Marketing

One of the biggest attractions at this year’s reborn Detroit auto show stemmed from a grassroots movement that began as a way to spread cheer among Jeep owners during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. After watching the social media-fueled phenomenon known as “ducking” spread rapidly, Jeep embraced it by setting up the world’s

Toyota Motor Corp. is forgoing a traditional product pitch in a new marketing campaign designed to connect with consumers on a more personal level. The “Never Settle” campaign will comprise seven broadcast commercials touching on various themes. One spot called “A New World” explores the possibilities that await a newborn baby just leaving the hospital.

Lexus, one of the most prominent brand backers of the first “Black Panther” movie, is back for the seque — this time using the movie to plug an electric vehicle.  The campaign, called “An Electric Future,” features the 2023 Lexus RZ 450e, the Toyota-owned luxury brand’s first battery electric vehicle. A 90-second ad features members

Kentucky’s governor celebrated the upcoming redesign of Ford Motor Co.’s Super Duty pickups by adding an “R” to the state’s name for a day. “Kentuckians have been building Ford trucks since the Model T, and we are thrilled this tradition is going to continue with the all-new Ford F-Series Super Duty,” Gov. Andy Beshear said

How should we think of certified pre-owned vehicles? Are these used vehicles, new vehicles, or should we stick to calling them “like-new”? Regardless of how we classify certified vehicles, we treat them like a different product. How we market, advertise, label and sell these vehicles proves that. Exiting the Great Recession, sales of certified pre-owned

When it comes to brand loyalty, a recent study shows mainstream brand Ford and luxury brand Tesla are the most successful. S&P Global Mobility released its quarterly loyalty insights in a webinar titled “Loyalty viewed from a broad perspective” Tuesday. Loyalty is measured by the number of households that return to the vehicle market and

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The redesigned Mitsubishi Outlander and its about-to-arrive plug-in hybrid variant are more than an infusion of new blood into an anemic product lineup of just four nameplates for the Japanese automaker. The midsize crossovers are billed as a launch pad to propel Mitsubishi beyond its low six-digit annual volumes and bargain-brand

Subaru has the best reputation among U.S. mass-market auto brands, according to the 2022 Automotive Reputation Report. On the luxury side, Lexus earned the top spot, according to Reputation, a customer feedback company that helps businesses improve customer experience. Subaru took the top spot this year after finishing second to Nissan in 2021. Lexus also rose

Dinosaurs abound at this year’s Detroit auto show. No, this isn’t the start of a joke about local automakers living in the past or President Joe Biden’s visit last week. Dozens of lifelike dinosaur replicas are scattered around the convention hall as part of an attraction organizers are calling Dinosaur and Off-Road Vehicle Encounter. There’s

The supplier International Automotive Components Group used the Detroit auto show as a chance to highlight its products — not at a booth, but on a gown worn by one of its top executives. IAC Group said a team of its designers and seamstresses created the bespoke gown for Iwona Niec Villaire, its chief administrative

More than 1,000 Ford Mustangs from every era were on hand for last week’s reveal of the seventh-generation pony car. Ford Motor Co. summoned Mustang owners from around the U.S. to Detroit to take part in the event. Some came from as far as Tacoma, Wash., with cars joining the procession along a nine-state, cross-country

DETROIT — Chevrolet will begin its first big mainstream marketing push for its new generation of electric vehicles Sunday with a spate of ads airing during NFL football. The ads, focusing on the Equinox EV, Silverado EV and Blazer EV, which are due to arrive at dealerships in 2023, will stress the theme “built for

DETROIT — Chevrolet will begin its first big mainstream marketing push for its new generation of electric vehicles Sunday with a spate of ads airing during NFL football. The ads, focusing on the Equinox EV, Silverado EV and Blazer EV, which are due to arrive at dealerships in 2023, will stress the theme “built for

General Motors said it will be the first brand marketer to integrate with NBCUnified, the first-party data and identity platform of NBCUniversal’s network of TV, streaming and digital properties. The integration will allow for privacy-compliant, anonymized matching of GM’s first-party database and custom audiences of car buyers at various stages in the decision-making process with

DETROIT — The 2022 Detroit auto show, which returns this week after a 44-month hiatus, won’t be the media-centric news extravaganza of years past. Only about 10 new vehicles are slated to be unveiled, fewer than half the usual number of journalists are registered to attend, and many major automakers are skipping it altogether. And

Volvo Cars’ bestselling XC60 crossover has a problem: Its customer base is the oldest of any Volvo model. To introduce the midsize crossover to younger buyers, the Swedish automaker collaborated with YouTuber Andrew Huang. The Canadian content creator produced a video that is a soundtrack of vehicle sounds — clicking seat belts, blinking headlights, shutting

Ringless voicemails, a phone call method that deposits a message directly into a consumer’s voicemail box without the typical ring sound, has been a way some dealerships and other companies have skirted restrictions surrounding automated marketing calls. The technology’s legality has been in dispute for over a half decade. While the Federal Communications Commission and

Volvo Cars’ bestselling XC60 crossover has a problem — it has the oldest customer body of any Volvo model. XC60 customers are 55 years old, or about five years older than the Volvo brand’s average. To introduce the midsize crossover to younger buyers, the Swedish automaker has collaborated with YouTuber Andrew Huang. The Canadian content