Auto companies used to have celebrities drive their cars around to raise publicity. Cash strapped car companies now turn to young people who have strong online presence. Toyota recently hired youngsters who have many followers on Twitter to advertise its Lexus brand. The online ads show actress Whitney Cummings interviewing those who don’t fit the typical celebrity label. The roster includes the Web editor of the Onion, an expert on social-media, and a disc jockey. From a marketing perspective, ads that show social-media stars are more effective than ads showing celebrities to get the attention of younger drivers. They conclude this because of the tendency for people to trust others who are like them. The stars quickly tweet, comment, and post their experiences with the cars online. Ford will select a hundred people with many online followers to test drive its 2012 Focus as part of its advertising campaign. BMW is also planning a similar promotion for its electric vehicle called ActiveE, which comes out in 2011.
This cheaper alternative to hiring celebrities is a hit. Ford proclaimed the strategy’s success when such videos and tweets essentially became viral hits; the YouTube videos got over seven million views, and Ford’s Fiesta was mentioned on Twitter four million times. Ford said 130,000 customers went to their website as a result and a massive 83% weren’t Ford owners. However, auto companies aren’t guaranteed that the social media stars will rate their cars positively. Guidelines set force these stars to mention if they received compensation for the review.
I think auto companies are on the ball with their approach to targeting younger drivers. I would say younger people are much more likely to pay attention to a subtle ad online than watching T.V. When you see that the user you’re subscribed to on YouTube or the person you’re following on Twitter likes something, you’re more likely to check it out. This trend is likely to continue as people are increasingly spending time on social networks. While the car companies are taking risks when they let social media stars say what they want about the cars, the danger of the marketing tactic to backfire is small. The companies know what’s on the line, so they would only let them test drive cars that are tested to be of the highest quality.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704658204575610593926104822.html?mod=WSJ_auto_IndustryCollection
I also feel as though this is a great idea on the automakers part. In order to promote their product, they must find ways to capture the attention of their buyers. Younger people are more likely to want a product that they see advertised on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. Why? I don't think that a lot of people know, but this trend is increasing will probably have a lasting effect on the youth. Auto companies should really continue this strategy because it will definitely help to increase their production sales.
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