With the explosion of social networks, blogs, and microblogging, monitoring the reputations of one’s brand has never been more important. TweetedBrands is an online service that publishes a list of 50 brands that are talked about the most on Twitter every day.

Please click the URL below for the full table.

Ford were the highest ranking automotive brand in 24th place with 2078 tweets, BMW were the next best placed in 30th with 1433 tweets.

Source: tweetedbrands.com/

A recent article published on business week in the US stated that Ford Motor Co in the states will spend 25% of its marketing dollars on digital media next year, more than twice the amount spent by the US industry.

According to J.D. Power, about 9% of spending this year by automakers will be digital, but that will rise to about 12% by 2012 as more companies embrace social networking, online gaming and rich media ads in place of traditional TV and print.

Speaking at J.D. Power’s Internet Marketing Roundtable in Las Vegas today, Ford’s chief marketing executive James Farley says the company has made a bigger digital and social media bet than rivals because, “If you are trying to communicate, as we are, that you have been reinventing the company , you can’t just say it. You have to get the people to say it to each other.”

Perhaps Ford’s biggest single bet on digital and social media has been the Fiesta Movement, a program that began in 2008, 18 months before the cars will actually arrive in dealerships. Ford gave 100 European Fiestas to people to drive and live with. The results of the blogging, Facebooking, Youtubing and Tweeting by those people, plus the echoing of those messages by the blogosphere, followers, etc. has been an eye opener.

Consider this: The awareness level of Fiesta, a car that is not even in the U.S. yet (though it has been a fixture in Europe for years), is 37% among Generation Y, according to Ford-commissioned surveys. That is about equal to the awareness level of Fusion and Flex, models that have received, especially in the case of Fusion, hundreds of millions of dollars in traditional media spend. “The Fiesta movement has changed the way the whole company views media planning and buying,” Farley said at the conference.

Here is one of the videos submitted to Ford by someone wanting to be one of the 100 Fiesta drivers:

If that isn’t an indictment of the impact of traditional media, and the power of viral and social media, I’m not sure what is.

Ford isn’t saying what it’s cost on the program is. But it says that just the Fiesta Movement has created 11 million social networking impressions; five million engagements on social networks (people sharing and receiving); 11,000 videos have been posted; 15,000 Tweets (not including re-tweets), 13,000 photos. And the cars have been driven over one million real-world miles by the 100 participants.

The Fiesta Movement will end in November, after which Ford will start to ramp up a pre-launch and then launch media campaign, which will include actual TV, print, outdoor, etc.

The driver of the strategy, as well as other Ford digital efforts is Scott Monty, who arrived at Ford in mid 2008 after working in a digital marketing boutique in Cambridge, Mass.

At the J.D. Power conference, a lot of people are asking about the return-on-investment of social media spending. Monty says each company has to define success for itself. “We have put together metrics with partners that track our brand: how many mentions, how many are positive sentiment, our reputation, etc.” But, he is quick to add,” You can’t be too obsessed with measuring to prove the investment is worth it, at least right now.”

As long as Ford’s key measurements of progress on its image and purchase consideration keep rising, says Monty, Ford makes certain assumptions that the investment in digital, and specifically social media is a key driver. “Our news this year in terms of not taking a government bailout, the rise in share price and our product validations from J.D. Power, Consumer Reports are all driving the measures, but its digital communications that is amplifying the news and echoing it among consumers.,” says Monty. “It’s difficult for ads to do justice to the opportunity we have right now.”

Besides the awareness levels of Fiesta, though, Monty says Ford has built a list of more than 50,000 “hand-raisers” who say they definitely want to stay on top of the launch of Fiesta and want more information because they are inclined to buy one based on what they have seen and read. Ninety-seven percent of those people, says Monty, are non-Ford owners.

“Those are the kinds of numbers that show us that we are on the right track with what we are doing.”

While Monty and other members of Ford’s marketing/public relations department Facebook and Tweet, the company, unlike GM and Chrysler, have no blog. “The whole point is to get other people talking,” says Farley. The company proliferates video content on the Internet at sites such as Fordstory.com and Youtube.com making those images and “brand assets” available for easy sharing.

Take this video, part of Ford's online video storytelling:

Gary Dilts, senior vice president of J.D. Power’s global automotive practice, who is former sales chief at Chrysler, says he would have thought any company “crazy for starting such a marketing program 18 months ahead of showroom launch.” But, Dilts added, “I think the Fiesta campaign, and the other digital video Ford is running is already a case study for any marketer in or out of the auto industry.”

One of the areas of social media Monty has grappled with is when to enter a debate going on in the blogosphere. On website Jalopnik.com, for example, Ford has taken hits over issues such as the costs to fly one of its executives back and forth between a Florida home, and Monty’s own Tweeting practices. Monty says he believes it is good policy to engage with consumers and bloggers in the social media spaces, but not all the time. “If we feel we are being baited or it’s someone just looking for a smack-down, I don’t believe it’s useful to engage,” he says.

Up to now, Monty’s responsibility as Ford’s social media chief has been concentrated on North America. But he is gearing up to take his job globally, coordinating social media practices among Ford’s global operating units, all of which, under CEO Alan Mulally and Farley, are much more answerable to Michigan headquarters than in the past.

“The Ford brand is being managed globally for the first time, and social media is going to be a big part of that,” says Monty.

Source: http://www.businessweek.com/autos/autobeat/archives/2009/10/ford_spending_2.html

What marketing technique could be more immersive for consumers than literally immersing them in the world of a campaign? With the help of the latest augmented reality technology, brands like Wise Foods, Kia Motors, and Nestle are reaching out to younger demographics and letting them reach right back.

Augmented reality uses computers and webcams to combine live-action with graphics and animated images -- much like a sports commentator who draws on an instant-replay image to point out the details of a play. 

AR holds potential for a wide range of industrial and consumer uses, but marketing projects are one of the few areas where augmented reality tech companies are doing steady business today, according to an article in BusinessWeek. 

For example, AR technology company, Total Immersion, created a game for Kia Motors, which allows users to sit in front of their computers and drop on-screen hamsters into a Kia Soul -- without use of a mouse or keyboard .

"It has grown so quickly because it can fit within a website, it's fairly inexpensive, and it's a new thing," says Greg Davis, U.S. general manager at AR technology company Total Immersion.

The total market for augmented reality is expected to hit $350 million in 2014, up from about $6 million in 2008, according to ABI Research. Of the total five years from now, almost $170 million will come from mobile augmented reality advertising.

Source: imediaconnection.com

Another month has flown past so it's time to check out the latest and greatest online ads. The lucky winner of Flashtalking's Campaign of the Month for October is... (and remember to nominate for November). Air New Zealand Personality Allowed (Albion/Walker Media) - great use of targeted Google-maps and sequenced content.

It was tricky this month as all the shortlisted ads were very good, well worth you checking out: Ford Kuga (Futurecom interactive AG / Mindshare AG) Very high-impact takeover, great example of Flashtalking's screen grab morph solution to pass an image of the live web page into the creative. www.flashtalking.com/showcase/fordch_webcapture/

 
Source: flashtalking.com/awards/

Traditional online vehicle search functions only amplify this problem. The usual year, make, model, and style search forces consumers to wade through confusing names and may inadvertently eliminate many good vehicle choices. In addition, these types of searches do not allow retailers to gather valuable market intelligence regarding consumer preferences, which can help in targeted marketing. In short, traditional searches are about the vehicle, not the consumer, and are therefore stumbling blocks for many shoppers.

In the early 2000s, some automotive websites began implementing "lifestyle" searches. Named because they often depend on consumers answering a list of lifestyle questions -- questions that sought to categorize people as "sporty," or "career focused," or "family focused," for example -- these searches exposed consumers to a broader range of vehicles, but also forced them to pigeonhole themselves as a particular type of person. In addition, lifestyle searches still operate by focusing on the vehicle -- segmenting vehicle options by attributes like doors and engine size -- instead of on consumer needs.

It's time to go one step further and implement needs-based searches. These searches focus on the needs of the consumer, not on the vehicle. They are personalized and go beyond vehicle-centric options like engine size to what a consumer needs out of a vehicle. They allow consumers to search based on a number of different factors like gas mileage, available headroom, or off-road capability.

And now is the best time to implement this type of navigation. A recent independent study, commissioned by Chrome, revealed that a majority of consumers who bought or leased vehicles in the past 12 months changed vehicles because of their needs. Of particular note, 23 percent wanted better gas mileage, 8 percent needed more seating capacity, 7 percent didn't need as much capacity, 6 percent wanted more leg or headroom, and 4 percent wanted a vehicle with off-road or towing capacity. With traditional year, make, model and style searches, there is no way to help consumers find vehicles that match these needs quickly and easily.

The benefits of implementing needs-based searches

Educate consumers
Needs-based searches can expose consumers to a broad range of vehicles that may have never been on their radar. Allowing consumers to search by gas mileage, for example, may help them discover many vehicles they had not considered. Alternatively, they may learn that a vehicle they had their eyes on is not the best choice when fuel economy is a deciding factor.

Sell more new and used vehicles
Needs-based searches can also help you sell more new and used vehicles. With new vehicles, this type of search helps consumers understand which vehicle choices are available and showcases inventory that may not have previously made the consumer's short-list.  

For used vehicles, this type of search helps consumers navigate what, by definition, is a limited supply, since they can only choose from what is on the market or on a preferred dealer's lot. By helping them focus in on what is really important in a vehicle, the consumer can better locate a range of vehicles that fit their needs.

Gain market insight
Needs-based searches provide the opportunity to capture valuable demographic information and information about consumers' needs. Tracking user patterns can indicate the types of vehicles that consumers are searching for and help drive stocking or ordering decisions. This information can also be used to build a better customer profile, which allows for a better consumer experience.

Enable regional-based searching
A consumer in Florida may need cooled seats, while a consumer in North Dakota may need heated seats. Needs-based searches enable this type of specificity for a competitive advantage. A website that offers quick and easy access to this type of detail will offer much more value than a website with traditional search functionality where consumers have to comb through data to find specific details.

Factors to consider before implementation
There are technology solutions available that can make implementing needs-based searches time and cost-effective. These solutions can provide all the data and delivery, but what is key is conveying a search to the consumer in a way that intuitively makes sense and that meets the end objectives of your business model. You must determine what data to present, and how to lead consumers down the right path. To do this, two steps are required: identifying if you want to enable basic or advanced searches, and determining how to structure a search so that it meets the objectives of your business model.

Enabling basic or advanced searches
Needs-based searches generally fall into two categories: basic and advanced. The more advanced you get, the more tools you will be supporting, so it is important to accurately assess your capacity. A basic search provides consumers multiple ways of filtering available vehicles.

Consumers can search by factors like price, body type, and fuel economy. These searches can also expand to include features like seating or cargo capacity and horsepower. Automotive retailers who have a broad consumer base may want to implement a basic search because they work well for both casual shoppers and for consumers who want explicit details. Vehix.com, for example, has a broad user base, so it allows consumers to search by body style (convertible, coupe, SUV), type (hybrid, luxury, compact), or by price in $10,000 increments. Consumers can also do a traditional year, make, model, and style search.

Mazda.com also has a noteworthy basic search under its Mazda Model Selector. The company provides thumbnail photos of each model on one page. As a consumer hovers over a model, the photo magnifies, while filter tools at the side of the page indicate price, seating capacity, fuel economy, and horsepower. When consumers find a good fit, they can click on the model for more details.

An advanced search would form questions around needed features so consumers wouldn't be filtering vehicles, but narrowing down choices to find a better match. Often these types of searches take the form of a survey.  A good example of this type of advanced search is CarZen's CarConsult online tool.

CarConsult consists of multiple questions in the categories of needs (price, car size, usage), features (comfort, convenience, entertainment, safety), brands, traits (safety, green), and personality (classic, cutting-edge). It then returns a list of vehicles ranked by compatibility with desired attributes. In this way, CarZen streamlines the car search process and introduces consumers to vehicles they may not have previously considered.

Advanced search requires additional design consideration to convert target consumer needs to matching vehicle information. For example, you might use a scale of 1 to 5 to rank the importance of a consumer need for "powerful acceleration." You might then calculate the power-to-weight ratio of vehicles and then match the ratio ranges with each of the five points on the scale.

The challenge with an advanced search is to strike a balance between having enough parameters to be valuable, but not so many that consumers get bored or frustrated. CarZen solves this problem by offering a "Review Matches" button on every page of the survey, so consumers can get results at any step in the process.

An important point to remember when doing this is to weight the survey with the most important questions first. Advanced searches do require monitoring so they can be fine-tuned if consumers seem to be dropping out in the middle of the process. 

Structuring your needs-based search
The structure of a needs-based search depends on two primary factors: your audience and your business model. You have to know who is visiting your site and what type of information they seek. Once you answer these initial questions, you can create an experience that meets their expectations. 

A simple way to pose these questions is to include an online consumer survey for your website visitors. Questions could be as simple as asking what is driving them to consider a new vehicle, with multiple choice answers. Be sure to include an "other" option where consumers can write in a reason you may not have anticipated. Also, consider including some kind of incentive, such as an oil change coupon, or the chance to win a gift card to a popular local or national store, to encourage participation. Ideally, you should also use A-B testing to run two parallel versions of various pages or workflows to learn which version yields the best result or user experience.

Your business model will also help you narrow down your end objective. For example, media sites depend upon advertising revenue. They can use needs-based searches in the automotive space to introduce more website pages for advertising and to better target advertising to the consumer. Automotive buying sites want to generate high-quality vehicle leads. They can use needs-based searches to help a consumer narrow down vehicle choices so that when they submit a lead, it is better qualified. Dealerships want to sell more vehicles. They can use a needs-based search tied to their inventory to increase the number of vehicles that match consumer needs and convert leads to sales at a higher rate. A consumer who goes through the process of matching his or her needs with a particular vehicle in inventory is essentially pre-qualified before ever setting a foot on the lot. Even better, tracking the workflow of this consumer on your site and providing a summary to your sales team along with the lead gives the salesperson valuable insight into the consumer's likely vehicle preferences.

Implementing needs-based searches alongside traditional searches is an optimal way to ensure consumers can quickly and easily find the vehicle that best meets their needs. As a result, automotive sites can capture more consumer traffic and drive up look to buy ratios. 

Pete Batten is general manager, Chrome Systems.

Lexus will sponsor in-flight Wi-Fi on American Airlines during the first week of November, the two brands said yesterday. Passengers will be given the free access code, 2010LEXUSLS, when boarding the airline's wireless-enabled planes to promote the manufacturer's new car.

Lexus also gets display ads during the flights as part of an undisclosed deal, according to an American Airlines spokesperson. The banners will appear on the portal pages for the in-flight, paid-subscriber-based wireless Internet provider Gogo, which also services select routes by AirTran, Delta, and Virgin America.

American Airlines has begun implementing Wi-Fi on its fleet of Boeing 767-200s that run transcontinental routes and on some its MD-80 models. In late March, the brand said it wanted to enable more than 300 jets with wireless access by 2011.

The Lexus announcement comes on the heels of a flurry of developments for the emerging in-flight Wi-Fi ad medium. In early October, Row 44 and JiWire disclosed they were working with Southwest and Alaska Airlines to let advertisers target passengers with promos via a shopping portal called "Skytown Center."

In May, Virgin became the first to offer Wi-Fi on its entire fleet of planes. More recently, a survey by the industry group Wi-Fi Alliance discovered that 76 percent of the 480 frequent business travelers asked would choose an airline based on the availability of in-flight Internet. More than 70 percent of those interviewed would select an airline with Wi-Fi over one that provided meal service, and 55 percent said they would change their itinerary by one day if it meant getting the in-flight service.

Overall, it appears that the days of catching business flights and being excused from working because of a lack of e-mail or Web-based communication are probably numbered. Get ready for online meetings at 30,000 feet, folks.

Source: http://www.clickz.com/3635525