http://www.headlightblog.com Just another WordPress weblog Fri, 27 Jun 2008 02:54:22 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en It seems that phone integration has become something of a grail quest within the automobile industry.Prior to the release of the iPhone there were rumors circulating that Apple and Volkswagen were planning to collaborate on an "i-Car." Despite being a brand-match made in heaven, the deal never got off the ... http://www.headlightblog.com/2008/06/when-your-car-is-your-phone-envisioning-the-convergence-of-mobile-computing-and-automobiles/ Even as mobile browsing and pageviews among smartphone users have increased substantially in the past year, 89 and 127 percent respectively, according to M:Metrics, the development of mobile automotive sites has not kept pace.Consumers who are looking to access third-party and automaker sites from their mobile devices have few to ... http://www.headlightblog.com/2008/06/lots-of-room-for-growth-with-mobile-automotive-sites/ In the U.S. alone there are upward of 250 million mobile phones whose owners would feel naked without them. Combine these sheer audience numbers with the carriers offering more affordable data plans, the improvement in device capabilities and the buzz capturing 3G iPhone, and it would seem to be an ... http://www.headlightblog.com/2008/06/automotive-mobile-marketing%e2%80%99s-devil-is-in-the-details/ Full-line automakers such as Toyota Motor Corp., General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., possessing some of the largest marketing budgets in the world, are not new to emerging media. They often spend heavily in all media, including online, video and mobile. According to Advertising Age’s 100 ... http://www.headlightblog.com/2008/06/the-auto-industry-increases-appetite-for-mobile-marketing-dealers-get-in-the-game/ With consumer interest in hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles continuing to follow the same trajectory as gasoline prices, an increasing percentage of these potential buyers are more interested in saving cash at the pump than in saving the planet. No matter what a consumer's motivation may be for purchasing a ... http://www.headlightblog.com/2008/06/the-hybrid-promise-one-owners-experience/ Jeep suggests we have fun out there somewhere Last July Jeep launched a new brand campaign with "Have fun out there" as the tagline. One interesting component of the campaign was the ability it gave Jeep owners and enthusiasts to share photos and videos on Flickr and YouTube or to become ... http://www.headlightblog.com/2008/05/epiblog-have-fun-out-there/ When it comes to shopping for a car, few things are more influential than the opinion of an actual car owner. A trusted opinion can instantly crush or inflate a consumer’s confidence in a vehicle. Third-party automotive sites recognize this influence by prominently featuring the opinions of car owners through ... http://www.headlightblog.com/2008/05/the-untapped-power-of-owner-communities/ Recent research from the Journal of Advertising Research highlights that offline brand advocacy is significantly impacted by online word of mouth for the automotive product category. We also know that a significant amount of the online word of mouth happens at social media destinations. So how can an auto manufacturer ... http://www.headlightblog.com/2008/05/an-automotive-social-influence-marketing-wish-list/ A PR manager for a major electronics manufacturer once told me he was deathly afraid that members of a popular bulletin board would figure out that his firm was monitoring the forum. The company had already introduced a major product innovation that had been inspired by activity on the board ... http://www.headlightblog.com/2008/05/conversational-marketing-the-art-of-talking-with-your-customers-not-at-them/ Green is no longer just one of several hues in which a vehicle is available, but a lifestyle choice. All of the leading third-party consumer automotive research and shopping sites now have dedicated green or hybrid sections along with buyer’s guides devoted to helping consumers select vehicles that best match ... http://www.headlightblog.com/2008/04/car-shopping-now-includes-the-eco-filter/