The automotive sector led all categories in media spending, topping the charts at roughly $20 Billion last year. Vehicle manufacturer’s large budgets and constant need for innovation in marketing give them both the means and the motivation to test and push new channels and tactics more aggressively than other verticals.
In their highly competitive market, automakers’ must be progressive in appealing to shoppers in their desired media. Especially among the younger more technically savvy demographic. Consumer shift to new media has led to huge double digit growth in both mobile and social media. The European brands have picked up massive followings on Facebook and Twitter, no surprise based on their traditionally strong brand loyalty. BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, Audi and Mercedes top the list.
On the mobile front, the domestics have done a much better job of getting their feet wet and appealing to the growing number of consumers on their mobile devices. Chrysler, Ford and GM all have built awareness and messaging of their brands via mobile websites and apps. According to Millennial, automakers’ who invested in their mobile websites and applications experienced a 623 percent growth year-over-year in visitor activity.
Manufacturer’s aside, dealers have the most to gain from leveraging mobile platforms and social media. Social media gives dealers that rare opportunity to build relationships and keep in constant communication with their customers. This is pure gold in the highly competitive, price driven vehicle market. On the mobile front, dealers that are able to leverage location based services, SMS and shopper applications will get a huge leg up on the competition.
With the Social Media audience growing exponentially and mobile internet usage expected to take up 25% of all web traffic in the next calendar year, opportunity is ripe for the taking. Those automakers’ and manufacturers that can successfully message and leverage these emerging audiences will grow their business. Companies that do not invest in the aforementioned will lose market share and will struggle to survive.
It seems like a no brainer to invest in mobile and improve their social media presence, but I am always surprised at how conservative and inactive companies and executives can be.
You lost me, friend. I mean, I suppose I get what youre stating. I understand what you are saying, but you just seem to have forgotten that you can find some other people within the world who look at this matter for what it definitely is and may possibly not agree with you. You might be turning away many of individuals who might have been supporters of your blog.
At last manufacturing understands benefits of social media. Recently came across new social media website http://www.jinglebird.com. It will be very helpful to create local community that change the way small business trying to reach people in local house holds. Very interesting…
Great article. I agree with most of your points, but would extend it and say that with the advent of social media, a large number of auto dealerships are forgetting about the fundamentals (such as SEO), and really need to remember that marketing online needs to holistic in it’s execution. Only 7% (or so I have read) of dealership traffic is currently coming from social media. Although this is certain to grow, there are still millions of searches conducted each week for vehicles. Mobile on the other hand is probably one of the most affordable, and best ways to utilize their marketing budgets moving forward.
Hi nice article,
At the moment I am writing a Thesis on Branded aplications and was intrested in your qoute:
“Mobile internet usage expected to take up 25% of all web traffic in the next calendar year”
Where did you get this from? It is yet another good argument in why brands need to focus more on the mobile platform and did not see this one before.
Tanks in advance
Hi Matt
Very interesting points made in your article.
Do you have any further evidence to substantiate the Millenian figure quoted of 623%?
we would like to bring this piece into our news site, but need to substantiate such a figure.
Keep it social!
Stuart
Stuart,
Thanks for the post. I do not have access to the full report, but I had received that info via a communication from the below publisher. Check out the below URL, some additional figures are also included.
http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/research/8903.html
Thanks.