Ford, Jeep, Chevy Top Digital Auto Brands

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On the digital proving track, Detroit is beating out the competition. Ford, Jeep and Chevrolet were the top three auto brands based on an analysis of their Web site, digital marketing, social media and mobile efforts over the last year.

Each of the 42 brands assessed in the "L2 Digital IQ Index: Auto" study was scored against more than 350 qualitative and quantitative data points and assigned a Digital IQ ranking of Genius, Gifted, Average, Challenged or Feeble. Web site marketing is given the most weighting at 35%, and social media, the least at 15%.

Only Ford earned a "Genius" rating, with a score of 142. "Strong digital fundamentals combined with a willingness to experiment set the brand apart," stated the report authored by Scott Galloway, L2 founder, and NYU Stern clinical professor of marketing.

In particular, it cited initiatives including Ford's connected car platform Sync, iPad catalogs for different models, strong customer support and dealer inventory search via its Web site, and a social media hub through its Ford Social site.

Jeep was cited for its retargeting efforts to send consumers to a microsite linking to local dealers, and its "Badge of Honor" community for off-road enthusiasts. Chevrolet received high marks for its active presence on YouTube, including competitive ad purchasing on the video site, as well as segmented email marketing across 24 models.

Among other auto brands in the "Gifted" category were Toyota, Nissan, BMW, Honda, Cadillac, Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz. Toyota was credited especially for having a strong commitment to mobile with its touchscreen mobile site, "striking" iPad app and Entune suite of mobile apps and data services for in-car use.

At the other end of the spectrum, the "Feeble" category was populated by ultra-luxury brands, including Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Bentley and Lamborghini.

What about Tesla Motors, the electric car startup that has seen its stock nearly double in the last two weeks after being rated the best car by Consumer Reports since 2007? It fell into the "Challenged' bucket, given the lack of a mobile site and low traction on YouTube, among other factors.

Beyond ranking specific brands, the L2 study offered several broader findings about digital efforts in the auto category. For one, search advertising has gone mobile. Automakers are nearly four times more likely to rely on paid search in mobile than on the desktop, reflecting the desire to reach potential buyers while they're out shopping.

In the mobile realm, companies are also doing better work with smartphones than tablets. Nearly nine out of 10 (86%) auto brands had mobile-optimized sites on smartphones, while almost one in four had missing or broken components on tablet sites. On a third featured touch-and-swipe functionality versus 75% on mobile sites.

Comment on "Ford, Jeep, Chevy Top Digital Auto Brands".

commented on: May 20, 2013 at 5 p.m.
It seems that user generated communities and content were not taken into account of what was measured. A brand spending the most and have the largest voice in my opinion does not show they have the most passionate customers. Many other brands have huge enthusiast-run forums and communities as well. With that said, I do give props to Ford, Chevy and Jeep for putting a large priority on the digital spectrum.
Read more at the source: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/200545/ford-jeep-chevy-top-digital-auto-brands.html#ixzz2U8remQ4Q

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Saturday, May 4, 2013

Mobile Marketing: Speed Essential as 55% of Conversions Occur in First Hour

55% of mobile search conversions happen within an hour

Written by Claire Brinkley for EConsultancy

When consumers search for things on their mobiles more than half usually intend to buy it, according to new research from Google and Nielsen.

The Mobile Search Moments report looks at why and when people use smartphones to search, the actions that result from these searches and how marketers can capitalise on every moment of the process.

Participants in the study were asked to log their mobile searches over a two week period in Q4 2012, which resulted in more than 6,000 mobile searches being recorded, and then follow-ups were conducted by Nielsen to see what actions resulted from these searches.

There are many interesting findings from the report but perhaps the biggest takeaway is that more than half of the searches that resulted in a conversion - whether this was going into a store, calling a business or making a purchase - happened in just 1 hour, showing that mobile is possibly the most critical channel for search marketers and business owners.

The power of mobile search

Of the searches conducted by participants, three out of four triggered actions, which ranged from additional research (36%) to a website visit (25%) to a store visit (17%) to a purchase (17%) to a phone call (7%).

And, on average each mobile search triggered at least two of the above actions, although product and shopping searches were more likely to have higher numbers of outcomes.

Conversions also happened quickly after a search, with 55% occurring within just one hour of the original search.

Ben Chung, Marketing Manager, Mobile Ads at Google, suggests that the reason for this speed could be due to the fact that 45% of mobile searches are conducted to help make a decision, this figure jumping to 66% when the search is conducted in-store.

We see this immediacy effect with mobile because not only are people potentially closer in physical proximity to a purchase, but they're also close to the crucial decision moments.
And when people use mobile search to help make a decision, they're more likely to convert. So it's important for marketers to be present during these searches, while also creating ads and experiences that are relevant to this immediacy.

Quick and easy

Many people would assume that mobile searches are done on the go, like on a bus or train when a desktop is not readily available, but it seems the exact opposite is true.

Almost 8 out of 10 mobile searches happen at work or home when a desktop could be easily accessed.

And according to the report, the reason for this is that consumers find mobile search quick and easy. In fact, 81% said that they were driven to mobile search because of the speed and convenience of it.

Remember, context is key

Another important takeaway from the research is that the types of searches people conduct is strongly tied to their specific context, such as the time of day they are searching and their current location.

Shopping searches, for example, were twice as likely to be conducted in-store and the report highlights that this is a key opportunity for marketers to reach someone who is already ready and prepped to take action.