(NEW YORK, NY and DETROIT, MI APRIL 3, 2017)—Time Inc.’s (NYSE: TIME) THE DRIVE boosts its digital experience with a new state-of-the-art research and shopping resource that gives users instant access to volumes of the latest car data and connects prospective buyers with local dealers for the best offers. Developed in collaboration with Detroit Trading, the new SHOP platform is integrated across TheDrive.com and offers contextually relevant and highly visual vehicle specs and purchasing information alongside its enthusiast-focused coverage. The one-click resource features comprehensive information about make, model and trim details for hundreds of vehicles and allows users to design their dream cars and manage pricing and quote requests all in one place.

“This initiative starts with the user’s needs at the core. With this new car research platform, users can start by reading feature articles about cars and car culture, then go from imagining themselves behind the wheel straight to pricing models and connecting with dealers. It’s car enthusiast catnip—doubly so for those in-market," said Eric Goeres, GM, THE DRIVE.

The deal comes at time when the American auto industry just posted a record year in sales and is increasingly technology driven, with consumers doing more research online than ever. This new digital innovation is the latest from THE DRIVE, a multi-platform brand from Time Inc.’s The Foundry which delivers a range of top-tier editorial content to a primarily mobile audience of young, tech-forward auto aficionados.

“This new partnership serves two key objectives: It enables our audience to learn more about vehicles being featured editorially on TheDrive.com and it connects our advertising partners with interested potential buyers during the critical shopping phase,” says Edouard Portelette, SVP, General Manager of Time Inc.’s The Foundry. “We’re excited to add this targeted advertising solution to THE DRIVE’s portfolio, and partnering with Detroit Trading was a great fit given its wealth of experience and innovation in the auto shopping arena.”

The SHOP custom portal was created by Detroit Trading, a leading automotive digital media company whose software transacts data from 500,000 monthly car shoppers across a digital network that receives an average of 222 million monthly impressions. It allowsTheDrive.com audience members to design and spec their dream cars, manage online pricing and quote requests, access new and used car inventories and connect with local dealers. Data and online pricing on more than 300 makes and models, access to an average of 4.5 million units of used vehicle inventory and one-click connections to an online dealer network spanning all 50 U.S. states are available via the new SHOP platform. Also, a brand-specific hotline has been created to offer real-time car shopping advice and pricing information (1 855-377-2630).

“We worked closely with management and brand leadership from Time Inc. and THE DRIVE to develop an industry-leading automotive portal for its audience,” added Pete Bonner, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of Detroit Trading. “We feel this new online resource, combined with real-time phone support from our Detroit-based segment specialists, will make the process of shopping for a new vehicle responsive, informative and, most importantly, fun! We work on a lot of cutting-edge projects at Detroit Trading, but we’re especially thrilled to be part of the exciting things happening at Time Inc. and THE DRIVE.”

# # #

---

 

ABOUT TIME INC. 
Time Inc. (NYSE:TIME) is a leading content company that engages over 170 million consumers every month through our portfolio of premium brands across platforms. By combining our distinctive content with our proprietary data and people-based targeting, we offer highly differentiated end-to-end solutions to marketers across the multimedia landscape. Our influential brands include PEOPLE, TIME, FORTUNE, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, INSTYLE, REAL SIMPLE and SOUTHERN LIVING, as well as approximately 60 diverse brands in the United Kingdom. Time Inc. has been extending the power of our brands through various acquisitions and investments, including Viant, an advertising technology firm with a specialized people-based marketing platform; The Foundry, Time Inc.’s creative lab and content studio; and the PEOPLE ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY NETWORK (PEN). The company is also home to celebrated events, such as the TIME 100, FORTUNE MOST POWERFUL WOMEN, PEOPLE’s SEXIEST MAN ALIVE, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED’s SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR, the ESSENCE FESTIVAL and the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen. 

 

ABOUT THE DRIVE 
Time Inc.’s TheDrive.com is a multi-platform brand dedicated to delivering top-tier editorial content around the automotive industry and lifestyle. Launched by The Foundry in 2015, THE DRIVE is a leading authority on cars and car culture, with a team of award-winning journalists covering the leading edge of transportation and life on the road. THE DRIVE pursues a younger, more mobile, more affluent audience with its broad scope of “new enthusiast” editorial coverage—an expansion of traditional horsepower, reviews and wrenching automotive journalism that includes future tech, policy, aviation, infrastructure, design, gear, military and entertainment and celebrity coverage. Its wildly popular YouTube channel /DRIVE has almost 2 million subscribers and averages 5 million monthly views of its short- and long-form original videos and series. THE DRIVE is located at Time Inc.'s Industry City, Brooklyn, headquarters, where it houses a state-of-the-art car showroom and content studio. Visit TheDrive.com and follow @thedrive on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

 

ABOUT DETROIT TRADING COMPANY 
Headquartered in metropolitan Detroit, Detroit Trading Company is an automotive digital media company who is amongst the world’s foremost aggregators of “in-market” automotive shopper intelligence, providing data to original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”) and dealers that is responsible for more than 30,000 vehicle sales or $1 billion in monthly car sales. 

 

CONTACT 
Scott Novak, Time Inc., 212-522-2687, scott.novak@timeinc.com Matthew Clayson, Detroit Trading, 248-226-5730, mattc@detroittrading.com