Mobile Sports Group Automotive Case Studies

GMC mobile search effort results in 44% lift in purchase intent

There are fundamental differences between mobile search and PC search. The most obvious difference is the context that mobile brings. PC searchers are at their desk and mobile searchers are in the car, on the go or even in a store.

Mobile technology advances, and features such as touch screen, voice search, location data and visual camera search really change the playing field. But there are constraints as well. Screen size, battery life, processor speed, memory and network bandwidth are constraints.

Another difference between PC and mobile search is the time it takes a consumer to begin and complete their search for specific information. Mobile consumers tend to act quickly. Mobile search usage is more local and commerce related, than the PC searchers. Retailers need to use mobile search to connect consumers to price comparison information, product information, anything to help move a consumer through the purchase funnel. Mobile search needs to help consumers make decisions.

With GMC Terrain, the brand wanted to increase brand favorability and purchase intent. The brand ran behavioral targeted banners. Mobile media was also placed on LSN mobile. The campaign resulted in a 44 percent lift in purchase intent.

Also, the banners were seen by 1 million unique users resulting in 77 percent of those users expressing interest in purchasing a GMC terrain.

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Volvo Launches S60 on Mobile

Volvo achieved significant brand lift and engagement through mobile display & video ads. Volvo wanted to invoke passion and buzz around the launch of its new S60 sedan. The auto brand aspired to showcase the sedan as an edgy lifestyle vehicle that consumers would feel proud to own and excited to drive.

To promote the S60, the Volvo team ran an extensive mobile branding campaign. The Volvo team targeted smartphone owners, a demographic that was more likely to have higher household incomes and more likely to be in the market for a vehicle like the S60. The Volvo team used a combination of banners and interactive video ads to engage consumers while they were browsing mobile content on their phones.

The interactive video ads showcased a fast-paced 30-second video of the S60 and allowed users to browse additional images of the car and even visit the site, all without taking the user out of the video ad and the original content that he was browsing. From the mobile ads, consumers could direct themselves to the S60’s mobile optimized site where they could engage deeper with the brand. Consumer Interactions on Video Ad and Mobile Site Volvo achieved significant brand lift and engagement through mobile display & video ads.

Volvo Results:According to the research that tracked the branding impact of the campaign, Volvo achieved significant lift across all brand metrics:

+240% in brand favorability+88% in purchase intent+78% in recommendation intent

These successes also expanded the Volvo team’s approach to mobile advertising. Prior to this campaign, the client envisioned mobile primarily as a direct response channel. Since then, Volvo now views mobile as a branding mainstay and have added mobile to several upcoming branding and engagement programs.


Kia claims mobile advertising outperforms traditional Web campaigns

Every time KIA executes an advertisement through mobile, the performance always seems to outperform the standards and norms for desktops. Kia and competitors making big mobile push

The automotive sector has been quick to adopt leading-edge marketing strategies in the mobile space. Kia has been busy advertising in the mobile space in the past year, the company has been refining its mobile advertising strategy as it has learned more about the space.

Kia started by using ad banner networks, and were two to three times more successful than with traditional Web site display pages. The company says that it has enjoyed success using mobile advertising. It claims a 1-2 percent click through rates using mobile ad banners, as compared to .08-.3 percent click through rates with traditional display banners.

Beyond the above-average metrics, a big motivation for Kia to increase its mobile presence has been to reach demographics that otherwise might not engage with its brand. The great thing for Kia is that the product they have coming out is reaching a whole new audience that is really engaging with Kia Motors for the first time, Kia has a really heavy reliance on digital, social and mobile media to reach that audience.

In Kia budgets, they are rushing towards increasing mobile spend by a substantial amount year-over-year. The 2010 the social, digital and mobile budget was increased by 39 percent.


Mazda celebrates 40th year in North America with sweepstakes to build mobile database

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of its entry in the North American market, Japanese automaker Mazda Motor Corp. ran a text-to-win sweepstakes to engage consumers and build a mobile database.

Mazda venture into the mobile world started late in2010 with their first promotion and will continue with mobile campaigns in 2011. Mazda target demographic has indicated to us that they want to stay in contact in a multimedia way via email and smartphone technology.

To keep those customers within the Mazda family, they need to be talking to them in the way they want to be talked to—customer convenience is the catch phrase, as a customer, I’d rather be contacted via email or text message to understand what’s going on with my vehicle.

Driving emotional engagement, Mobile drives after-sales, while automobile sales are the lifeblood of the industry, the after-sales market can be lucrative. Mazda is creating various marketing and advertising after-sales programs designed to help Mazda maintain customer relationships and build brand loyalty. Mazda has been steadily growing its email distribution list, and based on its efforts in the last year had tripled its email database.

With a history of campaigns using traditional and digital media, this year Mazda decided to integrate mobile into its multichannel mix in order to broaden the reach of its campaigns and offer customers more ways to communicate with its dealers. The Mazda team has multiple goals: drive new revenue from existing owners, educate customers about after-sales service, establish an on-going dialog, demonstrate their attention to environmental issues and show their understanding that customers want the option to communicate in lots of different ways, including via the mobile channel.

The main objectives of the mobile campaign were to increase service business at dealerships and, number two, increase service loyalty through a positive ownership experience. Mazda wants to communicate with its customers using the channels they prefer, and mobile is an obvious choice.


Chevy pushes consumers to dealerships via mobile ads

General Motors Co.’s Chevrolet is running targeted mobile banner ads to drive consumers to dealerships. Chevy is running the mobile ads, the ads help consumers pick their ideal car from a lineup of Chevy’s models.

The mobile banner ad promotes Chevy’s Cruze line. Once consumers click on the ad, they are redirected to a mobile landing page that helps them find nearby dealerships. Consumers can enter their zip codes to find nearby deals Additionally, consumers can browse product information and access exclusive offers. To find a Chevy dealership, users can either use the device’s GPS-enabled technology or enter their ZIP code. Additionally, users can view specific offers on models based on their location.

By tapping into mobile banner ads, Chevy is solidifying its mobile presence, whether it is with apps, mobile sites or advertisements. I see a larger play in mobile for the automotive industry overall happening more in 2012; we have observed over this past year that the large car companies are really tagging mobile as an afterthought to their overall Print, TV, Radio, and PC campaigns, they will realize I believe as we run through 2012 that the mobile is as much a stand-alone vertical as is Print, TV, Radio and PC.


Infiniti revs up March Madness mobile initiatives to reach affluent hoops fans

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.’s Infiniti is using mobile to activate its corporate partnership with the NCAA, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports and Turner Sports, NCAA Men’s Basketball and the 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.

The automaker is sponsoring the “Round by Round Coaches vs. Cancer” bracket game and CBSSports.com’s “Bracket Challenge.” Fan participation will drive Infiniti’s donation of up to $500,000 to Coaches vs. Cancer, a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches that empowers coaches, their teams and communities to join the fight against cancer.

Infiniti targets affluent adults 25-54, the NCAA Tournament viewership has a high index for affluent consumers, and the Infiniti target audience tends to be early-adopters of technology. There are two main objectives of the Infiniti/NCAA partnership: driving awareness and engagement. Infiniti mobile campaigns have targeted smartphone users for the past couple of years. The brand extended advertising campaigns to the iPad as soon as there were opportunities available.

The size/scale of the audience with the NCAA Men’s College March Madness Tournament is ideal for creating awareness for our all new Infiniti M Hybrid, at the same time, the scope of the tournament is all about engaged consumers. Mobile is one of the most important tools for consumers to get up-to-the-minute scores, information and to check their brackets, Mobile is always in the media mix when launching an Infiniti.

The mobile plan for the Infiniti M Hybrid is expected to have roughly 79 million impressions against the intended target audience. Infiniti will have 100 percent ownership of the bracket section within the ESPN Bracket Bound application for the iPhone and Android. All mobile creative will feature the all-new M Hybrid and will drive to the vehicle landing page for M Hybrid on Infinitiusa.com.


OdoClub SMS ads result in 35% increase in revenue

OdoClub ads running SMS advertising have resulted in a 30 percent increase in membership. The company’s initial text message advertising campaign achieved its goal for generating user subscriptions and increased dealership sign ups. Besides the 30 percent increase in membership, the campaign achieved its objective for new dealership sign ups, resulting in a 35 percent increase in revenue.

The text message advertising campaign is not only a great way for them to grow membership base, but it also allows them to communicate constantly with their members.

OdoClub is a loyalty program that allows drivers to convert accumulated points from driving into cash. Members can earn points for every mile they drive and redeem those points for discounts against goods and services offered by participating dealerships. TexTango is an app for BlackBerry and Android devices that gives users incentives to text. Advertisers are able to place messages within the texts, engaging consumers via interactive mobile messaging.

Advertising was targeted toward 17-49 year-olds and the creative units were rotated frequently to create higher impact. A mobile app, short code messages and QR codes were created and tied into the print and on-location marketing collateral. For lead generation, mobile-friendly landing pages were also created.

Increasingly consumers are opting for text messaging as a form of communication with their favorite brands. It is important that companies engage in SMS marketing to stay relevant in the eyes of their mobile audience. According to Nielsen, people between the ages of 12-17 send and receive more than 3,300 text messages per month.

Those between the ages of 18-25 send and receive approximately 1,800 text messages monthly, and the 25-35 age group sends and receives 600, while 35-45 year-olds are at around 300 .

Additionally, more than 75 billion texts are sent each month in the United States and on average 95 percent of those messages are opened and read by the recipient within 15 minutes of receiving it, Nielsen found. These numbers are proof of the effectiveness that SMS can have as an advertising medium.

SMS certainly proved to be effective for OdoClub. In fact, OdoClub’s SMS ads saw a 12 percent response rate and averaged click-through rates of about 5-7 percent.


Lincoln amplifies multichannel holiday campaign with mobile ads

Lincoln is using holiday-themed mobile advertisements to promote new models of its MKZ sedan. The mobile ads are part of Lincoln’s larger “Wish List Event” campaign, which also includes Web and broadcast components.

Mobile is no longer a fringe ad buy that reaches a small percentage of a target demographic, shopping for a new car is an active, outdoor experience that compliments the benefits of mobile perfectly.

The Lincoln mobile banner ad reads, “Get more than you wished for.” Users can tap on the ad to bring up a landing page that is divided into four categories – dealers, offers, inventory and compare. Consumers can learn more about the MKZ car, including information about its dimensions, powertrain and safety.

The ad includes a video section where prospective car buyers can watch a clip that explains the main features of the vehicle. Users can also locate nearby dealers by using the device's GPS or by typing in their ZIP code to find particular cars. Consumers can also contact dealers for pricing and to check for car availability.

Additionally, consumers can view local offers and check to see if a car is available at their dealership. Users can also select another Lincoln model to see how specific features from the MKZ stack up to the company's other offerings.

Mobile has historically been an outlet for auto manufacturers, especially with its local focus. By letting consumers search a dealership’s inventory for a car, it helps consumers narrow down car options quickly. “Google recently reported that 77 percent of consumers surveyed use mobile while shopping and is used by consumers who want information in the moment .


Chevy Test Drive with Mobile Ad Campaign

General Motors' Chevrolet is showing off its Sonic car model via mobile ads that gives users an inside look at its features. Chevy is using the mobile ads as part of a broader campaign to market the sedan and hatch cars to a tech-savvy group of consumers.

Mobile test drive: The Chevy banner ads read, “Introducing the lively all-new Chevy Sonic” and encourage users to tap to learn more. When users tap on the mobile ad, they are taken to Chevy’s mobile site where the landing page promotes the Sonic car.


Automotive brands increasingly rely on mobile to drive sales

For many successful car dealers, mobile devices have made buying and selling cars simpler. A whopping 38 percent of car searches for a vehicle are done from mobile phones .

Why is it imperative for automotive companies to have a souped-up presence on mobile? Because that's where the people are. Sometime in the next few years at most, more people will access the Internet via a mobile device versus a desktop/laptop PC, this will have tremendous implications for every business' digital marketing strategy.

About 90 percent of car shoppers worldwide end up at a dealership only after researching online. Accordingly, auto manufacturers and dealerships have focused their Web resources to attract customers for the sale. Mobile devices are particularly useful when designing customer experiences that keep customers coming back throughout the vehicle life cycle. A well-developed multichannel approach is a starting point for a customer-dealer relationship that extends beyond the purchase.

On a mobile device, ongoing interactions become easy and convenient: service alerts, maintenance scheduling, lease status are prime candidates for mobile-enabled tasks. If a customer is on the road and in need of repairs, locating the nearest dealership or service center is critical. By keeping in touch and readily accessible throughout the vehicles’ life, manufacturers and dealerships build relationships with customers who will be more likely to return for the next purchase.

More than 23 percent of all auto shoppers use mobile during the car buying process, and more 40 percent of mobile searches occur when the person is standing on the dealer lot . Also important to note is that 95 percent of those who receive a text message will open the message, even promotional text messages. Mobile shoppers are rated 300 percent more likely to buy within 60 days compared to other shoppers.

Mobile apps are a silo technology, and the vast majority of apps, something over 90 percent, are not used 20 days after they're downloaded, businesses in general benefit more from the mobile Web route as development costs are lower, the market size is bigger and they are much easier for search engines to find.


Auto manufacturers should be paying attention to mobile: Google

Consumers are increasingly using mobile devices to shop for a new car, according to new data from Google. The path to purchase for auto vehicles remains the same, with consumers becoming aware of brands, researching the cars they are interested in and, finally, making a purchase. However, what is changing is the means consumers are using to conduct these activities, with mobile playing an important role, according to a recent study from Google.

13 million people will fall in love with a new car this year, most people are open to buying a car from one of several manufacturers. Mobile users who are close to making an auto purchase often use their mobile devices to compare makes, models, reviews and pricing. They also pull up maps to locate the dealer with the best offer.

There are several examples of how consumers are using mobile to shop for automobiles. For example, during the Super Bowl, data mobile queries on “Chrysler” increased 102 percent when Chrysler ran its TV commercial during the game. Additionally, eBay sells 2,000 cars each week on mobile. Much of the activity is occurring on dealers’ lots, between July and October 2010, 40 percent of AutoTrader’s users accessed AutoTrader Mobile on a dealer forecourt to research a car.In January, the number increased to 45 percent of users.

Google also points to a recent campaign run by Volvo which targeted smartphone owners with banners ads and interactive video ads. The campaign was to promote the new S60 car. Volvo saw a significant lift from the effort including a more than 240 percent increase in brand favorability.

Google research also shows that 33 percent of consumers went to manufacturers’ Web sites to shop for autos, with 55 percent comparing features and 44 percent checking out prices. For auto manufacturers and dealers, all this data points to the importance of having a mobile optimized Web site. This will make it easy for consumers considering a new car to conduct research via mobile.

It is also important to provide the ability to configure a car and schedule test drives in mobile, using local ad targeting can also help shoppers find the closest dealer. Don't just test drive mobile as a “nice to have” add-on, it’s where consumers are, and it requires your attention if you don’t want to be left in the dust.


21% of Consumers who view auto content access it daily

Among consumers who view auto content on their phone, 31 percent access the content once a week and 21 percent access the content almost every day, according to a new report by Millennial Media.

The auto industry has embraced mobile advertising and marketers have been rewarded with huge results. Auto has consistently been among the top 10 global verticals. Millennial found that besides product launches, auto advertisers are also trying to increase overall brand awareness, and reach consumers who may not currently be in the market for a new car.

Sustained in-market presence and brand awareness was the campaign goal for 19 percent of all auto campaigns, additionally, auto brands are using mobile to drive local consumers into dealerships or to the auto brand’s mobile site. Compared to all other advertisers, automotive advertisers implemented site search, dealer and store locator and view map actions in their mobile ads at much higher rates.

Using mobile to reach local consumers is one of the major trends we’ve seen in the industry this year, and auto is one of the key verticals to leverage. National auto advertisers are implementing Email & SMS specific targeting to drive local traffic to individual dealerships.

The report found that mobile auto consumers skew young and male. The leading age group is 18 to 34, and the audience is 68 percent male and 32 percent female. In addition 34 percent of mobile auto consumers are in the $100,000-plus annual income bracket – seven percentage points higher than the overall mobile audience.

Additionally, supporting product launches or releases such as new car models was the top campaign goal for auto advertisers. Advertising the launch/release of a new car model was the top campaign goal for auto marketers, and made up 35 percent of all campaigns.

Advertisers also use mobile to engage consumers who may not be directly in the market for a new car though, and a significant number of campaigns on our network had the goal of increasing brand awareness.


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Mobile Sports Group Automotive Case Studies