Apr
15

How to turn the reusable grocery bag into an automotive marketing machine

By | Advermarketing

BagLead

Apologize for craptastic image. Photoshop died. Resorted to Paint.

I hate grocery stores. They are cold and filled with people who are either slink around aimlessly or speed down aisles like Supermarket Sweep contestants; both of which are irritating.

People, driving a grocery cart is like driving a car; similar rules apply. Don’t block the box, look both ways and most importantly don’t park in a NO PARKING ZONE (like in front of the meat section).

As frustrating as grocery shopping can be, it does give me a chance to [Read more...]

Apr
12

2014 Jeep Cherokee: An explosion of off-road colors

By | Advermarketing, Industry

ColorJeepLeadAfter writing about the Jeep Cherokee earlier today I started to wonder  how it might look like in a few other colors.

Using what little knowledge I have of Photoshop, I made the following colorized versions of Jeep’s new CUV in Trailhawk trim. (CLICK READ MORE  FOR AN EXPLOSION OF COLORFUL JEEPS) [Read more...]

Mar
12

Search the Facebook Garage for a friend’s opinion

By | Advermarketing, Social

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FBGarageYou look out into your company’s parking lot. In a sea of fluidic and kinetic automotive beauty sits your square, dated and unimaginative car. You think to yourself, “I really need a new car”.

But you’ve been out of the car market for years – where do you even start?

When we have questions – we search online. The search bar has become a reflex for inquiry. But is it the best tool when it comes to car buying research – yes and no.

For general information and to begin your automotive homework the search bar is ideal. “Is the new Civic any good” or “Safest car for kids” – easily things that can be answered by the World Wide Web. But once you’ve found your answers you have to ask yourself: Is this a trusted source? What if I have more questions? [Read more...]

Mar
11

Game of Thrones is no place for automotive content

By | Advermarketing

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GoTLeadAutomakers love the opportunity to have their vehicles star in a hit TV series or movie. Hyundai and The Walking Dead, Jaguar and Mad Men, Chrysler and Fast and Furious 6; and the list goes on and on.

This is nothing more than good ol’ fashioned product placement. Brands have been doing it since the beginning of advertising. In many cases product placement works well, especially if combined with an appropriately timed and strategized campaign across other mediums to build on the groundswell of brand chatter. But that doesn’t mean it always works well.

Game of Thrones

At the end of this month the long awaited HBO series Game of Thrones returns. Disclaimer: I’m a big fan.

[Read more...]

Nov
07

Automakers as media makers?

By | Advermarketing, Social

Click the arrow below to have me read this post to you.

If you’re reading this you’re connected to the internet. If you’re connected to the internet you know Felix Baumgartner. In case you don’t, here is a quick recap of who he is and what he did.  Felix jumped from a balloon-space-capsule 128,000 ft. above the earth, fell towards the ground at 833 MPH, opened a parachute and landed, alive.

This historic endeavor was brought to you by…Red Bull. Yes, the energy drink.

The significance, apart from the gigabytes of data on what happens when you turn a human into a rocket and break the sound barrier, was the marketing story.

This event generated reactions across the global scientific community, but it also stirred up [Read more...]

Oct
24

Xbox SmartGlass for Brands

By | Advermarketing

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This week Xbox published a walkthrough video on YouTube of a new application called SmartGlass. This technology will forever change how humans interact with brands while consuming media.

The technology was first showcased during the annual E3 tech geek conference earlier this year. The most recent video shows exactly how the technology works and more importantly gives users (and marketers) a glimpse of ways they may use it.

The app can be downloaded on any tablet or smart phone and allows users to interact with their Xbox.

In one example a video that is being watched on a tablet is transferred directly to the Xbox allowing users to consume media seamlessly from tablet to television.

But that isn’t the remarkable part.

Once the television is displaying the media content, the tablet becomes a supplement to that content. Instead of just displaying user controls such as scene selection or fast-forward, the tablet displays additional information relevant to the media being consumed (Watch the video below for more examples).

The internet has already declared a revolution in TV viewing since the dawn of the [Read more...]

Oct
18

Social Currency & Xboxmercials

By | Advermarketing, Social

A Trial In Digital Marketing

Each day automakers search for innovative ways to influence buyers.  Marketers continue to improve their ability to coordinate digital into their traditional campaigns. Why is digital important? Simply put – today’s technology allows marketers to be flexible, accurate, engaging and measurable. The average American has an incredible array of tech constantly at their fingertips, each of which create a new challenges (losing viewers) and new opportunities (gaining new viewers)

Below are two concepts I had combining technology and automotive marketing.

We Don’t Need No Stinking Badges! 

This weekend I looked over Ford’s in-house social media platform – dubbed Ford Social. Much like its title, it’s a platform that allows people to share their stories, experiences and ideas with the brand. Users can also opt to select from an assortment of Ford-branded badges to represent their lifestyle or passion as it relates to Ford’s product offerings. Everything you do on Ford Social can be easily shared with your online friends through traditional social media, such as Facebook or Twitter.

While Ford has built a strikingly good looking and user-friendly platform, it lacks a bond to the real world. As good as it is, at some point users will revert back to both real-life and their traditional social media platforms where their friends and family live.

Badge, Move Over. Meet Money

While virtual badges are fun and expressive, free stuff is [Read more...]

Oct
16

Should brands live tweet TV?

By | Advermarketing, Social

When watching TV automakers have two chances to put product & messaging in front of your eyeballs: the traditional 30-60 second ad or in-show product placement.

The advent of the digital video recorder has given users the ability to skip past commercials pushing automakers towards product placement as the operative eyeball grabbing media buy.

In case you aren’t familiar with what automotive product placement looks like - I’ll describe it for you.  During a television show it typically comes in the form of a long akward shot of a vehicle or its navigation system. It can also present itself as an out-of-place comment about a vehicle’s fuel economy while doing something unrelated, like speeding to catch a murderer.  That is product placement.

The most recent Nielsen Cross-Platform Report showed that viewers who watched Live [Read more...]

Oct
12

Hyundai – More zombie. Please?

By | Advermarketing

Hyundai launched an ad campaign last week titled “Don’t Tell” to showcase the 2013 Santa Fe (video below). The ads showcase children taking part in various risky activities with one parent, who reminds them not to tell the other parent.

Because it’s never to earlier to teach your child the art of deception.

In one scene a dad sits in the back of the new Santa Fe with his kids watching a scary movie at the [Read more...]

Aug
30

Chrysler: Ram Jam and Caring for Commercial

By | Advermarketing, Industry

During my early morning coffee and country music routine, I came across a video (below) featuring Zach Brown Band and Ram Trucks. The video was a promotion for Ram Jam, an invitation-only country shindig that’s sure to be a hell of a good time with performances by Billy Currington, Zach Brown, Easton Corbin… just to name a few.

Cause marketing, wrapped into a pertinent celebrity endorsement with a lead-generating contest too? AND it’s all very well done? What more could a brand ask for!

I enjoyed the video. It wasn’t in your face. There were no long shots of interior features or lines being read from a marketing brochure. Zach Brown is a genuine country boy and this likely resonates very well with the more committed truck owner. He even goes on to make fun of those who buy trucks and don’t use them saying, “if it isn’t dented or dirty you aren’t using it right.” I give this spot an A++.

Trucks Do Work

Ram has done a good job of keeping their messaging simple – Our trucks do work. They even have a dedicated model, The Tradesman, which is [Read more...]

May
30

Free Satellite Radio! Brought to You By…

By | Advermarketing

Many airplanes today offer in-flight WiFi. For a few dollars you can browse, Tweet or meme away at 30,000 ft.  Occasionally a brand will foot the WiFi bill, giving passengers the ability to roam the web at no cost. They do this in exchange for an advertising opportunity.

On my way into work, I accidently clicked over to the satellite radio input. I don’t have a subscription, so all I could hear was the preview station. That got me thinking – could the same free Wi-Fi advertising tactic that works for in-flight WiFi also work for Sirius XM.

According to Sirius XM’s advertising page, [Read more...]

May
22

ROI of an Autograph

By | Advermarketing, Industry, Social

There’s nothing like them. I’ve been to several. Even helped organize a handful. What makes them special is their beginning. They are grassroots – born out of passion and love. They are independent, self-governed, a republic of mechanical showcase. 365 days a year thousands take place across the US, some big – some small, all important in their own way. Cultures and communities collide to share their love, their work, their appreciation. They are car shows and I love them.

This weekend I attended a local car show, the 5th annual Moparpalooza. The show brought together every brand that has ever lived under the Chrysler pentastar. The event raised money for the Fisher House Foundation, a nonprofit that provides housing to families of wounded warriors while they receive care.

The show was in high gear. The parking lot filled with [Read more...]

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