Social Media

BEST PRACTICES

Dealership's test drives build social media buzz

12:01 am U.S. ET | July 30, 2012
The Suburban Collection in Detroit has parlayed the idea of giving weekend loaners to local bloggers into what it calls the Social Test Drive. Now, almost a year later, with more than 20 Social Test Drives completed, it's a core part of the group's marketing strategy.... Read More »

 

THE 2012 LONDON OLYMPICS

The auto industry and the Olympics

11:56 am U.S. ET | July 26, 2012
Hundreds of millions of people around the globe are expected to watch the London Olympic Games Friday through Aug. 12, and automakers are taking advantage of that massive audience to market their vehicles and sponsor athletes and teams.... Read More »

 

Social media marketing is new word-of-mouth

12:01 am U.S. ET | July 23, 2012
At its core, social media marketing is an amped-up version of the oldest and most powerful form of marketing: word-of-mouth.... Read More »

 

Hyundai gets social media boost from soccer sponsorship

July 20, 2012 14:45 CET
Hyundai said its sponsorship of the Euro 2012 soccer championship has been very successful in getting its brand name more widely known in the region, particularly in the social media spectrum. “We don't yet know how much traffic has been generated through showrooms, but it's reassuring to see stats such as the 43 percent increase in Facebook fans,” Hyundai Europe marketing head Mark Hall told Automotive News Europe.... Read More »

 

JAKE LINGEMAN

Buick Verano pitched by Peyton Manning

9:51 am U.S. ET | July 11, 2012
Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning will appear in a new spot for the Buick Verano this evening during ESPN's Espys Awards show.... Read More »

 

Dodge Dart TV spot to debut Tuesday during MLB All-Star Game

1:38 pm U.S. ET | July 9, 2012
Chrysler Group's first TV commercial for the 2013 Dodge Dart will debut Tuesday during the Major League Baseball All-Star Game and will feature a rapid-fire video montage of how to design, make and market a car.... Read More »

 

CARS & CONCEPTS

Nissan to tap social media for ideas

12:01 am U.S. ET | July 9, 2012
Can more than a million online Nissan fans be wrong about the future? This summer, Nissan brand managers will begin asking followers on Facebook, Pinterest and other media for help in planning future products.... Read More »

 

GM in talks about resuming advertising on Facebook

5:04 am U.S. ET | July 3, 2012
General Motors, which said it would stop advertising on Facebook on the eve of the social network's initial public offering in May, is talking with the site about resuming the ads, two people familiar with the talks said.... Read More »

 

Trending now: Carmakers turn to new-age advertising

12:01 am U.S. ET | July 2, 2012
New-media blitzFord's prelaunch marketing strategy for the redesigned 2013 Fusion, announced last week, is a sign of the times: The cutting-edge combination of social media and entertainment is the kind of nontraditional advertising that is breaking out all over in the auto business. Across the board, automakers are shifting advertising dollars from traditional media to an array of new methods that include search marketing, online video and social media.... Read More »

 

Ford, celebs use social media for Random Acts of Fusion

12:01 am U.S. ET | June 26, 2012
Ford will push its use of social media further today when it kicks off Random Acts of Fusion, a prelaunch marketing effort for the mid-sized 2013 Fusion, with TV host Ryan Seacrest.... Read More »

 

GM dials back, but other automakers embrace Facebook

3:18 pm U.S. ET | June 21, 2012
GM may have dialed back its ad spending on Facebook, but other automotive brands remain committed to aggressive social media plans with the online platform. Honda, Audi, Scion and Kia say Facebook is producing a sufficient return on investment to continue advertising and marketing ties with the social media site.... Read More »

 

'Darth Vader' boy from VW's Super Bowl ad having heart surgery

7:28 am U.S. ET | June 14, 2012
The 7-year-old boy who starred as mini Darth Vader in a popular Volkswagen Super Bowl commercial will have open-heart surgery this week to replace a pulmonary valve, and the boy said he has steeled himself for the ordeal ahead.... Read More »

 

BMW, others gain from closer ties with bloggers

June 12, 2012 07:04 CET
BMW, Mercedes and other luxury brands are boosting efforts to court bloggers to target a growing audience of would-be buyers who can't be reached through TV and newspaper ads. BMW claimed an 88 million-euro ($110 million) revenue gain for its 1-series line by wooing customers with a Web-only campaign.... Read More »

 

Autobytel to provide content for Scripps' TV station Web sites

12:22 pm U.S. ET | June 11, 2012
Online auto shopping service and lead provider Autobytel is working with media giant E.W. Scripps to provide editorial content for Scripps' TV station Web sites.... Read More »

 

GREG MIGLIORE

Sexy 'Mad Men' role only boosts Jaguar's image

11:17 am U.S. ET | June 7, 2012
From Don Draper boozily working the gearbox of an E-type to a stereotypically sleazy car dealer seeking sex in exchange for his approval of an advertising campaign, Jaguar isn't exactly burnishing its image with its string of recent appearances on the popular TV drama "Mad Men." But for those who subscribe to the theory that all publicity is good publicity, Jaguar is enjoying a bonanza.... Read More »

 

GM, TV broadcasters at odds in ad purchasing standoff

12:01 am U.S. ET | June 3, 2012
General Motors and its media agency, Carat, have created a standoff in television ad-buying negotiations by asking TV networks for significant pricing rollbacks, which the major broadcast networks have refused, according to media buyers and other executives familiar with the pace of talks.... Read More »

 

GM trades Super Bowl for soccer sponsoring Manchester United

8:49 am U.S. ET | May 31, 2012
General Motors, after ditching costly Super Bowl ads, is betting a five-year sponsorship of the Manchester United soccer club will bolster its Chevrolet line in the first test of the brand's new global marketing strategy.... Read More »

 

EDITORIAL

Marketing advice: Have some fun at the online party

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 28, 2012
General Motors' decision to cancel paid advertising on Facebook highlights a crucial marketing dilemma facing the entire industry: how to connect with shoppers who have embraced Facebook, Twitter and other social media.... Read More »

 

MIKE COLIAS

Five reasons why GM's Super Bowl pass is baffling

12:33 pm U.S. ET | May 24, 2012
Since GM's decision last week not to suit up for the Super Bowl next year, I've chatted with folks inside and outside GM. I've read what others think. I've mulled. And I still don't get GM's decision not to advertise during the Big Game.... Read More »

 

JAMIE LaREAU

'Mad Men' pep talk and the power of automakers and their ad agencies

11:34 am U.S. ET | May 23, 2012
"Every agency on Madison Avenue is defined by the moment they got their car. When we land Jaguar, the world will know we have arrived." That’s the pep talk Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce’s Don Draper gives his staff during the May 20 episode of AMC’s "Mad Men."... Read More »

 

MARK RECHTIN

GM didn’t get how Facebook works

10:30 am U.S. ET | May 22, 2012
Much as General Motors would like you to think its decision to walk away from Facebook is about the failure of clickable banner ads, it isn’t. GM’s failure is all about the banality of its paid content.... Read More »