Jalopnik: web

HOLY CRAP: Car Buyers Use teh Online, Automakers Dumbfounded

Ray Wert — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 15:35:00 EDT

So there exists this vast database of knowledge called the Internet. It's free to access (for the most part, unless you're at Starbucks or in Europe) and as a consumer you've been able to use it for research in purchasing decisions since the mid 90's. Then why does it seem automakers are completely dumbfounded by numbers indicating, in the case of Jeep, 85% of buyers are using it? The shock and amazement isn't limited to domestic auto brands (or the German-American hybrid, to be specific), it's also being felt across I-75 by the folks at VDub's NorAm HQ. That's where Kerri Martin, VW's director of brand innovation no doubt sat the other day, pecking away the following response to questions posed by Automotive News reporter Mary Connelly via her Tandy "workstation":

"It is a real powerful medium for us...you cannot underestimate the power that the Web has had on brands...

...and when brands don't treat their customers just right, that word spreads fast."

Kerri, that's so Web 2.0 of you — talking all about interactivity — but since you called it "a real powerful medium" — we just know you printed that out on your dot matrix and faxed it downtown to Crain's. – Ray Wert

Marketers: Automaker Web sites drive sales (sub. req.) [Automotive News]

All Your Blogs Are Belong To Ford: FoMoCo Makes A Bold Blog Buy, Jumps On The Cluetrain

Ray Wert — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 14:32:47 EDT

Looks like FoMoCo wants to make a "Bold Move" in the blogosphere so badly it's decided to buy its way in. The Dearborn, MI-based automaker recently made a purchase of ad space on 400 blogs running BlogAds ad boxes. The ads are appearing on urban-hipster sites like Gothamist, as well as environmental-themed sites like Treehugger (full disclosure: one of us received an ad on his not-so-well maintained personal site). The text of the ads can be seen in the graphic to the left, and although it doesn't vary much on the theme Ford's been using on its banner ads running elsewhere on the web, the interesting part is the "excitement" of the folks at the BlogAds network over the ads. In fact, the owner was so excited, he sent an e-mail out to all 400 webmasters receiving the ad...

...to let owners know how much BlogAds loves the idea. Specifically, Henry Copeland from BlogAds is all geeked up on how much the ad is a "Cluetrain ad," a reference to the 1999 Cluetrain Manifesto, a Doc Searls-created grouping of theses and musings on how the interwebs were gonna change the world. That's not only strange, it's unprecedented (we can't remember in the past ever receiving an e-mail from the BlogAds folks about an ad). Here's the text of the e-mail sent out by BlogAds:

From: henry copeland To: XXX@blogads.com Date: Aug 8, 2006 5:57 PM Subject: Ford's Cluetrain ad
You probably noticed a blogad titled "THE FUTURE OF FUEL, THE FUTURE OF FORD" in your inbox today.

In my view, it's the most exciting ad to cross Blogads' servers in our four years of business.

The ad promotes a film in Ford's BoldMoves weekly documentary series. Click and you'll hear people saying "Ford has the worst fuel efficiency of any automaker in America... years and years of mistakes... these guys don't have much time."

This is an ad? Yes. The first Cluetrain ad.

Back in 1999 the Cluetrain Manifesto predicted that people-powered-publishing would spark a commercial revolution. Magnified by cheap web sites and hyperlinks, passionate individual human voices would drown out bland corporate-speak.

As Cluetrain put it, "most corporations... only know how to talk in the soothing, humorless monotone of the mission statement, marketing brochure, and your-call-is-important-to-us busy signal. Same old tone, same old lies. No wonder networked markets have no respect for companies unable or unwilling to speak as they do. But learning to speak in a human voice is not some trick, nor will corporations convince us they are human with lip service about 'listening to customers.' They will only sound human when they empower real human beings to speak on their behalf."

But since 1999 we've heard very few real human beings speaking on behalf of corporations. Though it's clear that web-powered human voices ARE winning, most corporations remain Cluetrain victims rather than victors.

Now, down a few billion bucks and peddling gas-guzzlers, Ford has drunk the Cluetrain cool-aid. Eschewing the "same old tone, same old lies" and the "soothing humorless monotone," this Ford ad celebrates the brutally honest conversations that are essential to its revival. And Ford's BoldMoves project finds an ideal counterpart in the blogosphere, the great American brainstorm.

So, enjoy your latest blogad, the first Cluetrain ad. I hope the American industry is lucky enough to create more like it.

Henry

This is all interesting...and yes, the Bold Moves videos are all about saying stuff other companies aren't saying — but we kinda thought the Cluetrain Manifesto was all about having "real conversations" between businesses and consumers. We're not entirely sure it means buying your way onto the page the conversations are occurring.

But we feel for FoMoCo, we remember joining a fraternity in college and thinking "are we buying our friends?" We weren't sure then, and we sure as hell aren't sure now. But it certainly is a new, if not "Bold" move for FoMoCo.

The Cluetrain Manifesto [Wikipedia]

No Pricing On The Dodge Caliber SRT4. But Hey, They've Got Themselves A Website!

Ray Wert — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 18:28:59 EST

How badly do we want to drive a 300hp, 260 lb-ft torque Caliber SRT4? Well, when one of us was the fat kid in high school, there was this gorgeous, busty, and curly-haired redhead a year older than us. She was one of those girls who lit up the hallway with her smile, her voice and oh, those...curls. Despite being pocket-sized, you always knew she was there. And she totally never knew we were. Oh how we totally wanted to rock her world. But, since no one ever wants to rock the fat kid's world, we just had to sit there during lunch hour with our soft-serve ice cream cone and dream about it. We'd trade all of that...the girl, the dreams and probably the cone for the chance to drive one of them thar SRT4's. Cause if we were big pimpin' in an SRT4, we would totally get a hotter chick anyway. At least we hope.

DODGE CALIBER SRT4 [Dodge]

Related:
First Look: Dodge Caliber SRT-4 [internal]

Pretty Sneaky Panke: Google Slaps BMW for Alleged Search Engine Baiting

Mike Spinelli — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 08:22:31 EST

A few days ago, Google-related blog Google Blogoscoped pointed out BMW's web trick to gain high placement on Google results for used cars, or "gezundtheitwagen" (or thereabouts). Now, Google has dropped the company's page ranking in retribution for its alleged attempt at scamage. According to Blogoscoped, BMW.de now has a PageRank of zero, meaning the site is buried under 10 million pounds of Google executives' stock options, virtually never to be seen again by Google users. Remember kids, Google rule one is "never scam Google," rule two is "NEVER SCAM GOOGLE, BITCH." [Thanks to the army of readers who tipped us to this.]

German BMW Banned From Google [Google Blogoscoped]; Google dropped BMWs rank to zero after discovering doorway trick [Portal IT]

Porsche Launches Carrera 4 Microsite

Mike Spinelli — Mon, 08 Aug 2005 13:02:51 EDT

Porsche recently cracked open a new microsite to promote its line of 2006 Carrera 4 models — which, as we will go on record here and now, we want to be behind the wheel of before one more member of the "Buena Vista Social Club" goes to the great beyond. Hopefully Porsche has some affinity for the Tropical Latin genre, if not us particularly, and tosses us the keys in the near future. [Thanks to Philipp for the tip.]

The new 911 Carrera 4 models [Porsche]

Related:
Porsche Reveals All-Wheel-Drive 911 Cabrios [internal]