Toyota’s mass recalls demonstrate how using digital to address issues head-on helps lessen negative brand perceptions.
2012 could be dubbed the ‘Year of the Recall’ for the auto industry with various automakers calling back more than 14 million cars in 12 months for inspections and repairs involving safety issues. For perspective, nearly 14.5 million cars and light trucks were sold last year. The number of cars sold versus those recalled was a near wash by year’s end.
And it was recently announced that Toyota plans to settle an estimated $1.3 billion in class action claims involving sudden, unintended acceleration first reported in 2009 in certain Toyota, Scion and Lexus vehicles. The anticipated settlement would be the largest payout by any auto company, ever.
What’s interesting about 2012 is that in spite of widespread safety issues, auto shopper interest saw negligible impact. In fact, year-end sales were 13 percent better than 2011 and the best we’ve seen in the past five years.
So, what’s going on here?
Maybe it’s a recovering economy or a testament to the loyalty of certain car shoppers who, despite all odds, remain steadfastly devoted to a particular brand. Or, perhaps it’s consumer indifference, which has adapted over time to safety issues... Read more
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My Business is in Crisis! Now What??
Tags: branding, Digital Marketing, mobile marketing, online marketing, Social Media, social media strategy
Posted in Opinions, Social Media | No Comments »
Super Bowl ads: Predictions for this year’s crowdsourced campaigns
Twenty percent of the 35 advertisers in this year’s Super Bowl have incorporated crowdsourcing into their ad campaigns. Crowdsourcing isn’t new, but social media channels like Twitter and YouTube have given it an advertising renaissance.
As the name implies, crowdsourcing represents the act of a company taking a function once performed by employees and outsourcing it to an undefined network of people via an open call. To be effective, the network must be large. While a business can outsource the final result to the crowd, it’s important to remember that crowdsourcing isn’t the same as outsourcing. There are still significant resources that must be applied to produce the open call, generate interest, evaluate submissions, and announce winners.
Predictions for this year’s crowdsourced campaigns: The Old G in Super Bowl crowdsourcing, Doritos, is back again, and the brand is joined by Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Pizza Hut, Lincoln, Audi, and newbie, Dunder Mifflin.
Doritos: this crowdsourcing pioneer is revisiting its “Crash the Super Bowl” campaign for the sixth year in a row. It’s become a familiar favorite, but the audience’s appetite for a repeat next year will hinge on the quality of the winning submission. In this case, Doritos has thoroughly handed its brand over to... Read more
Tags: advertising, branding, crowsourcing, Digital Marketing, marketing, Social Media, social media strategy
Posted in Emerging Platforms, Media Planning & Buying, Opinions | 1 Comment »
Why (social) communication is the key to selling!
We live in a digital age, the age of communication and instant information. What once took hours, even days to reach people across the globe now only takes a few quick keystrokes and a matter of seconds. But don’t let me bore you with what you already know. What I’m really trying to get at is the fact that, when approached correctly, social networks are viable channels for sales and endless opportunities are within arm’s reach. All sales and business development professionals should consider leveraging this global social trend to broaden their sales funnel or you may one day, find yourself obsolete.
Back In The Day
In our grandparent’s time, business was conducted on a very personal level. The local baker knew what type of bread each family preferred, the butcher began cutting your favorite cuts as soon as he saw you walk through the door, everyone and I mean everyone, knew each other. This was relationship building at its best. Businesses across the globe lost this personal touch as time went on and our world grew a little bigger and busier. Until now.
7 Billion Strong
Yes, our world is no mere village, with over 7 billion inhabitants of planet Earth we are... Read more
Tags: Facebook, marketing, Sales, social marketing, Social Media, social media marketing, social media strategy, social selling, socialmedia, twitter
Posted in Social Media | 2 Comments »
SEO Buying & Selling Tricks that Create Unachievable SEO Results & Expectations
The techniques and tactics of “doing” SEO are forever changing and constantly challenging. For many SEO agencies, the marketing and selling of SEO services is a bigger hurdle than the task of actually obtaining improved organic search results for clients. Competing for marketing dollars while proving value through the sales process needs to be accomplished even before the insurmountable task of obtaining ROI through the Google search box begins.
From an SEO buyer’s perspective, it must be downright confusing and discouraging to obtain multiple quotes from SEO service providers that very clearly have differing price ranges and service methodologies, but not so clearly defined differentiating skill sets and experience.
So sellers attempt to make it easier for buyers to understand SEO proposals in order to ultimately get to a closed deal - a signature on a contract. In the meantime, are they undermining their own profession and setting themselves up for failure by setting unrealistic expectations with clients?
Or are SEO clients being unrealistic in their expectations of SEO results in the short term versus the long term, leading SEO service providers to drastic measures that may ultimately result in the client’s web presence being penalized in organic search? Or even results in... Read more
Tags: buyer experience, content marketing, content strategy, online marketing, Search, seo, seo services, social media marketing, social media strategy, Strategy, web presence optimization
Posted in Search, Social Media | 5 Comments »
Marketing Strategies in the Midsize Sedan ‘Battle of the Brands’
It’s exciting watching well-known brands duke it out in the marketing gauntlet, especially when business execs publicly declare a Battle Royale against major competitors. Such was last year’s throw down by Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn at the New York Auto Show claiming the Altima has the stuff to knock Toyota Camry off the best-selling U.S. sedan pedestal.
Our industry’s lifeblood is the midsize sedan category, representing approximately one quarter of the total auto and light truck market in sales volume. Across Jumpstart Automotive Group’s channel of third-party automotive websites, the sedan segment is the largest vehicle category, representing 36 percent of total shopping activity.
In this highly competitive segment where even a fraction of a percent in loss of share can be catastrophic, the marketing stakes are higher than most.
Jumpstart recently analyzed messaging, creative, rollout strategies and the social and mobile efforts of three chief contenders vying to overtake Toyota for the number one sedan sales spot—the Nissan Altima, the Honda Accord and the Ford Fusion—to gauge how marketers duke it out in heated brand battles like this. Campaign highlights follow.
Nissan Altima
The Download: Nissan marketers are clever, creative and funny. Knocking Toyota Camry off its pedestal will take a lot more than... Read more
Tags: branding, Digital Marketing, marketing, online advertising, online marketing, social media marketing, social media strategy
Posted in Opinions | No Comments »
