This document summarizes a study by J.D. Power and Associates on how women use social media in the car buying process. The study found that: 1) Getting advice from blogs and social networks increases women's excitement and confidence in car shopping but also increases stress levels. 2) Blog reviews and other online reviews are more influential sources for women than television, magazines, or Facebook. 3) Younger women aged 18-27 showed more interest in hybrid, electric, and other alternative fuel vehicles compared to older women.

1. © 2011 J.D. Power and Associates,
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

2. Put Her in the Driver’s Seat:
Social tools inform and empower
women’s car-buying process
Jane Collins and Christine DeMaio
Director of Market Research; SVP Sales Marketing
BlogHer
© 2011 J.D. Power and Associates,
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

3. BlogHer Study: Methodology
Identical survey fielded to two populations
in August 2011
Social Media
• The BlogHer Network Definition:
Blogs
• U.S. Online General Population in 7 markets* Facebook & Twitter
Message Boards/
• Total Study Sample Size Forums
• 1090 total women 18-76
• 377 men 18-76
• Total sample = 1,467
© 2011 J.D. Power and Associates, Source: Women and Automotive Decisions 2011: BlogHer Network = 26 million unique visitors per month U.S.
3 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. sample : General Population markets = Atlanta, Boston, NY, Chicago, Dallas, San Diego, Portland
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4. Social Media and Automotive Purchasing
Key Findings:
• Blog advice raises excitement and confidence, while reducing the
stress many women associate with the car purchasing process.
Social network advice raises excitement, confidence…and stress
• Blog and other online auto review sites are more influential than all
other media channels, including TV, magazines and Facebook
• Men and women are both adopting social media as a tool to gain
information prior to car purchase; but women are more passionate
and articulate about their usage
© 2011 J.D. Power and Associates,
4 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

5. Women are more excited and nervous when car
shopping
Describe the emotions you
experience when thinking
about buying a new car
© 2011 J.D. Power and Associates, Source: Women and Automotive Decisions 2011: Total US Population Sample; N = 892
5 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

6. Blogs, social media increase confidence for women
And Blogs also reduce nerves and stress
Emotional Response
to Purchasing
a New Car
© 2011 J.D. Power and Associates, Source: Women and Automotive Decisions 2011: Total US Population Sample; N = 892;
6 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Filtered by either used blog or used social networks advice to help with a car purchase
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7. Top 10 research sources for
women when purchasing a car
© 2011 J.D. Power and Associates, Source: Women and Automotive Decisions 2011: Combined sample; Total Women 18+ “What is your
7 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. preferred method for researching a car prior to purchase?” Select all that apply; N = 1,023
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8. Top 10 purchase influences
for women: Rank by Influence
Car Manufacturer sites rank #4 (Top Box “Very Influential”)
as information source, but dead
last as influencer
Entity Rank Total Sample
Car Dealership #1 66.7%
Word of Mouth #2 61.5%
Car Review Site #3 58.4%
Blog Review Site #4 46.9%
Auto Magazines #5 42.4%
Twitter #6 43.7%
Mobile Phone App #7 38.9%
TV Advertising #8 36.1%
Facebook #9 34.7%
Manufacturer Site #10 33.6%
© 2011 J.D. Power and Associates, Source: Women and Automotive Decisions 2011: Combined sample; Total Women 18+ “Please rank the
8 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
following resources in terms of influence on your car purchasing decision”; N = 1,023
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9. Cost, mileage Women also favor safety
Men like bells and whistles (Style, Power)
are most
important
© 2011 J.D. Power and Associates, Source: Women and Automotive Decisions 2011: Combined sample; Total Women 18+ “What are the
9 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
most important components when researching a car for purchase?”; Women N = 1,049, Men N = 370
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10. Going green gets higher
interest from young women: Younger women
(18-27)
have an elevated
interest in all
types of “green”
Women 18+ Women 18-27 cars
85%
78%
39%
34%
27% 28%
15%
9%
Hybrid Electric Alternative Fuel Not interested
© 2011 J.D. Power and Associates, Source: Women and Automotive Decisions 2011: Combined sample; “What sort of ‘green’ car would you
10 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
consider for your next automotive purchase”; N = 1,039
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11. Key takeaways for
automotive marketers
1. Social Media helps women get excited to buy
a new car; blogs help calm her nerves
2. Women still come to you: Your site, your
dealership. Shape their experiences there
3. Message what matters: Inventory search,
mileage, safety and functionality
4. Bring them real user experiences: On your site
and on theirs.
a. Be an aggregation point for women’s
voices
b. Participate and become a part of a
woman’s social graph
© 2011 J.D. Power and Associates,
11 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

12. Women Trust Social Media to
Help them Make an Automotive
Purchase Decision In their own words...
“When we were searching for “I use social media as a crowd-sourcing
cars over the past two weeks, I outlet for major decisions such as the
asked a million questions on purchase of a car. There are a large
my (social network) page and variety of people on social media from all
got around 40 responses each parts of the world, walks of life, socio-
time. All of the referrals from economic strata, and the more diversity
friends and family helped me of opinion I can collect, the better I am
make my decision!” able to make a purchasing decision.”
“I found a blog where the
“Connected with Ford writer drove a Volvo station
Flex lovers on Twitter. wagon and loved it. Her life
Ford twitter is very much like mine so it
responded to my helped me think that the car
questions” would be good for me”
583 Total Verbatim Responses
© 2011 J.D. Power and Associates, Source: Women and Automotive Decisions 2011: “If you have ever used a Blog or Social Network to help with an
12 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
automotive purchase, tell us about it in a few sentences”. N = 1076
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13. Men are less chatty about the Social
Media experience, but they find the
information useful and relevant In their own words...
“Blogs have been one source of “My favorite car blog, autoblog.com, once
information for researching cars. ran an article that compared top-selling
The stories and comments can give compact cars..…It wasn't your typical,
anecdotal info on any problems--or straight-forward car analysis, as it took into
for that matter, great points--about consideration many everyday traits that
individual vehicles and dealers. I any good car should possess, as well as
weigh that information with any undeniable X-factor credentials that
everything else I learn from other set the car apart from the pack.”
sources”
“I did a lot of research first
“I used opinions of
and then used a blog and
people I knew via friends from Facebook on
Facebook to make said vehicle to influence my
my car purchase purchase. I wanted to know
decision” the ins and outs, any pros
and cons etc.”
289 Total Verbatim Responses
© 2011 J.D. Power and Associates, Source: Women and Automotive Decisions 2011: “If you have ever used a Blog or Social Network to help with an
13 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
automotive purchase, tell us about it in a few sentences”. N = 1076
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14. Social media empowers and
informs consumers during
the car purchase process
Word cloud from those who use blogs or social networks to help with an auto purchase
822 Total Verbatim Responses
© 2011 J.D. Power and Associates, Source: Women and Automotive Decisions 2011: “If you have ever used a Blog or Social Network to
14 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
help with an automotive purchase, tell us about it in a few sentences”. N = 1533
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