MotorAlley

• Analyzing Ad Agencies or "How to build better car marketing"

  Disagree with the tenor of this article by Mr. Zimmerman of Zimmerman Partners, CEO of the Omnicom agency (Omnicom is in a difficult review on the Chrysler account). Generic analysis yields generic results. Car purchase is the most highly considered purchase...other than maybe choosing your spouse/next spouse. You can't' [...]
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  Posted: October 22, 2009, 12:59pm EDT
  

• Duracell and Chrysler

  
  Back to the future...Mr. Nardelli is gone and the former head of Duracell is now Chairman of Chrysler.
  
  Most of us forget that the electric car played a large role early in automotive history, until petroleum took over. We're seeing a resurgence in electric' [...]
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  Posted: May 21, 2009, 10:57am EDT
  

• NeoSynergy Shopping Widget

  Have been very lazy lately and have not been posting...we developed a great google gadgets that allows consumers to shop for new car and truck specials. You can download and install it via google gadgets. All you need to do is search for NeoSynergy here , install it using [...]
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  Posted: February 20, 2009, 11:51am EST
  

• Porsche Cayenne it is

  
  Neglected to mention...I chose the Porsche Cayenne S...needed the extra room and AWD for the winter (see garage photo)...and it was the best choice given those requirements. Heard a couple of comments that the Cayenne isn't up to Porsche quality...based on my research, quality' [...]
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  Posted: April 28, 2008, 4:35pm EDT
  

• Car Shopping Continued

  
  Enter the Taurus X Limited...I'd read some good reviews of this vehicle so I decided (against the recommendations of others) to try it out.
  
  Submitted a "price quote request" after seeing a "Best Deal" on our trusted Motoralley site and AolAutos.com and' [...]
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  Posted: March 12, 2008, 1:41pm EDT
  

• Car Shopping? My process...

  So, the 2006 Audi S4 lease is due (actually way past due). Have been busy with work, life etc. and have started thinking about the next vehicle...
  
  
  
  I thought it might be helpful to others to see how an industry insider figures out [...]
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  Posted: March 02, 2008, 2:07pm EST
  

• The Toyota-ization of Chrysler Group

  
  Ever since Bob Nardelli took over, the auto world has been wondering how he will "fix" Chrysler. The two most visible moves? Hiring Toyota sales and marketing executives seems to be the answer.
  
  Let me be the first to say, I'm not sure that' [...]
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  Posted: September 06, 2007, 5:24pm EDT
  

• Trouble In Auburn Hills

  
  What with GM digging out of a hole and Ford still in the hole, it seemed only a matter of time before DCX felt the brisk winter wind whistling around its financial ankles. Like Ford and GM, Chrysler Group has launched hot new cars and [...]
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  Posted: November 14, 2006, 2:28pm EST
  

• Au Revoir Nissan - Renault - GM

  GM and Nissan/Renault announced today that they will be disappointing its largest shareholder, Mr. Kerkorian by not linking up. I don't consider this to be surprising. Nobody at GM wanted to deal with a gigantic merger and the potential loss of control.
  
  GM apparently wanted additional compensation because Nissan/Renault' [...]
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  Posted: October 04, 2006, 4:34pm EDT
  

• Finally...BMW has Vaporware

  
  In 2004, BMW demonstrated its version of a clean, sustainable energy future with its hydrogen powered vehicle. Now it has announced that it will build and lease the BMW Hydrogen 7, the first hydrogen driven luxury performance car.
  
  BMW has done extensive research in [...]
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  Posted: September 13, 2006, 11:48am EDT
  

• Now That Ford Has Wings, Will It Fly?

  
  My initial reaction to Alan Mulally's hiring as Ford's new CEO was surprise, then fear...then serenity. Ohhhmmmm...
  
  I lived in Seattle so I remember him from Boeing...and Boeing has had its share of major market swings and contretemps. Two CEO resignations in a short [...]
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  Posted: September 06, 2006, 6:34pm EDT
  

• BMW and The Dangers of Blogging

  I wrote a piece about why it's a mistake for BMW to drop, "The Ultimate Driving Machine" tag line...based on a column by Al Ries, famed marketing consultant. Turns out Al assumed the tag line was changing...it's not. In the comment below, Eric Webber of GSD&M, agency of record for [...]
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  Posted: August 10, 2006, 2:51pm EDT
  

• BMW's Advertising Changes Lanes

  After forever and a day, BMW's abandoning "The Ultimate Driving Machine." I think it's a mistake...a big one. BMW's entire brand DNA is based on building the best handling small, midsized, large luxury cars and trucks. So, why change it? According to Al Ries, a changing of the guard' [...]
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  Posted: August 09, 2006, 8:27am EDT
  

• GM Merger Thoughts

  The airwaves in Detroit have been buzzing with the GM/Renault/Nissan merger discussions. There are at least two camps:
  
  1. The, "don't distract us while we're fixing GM" camp
  2. The, "let Carlos Ghosn loose on GM's problems" camp
  
  I listened to an interview of Mr. Meyer, former Chairman' [...]
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  Posted: July 08, 2006, 4:26pm EDT
  

• Who Killed EVs Part 2

  I have to say, I was pleased to see so many passionate responses to my last post. Reading them brought back the fervor with which most of us on the EV team tried to solve the "problem."
  
  My thoughts on some of the comments...
  
  [...]
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  Posted: June 18, 2006, 11:38pm EDT
  

• Who Killed The Electric Car?

  
  The Consumer killed it. Not George. Not Big Oil. Not Greed. No one cared except CARB and a few hundred consumers that bought the GM EV-1 and Ford Ecostar and Ford Ranger EV (the latter two purchased by fleets).
  
  Saw the preview...I will [...]
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  Posted: June 08, 2006, 9:53am EDT
  

• Nissan "Gets It"

  Interesting article by Jean Halliday of Ad Age. Excerpts below
  
  DETROIT (AdAge.com) -- Jan Thompson, VP-marketing of Nissan North America, today scolded the U.S. auto industry for resorting to "a less risky approach to marketing," leading to a big disparity in where automakers spend their ad dollars and consumers [...]
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  Posted: June 01, 2006, 4:59pm EDT
  

• Great Internet New Car Scams - Toyota Prius Clearance!

  
  There are many great Internet scams...here's a good one - and so believeable.
  
  While Toyota dealers are as much as 6 months behind on Prius consumer orders, some New Car web sites promise a solution.
  
  Yes...some sites advertise the Toyota Prius as being' [...]
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  Posted: May 23, 2006, 5:31pm EDT
  

• Easier, Faster Online Car Shopping

  We just launched a significant enhancement to MotorAlley, our little version of the new car shopping world...we call it... (drumroll). Take a look and then read further if you care to read a rant about Google's algorithm.
  
  The New Car Filter
  
  Like a' [...]
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  Posted: May 22, 2006, 3:32pm EDT
  

• Chrysler Inventory Rising...Incentives to the Rescue

  
  According to Automotive News, Chrysler dealer stocks have grown to an average 80 days supply. Domestics tend to like about a 60 day supply (the Japanese seem to be much happier with 15-30 days) on the ground so this does not bode well for Chrysler's' [...]
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  Posted: May 08, 2006, 10:01am EDT
  

• VW Unpimp Your Ride Ads Unpimping Sales?

  Recently, I've read heavy criticism from Ad experts like Rance Crain of AdAge regarding Crispin Porter's Unpimp your ride tv spots.
  
  "VW has already started its retreat by pulling its high-priced Phaeton off the U.S. market. The Crispin Porter ads are so horrendously awful that they smooth the" [...]
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  Posted: May 04, 2006, 10:23pm EDT
  

• Rick Wagoner, Thumbs up/Down?

  According to Automotive News, Rick Wagoner asked for and received the GM Board's backing in early April. In another article, the WSJ journal indicates that GM needs a "strong leader" to survive its current contretemps. So, the real question, which no one seems to want to ask is,' [...]
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  Posted: April 10, 2006, 11:24am EDT
  

• Internet Leads Buy Cars

  Here's a newsflash...Cobalt/Dealix studied purchase rates of Internet leads and discovered most of them buy a car. Even better, most of them buy a car other different from their original price quote request.
  
  This is mostly derivative, 3 year old opportunism by Dealix. Nice Job Dean Evans --' [...]
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  Posted: April 07, 2006, 4:58pm EDT
  

• Audi...Rules...The 2007 Audi TT

  Whoa Nelly
  
  Saw the Press photos for the 2007 Audi TT. Beautiful...I dare say, better than the original. Visually, more aggressive than the rounded, friendly look of the original.
  
  In a previous rant, I talked about the need for originality. Audi styling is a [...]
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  Posted: April 07, 2006, 10:23am EDT
  

• Parking - The Lost Art

  
  Those of you who know me (a rapidly shrinking tribe, I might add), know that I like to occassionally sit in Starbucks and watch Americans park (note photo is actually from the Continent, courtesy of Haywardsheath.com). I will attempt to follow this more closely [...]
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  Posted: April 05, 2006, 2:17pm EDT
  

• Hybrids Use More Energy?

  According to Art Spinella of CNW Research, Brandon, OR, hybrids use more energy overall and therefore cost more to own than the venerable gasoline powered vehicle. The article hit the wire on March 31-April 1...so perhaps this is Art's way of treating us all to a nice April Fool's [...]
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  Posted: April 03, 2006, 4:02pm EDT
  

• Google Pontiac! Kelley Blue Book Compares!

  
  On the heels of the Chevrolet cry to visit Edmunds to dare to compare (see Blog entry March 5), we have exhibit b and c in the annals of marketing. In the quest for relevance and approval, the Pontiac brand invokes two powerful [...]
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  Posted: March 23, 2006, 10:21pm EST
  

• An Ad Campaign Gone Wrong

  
  I don't wonder how agencies and clients get ad campaigns wrong. I've been in the room when the ad is lovingly birthed. Recently, several ad friends of mine and I were amazed to see Chevrolet advertising its "head to head" campaign, on television, with the [...]
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  Posted: March 05, 2006, 11:23am EST
  

• Gaining Market Share - One Formula

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  (graph courtesy of Daily Game Plan News)
  
  Something has been bothering me. Standard formula for fixing market share in the Domestic Car Business (ok, I over-generalize and I will try to keep [...]
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  Posted: January 28, 2006, 10:19am EST
  

• Detroit Auto Show Day 2

  
  GM/Camaro
  
  I'm glad GM decided to show the Camaro, but let me quote two Union guys, both of whom had Camaros at some point in their misspent youth:
  
  

  "What is that thing? It doesn't look as good as any of the four classics [...]

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  Posted: January 11, 2006, 9:48pm EST
  

• Detroit Auto Show Day 2

  
  
  Toyota
  
  Unlike Chrysler, GM or Ford, Toyota's press conferences are short on tangential entertainment value. I'm going to throw deep here and suggest that this is perfectly in character. Chrysler likes to swing for fences with its product bets and its press [...]
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  Posted: January 10, 2006, 10:00pm EST