High-tech approach to car listings

Acompany is embracing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to help dealers improve their online vehicle listings.

DriveText is the brainchild of Ange Humble, who spent 10 years working at Trade Me before launching her new venture.

She spotted an opportunity to create the product after regularly dealing with requests from traders about how to write better marketing descriptions for cars they were trying to sell.

“Some dealers might have lots of similar vehicles,” says Humble. “It can be hard for them to write something new and interesting about 30 different Aquas, for example.

“Then, after Covid-19 hit, people were increasingly looking online when thinking of buying a vehicle rather than going to a yard and looking at cars, so having adverts with good descriptions became even more important.”

Humble left Trade Me in 2021 and has been working on DriveText since. She looked into the possibility of AI addressing the challenge of compiling unique listings and “realised there was a solution”.

DriveText plugs into AutoPlay and Motorcentral to source details on all the features and specifications for a vehicle. Then its AI system generates a detailed description that is “humanised” and approved by DriveText, and is also search engine optimisation (SEO) friendly.

The listings concentrate on four key areas – convenience, transmission, technology and safety. It also offers three different tones of voice, ranging from serious and professional to one that’s quirky and fun.

“There was nothing like this in the market. We knew there was a definite appetite for it in New Zealand and in the UK, where we have now opened an office as well.”