http://www.headlightblog.com Digital Automotive Trends and Insights from Razorfish Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:17:26 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Automotive consumers have been asking for change for a long time. Changes that improve how they shop, how they buy and, most importantly, their overall experience and satisfaction. Instead of selling through their customer base year after year, smart dealerships have been listening to their guests. In doing so, car dealers ... http://www.headlightblog.com/2010/02/six-technologies-that-will-facilite-change-within-the-automotive-retail-industry/ There’s no question that Toyota is in deep trouble with its current recall crisis. But could these issues actually be helping its brand? Shockingly, an analysis of Toyota shows that its Social Influence Marketing (SIM) Score saw an uptick in January. Who’d have thought that a crisis of such significant ... http://www.headlightblog.com/2010/02/could-the-toyota-recall-crisis-be-helping-the-brand/ A recent research report from Borrell Associates projects that the total U.S. ad spend for new cars will rise to $19.2 billion this year from the low of $18.4 billion in 2009. Of that total spend, franchised car dealers account for the majority of all auto ad dollars spent online. ... http://www.headlightblog.com/2010/02/are-you-paying-more-attention-to-paid-search-in-2010/ At this point most automotive marketers know that search marketing is an incredible vehicle for reaching their target customers. It’s highly relevant, highly targetable and is generally one of the most efficient and effective channels in a marketer’s ad mix. The problem with search marketing, though, is that it doesn’t ... http://www.headlightblog.com/2010/02/three-ways-to-extend-a-search-marketing-program/ Facebook Fan Pages have become the most recent in a long line of social media "must-haves" for automotive marketers –- but what do they really tell you? And are they even helpful? Does a high fan count equal success? It's no surprise that lots of people feel strongly about their favorite automotive ... http://www.headlightblog.com/2010/01/using-facebook-fans-to-improve-automotive-marketing/ Mercedes-Benz mbrace, a new telematics platform that Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) launched recently, is the first such system to have a companion mobile application. The app lets registered mbrace customers lock and unlock vehicle doors as well as locate their vehicle from within the vicinity of one mile. The app also ... http://www.headlightblog.com/2010/01/a-more-connected-car-on-mercedes-benz-mobile-and-vehicle-telematics/ Editor’s Note: Headlightblog.com recently caught up with James Spahr, a UX Lead at Razorfish and pictured below, who has been working on the Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) account since Razorfish was selected as the digital agency of record in January 2009. This past summer James worked on a mobile website for ... http://www.headlightblog.com/2010/01/mobile-phone-as-a-second-opinion/ In a previous post for Headlightblog.com, I covered Citroën's plans to build a supercar that was originally designed for Polyphony Digital’s Gran Turismo 5 Prologue videogame. Recently, Mercedes-Benz announced that its SLS AMG supercar will be featured in Gran Turismo 5 (GT5), an expansion on Prologue that is scheduled for ... http://www.headlightblog.com/2009/12/mercedes-benz-sls-amg-in-gran-turismo-5/ Email offers the automotive industry a fantastic channel through which to build loyalty with consumers and add value to the car-ownership and brand experience. Further, with consumer spending dropping and marketers’ budgets being cut, it’s more important than ever to acknowledge the importance and effectiveness of the email channel and ... http://www.headlightblog.com/2009/11/a-step-by-step-guide-to-better-email-program-measurement/ Even though overall Certified Pre-Owned sales are down this year, a number of automakers -- including Hummer, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Subaru -- experienced double-digit sales increases between Jan.-Sept. 2009 compared to the same time period last year. Earlier this year the Digital Marketing group ... http://www.headlightblog.com/2009/11/media-case-study-lifting-performance-with-dynamic-creative-optimization/