles and specific dealer information, to help build consumer trust and confidence in dealers’ vehicles, their dealership, and the price point of their vehicles.

• Comprehensive training, plus ongoing support, from an “Implementation Consultant” to help dealers gain full benefit from the Trusted Advisor Program and to help enhance the dealership’s business, in the short and long term.

“With the new Trusted Advisor Program, Kelley Blue Book is helping instill confidence at all points in the transaction, so dealers and consumers know they are making the best decision possible during the vehicle selling and buying process,” said Mike Sadowski, general manager for Kelley Blue Book. “The Trusted Advisor Program will create a better environment for negotiating a sale through more transparency in the transaction and the availability of trusted valuation information that is backed by more than 90 years in the automotive industry, all to help move inventory faster and deliver a more enjoyable overall experience.”

The new Trusted Advisor Program is replacing the Kelley Blue Book Price Advisor Participating Dealer Program. It is now available at different levels of entry based on the dealership’s needs, including Lite, Plus and Premier packages, all with different levels of integration, according to the provider.