Omni Automotive Advertising Blog

San Francisco, CA (Feb. 11) - The American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA) this week honored past chairman and longtime board member, Joseph D. O’Brien, Jr. of O’Brien Automotive Team, with the first annual David F. Mungenast, Sr. Lifetime Achievement Award. The award, named after the late AIADA Chairman and legendary St. Louis-area automobile dealer, was presented Monday during AIADA’s 38^th Annual Meeting and Luncheon held at the San Francisco Marriott.

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They’re imaginative; they’re intelligent; and more than anything they want to help you flex your massive merchandising muscles and overthrow the market. They’re your ad agency. Instead of kicking them to the curb when their antics seem slightly loony, try trust, time and a little bit of tenderness. At least that’s the suggestion of McKee Wallwork Cleveland Advertising president Steve McKee. After two decades observing client-agency relationships, he bestows a few handy hints for clients who want to get the most out of their ad agency. Take a look here.

AutoNation, the largest U.S. auto retailer, announced a 31% fourth-quarter drop in profits . AutoNation Chief Executive Mike Jackson connects the drop in vehicle sales to the housing market problems in California and Florida, where AutoNation is headquarterd. In addition to the housing market issues, American have been delaying big purchases, all of which contribute to the 12% decrease in automotive retail sales.

Read more about this here, here, and here.

On February 4th, 2008, Automotive News posted an article about Jim Hudson, president of the Jim Hudson Automotive Group. Mr Hudson will be taking on the role of the 2008 chairman of the American International Automobile Dealers Association. As the leader of the AIADA, Mr. Hudson will tackle may important issues on behalf of american dealers and vows to “…support them in any way I can.” One such issue is the South Korean free-trade agreement, which could allow dealers to sell more imported pickups.

Jim Hudson, who grew up on a tobacco farm in Turkey, N.C, became a first generation dealer in 1980 when he opened his first Oldsmobile dealership. Since then, the Jim Hudson Automotive Group has grown to include eight franchises - Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Saab, Toyota, Lexus, Scion, Hyundai - in five locations, all in the Columbia area, as well as a Lexus dealership in Augusta, Georgia.

Hey, Mr Car Dealer! Have you noticed a decrease in ups in your showroom lately? We all know that there has been a decline in car sales over the past year or so. Consumers, tightening their belts because of the increase in gas prices and the threats of a recession, are thinking twice about buying a car. And if they are looking for a car, they’re probably doing a lot of research online before they ever enter a showroom.

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Being in advertising you think we see enough commercials, right? Well, evidentially some people just can’t get enough commercials. In fact, some people actually love to watch commercials. So imagine my surprise when I read this posting about Firebrand. The site itself looks pretty slick. And if you like commercials, this is the site for you. One commercial after another. Bing. Bang. Boom!