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Andrew!Pearson! Page!9! 7/13/14!
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In! his! article! Social! Media—More! Than! Friends,! Fans,! and! Followers,! Michael! Bowen! argues! that,! although!
social!media!can!be!a!very!good!avenue!to!drive!business,!there!are!some!pitfalls!to!watch!out!for.!“YouTube!
videos!are!a!great!way!to!bring!all!the!media!dimensions!to!your!potential!customers!and!can!greatly!expand!the!
reach! of! a! dealer’s! TV! commercials”! (Bowen).! YouTube! also! allows! a! dealer! to! differentiate! itself! from! the!
competition!and!this!channel!allows!them!to!produce!a!unique!marketing!message!(Bowen).!!
Nicole! Case! of! the! web,! search,! and! social,! digital! reputation,! and! mobile! products! and! services! company!
Naked!Lime!agrees!that!YouTube!is!an!important!platform!for!dealerships!(Bowen).!Besides!the!“SEO!value!video!
can!bring,!YouTube!has!a!viewer!engagement!level!that’s!hard!to!match.!Out!of!all!the!content!created!by!social!
marketers!and!posted!online,!videos!are!shared!the!most”!(Bowen).!Nicole!also!notes!the!importance!of!Google+;!
“While! Google+! is! still! a! relatively! new! player,! Google’s! introduction! of! ‘Search! Plus! Your! World’! has! made! it!
imperative!for!dealers!to!have!a!Google+!presence!to!help!them!stay!top!in!search!results!and!top!of!mind!with!
consumers”!(Bowen).!
Michael!Sos,!Dominion!Dealer!Solutions’!product!manager,!interactive!media!agrees,!pointing!out!that,!“Soon!
we!will!see!even!a!tighter![search]!integration!and!I!believe!it!will!benefit!dealerships!to!recognize!that!Google!
owns!the!eyeballs!of!most!car!buyers!and!for!this!we!all!need!to!embrace!Google+!for!the!future!search!benefit”!
(Bowen).!
Once!a!user!decides!which!social!media!sites!to!use,!the!next!natural!questions!is:!what!content!should!be!
posted!and!how!much!of!it!should!there!be!(Bowen)?!Here!again,!it!is!important!to!understand!your!product!and!
to! emphasize! what! differentiates! it! from! its! competitors.! Nicole! Case! argues! that,! “for! the! best! competitive!
advantage,!dealers!need!to!find!an!area!where!they!can!stand!out!and!demonstrate!their!expertise!online.!For!
example,!a!Toyota!dealer,!whose!vehicle!fleet!is!the!most!fuelTefficient!in!the!industry,!may!become!the!source!of!
best!gas!prices!in!the!area”!(Bowen).!!
It! is! also! important! for! dealers! to! post! information! that! their! followers! want! to! see! (Bowen).! Michael! Sos!
warns!that,!“Dealers!need!to!recognize!that!the!majority!of!folks!that!will!receive!their!posts!in!news!feeds!are!
probably!already!customers.!This!is!important!because!this!isn’t!like!direct!mail!where!we!send!out!a!marketing!
message!and!look!to!get!a!one!percent!return!and!burn!the!rest!of!the!list!to!the!ground.!We!need!to!be!loyalty!
minded”!(Bowen).!!
New!customers!are!enthusiastic!and!quick!to!reach!out!and!become!a!fan,!but!they!won’t!be!in!the!market!to!
purchase!another!car!immediately!(Bowen).!Dealers!shouldn’t!focus!all!of!their!social!posts!on!the!inventory!that!
needs!to!moved,!they!should!also!focus!on!parts,!service!specials!and!always!keeping!in!mind!that!they!need!to!
grow!their!brand!(Bowen).!“Customers!want!to!see!a!small!business!that!is!connected!to!the!community!and!cares!
about!the!things!they!care!about”!(Bowen).!
Recalls!are!a!fact!of!life!for!every!car!manufacturer!and!it!is!how!a!company!responds!to!these!recalls!that!can!
influence!current!and!future!customers.!In!early!2014,!the!U.S.!automaker!General!Motors!found!itself!in!a!classic!
crisis!management!situation—they!needed!to!recall!1.6!million!cars,!because!that!type!of!car!had!been!linked!to!12!](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/goingmobile-goingsocial-automobiles-libre-140718003136-phpapp02/85/Marketing-Automotive-Companies-through-Mobile-and-Social-Media-10-320.jpg)
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Marketing Automotive Companies through Mobile and Social Media
The US automotive industry is projected to increase digital ad spending from $5.07 billion in 2013 to $7.80 billion by 2017, focusing heavily on mobile and social media marketing. A significant shift in consumer behavior shows that potential buyers are highly influenced online throughout the purchase cycle, necessitating adaptive strategies from manufacturers and dealerships. The document highlights the importance of brand awareness and consumer interaction at every stage of the automotive purchase cycle to foster loyalty and advocacy.
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Marketing Automotive Companies through Mobile and Social Media
- 2. ! Andrew!Pearson! Page!1! 7/13/14! ! Going&Mobile:&Going&Social&–&Automotive&Companies& By! Andrew!Pearson! (from!the!upcoming!book!Going!Mobile:!Going!Social)! ! According!to!the!eMarketer’s!US!Automotive!Industry!2013:!Digital!Ad!Spending!Forecast!and!Key!Trends!(2013a),! the!US!automotive!industry!was!projected!to!spend!$5.07!billion!in!2013!on!paid!digital!advertising,!and!that!total! was!expected!to!rise!to!$7.80!billion!by!2017.!While!growth!was!expected!to!taper!off!later!in!2013,!the!industry’s! share!of!US!digital!spending!was!expected!to!rise!throughout!the!forecasted!period.!“Continued!strong!growth! puts!the!US!auto!industry!on!track!to!become!the!secondTbiggest!spender!in!paid!online!and!mobile!media!by! 2015,!surpassing!the!financial!services!industry”,!eMarketer!(2013a)!estimated.! “Marketers!in! the! automotive! industry! will! invest! approximately! 60%! of! their! paid! digital! dollars! in! directT response!efforts!this!year”!(eMarketer,!2013a),!while!brandTfocused!campaigns!will!make!up!the!remaining!40%.! Search!and!display!will!still!command!the!largest!chunks!of!digital!spending!across!the!category,!with!the!greatest! growth!in!the!areas!of!mobile,!video,!social!and!local”!(eMarketer,!2013a).! Because! consumers! and! potential! consumers! are! now! using! tablets! and! smartphones! to! find! information! about!automobile!manufacturers!and!dealers,!investments!in!mobile!ads!are!growing!rapidly!(eMarketer,!6/2013).! “In!October!2012,!J.D.!Power!and!Associates!reported!that!the!percentage!of!inTmarket!shoppers!who!visited!an! automotive!website!from!their!smartphone!increased!from!17%!in!2010!to!31%!in!2012”!(eMarketer,!6/2013).& “Much!of!this!added!investment!is!the!result!of!digital!tools!changing!how!auto!consumers!progress!through!the! research!and!sales!funnel”!(eMarketer,!6/2013).&& “A!September!2012!report!from!Google,!Compete!and!R.L.!Polk!coined!the!phrase!‘constant!consideration’,! finding!that!digital!and!mobile!are!‘changing!the!habits!of!auto!shoppers,!turning!premarket,!inTmarket!and!postT market!phases!into!a!cycle!of!constant!consideration!in!which!brand!influence!can!be!won!or!lost!at!any!post’”! (eMarketer,!6/2013).!As!per!the!Dealer!Dot!Com!report!(2012)!The!Rise!of!Loyalty,!Advocacy!and!Influence,!social! media! has! become! an! important! marketing! channel! for! automobile! manufacturing! brands,! dealerships! and! aftermarket!products!and!services.!38!percent!of!consumers!say!they!will!consult!social!media!in!making!their!next! car!purchase,!while!23!percent!of!car!buyers!say!they!use!social!media!to!communicate!their!purchase!experience! (Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!! Although!this!purchase!decision!is!not!set!in!stone.!The!Google,!Compete!and!R.L.!Polk!survey!found!that!while! 63!percent!of!new!vehicle!purchasers!begin!their!search!with!a!specific!brand!in!mind,!only!20!percent!purchased! the! vehicle! they! first! researched! online! (Morris,! 2013).! The! research! showed! that! potential! purchases! are! influenced!in!a!meaningful!way!during!the!preTmarket!stage!and!that!“brand!consideration!can!be!won!or!lost!at! any! point! throughout! this! loop”! (Morris,! 2013).! “By! harnessing! the! unique! insights! and! immersive,! personal!
- 3. ! Andrew!Pearson! Page!2! 7/13/14! ! experiences!afforded!by!digital!brandTbuilding,!auto!marketers!can!adapt!for!greater!sales!and!longTterm!loyalty”! (Morris,!2013).! In! her! article! Constant! Consideration:! Brand! Choice! on! the! Path! to! Vehicle! Purchase,! Michelle! Morris!(2013)!concluded!that!“For!today’s!consumers,!vehicle!attention!may!rise!and!fall,!but!influential!brand! moments! are! constant,! stretching! across! a! cycle! that! encompasses! preTmarket,! inTmarket,! and! postTmarket! phases.”!! “Constant!Consideration”!(see!!Figure!6)!is!a!“cycle!in!which!brand!interest!can!be!won!or!lost!at!any!point,! which!is!why!100!auto!executives!surveyed!by!the!IBM!Institute!for!Business!Value!cited!customer!management!as! the!part!of!the!automotive!value!chain!that!will!change!most!over!the!next!decade”!(Morris,!2013).!Although!the! challenge!sounds!daunting,!it!is!one!that!must!be!accepted!by!auto!manufacturers!because!this!information!also! provides!the!solution!(Morris,!2013).!! ! Figure!1:!Constant!Consideration!in!the!car!buying!process! Source:!Constant!Consideration:!New!Vehicle!Path!to!Purchase,!Compete/Pol/TNS!September!2012!
- 4. ! Andrew!Pearson! Page!3! 7/13/14! ! Social!media!channels!are!becoming!important!in!the!sales!process;!84!percent!of!automotive!shoppers!are!on! Facebook,!and!24!percent!of!them!have!used!Facebook!as!a!resource!for!making!their!vehicle!purchases!(Dealer! Dot!Com,!2012).!40!percent!of!new!car!purchases!over!the!next!10!years!will!be!made!by!millennials,!while!94! percent!of!millennial!car!buyers!gather!information!online!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).! The!report! “argues! that! the! use! of! social! in! combination! with! natural! language! processing! and! big! data! analytics,!along!with!social's!ability!to!deliver!meaningful!content!and!commentary!in!context,!has!the!potential!to! make!it!a!highly!effective!medium!for!identifying,!segmenting!and!engaging!consumers!based!on!preferences!and! where!they!are!in!the!purchase!cycle”!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).&& "The!technology!now!exists!to!process!and!analyze!social!streams—not!only!to!understand!broader!consumer! attitudes!and!reputational!issues,!but!also!to!identify,!segment!and!profile!individual!consumers!based!on!where! they!are!in!the!purchase!cycle,!their!preferences!and!needs,!and!even!psychographic!characteristics!that!influence! how!they!want!to!engage!with!brands!and!service!providers,"!argues!Shauli!Chaudhuri,!CEO!of!hoojook!(Dealer!Dot! Com,!2012).! A!new!model!that!accurately!illustrates!how!consumers!are!shopping!for!cars!today!is!called!the!“Automotive! Purchase!Cycle”,!which!is!based!upon!McKinsey!&!Company’s!report!Consumer!Decision!Journey!(Dealer!Dot!Com,! 2012).! The! four! stages! of! the! new! Automotive! Purchase! Cycle! are! “Consider”,! “Evaluate”,! “Purchase”! and,! the! most!important!stage!of!all,!“Interact”,!which!is!the!postTvehicleTpurchase!phase!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).! The! experiences! and! emotions! a! consumer! has! with! a! product! or! service! once! they! have! purchased! it! continues!to!shape!their!opinions!for!as!long!as!they!interact!with!that!product!or!service!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).! “These! opinions! are! likely! to! be! shared! with! friends,! family! and! even! strangers! via! social! media,! significantly! influencing! the! purchase! decisions! of! others”! (Dealer! Dot! Com,! 2012).! Whether! car! dealerships! or! auto! manufacturers!like!it!or!not!this!consumerTdriven!marketing,!in!contrast!to!manufacturerT!and!dealershipTdriven! marketing,!is!happening!today!on!blogs,!social!media!and!online!consumer!reviews!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!Car! dealerships! and! auto! manufacturer! should! be! aware! that! “over! the! course! of! inTmarket! research,! search! data! suggests! that! 73! percent! of! inTmarket! activity! involves! crossTshopping”! (Morris,! 2013)! so,! if! they! don’t! engage! here,!they!could!lose!a!potential!client!forever.! At! the! “Consider”! stage,! consumers! start! to! examine! their! initial! set! of! options! and! it! is! imperative! for! manufacturers! and! dealers! to! build! brand! awareness! here! “because! the! process! is! fluid;! consumers! today! are! bombarded! with! marketing! messages! and! choices,! and! their! initial! consideration! set! can! actually! grow! as! they! progress!through!the!process”!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!A!lack!of!consideration!at!this!stage!can!be!very!costly;! brands!that!are!a!part!of!the!conversation!here!are!three!times!more!likely!to!be!purchased!than!brands!that!aren’t! (Edelman,!2010).&&& At!this!stage,!branding!becomes!paramount,!and!it!should!be!done!across!multiple!screens!(Morris,!2013).! “Younger,!openTminded!shoppers—those!who!consider!four!or!more!brands!inTmarket—are!increasingly!turning!to!
- 5. ! Andrew!Pearson! Page!4! 7/13/14! ! multiple!screens!for!research!and!discovery:!Indeed,!they're!almost!twice!as!likely!to!use!mobile!and!tablet!devices! as!their!older,!more!brandTloyal!counterparts”!(Morris,!2013).!! Tablets!in!particular!should!become!very!important!for!auto!shopping!(Morris,!2013).!Combining!sight,!sound,! and!motion!with!the!convenience!of!a!device!that!sits!in!your!lap,!tablets!are!the!perfect!marketing!devices.!The! Google,!Compete!and!Polk!“research!found!that!43!percent!of!brandTagnostic!shoppers!use!video!sharing!sites! across!desktop! and! mobile! devices,! while! once! on! the! lot,! 51! percent! take! pictures;! 49! percent! check! online! reviews;!and!44!percent!use!comparison!tools”!(Morris,!2013).!Mobile,!social!and!video!are!radically!changing!the! shopping!ecosystem!as!it!is!being!built!out!(Morris,!2013).!! During!the!“Evaluate”!stage,!“consumers!conduct!their!research!using!traditional!and!online!sources,!phone! calls!and!inTdealership!visits!to!‘pull’!information!to!aid!in!their!decision!process”!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!! As!consumers!near!their!purchase!decision,!“visiting!the!dealership!and!interacting!with!the!sales!staff!and!the! vehicle!itself!become!critical!touch!points”!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!Of!those!who!had!recently!purchased!a!new! car,!or!had!already!visited!a!dealership!and!had!planned!to!purchase!soon,!“76%!said!their!direct!interaction!with!a! dealership!was!or!would!be!very!influential!in!their!final!purchase!decision”!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!! Today,!the!purchase!experience!is!critical!and!it!can!affect!the!consumer’s!entire!postTpurchase!relationship! with!the!dealership!and/or!manufacturer!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!A!positive!experience!means!the!consumer!will! be!open!to!an!engagement!and!he!or!she!will!be!much!more!likely!to!feel!some!degree!of!loyalty!to!a!brand!or!a! dealership! (Dealer! Dot! Com,! 2012).! A! negative! experience,! however,! means! the! potential! of! creating! a! loyal! customer!will!be!significantly!diminished!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!Either!way,!the!consumer’s!perceptions!during! this!stage!affect!the!most!critical!stage!of!the!buying!process:!“Interaction”!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).&& Once!consumers!have!made!a!purchase!decision,!a!powerful!secondary!cycle—“the!loyalty!loop”—develops! (Dealer! Dot! Com,! 2012).! Consumers! who! enjoy! their! product! and! purchase! experience! have! the! potential! to! become!loyalists,!and,!possibly,!advocates!who!endorse!a!dealer!or!manufacturer!on!blogs,!customer!review!and! social! media! sites! (Dealer! Dot! Com,! 2012).! This! type! of! wordTofTmouth! marketing! is! important! because! it! can! positively!influence!others!who!are!looking!to!purchase!a!similar!product!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!“This!consumerT toTconsumer!advocacy!greatly!increases!the!likelihood!that!new!brands!will!be!added!to!the!initial!consideration! set!of!others!and!is!a!strong!influencer!in!the!ultimate!purchase!decision”!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).! A!negative!experience!for!the!consumer!means!that!they!are!more!likely!to!avoid!the!product!in!the!future! and!they!will!probably!start!at!the!“Consider”!stage!the!next!time!they!are!in!the!market!for!a!new!car!(Dealer!Dot! Com,!2012).&More!importantly,!those!with!negative!experiences!can!negatively!influence!other!potential!buyers! (Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!“Thus,!the!flip!side!of!consumerTdriven!marketing!is!that!instead!of!advocating!for!a!dealer! or! manufacturer,! unhappy! consumers! can! actively! disparage! the! product! to! their! social! networks,! creating! a! compounding!negative!effect!by!discouraging!others!from!buying”!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!& The!importance!of!social!media!can’t!be!underestimated.!Another!automobile!industry!study!revealed!that! there!is!a!growing!trend!amongst!car!shoppers!and!recent!purchasers!to!use!social!media!as!a!resource!during!their!
- 6. ! Andrew!Pearson! Page!5! 7/13/14! ! shopping!process! (Dealer! Dot! Com,! 2012).! Social! media! was! influencing! what! kind! of! car! people! wanted! to! purchase!and!“27!percent!of!car!shoppers!and!purchasers!used!or!planned!to!use!Facebook!as!a!resource!during! their! automotive! shopping! process! (Dealer! Dot! Com,! 2012).! To! put! this! into! perspective,! “considering! that! approximately!9.1!million!retail!cars!and!light!trucks!were!sold!in!the!U.S.!in!2010!(minus!fleet!sales),!the!number!of! unit!sales!influenced!by!social!media!was!approximately!2.4!million”!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!This!number!almost! equates!to!the!total!number!of!cars!sold!by!Toyota!and!Ford!in!a!year!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!For!the!typical! dealership!averaging!1,300!new!car!sales!per!year,!more!than!350!units—nearly!30!cars!per!month—are!sales!that! could!be!influenced!by!Facebook!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!It!is,!unquestionably,!a!substantial!number.!& “Social! media! has! shifted! online! engagement! from! managing! the! customer! on! the! business’s! terms! to! facilitating! social! engagement! on! the! consumer’s! terms”! (Dealer! Dot! Com,! 2012).! Automobile! dealers! and! manufacturers!need!to!adapt!to!this!changing!landscape!and!embrace!the!very!reasons!why!people!are!drawn!to! social!media!in!the!first!place—to!enhance!personal!connections!and!control!the!messages!they!receive—and!then! engage!transparently!and!meaningfully!with!this!customer!base!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).&! Satisfied! consumers! have! the! potential! to! bond! with! the! brand,! product! or! retailer,! which! increases! the! likelihood!of!them!purchasing!again!the!next!time!they!are!in!the!market!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!An!added!benefit! of!this!loyalty!is!the!fact!that!it!lessens!the!chances!consumers!will!consider!other!competitive!options!the!next! time!they!are!in!the!market!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!! More!importantly,!these!loyalists!could!have!considerable!influence!over!their!social!networks!and!they!could! advocate!on!behalf!of!their!dealers!and!their!chosen!brands!on!blogs,!customer!review!sites!and!throughout!the! vast!social!media!world& (Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!“This!consumerTtoTconsumer!advocacy!via!social!media!is!like! ‘wordTofTmouth! on! steroids,’! greatly! increasing! the! likelihood! that! these! brands! will! move! into! the! initial! consideration!set!of!others!and!strongly!influencing!the!ultimate!purchase!decision”!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!These! are,!once!again,!more!trusted!recommendations!so!they!are!much!more!likely!to!be!acted!upon.!& On!the!other!hand,!consumers!who!are!unsatisfied!with!their!bad!or!even!mediocre!buying!experience!are! likely!to!avoid!the!product,!and,!potentially,!start!again!at!the!“Consider”!stage!once!they!return!to!the!market.! More!importantly,!they!could,!potentially,!spread!their!negative!influence!far!and!wide,!causing!other!potential! consumers!to!avoid!the!flamed!brand.! The!key!to!fostering!advocacy!lies!in!maximizing!the!opportunities!to!create!a!loyal!customer!(Dealer!Dot!Com,! 2012).&This!process!should!start!early!in!the!cycle,!even!at!the!“Purchase”!stage!as!most!customers!are!willing!to! voice!positive!experiences!once!their!loyalty!has!been!established!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).& Dealer!Dot!Com’s!(2012)!research!found!that!“approximately!57%!of!car!shoppers!have!some!degree!of!loyalty! to! at! least! one! brand.”! Manufacturers! should! take! the! time! to! identify! these! loyalists! and! encourage! their! advocacy!as!these!loyalists!are!more!than!willing!to!voice!their!positive!opinions!and!recommendations;!“of!those! who!claimed!to!have!some!degree!of!loyalty!to!a!brand,!72%!said!they!are!extremely!likely!to!recommend!a!brand! or!model!to!their!network”!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!!
- 7. ! Andrew!Pearson! Page!6! 7/13/14! ! Unsurprisingly,!loyalty!to!a!dealership!is!considerably!lower,!at!19%!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!According!to!the! Dealer!Dot!Com!(2012)!study,!fair!and!honest!business!practices!during!the!purchase!experience!drives!loyalty.! “Approximately!half!of!consumers!mentioned!they!are!loyal!because!they!believe!the!dealer!to!be!trustworthy,! honest!and!ethical.!TwentyTnine!percent!will!shop!only!at!dealerships!with!a!good!reputation.!Loyalty!has!a!strong,! positive!impact!on!the!shopping!process!and!how!consumers!talk!and/or!write!about!the!dealership”!(Dealer!Dot! Com,!2012).!Of!those!who!are!loyal!to!a!dealer,!77%,!said!they!are!extremely!likely!to!recommend!the!dealership! to!which!they!are!loyal!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).&! Social!media!should!be!viewed!as!a!biTdirection,!a!public!communication!and!customer!service!channel,!rather! than!just!a!channel!to!promote!vehicles!and!services!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!Used!solely!as!a!marketing!channel! could!ultimately! backfire! and! turn! off! consumers! (Dealer! Dot! Com,! 2012).! Dealerships! and! manufacturers! shouldn’t!make!the!mistake!of!thinking!that!they!exist!in!a!vacuum;!they!should!be!aware!that!when!they!engage! in!social!media!conversations!they!are!being!watched!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!“Among!those!who!used!Facebook! as!part!of!their!shopping!process,!64%!said!quality!interactions!between!dealership!staff!and!Facebook!followers! would!make!them!likely!to!‘friend’!the!dealership.!FiftyTnine!percent!said!they!would!‘like’!a!manufacturer’s!page!if! there!were!quality!interactions!between!the!manufacturer’s!reps!and!its!Facebook!followers”!(Dealer!Dot!Com,! 2012).!! Dealer!Dot!Com’s!(2012)!research!also!uncovered!that!“in!addition!to!transparent!and!prompt!interaction,! dealers! and! manufacturers! need! to! provide! content! that! appeals! to! consumers! and! that! will! help! drive! consideration!for!the!brand,!model!and!dealership.”! As! always,! consumers! are! looking! for! ways! to! save! time! and! money! as! well! as! to! enhance! the! ownership! experience!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!In!many!ways,!“the!desired!content!mirrors!the!content!commonly!found!on! the!corporate!and!dealership!websites—what!respondents!rated!as!most!important!was!information!that!helped! them!learn!more!about!the!features!of!the!vehicle,!its!cost!and!what!others!think!of!it”!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).! “For!manufacturer!sites,!pricing!information,!incentives!and!rebates,!and!general!vehicle!information!were!valued! most.! Product! reviews! were! also! considered! very! helpful.! Other! offerings,! such! as! games,! specialTinterest! information!and!phone!apps,!have!sizeable!niche!interest!potential”!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!! For!consumers!using!Facebook,!traditional!product!information!such!as!price,!specs,!and!photos!as!well!as! product!reviews!were!cited!as!the!most!helpful!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!Offerings!such!as!games,!special!interest! information!and!phone!apps,!were!secondary,!but!still!had!sizeable!niche!interest!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).& For!dealership!social!media!content,!consumer!preferences!were!similar:!“Pricing!information!and!payment! calculators,! incentives,! recall! information! and! current! inventory! ranked! highest! among! respondents.! Product! reviews! from! owners! as! well! as! comments! about! the! brand! or! dealer! were! also! rated! high,! underscoring! the! importance!of!using!social!media!as!a!public!communications!channel”!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).! When!comparing!what!users!found!most!helpful!on!both!dealership!and!manufacturer!pages,!there!was!a!high! degree!of!consistency!among!Facebook!users!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!The!most!helpful!dealerTspecific!content!
- 8. ! Andrew!Pearson! Page!7! 7/13/14! ! included!“current! inventory,! store! location/hours/services,! special! benefits! for! ‘friends,’! and! dealer! reviews! by! customers”!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).! Automotive!dealerships!and!manufacturers!should!“leverage!social!media!to!break!into!the!consideration!of! loyalists!and!encourage!competitive!switching”!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!They!should!also!see!social!media!as!a!way! to!lure!away!customers!from!their!competitors,!after!all!“41%!of!those!who!consider!themselves!loyal!to!a!brand! are!open!to!switching!to!a!new!brand!if!it’s!more!compelling”!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!! Dealer!Dot!Com’s!(2012)!research!revealed!that!customers!who!were!offered!a!rewards!program!that!saved! them!money,!who!read!positive!reviews!written!by!other!customers,!and!who!encountered!a!noTpressure!sales! staff!were!more!likely!to!consider!switching!to!a!different!dealership.!! To!get!the!attention!of!those!who!are!loyal!to!other!brands,!automobile!dealer!and!manufacturers!should!take! into!account!such!things!as!the!context!and!situations!of!their!customers!and!potential!customers!(Dealer!Dot!Com,! 2012).!They!should!create!offers!and!craft!messages!that!are!not!only!highly!engaging,!but!are!also!sensitive!to!the! current! macroTeconomic! climate.! After! all,! the! purchase! of! a! new! automobile! is! probably! the! second! most! expensive!purchase!most!people!will!ever!make!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!! To!attract!new!customers,!dealers!should!offer!services!and!incentives!that!are!both!convenient!and!contain!a! perceived!value!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).&When!those!loyal!to!a!dealership!were!asked!what!it!would!take!to!get! them!to!consider!switching,!“FortyTfive!percent!said!they!would!be!somewhat!or!very!likely!to!consider!a!different! dealer!if!they!were!offered!a!customer!rewards!program!that!included!discounts!on!service,!free!tire!rotation,!etc.”! (Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!In!addition,!“Approximately!34%!said!they!would!consider!switching!if!they!read!positive! consumer!reviews!of!another!dealership!or!if!a!friend!or!family!member!recommended!the!dealership”!(Dealer!Dot! Com,!2012).!These!findings!underscore!the!importance!of!consumer!reviews!and!reputation!management,!which! should! be! integrated! into! as! many! social! channels! as! possible! and! published! widely! for! other! customers! and! potential!customers!to!see!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).& The! most! significant! discovery! in! the! Dealer! Dot! Com! (2012)! research! was! “the! correlation! between! consumers!who!are!brand!or!dealership!loyal!and!their!higher!use!of!and!reliance!on!social!media.”!Probably!the! most!important!finding!in!the!Dealer!Dot!Com!report!was!the!discovery!that!social!media!could!be!a!very!effective! tool! in! building! and! maintaining! a! solid! base! of! loyal! customers! who! will! then! advocate! on! a! dealer’s! or! a! manufacturer’s! behalf,! effectively! growing! their! respective! businesses! through! strong! wordTofTmouth! referrals! (Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!! The!Dealer!Dot!Com!study!(2012)!concludes!by!saying!that!they!“see!a!day!coming!when!manufacturers!and! dealerships!will!measure!social!media!effectiveness!as!diligently!as!they!measure!their!conversion!rates,!costTperT click!campaigns!and!other!digital!marketing!activities.!In!the!notTtooTdistant!future,!dealers!and!manufacturers!will! track! the! influence! and! advocacy! that! brought! a! new! customer! into! the! showroom! and! will! reward! their! salespeople!for!fostering!a!new!‘friend’!or!follower”!(Dealer!Dot!Com,!2012).!!
- 9. ! Andrew!Pearson! Page!8! 7/13/14! ! When!Volvo!launched!the!S60!to!challenge!the!BMW!3TSeries!and!Mercedes!CTClass,!it!decided!on!a!crossT platform!approach!that!took!maximum!advantage!of!digital!technology!(Morris,!2013).!On!the!desktop,!“Volvo! employed!large!ad!formats!like!the!YouTube!homepage!masthead,!but!it!was!on!mobile!that!the!campaign!came! into!its!own.!Interactive!mobile!ads!allowed!consumers!to!explore!a!360Tdegree!view!of!the!S60,!swipe!for!more! photos!and!videos,!and!locate!nearby!dealerships”!(Morris,!2013).!Volvo!also!added!an!augmented!reality!test! drive!experience! in! a! YouTube! masthead! that! provided! something! truly! groundbreaking! (Morris,! 2013).! “Volvo! realized!that!when!it!comes!to!mobile,!it's!important!not!to!just!replicate!across!screens,!but!to!make!use!of!each! screen's!unique!capabilitiesTTwhether!it's!geolocation,!interactivity,!or!the!intuitive!fun!of!swiping”!(Morris,!2013).& “The!result!was!an!increase!in!purchase!intent!of!88!percent,!and!brand!favorability!of!240!percent”!(Morris,!2013).& Because!of!the!need!to!wow!the!carTbuying!audience!(who!can!be!quite!sophisticated!at!times),!augmented! reality! has! been! widely! embraced! by! automobile! manufacturers.! For! example,! in! September! 2012,! “Beetle! billboards!in!Canada!gave!a!call!to!action!that!prompted!viewers!to!download!the!VWJuicedUp!app.!Once!the!app! was! downloaded,! the! user! pointed! his! or! her! mobile! device! at! the! marker! on! the! billboard! to! watch! the! car! perform”!(Russell,!2012).!In!one!sequence,!the!Beetle!bursts!through!the!billboard!and,!in!another!one,!a!ramp! comes! out! of! the! billboard! and! the! car! flips! around! on! it! (see! the! video! at:! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRA0SZhKNyo)!(Russell,!2012).! On! the! blogging! front,! an! automobile! manufacturer! should! set! up! a! company! blog! that! can! keep! both! customers!and!journalists!informed!about!the!company’s!products,!services!and!events.!One!of!the!leaders!in!this! area! is! MercedesTBenz.! With! the! “MercedesTBenz! Social! Publish”! platform, 1 !Mercedes! keeps! bloggers,! online! journalists! and! anyone! else! interested! in! the! brand! up! to! date! on! the! latest! Mercedes! models! and! upcoming! events.!It!is!also!a!place!where!all!items!published!about!MercedesTBenz!on!external!websites,!in!blogs!and!in! digital! magazines! or! on! Twitter,! are! cataloged.! The! portal! is! a! comprehensive! research! source! for! bloggers,! journalists,!and!anyone!else!interested!in!the!car!brand.!! Blogs! can! go! handTinThand! with! customer! forums,! which! can! be! powerful! platforms! to! disseminate! information,!as!Toyota!found!out!when!trying!to!market!its!Camry!brand.!“There!are!6.8!million!Camry!owners!in! the!US—the!problem!for!Toyota!was!that!they!were!virtually!silent!online”!(Morris,!2013).!Toyota!discovered!that! new!shoppers!were!reluctant!to!buy!a!Camry!without!reading!one!or!two!online!reviews!(Morris,!2013).!Toyota! saw!this!situation!as!an!opportunity!to!“utilize!digital!and!social!in!a!way!that!inspired!conversation!and!redefined! the!owner's!role”!(Morris,!2013).!“Alongside!Saatchi!&!Saatchi,!they!created!an!everTevolving!social!network!with! dynamic! chooseTyourTownTadventure! questions! and! realTtime! stats! based! on! user! interaction”! (Morris,! 2013).! Dealers!were!enlisted!to!amplify!the!brand!message!through!social!outreach!in!their!own!channels!(Morris,!2013).! “Through!a!final!display!ad!campaign,!these!realTworld!stories!became!the!research!material!of!the!next!inTmarket! shopper,! continuing! the! virtuous! cycle! of! Constant! Consideration.! The! result! was! an! 800! percent! spike! in! realT world!Camry!interest,!and!19!percent!more!sales!leads!than!preTcampaign”!(Morris,!2013)& !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1 !http://socialpublish.mercedesTbenz.com/en/!(Retrieved:!8!July!2014)!
- 10. ! Andrew!Pearson! Page!9! 7/13/14! ! In!his! article! Social! Media—More! Than! Friends,! Fans,! and! Followers,! Michael! Bowen! argues! that,! although! social!media!can!be!a!very!good!avenue!to!drive!business,!there!are!some!pitfalls!to!watch!out!for.!“YouTube! videos!are!a!great!way!to!bring!all!the!media!dimensions!to!your!potential!customers!and!can!greatly!expand!the! reach! of! a! dealer’s! TV! commercials”! (Bowen).! YouTube! also! allows! a! dealer! to! differentiate! itself! from! the! competition!and!this!channel!allows!them!to!produce!a!unique!marketing!message!(Bowen).!! Nicole! Case! of! the! web,! search,! and! social,! digital! reputation,! and! mobile! products! and! services! company! Naked!Lime!agrees!that!YouTube!is!an!important!platform!for!dealerships!(Bowen).!Besides!the!“SEO!value!video! can!bring,!YouTube!has!a!viewer!engagement!level!that’s!hard!to!match.!Out!of!all!the!content!created!by!social! marketers!and!posted!online,!videos!are!shared!the!most”!(Bowen).!Nicole!also!notes!the!importance!of!Google+;! “While! Google+! is! still! a! relatively! new! player,! Google’s! introduction! of! ‘Search! Plus! Your! World’! has! made! it! imperative!for!dealers!to!have!a!Google+!presence!to!help!them!stay!top!in!search!results!and!top!of!mind!with! consumers”!(Bowen).! Michael!Sos,!Dominion!Dealer!Solutions’!product!manager,!interactive!media!agrees,!pointing!out!that,!“Soon! we!will!see!even!a!tighter![search]!integration!and!I!believe!it!will!benefit!dealerships!to!recognize!that!Google! owns!the!eyeballs!of!most!car!buyers!and!for!this!we!all!need!to!embrace!Google+!for!the!future!search!benefit”! (Bowen).! Once!a!user!decides!which!social!media!sites!to!use,!the!next!natural!questions!is:!what!content!should!be! posted!and!how!much!of!it!should!there!be!(Bowen)?!Here!again,!it!is!important!to!understand!your!product!and! to! emphasize! what! differentiates! it! from! its! competitors.! Nicole! Case! argues! that,! “for! the! best! competitive! advantage,!dealers!need!to!find!an!area!where!they!can!stand!out!and!demonstrate!their!expertise!online.!For! example,!a!Toyota!dealer,!whose!vehicle!fleet!is!the!most!fuelTefficient!in!the!industry,!may!become!the!source!of! best!gas!prices!in!the!area”!(Bowen).!! It! is! also! important! for! dealers! to! post! information! that! their! followers! want! to! see! (Bowen).! Michael! Sos! warns!that,!“Dealers!need!to!recognize!that!the!majority!of!folks!that!will!receive!their!posts!in!news!feeds!are! probably!already!customers.!This!is!important!because!this!isn’t!like!direct!mail!where!we!send!out!a!marketing! message!and!look!to!get!a!one!percent!return!and!burn!the!rest!of!the!list!to!the!ground.!We!need!to!be!loyalty! minded”!(Bowen).!! New!customers!are!enthusiastic!and!quick!to!reach!out!and!become!a!fan,!but!they!won’t!be!in!the!market!to! purchase!another!car!immediately!(Bowen).!Dealers!shouldn’t!focus!all!of!their!social!posts!on!the!inventory!that! needs!to!moved,!they!should!also!focus!on!parts,!service!specials!and!always!keeping!in!mind!that!they!need!to! grow!their!brand!(Bowen).!“Customers!want!to!see!a!small!business!that!is!connected!to!the!community!and!cares! about!the!things!they!care!about”!(Bowen).! Recalls!are!a!fact!of!life!for!every!car!manufacturer!and!it!is!how!a!company!responds!to!these!recalls!that!can! influence!current!and!future!customers.!In!early!2014,!the!U.S.!automaker!General!Motors!found!itself!in!a!classic! crisis!management!situation—they!needed!to!recall!1.6!million!cars,!because!that!type!of!car!had!been!linked!to!12!
- 11. ! Andrew!Pearson! Page!10! 7/13/14! ! deaths!(Goel,!2014).!G.M!.decided!to!take!a!dual!approach—going!about!its!normal!business!while!trying!to!help! specific!recall!customers.!The!company!had!to!walk!a!tightrope!on!social!media!sites!like!Facebook!and!Twitter,! where!a!customer’s!perception!of!a!brand!is!affected!as!much!by!what!the!company!does!as!it!is!by!what!other! people!say!about!it!(Goel,!2014).!! This!issue!shouldn’t!define!G.M.!going!forward,!argues!Dave!Evans,!vice!president!for!social!strategy!at!Lithium! Technologies,!a!social!customer!experience!management!software!company!based!in!San!Francisco!(Goel,!2014).! With!this! recall,! G.M.! had! the! opportunity! to! “fundamentally! redefine! themselves! as! an! open,! transparent,! listening!organization,”!argued!Evans!(Goel,!2014).! “G.M.! has! a! team! of! about! 20! people! based! in! Detroit! that! manages! its! social! media! presence—including! monitoring!about!100!independent!auto!forums—and!responds!to!inquiries!and!complaints!seven!days!a!week.! Another!50!people!staff!a!call!center,!with!as!many!as!50!more!people!helping!out!when!call!volume!is!high,!as!it! has!been!since!the!recall!began”!(Goel,!2014).! “A! robust! public! response! is! particularly! important! in! wooing! firstTtime! customers,! who! are! critical! to! the! company’s!profits”!(Goel,!2014)!and!the!plan!seems!to!be!working!as!the!damage!to!the!company’s!online!brand! appears!to!be!minimal!(Goel,!2014).!“Despite!the!barrage!of!headlines!about!federal!investigations!into!G.M.’s! decadeTlong!failure!to!issue!the!recall,!overall!sentiment!about!G.M.!and!its!brands!on!Twitter!has!remained!the! same!since!the!crisis!began”!(Goel,!2014).!! In!perhaps!one!of!the!cleverest!uses!of!mobile!and/or!social!media!technology,!geofencing!applications!can!be! used!by!car!dealers!to!steal!a!customer!while!they!are!in!the!showroom!or!on!the!lot!of!a!competitor!(Drive!Digital! Group).! “It! is! one! of! the! most! discussed–and! perhaps! most! misunderstood–lead! generation! strategies! the! automotive!industry!has!seen!to!date”!(Drive!Digital!Group).!! This!is!the!scenario:!a!motivated!buyer!sets!his!sights!on!a!competitor’s!make!and!model!and!heads!out!to!a! dealership,!ready!to!pull!the!trigger!on!a!purchase!(Drive!Digital!Group).!However,!once!the!potential!buyer!pulls! onto!the!dealer’s!lot,!they,!unknowingly,!enter!a!targeted!geoTfenced!location!and!a!push!notification!gets!sent!to! their!smart!phone!(Drive!Digital!Group).!This!push!notification!could!display!a!deal!from!a!competing!car!dealership! and!it!should!be!a!deal!enticing!enough!to!motivate!the!potential!buyer!to!head!over!to!the!competing!lot,!i.e.,!the! deal!could!be!an!opportunity!to!get!a!free!iPad!or!a!mobile!coupon!for!$500!with!the!purchase!of!any!new!car! (Drive!Digital!Group).!After!clicking!on!the!ad,!the!user!would!immediately!be!taken!to!a!mobile!optimized!landing! page!that!includes!a!call!to!action!(Drive!Digital!Group).!! Automobile!companies!such!as!Audi,!BMW,!Ford,!GM,!Kia,!Jaguar,!Lexus,!Mazda,!Nissan!and!VW,!amongst! many!others,!have!all!created!mobile!apps!to!help!advertise!their!brands.!Porting!the!BMW!Z4’s!“An!Expression!of! Joy”!campaign!onto!the!mobile!platform,!the!BMW!Z4!iPhone!application!let!players!explore,!customize,!create! and!virtually!drive!the!sports!car.!It!also!lets!the!user!“draw”!on!a!canvas!by!using!the!wheels!of!the!car!as!if!they! were!brushes,!just!like!the!Z4!did!in!the!associated!television!commercial.!This!was!a!highly!creative!campaign!that! perfectly!highlighted!one!of!mobile’s!best!features–the!ability!to!crossTpollinate!the!marketing!message!through!
- 12. ! Andrew!Pearson! Page!11! 7/13/14! ! several!mediums.!The!app!was!so!successful!it!was!downloaded!over!a!million!times!in!the!first!few!weeks!upon! release.!! In!what! was! billed! as! the! first! automotive! financial! services! iPhone! application,! Mercedes! released! a! free! application!to!the!450,000!people!who!used!its!U.S.!financial!services!division!(Weier,!2009).!The!app!let!users!view! account!details,!such!as!payments!made,!and!due!or!maturity!dates!of!an!auto!lease.!The!app!also!let!users!make! instant!payments!from!their!bank!accounts!to!MercedesTBenz!Financial!(Weier,!2009).!The!application!included! directions!and!maps!to!local!dealers,!links!to!insurance!offerings!and!hotel!room!upgrades!through!MercedesTBenz’! hotel!partners!(Weier,!2009).!It!also!included!links!and!phone!numbers!to!customer!service!reps!(Weier,!2009).!! The!instantaneous!twoTway!dialogue!between!a!company!and!its!consumers!is!one!of!the!most!important! aspects! of! mobile! marketing! and! such! callTtoTaction! features! as! clickTtoTcall,! textTtoTjoin,! textTforTinfo,! textTforT rewards!or!SMS!voting!can!be!used!by!the!automobile!industry!in!a!myriad!of!ways.!For!example,!in!one!Chinese! BMW! campaign,! 21! Communications! teamed! up! with! China! Mobile! to! promote! a! mobile! ad! campaign! that! provided!branded!content!downloads!and!prompted!customers!to!schedule!test!drives!on!their!mobile!phones! (Sharma!et!al.,!2008).!In!the!campaign,!when!mobile!users!clicked!on!the!BMW!banner!ads!and!text!links,!they! were!transferred!to!the!BMW!branded!3!series!mobile!site,!where!a!visualizer!tool!allowed!them!to!customize!their! favorite!3!series!BMW!(Sharma!et!al.,!2008).!A!clickTtoTcall!feature!instantly!connected!mobile!users!with!the!BMW! call!center!for!test!drive!appointments!(Sharma!et!al.,!2008).!This!innovative!campaign!(for!its!time)!resulted!in! over!500,000!unique!visitors!and!50,000!branded!downloads!(Sharma!et!al.,!2008).! Another!important!use!of!social!media!is!recognizing!and!using!influencers!to!drive!the!marketing!process.!A! good! example! of! this! is! with! Ford’s! “Fiesta! Movement”! campaign! (Divol,! 2012).! Ford! generated! buzz& eighteen! months! before! it! reentered! the! US! subcompactTcar! market! with! its! Fiesta! model! by! “giving! 100! socialTmedia! influencers!a!European!model!of!the!car,!having!them!complete!‘missions,’!and!asking!them!to!document!their! experiences! on! various! social! channels”! (Divol,! 2012).! The! social! media! campaign! included! videos! on! YouTube,! which! generated! more! than! 6.5! million! views,! and! “Ford! received! 50,000! requests! for! information! about! the! vehicle,!primarily!from!nonTFord!drivers”!(Divol,!2012).!The!overall!results:!in!late!2010,!some!10,000!cars!were! sold!in!the!first!six!days!(Divol,!2012).! Another!example!of!the!use!of!social!network!marketing!is!the!Pinterst!“Volvo!Joyride”!challenge.!Instead!of! creating!another!commercial!with!a!sleek!and!shiny!car!negotiating!curvy!mountain!roads,!Volvo!took!a!different! approach.!They!wanted!to!focus!on!the!design!of!the!car–not!just!on!the!road!but!on!today’s!mostThyped!visual! social!media!platform,!Pinterest!(Cake!Group!New!York,!2013).!The!agency!behind!the!advertising!wanted!users!to! “become!a!part!of!the!design!conversation!and,!as!an!innovator!and!leader!in!the!social!space,!Volvo!knew!that!to! attract!fans!their!outreach!had!to!be!a!natural!extension!of!the!Pinterest!platform”!(Cake!Group!New!York,!2013).! Their!strategy!was!threeTfold:! 1. Leverage!existing!use!of!the!Pinterest!platform.! 2. Organic!promotion!through!partnership!with!influencers.!
- 13. ! Andrew!Pearson! Page!12! 7/13/14! ! 3.Work!with!media!partners!to!promote!the!campaigns.!! ! Volvo! created! a! Pinterest! “Wish! List”! asking! users! for! their! ideal! Road! Trip! (Cake! Group! New! York,! 2013).! “Called!‘Volvo!Joyride’,!users!were!allowed!to!pin!their!entire!road!trip!experience,!including!their!final!destination,! their!outfit,!the!music!playlist,!the!car!(a!Volvo,!of!course)!and!the!stops!they’d!take!along!the!way”!(Cake!Group! New!York,!2013).! For!the!second!strategy,!Volvo!“partnered!with!influential!Pinterest!user!Victoria!Smith!(who!has!more!than! 450,000! Pinterest! followers)! to! participate! in! the! promotion! prior! to! launching! it! to! the! general! public”! (Cake! Group!New!York,!2013).!Ms.!Smith!created!her!own!Volvo!Joyride!Pinterest!Wish!List!to!inspire!her!followers!and! others!to!enter!the!contest.!Volvo!then!offered!her!a!car!to!take!her!dream!trip!from!San!Francisco!to!Lake!Tahoe,! following!her!on!her!road!trip,!capturing!video!of!Victoria!telling!users!how!to!enter!the!contest!and!encouraging! them!to!enter!to!win!their!own!trip!(Cake!Group!New!York,!2013).! Volvo!also!worked!with!their!media!partner,!Havas!Media,!to!identify!and!leverage!existing!media!partnerships! for! promoting! Volvo! Joyride! (Cake! Group! New! York,! 2013).! In! addition,! they! worked! with! My! Modern! Met! (a! Federated!Media!blog)!and!Mashable!to!craft!articles!about!the!promotion!(Cake!Group!New!York,!2013).! The!results!were!impressive.!Volvo’s!Pinterest’s!page!grew!from!155!to!1,033!followers!in!just!three!weeks,! making!them!the!most!followed!luxury!car!brand!in!the!U.S.!on!Pinterest!(Cake!Group!New!York,!2013).!Volvo! received! more! than! 827! user! interactions! (like,! comment,! repin),! which! meant! roughly! 80%! of! its! followers! interacted!with!its!board,!even!though!the!promotion!did!not!require!it!(Cake!Group!New!York,!2013).!“Volvo!also! earned!media!coverage!in!more!than!20!blogs/online!publications,!which!equated!to!over!66!million!impressions”! (Cake!Group!New!York,!2013).! For!a!business,!keeping!an!eye!on!one’s!consumer!is!imperative.!“For!the!allTnew!2013!Dodge!Dart,!the!focus! was! humor! and! reaching! out! to! millennials! who! like! their! information! served! with! a! side! of! comedy! and! skepticism”!(Morris,!2013).!That!made!the!irreverent!tabloid!and!Website!The!Onion!the!perfect!partner.!“Dodge! sponsored!The!Onion's!YouTube!channel!(with!over!200!million!views!to!date)!and!collaborated!on!a!threeTminute! video!in!which!advertising!for!the!Dart!was!cleverly!smuggled!into!a!sketch!poking!fun!at...!TV!advertising”!(Morris,! 2013).!The!partnership!allowed!the!Dodge!Dart!brand!“to!connect!with!consumers'!true!passions!while!affording! them!the!opportunity!to!share!their!stories,!thus!driving!engagement!and!brand!favorability”!(Morris,!2013).!! In!conclusion,!automotive!manufacturers!and!dealers!need!to!understand!the!importance!of!branding!at!each! stage!of!the!sales!cycle.!Younger,!openTminded!shoppers!are!increasingly!turning!to!multiple!screens!not!only!for! research!and!discovery,!but!also!to!share!their!buying!experience!(Morris,!2013).!! Tablets!in!particular!should!become!very!important!for!auto!shopping!(Morris,!2013).!Combining!sight,!sound,! and!motion!with!the!convenience!of!a!device!that!sits!in!your!lap,!tablets!are!the!perfect!marketing!devices.!Mobile,! social! and! video! are! radically! changing! the! shopping! ecosystem! as! it! is! being! built! out! (Morris,! 2013).! “By!
- 14. ! Andrew!Pearson! Page!13! 7/13/14! ! harnessing!the! unique! insights! and! immersive,! personal! experiences! afforded! by! digital! brandTbuilding,! auto! marketers!can!adapt!for!greater!sales!and!longTterm!loyalty”!(Morris,!2013).!! Automobile!manufacturers!should!take!a!crossTplatform!approach.!They!must!do!any!and!everything!to!get! into!the!“consideration!set”!as!brands!who!are!a!part!of!the!conversation!here!are!three!times!more!likely!to!be! purchased!than!brands!that!aren’t!(Edelman,!2010).!Once!a!company!is!a!part!of!the!discussion,!! For!automotive!consumers,!“vehicle!attention!may!rise!and!fall!throughout!shopping!and!ownership,!but!there! are!brand!moments!to!be!won!at!each!stage”!(Morris,!2013).!As!customer’s!opinions!form!and!crystalize!during! these!three!purchase!path!phases,!brandTbuilding!should!be!a!shared!responsibility!of!the!brand,!inTmarket,!and! service!teams!(Morris,!2013).!The!winners!in!this!new!ear!will!be!the!auto!marketers!who!use!new!digital!tools!to! identify!and!connect!with!consumers!at!the!moments!that!most!matter!(Morris,!2013).!! In!the!preTmarket!stage,!Morris!(2013)!advises!automotive!brands!to!create!consideration!and!use!digital!tools! to!connect!with!passionate!audiences!as!well!as!to!align!the!brand!with!something!consumers!care!about.!During! the!inTmarket!phase,!the!focus!should!be!on!being!found!and!being!favorable!(Morris,!2013).!Driving!consideration! and!purchasing!intent!across!all!screens!is!important!during!this!phase!as!it!fosters!engagement!with!the!most! openTminded! shoppers! (Morris,! 2013).! Enabling! endorsements! through! social! and! mobile! channels! during! the! postTmarket!phase!will!allow!newly!accessible!customer!information!to!anticipate!maintenance!needs!as!well!as!to! delight!owners!(Morris,!2013).& Service!moments!and!milestones!can!build!or!erode!longTterm!brand!engagement!and!loyalty!(Morris,!2013).! Immediately!after!purchase,!87!percent!of!new!owners!say!they're!likely!to!buy!the!same!brand!next!time,!but,!the! reality!is!only!56!percent!do!(Morris,!2013).!Owners!cite!service!moments!as!brand!influencers,!so!automobile! dealership!should!treat!seemingly!mundane!maintenance!moments!as!important!branding!opportunities!(Morris,! 2013).& ! Keywords:! Social!Media!Marketing,!Twitter,!Facebook,!automobile!marketing,!digital!marketing,!brand!advertising,!social! network!marketing,!building!fanbases,!constant!consideration,!Automotive!!Purchase!Cycle,!social!media! influencers,!Blogging,!Geofencing,!Mobile!Apps,!Pinterest! ! References:) ! Bowen,!M.!(n.d.).!Social!MediaOOmore!than!friends,!fans,!and!followers.!Retrieved!from!Dealer!Marketing!Magazine:! http://www.dealermarketing.com/internetTmarketing/socialTmedia/2659TsocialTmediamoreTthanTfriendsT fansTandTfollowers! Cake!Group!New!York.!(2013,!March!5).!Best!Use!of!Social!Media!for!Auto!Industry:!Volvo!Joyride.!Retrieved!from! shortyawards.com:!http://industry.shortyawards.com/category/5th_annual/auto/r7/volvoTjoyride!
- 15.