http://www.prweekus.com/kelley-blue-book-names-talati-head-of-pr/article/288301/ 
Kelley Blue Book names Talati head of PR

Lindsay Stein
April 11 2013

IRVINE, CA: Kelley Blue Book, a valuation and information provider for new and used cars, has appointed Chintan Talati as senior director of PR.

Talati, who started working at Kelley Blue Book at the end of last month, is reporting to Dan Cullen, senior director of marketing. He has succeeded Robyn Eckard Eagles, who left the company to become national PR manager at American Honda.

Talati's responsibilities include leading the company's communications efforts, helping with thought leadership, and reaching key audiences, such as media outlets, consumers, auto dealers, auto manufacturers, and government and finance agencies.

He will also help with strategy for Kelley Blue Book's social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, and YouTube. The company is also starting to integrate six-second video app Vine into its Twitter efforts, he said.

“The goal for me is to bring Kelley back in a sense,” explained Talati.

He said the brand has existed since 1926, and while it's still a leading source of car information for consumers, it has been quiet in recent years. His goal is to make it top of mind for consumers and media.

Another objective is to raise awareness of Kelley Blue Book's range of departments and services. The brand conducts in-house market intelligence, consumer polling, and analytical insight work, he said. Kelley Blue Book also has its own editorial staff, which writes car reviews for the site.

Before joining the company, Talati served as director of media relations and corporate communications at TrueCar for more than two years. Prior to that, he worked at Edmunds.com for more than five years, serving as senior PR manager. 

At the end of 2010, AutoTrader.com acquired Kelley Blue Book for more than $500 million.

---