Omni Automotive Advertising Blog

New-car sales figures released today seem to indicate a growing increase. According to the nytimes.com article, In November, Car Sales Show Signs of Stability, General Motors, Ford Motor, Toyota and Honda said their sales were about the same last month as they were a year ago. The only major carmaker to report a large drop was Chrysler, whose sales fell 25 percent. Hyundai, in contrast, reported a 46 percent increase. Estimates from G.M. and Chrysler were selling at a rate of about 11 million in November, slightly higher that October’s rate of about 10.5 million. This is much higher than the low rate of about 9 million seen in the early part of 2009.

In response to rising demand, G.M. said it would build 75 percent more vehicles in the first quarter than it did a year earlier, and Ford said it would raise first-quarter production by 58 percent. Both companies had been drastically cutting production since the middle of last year.

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According to a article on cnnmoney.com, the best day of the year to buy a car is on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Based on data by analysts on Truecar.com, discounts on that day will, on the average, be the biggest of the year.

“The discounts from dealerships, as well as manufacturers’ incentives, generate the highest discounts of the year on Black Friday,” said Jesse Toprak, an analyst for Truecar.com.

The average new car discount on Nov. 27 is projected to be 7.5%. The average discount the day before and after is expected to be just over 6%. On a typical day throughout the year, car shoppers usually pay about 4.7% less than the sticker price.

The article cites some dealers going to less-traditional measures to bring in customers. For instance, Paragon Honda will send bicycle riders dressed in gorilla costumes to a nearby Best Buy store.

Other dealers, like Bob Goldberg, general manager of Premium Nissan in New Rochelle, NY, denied that Black Friday is particularly special at his dealership. “Every day is important to us,” he said. “I don’t consider it different from any other day.”

Read the entire article at cnnmoney.com

With all the financial turmoil of the past year Hyundai took some bold steps to bring their brand to the forefront. It all started with one bold statement, “Now finance or lease any new Hyundai, and if you lose your income in the next year, you can return it with no impact on your credit.” While other automakers slashed their budgets and cut back on advertising, Hyundai took advantage, placing ads in two of the largest viewed television events, the Super Bowl and The Academy Awards.

Hyundai’s market share jumped to 4.3% in the first ten months of 2009 from 3.1% in the same year-ago period. In September, while the industry overall suffered a 22% sales drop in a post-Cash for Clunkers hangover, Hyundai managed to increase its new-vehicle tally by 27% to 31,511 units.

Read the complete article on AdAge.com.

General Motors Company announced today that it will be extending its 60-day satisfaction guarantee program as a part of its “May the Best Car Win” campaign.

GM originally planned to end the program on Nov. 30 but will now run it until Jan.4.

“It’s been very successful, and the third phase of the advertising campaign will launch in magazines due on shelves in December,” Ryndee Carney, GM spokeswoman told Automotive News. “They feature head-to-head comparisons of our vehicles versus our competitors.”…….

Original article on autospies.com

More stories on 60-Day extension at:
blogs.cars.com

Editors at Popular Mechanics today announced the winners of the magazine’s 2010 Automotive Excellence Awards, and Ford Motor Company set a precedent, winning more categories in a single year than any other automaker in the history of the awards.

The Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Awards recognize the best in automotive design, execution and technology for 2010 model year vehicles in 10 categories. Ford’s Mustang Shelby GT500 won the award in the Performance category, Transit Connect took top honors in the Workhorse category and F-150 SVT Raptor earned the award in the Off-Road Ability category.

Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development, Ford Motor Company, accepted the awards on behalf of the Ford team.

To determine award winners, Stewart says editors of Popular Mechanics travel the globe and spend thousands of miles behind the wheel of every new car and truck introduced by the world’s automakers. After months of hands-on testing and research, the team nominates a list of vehicles in each category, then votes on the winners.

2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Performance Category Winner
The editors of Popular Mechanics describe the Mustang Shelby GT500 as a new superpower to contend with in the 21st-century muscle car wars.

“The Mustang Shelby GT500 – with its incredibly potent 5.4-liter V-8 engine – certainly impressed us,” said Ben Stewart, automotive editor, Popular Mechanics. “But it was Ford Special Vehicle Team’s (SVT) refinement of the chassis that made our staff declare the GT500 the best Mustang in the model’s long 45-year history.”

2010 Ford Transit Connect – Workhorse Category Winner
Popular Mechanics editors praise the Ford Transit Connect as a fresh alternative to a full-size van that is packaged to address the pressures of the economy, urban congestion and fluctuating gas prices.

“It was the brilliant combination of the Transit Connect’s efficient use of space – and fuel – that won over our team,” said Stewart. “This vehicle proves that small vehicles can handle big jobs, and it comes at an ideal time when contractors and other business owners are looking to downsize and save on fuel.”

2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor – Off-Road Ability Category Winner
“The most extreme high-speed 4×4 pickup ever produced,” is the way editors of Popular Mechanics describe Ford’s F-150 SVT Raptor.

“We spent time riding along with Ford SVT engineers at near race speeds and had a chance to climb behind the wheel of the truck ourselves,” said Stewart. “For the avid off-roader, the Raptor is the truck we’ve all been waiting for.”

Stewart says he was particularly impressed with the tuning of Raptor’s long-travel suspension.

“It soaks up high-speed desert terrain better than any production pickup truck we’ve driven,” he said.

Quotes
“Ford’s sweep of three categories in this year’s awards speaks to the onslaught of great products coming from Dearborn.”
– Ben Stewart, automotive editor, Popular Mechanics

“This important recognition reflects the strength and diversity of the Ford product lineup. From a performance car to a workhorse vehicle to an off-road pickup, Ford is building quality products that people really want.”
– Derrick Kuzak, Group Vice President, Global Product Development, Ford Motor Company

Snippet courtesy of http://ford.digitalsnippets.com/cars/