The automotive industry – caught in the grips of a recession and poor management – is turning to “cheaper” social media en masse.
I took at close look at Ford’s new “Fiesta Movement” social media campaign in a prior post (Ford gave Fiesta cars to 100 people who were supposed to report on them via Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, etc).
In that article, I suggested some companies were accelerating their switch to social media precisely because their situations were so dire; those with little to lose often take the biggest risks.
Here’s a little more evidence for the pile: (from the Truck blog) Automotive Online Advertising Up, Print Media Is Dead
Automotive online advertisement is on the rise and print media is officially a lost cause. Over the course of 2008, advertising dollars spent for television rose 2 percent, Internet spending up over 55 percent, and radio & magazine advertisements were down over 40 percent combined. Analysts predict that the internet will become the second largest advertising channel by 2010 with television leading the pack at three quarters of the total advertising dollars spent each year. Nielsen Online says “The key to successful Internet spend in 2009 will be identifying where your target audience goes online and interjecting yourself at the right moment in the vehicle purchase funnel”.
As the recession drags on, expect to see more companies switching budgets to social media. And yes, expect to see even more new media carpetbaggers “Social Media Consultants” emerging from the woodwork, sensing the potential for a quick buck.
Keep writing, Tom Chandler.