Omni Automotive Advertising Blog

This is a post of all the automotive marketing news of the past week.

• Suzuki is doing whatever it takes to get you into a new car (other than of course, making a car I actually want to get into). See their new spots here and here.
• What’s the buzz around Mini. Fly funerals. Yeah, it’s as weird as it sounds.
• Speaking of Mini, here’s a horror spot that revolves around shopping carts. Not as weird as the above link, but equally as cool.
• More Mini. Here’s a Mini rocket.
• Childbirth is on the rise because couples want to get into the new Volkswagen Routan.
• Here’s a cool Volkswagen ad with a dog.
• Grip is important. At least Audi thinks so.
• Woman love shoes. That’s the basis behind this Chevy Traverse ad.
• The Lincoln MKS has liftoff. Yet another indie band shilling for a car.
• Ford sees a flat 2009 in Auto Sales in the United States. Investor says Ford best placed among the Big 3 to come out on top.
• And last but not least… Toyota’s ads sure have come a long way from the 1980’s.

That’s it for this week’s free for all. If you have any tips or ads you think would be a great addition to the free for all, please email at alopez@omni-advertising.com.

Paul Williams over at Marketing Profs Daily fix just wrote a fantastic article detailing how Discounting Prices erodes your brand. Definitely worth the read.

But if you don’t have time to read the article, here’s a quick summary.

Basically, Williams argues that offering deep discounts and huge markdowns changes the customer perception of the value of your product. If you slash the price on new car from $17,000 to $14,000, the customer views the vehicle as $14,000 car. Even after the price goes back up, the customer will still view the car as a $14,000 car, not a $17,000 car.

Williams say the best way to woo customers without endangering your brand is to offer more value with your product, like lifetime tires, oil changes, etc. This will attract customers without hurting your brand.

I’ve been seeing a lot of movies recently (Dark Knight, Step Brothers, Wall-E) and I always arrive a few minutes before the movie starts, during the commercials before the other commercials section. It is during this time that I have seen the commercial below for the all new Kia Borrego, a luxury Kia SUV.

Now I like the commercial. I really do. I think it’s smart, funny and attention grabbing without being in your face.

What I don’t like is the timing. This is probably the worst time to introduce a new SUV into an already bloated sport utility market. I understand that this vehicle was in the works long before the gas and home crisises, so it is not the fault of Kia. Even the great Toyota made the ill-fated decision to dive into the big truck business at a bad time.

So, here’s the question… Can a good advertisement make up for a poorly timed product release? I don’t think so, but only time can tell.

In a previous blog, AOLs Best April Picks, we saw a list of great finance offers for April, as well as some green cars. Now lets focus on The Ten Least Expensive Cars Sold in the US by CarandDriver.com. As the article points out, in today’s tough economic times, when people are tightening their money belts, perhaps it’s time to look at less expensive, more fuel efficient vehicles. And inexpensive doesn’t always mean cheap when it comes to safety and reliability. So, here they are.

• 2008 Chevy Aveo
• 2008 Hyundai Accent
• 2008 Kia Rio
• 2008 Toyota Yaris
• 2008 Smart Fortwo
• 2008 Kia Spectra sedan
• 2008 Nissan Versa
• 2008 Suzuki Reno
• 2008 Hyundai Elantra
• 2008 Mazda 3

The Detroit News recently posted an article about Ford’s decision to enhance it’s certified used car program. Partially due to the recent slump in the economy, Ford’s decision should offset the decline in sales of new cars and trucks. Recent surveys by J.D. Power and Associates and Wachovia show overall demand for used cars, and for certified used-car sales particularly, is increasing.

The latest initial quality study commissioned by Ford shows the automaker in a statistical dead-heat with Toyota and Honda.

Toyota, which also saw a decline in new car sales, is also focusing on their certified used car plan to boost sales. Meanwhile, just announced, Toyota Motor Corp. beat General Motors Corp. in first-quarter sales by 159,000 vehicles, challenging the U.S. automaker’s 77-year reign as the global leader with gains in emerging markets that offset U.S. declines.

Ok, I understand that some car dealers are in panic mode. Car sales are off and the competition is tough, expenses keep growing, and you have to look hard at your financial statement. I understand there are a lot of tough decisions to be made, but what I do not understand is why some dealers cut back on service marketing and advertising that obviously creates traffic and makes them money.

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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.

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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