Marketing

Kia returns to Super Bowl for 6th consecutive year

6:26 am U.S. ET | Jan. 27, 2015

Kia's 2015 Super Bowl commercial will star Pierce Brosnan parodying his role as James Bond....
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Mercedes debuts Super Bowl ad on 'Ellen' show

3:49 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 26, 2015

Mercedes-Benz premiered its Super Bowl ad for the AMG GT sports car -- an edgy take on the fabled tortoise vs. hare race -- on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”...
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BMW Super Bowl ad compares i3 with early Internet

10:20 am U.S. ET | Jan. 26, 2015

In BMW's Super Bowl spot, the brand is casting its electric i3 hatchback as an ahead-of-its-time concoction that needs some explaining -- just like the Internet back in 1994. BMW debuted the 60-second ad today -- its first Super Bowl ad in four years -- on NBC's “Today.” It will run during the first quarter....
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For Infiniti Q50, 'we need to give it some love' in ads

12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 26, 2015

Infiniti's new global ad agency will help "re-stimulate" the brand's volume leader, the Q50 sedan, this spring, nearly two years after its U.S. launch....
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Super Bowl advertisers hype their messages early and often

12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 26, 2015

Building an elaborate pregame hype machine reflects a growing trend among Super Bowl advertisers: To get the most bang for the buck from the biggest advertising event of the year, use social media early and often -- emphasis on "early."...
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Social isn't selling cars, Acura chief says

12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 25, 2015

The promise of social media helping dealers to sell cars has yet to be realized, says Mike Accavitti, Acura division general manager....
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Many auto brands pass on Super Bowl ads

12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 24, 2015

The Super Bowl has lost its allure this year for some auto brands that have used the big game to launch new products, choosing instead to use their ad budgets elsewhere. So far, six brands -- BMW, Kia, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Toyota -- are expected to run spots during the game, which airs next Sunday on NBC. Last year, 11 auto brands ran commercials during the game....
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Getting creative to get noticed at NADA

5:53 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 24, 2015

Big vendors can afford the big bucks. But smaller outfits need to think outside the box if they want to get noticed by as many attendees for as few dollars as possible. Here's how some do it....
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NICK BUNKLEY

Could a Super Bowl loss deflate car sales in New England or Seattle?

4:45 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 24, 2015

Cars are emotional purchases for consumers. A Wisconsin dealer told me he got clear evidence of that this week, after the Green Bay Packers were eliminated from the NFL playoffs is heartbreaking fashion....
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NADA offers a dealers' guide to federal advertising rules

5:53 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 24, 2015

NADA announced a new Dealer Guide to Federal Advertising Requirements aimed at helping dealerships avoid trouble with the Federal Trade Commission, especially over advertising for lease and finance terms....
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Hyundai is the latest carmaker to 'take a time out' from Super Bowl

9:08 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 23, 2015

Hyundai isn't running a Super Bowl ad for the first time since 2006. The list of auto advertisers for the game continues to dwindle this year....
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JAMES B. TREECE

Where are you spending your dollars on digital?

5:00 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 23, 2015

The impact of digital tools on dealerships' marketing has grown exponentially. Those tools have been a hot topic at the last few NADA conventions. But it may be time for the focus to shift....
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VINCE BOND JR.

Toyota channels Muhammad Ali for Camry Super Bowl spot

1:59 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 23, 2015

Toyota channels boxing legend Muhammad Ali in its Camry Super Bowl spot about overcoming obstacles. “How Great I Am” was originally slated to run pre-game, but Toyota confirmed today that it will now run in the first quarter....
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LINDSAY CHAPPELL

The other side of the digital ad craze

7:15 am U.S. ET | Jan. 23, 2015

One veteran ad agency owner has some advice for dealers pondering a shift in their marketing outlays: Don't be so quick to change horses....
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George Gibson, chief engineer of the Dodge Dart, dies at 92

9:17 am U.S. ET | Jan. 23, 2015

George Gibson Jr., a former chief engineer for Dodge, died Wednesday in Rochester, Minn. He was 92....
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New Ram ads feature singer Miranda Lambert

7:14 am U.S. ET | Jan. 23, 2015

Ram's newest advertising blitz features singer Miranda Lambert and her song, “Roots and Wings,” written exclusively for the campaign. The campaign includes television, print, digital, social media and long form video elements....
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Nissan uses zany videos to boost Super Bowl spot

4:51 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 22, 2015

Nissan is letting YouTube stars add their own flavor to the automaker's Super Bowl storyline....
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Independent repair shops edge out dealership mechanics in customer satisfaction survey

3:27 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 22, 2015

When it comes to vehicle repairs, independent shops may be pleasing customers more than mechanics at dealerships' service bays, a Consumer Reports' survey said today....
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BEST PRACTICES

Service bays turn to text messaging

12:00 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 22, 2015

In an increasingly digital, on-the-go world, Dale Snow's challenge was to devise the most effective way to update millennials on car repairs....
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TrueCar says more than half of its web traffic now is mobile

8:13 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 21, 2015

As technology plays a more pivotal role in the vehicle-shopping process, mobile shoppers, for the first time, have begun to make up the majority of TrueCar's web traffic....
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Why auto show display design is tricky

3:21 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 21, 2015

Automakers and suppliers spent an estimated $300 million building out displays for this year's Detroit auto show. Scott Kellner, vice president of marketing for display maker George P. Johnson Co., says display spending is getting smarter, not larger....
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Audi to sit out Super Bowl for first time in 7 years

10:39 am U.S. ET | Jan. 20, 2015

Volkswagen's Audi brand, for the first time in seven years, isn't advertising during the Super Bowl this year, a spokesman confirmed today. The news comes a day after a Ford spokeswoman said the Ford and Lincoln brands wouldn't participate either....
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Kia challenges you to out-stare NBA star Blake Griffin

8:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 20, 2015

Kia is inviting people to a digital stare-off with NBA star Blake Griffin --- “Blink Griffin” -- with an interactive site using webcam technology that recognizes and responds to blinks....
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Ford, Lincoln say no Super Bowl ads as more brands stay on sidelines

3:28 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 19, 2015

Ford and Lincoln will not run Super Bowl commercials this year, a spokeswoman confirmed today, as more automakers sit out the game. So far, 6 brands plan to run ads this year compared with 11 last year....
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HANS GREIMEL

Acura exec drops the chalupa, runs for the border

8:00 am U.S. ET | Jan. 19, 2015

Acura boss Mike Accavitti let a case of the Mexican munchies get the better of him when he conceded Taco Bell was a source of marketing inspiration for his luxury auto marque....
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