Marketing

Used-vehicle retail giant CarMax Inc. and online used-vehicle retailers Carvana Co. and Vroom Inc. will not air advertisements during Super Bowl LVII. Spokespersons for the three retailers told Automotive News there are currently no plans to air company advertisements during the game, which is scheduled for kickoff at 6:30 p.m. ET Feb. 12. Fox, the

A coveted luxury auto account will be up for grabs in 2023 as BMW of North America is conducting an agency review for creative, media, social and CRM, the brand confirmed to Ad Age on Tuesday. Ad Age is an affiliate of Automotive News. Omnicom’s Goodby Silverstein & Partners has held the creative account since

Construction begins Jan. 9 on a $60 million automotive country club in southeast Michigan. The first phase of the 273-acre Motorsports Gateway Howell — located north of I-96 between Detroit and Lansing — is expected to include a 2.2-mile driving track, clubhouse, rentable garages for members, garage condos for sale and a nature trail, according

TikTok videos aren’t just for entertainment anymore. They’re also revenue-generating and brand-building tools, as Madeline Nelson at Prestige Auto, a Kia and Mitsubishi dealership in Eau Claire, Wis., can attest. Take a recent humorous video filmed by Nelson, digital marketing coordinator and chief TikTok guru for the store, owned by Prestige Auto Corp. The 16-second

Alfa Romeo’s growth plan in the U.S. over the next decade involves doing away with internal combustion engines by 2027. The Italian brand is laying the groundwork for this expansion now with a focus on delivering experiences to consumers that are fitting of the luxury segment. It’s not a numbers game. Alfa says it’s thinking

Move over Facebook, YouTube and Instagram — there’s an upstart fixed-ops marketing tool in town with a goofy name that belies its serious promotional potential: TikTok. Once the primary province of home videos showing preteens and teens bustin’ a move or lip-syncing to the hit song du jour in their bedrooms and basement rec rooms,

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday said Chief Marketing Officer Suzy Deering, who joined the automaker in early 2021 from eBay, is leaving the company at the end of the week. The automaker did not give a reason for her departure. “We thank Suzy for her contributions to Ford and wish her all the

A year and a half of tight dealership inventories and strong consumer demand have let automakers dramatically curtail what they spend marketing their products, allowing those dollars to instead pad their bottom lines and soothe any financial damage from rising costs. But while the industry doesn’t need a lot of glitzy television ad campaigns or

Longtime General Motors advertising agency Campbell Ewald has undertaken an executive shuffle, which includes naming the first woman as its CEO in the company’s 112-year history. Kari Shimmel, 41, CE’s chief strategy officer since late 2018, will immediately step into the role of CEO, succeeding Kevin Wertz, who is stepping down as CEO but will

The Federal Communications Commission has declared ringless voicemails, a marketing tool used by some automotive dealers, illegal without the consumer’s consent, ending a half-decade debate over whether the technology fell under federal robocall restrictions outlined in the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. In its Nov. 21 declaration, the FCC said the phone calls that leave a

Longtime General Motors advertising agency Campbell Ewald has undertaken an executive shuffle, which includes naming the first woman as its CEO in the company’s 112-year history. Kari Shimmel, 41, CE’s chief strategy officer since late 2018, will immediately step into the role of CEO, succeeding Kevin Wertz, who is stepping down as CEO but will

With its new Ariya electric crossover cruising toward American shores, Nissan Motor Co. has unveiled a program to smoothen EV adoption and prime the sales pump. EV Carefree+ will offer Ariya buyers a battery warranty and a year of complimentary access to the EVgo public fast-charging network. Also included: 3 years/36,000 miles of scheduledmaintenance, which

Rarely, if ever, has a car ad started by showing a car that won’t start. But that is how Chevy begins a holiday-themed spot that will run nationally during Thanksgiving Day NFL games on NBC, Fox and CBS. The ad by the General Motors brand features a turquoise-colored 1957 Chevy Bel Air Nomad station wagon.

General Motors didn’t just halt Twitter advertising after Elon Musk bought the social network. The automaker’s CEO and vehicle brands haven’t even tweeted since. Mary Barra last posted on Oct. 27, the same day that Musk closed his $44 billion purchase, when GM’s leader retweeted a message from autonomous-vehicle startup Cruise LLC. Since then, Barra

Bergstrom Automotive shows the industry how a dealership group can establish the intangible idea of culture and thrive. John Bergstrom, who founded the company in 1982 with brother Richard, takes customer service extremely seriously. He traces it to his Scandinavian mother, who “taught the five of us how to behave,” Bergstrom recalled. Relatives were greeted

Hal “Tex” Earnhardt Jr. built an auto retail empire in Arizona from a single Ford store in 1951. Earnhardt was a rodeo cowboy in his early 20s when he entered the industry after working at his family’s Chandler, Ariz., gas station. And he integrated his passion for rodeos with his passion for the car business.

The Walt Disney Company has selected Hyundai as the first official brand partner and exclusive automotive sponsor of its upcoming 100th anniversary celebrations, marking the latest step in the increasingly friendly relationship between the entertainment giant and the South Korean automaker. With the deal locked in, Hyundai is gearing up to launch a global ad

It was probably just a matter of time until someone put a motor in an office chair. That someone turned out to be Volkswagen, which built a five-wheeled vehicle for cubicle dwellers. The VW electric chair — er, that may not be the best name for it — has a top speed of 12 mph

Even Legoland is joining the electric vehicle revolution. Legoland Florida Resort used Lego bricks to create a life-size replica of the Ford F-150 Lightning as part of its ongoing partnership with area dealers. The Lego Lightning took more than 1,600 hours to build and is made of about 320,740 pieces. It’s the same size as

HAMBURG – Volkswagen on Friday said it has recommended to its brands to pause paid advertising on Twitter until further notice in the wake of Elon Musk‘s takeover of the social media platform. “We are closely monitoring the situation and will decide about next steps depending on its evolvement,” Europe’s top carmaker said in a

Several automakers have been quick to reevaluate their advertising relationships with Twitter now that the social media giant is controlled by one of their most significant competitors: Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk. Here’s what some have said so far. Volkswagen Group: The German automaker said Friday that it has recommended its brands pause paid advertising

General Motors said late Friday it had temporarily halted paid advertising on Twitter after Elon Musk completed his takeover of the social media company. The largest U.S. automaker said it was “engaging with Twitter to understand the direction of the platform under their new ownership. As is normal course of business with a significant change

Wieden+Kennedy has grown its Ford business, taking over lead global creative and brand strategy work from BBDO as the automaker looks to streamline its advertising across the world. W+K has steadily expanded its scope with the automaker since it was added to its roster in 2018. That is when Ford hired BBDO as its lead

Hyundai Motor America didn’t run a Super Bowl spot this year, but it still grabbed some attention from the sidelines for its Ioniq 5 electric crossover. The Korean automaker instead opted for an expansive digital strategy by leveraging TikTok, the video-sharing social hub known for its daily frenzy of people dancing to catchy music and

One of the biggest attractions at this year’s reborn Detroit auto show stemmed from a grassroots movement that began as a way to spread cheer among Jeep owners during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. After watching the social media-fueled phenomenon known as “ducking” spread rapidly, Jeep embraced it by setting up the world’s

Stellantis multicultural advertising chief Juan Torres wants the automaker to be in tune with the “majority of tomorrow.” The U.S. Census Bureau projects that minority groups will make up a majority of the population by 2045, and Torres says it’s a competitive advantage to engage these audiences now with messaging that is culturally relevant. Authenticity,

Toyota Motor Corp. is forgoing a traditional product pitch in a new marketing campaign designed to connect with consumers on a more personal level. The “Never Settle” campaign will comprise seven broadcast commercials touching on various themes. One spot called “A New World” explores the possibilities that await a newborn baby just leaving the hospital.

Lexus, one of the most prominent brand backers of the first “Black Panther” movie, is back for the seque — this time using the movie to plug an electric vehicle.  The campaign, called “An Electric Future,” features the 2023 Lexus RZ 450e, the Toyota-owned luxury brand’s first battery electric vehicle. A 90-second ad features members

How should we think of certified pre-owned vehicles? Are these used vehicles, new vehicles, or should we stick to calling them “like-new”? Regardless of how we classify certified vehicles, we treat them like a different product. How we market, advertise, label and sell these vehicles proves that. Exiting the Great Recession, sales of certified pre-owned

Kentucky’s governor celebrated the upcoming redesign of Ford Motor Co.’s Super Duty pickups by adding an “R” to the state’s name for a day. “Kentuckians have been building Ford trucks since the Model T, and we are thrilled this tradition is going to continue with the all-new Ford F-Series Super Duty,” Gov. Andy Beshear said