Marketing Automotive Companies through Mobile and Social Media

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Andrew!Pearson! Page!1! 7/13/14!

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Going&Mobile:&Going&Social&–&Automotive&Companies&

By!

Andrew!Pearson!

(from!the!upcoming!book!Going!Mobile:!Going!Social)!

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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!

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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).!!

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Figure!1:!Constant!Consideration!in!the!car!buying!process!

Source:!Constant!Consideration:!New!Vehicle!Path!to!Purchase,!Compete/Pol/TNS!September!2012!

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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!

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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!

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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).!!

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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!

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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).!!

!


!

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)!

!


!

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!

!


!

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!

!


!

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.!

!


!

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!

!


!

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!

!


!

Dealer!Dot!Com.!(2012,!April).!The!Rise!of!loyalty,!advocacy!&!influence.!Retrieved!from!

http://www.dealer.com/assets/APCTStudyT21.pdf!

Divol,!R.!E.!(2012,!April).!Demystifying!social!media.!Retrieved!from!Mckinsey.com:!

http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/marketing_sales/demystifying_social_media!

Drive!Digital!Group.!(n.d.).!Legally!Steal!Your!Competitor's!Leads.!Retrieved!from!Drive!Digital!Group:!

http://drivedigitalgroup.com/geoTfencingTcampaigns/!

Edelman,!D.!(2010).!Branding!in!the!Digital!Age.!Harvard!Business!Review.!

eMarketer.!(2013,!June!12).!Auto!Manufacturers,!Dealers!Put!More!Coordinated!Ad!Dollars!to!Digital!O!See!more!at:!

http://www.emarketer.com/Article/AutoOManufacturersODealersOPutOMoreOCoordinatedOAdODollarsO

Digital/1009962#sthash.dsiZb4MG.dpuf.!Retrieved!from!eMarketer.com:!

http://www.emarketer.com/Article/AutoTManufacturersTDealersTPutTMoreTCoordinatedTAdTDollarsT

Digital/1009962!

eMarketer.!(2014,!March!31).!Facebook!Is!No.!1!for!Social!Commerce.!Retrieved!from!emarketer.com:!

http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1010721&RewroteTitle=1!

Goel,!V.!(2014,!March!23).!G.M.!Uses!Social!Media!to!Manage!Customers!and!Its!Reputation.!Retrieved!from!NY!

Times:!http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/24/business/afterThugeTrecallTgmTspeaksTtoTcustomersT

throughTsocialTmedia.html?_r=0!

Morris,!M.!(n.d.).!Constant!Consideration:!Brand!Choice!on!the!Path!to!Vehicle!Purchase.!Retrieved!from!

thinkwithgoogle:!http://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/constantTconsiderationTnewTvehicleT

study.html!

Russell,!M.!(2012,!January!28).!11!Amazing!Augmented!Reality!Ads.!Retrieved!from!Business!Insider:!

http://www.businessinsider.com/11TamazingTaugmentedTrealityTadsT2012T1?op=1!

Sharma,!C.!H.!(2008).!Mobile!Advertising:!Supercharge!Your!Brand!in!the!Exploding!Wireless!Market.!John!Wiley!&!

Sons,!Inc.!

Weier,!M.!H.!(2009,!October!5).!MercedesTBenz!launches!iPhone!App.!InformationWeek.!

!

©!Andrew!W.!Pearson,!2014!

Marketing Automotive Companies through Mobile and Social Media

Social Media

Transcript of Marketing Automotive Companies through Mobile and Social Media