Automotive

This page brings you abstracts of all BMC content related to this segment listed from newest to oldest.


 

Lookout

Shifting gears in car shopping and buying

car buyingChanges are on the horizon for car sales. A recent Wall Street Journal article describes the current status this way: “dealers are still learning how digitally savvy customers behave.” Ironically, new car buyers spent 12.5% more time negotiating deals in 2012 than they did in 2010, even though they averaged 18 hours of online research before the purchase – why?
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Lookout

Playbook for Success

Playbook for SuccessThe specifics in the Playbook for Success, published by NACS/CCRRC, apply to convenience retailers, but the principles apply to all: Deliver on the basics, defend your turf, and attract new business. To find the right opportunities to use technology to drive sales and improve performance, sometimes it helps to step back and look at the big picture.
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Lookout

Nielsen: Boomers still rule, better not ignore them

Gray Hair ManMarketers and advertisers may focus on the 18-49 segment, but “The Most Valuable Generation” is the Boomers according to a new Nielsen report. It’s hard to argue with these numbers: Fifty percent of the U.S. population will be over 50 in 5 years. This group will control 70% of disposable income in the country, and they stand to inherit $15 trillion over the next 20 years. They will be responsible for spending almost 50% of all CPG dollars, but less than 5% of advertising dollars are directed to them. The contrast with younger segments is striking.
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Lookout

Personal power & vendor relationship marketing

Power bolt in fist“Consumer technology use has shifted the balance of power from retailers to shoppers,” we say, but has the industry fully grasped how far the pendulum could swing?  “No!” says Doc Searls in a provocative WSJ column. He describes a future in which shoppers define and drive what could be called the “C2B” economy via “intentioncasts.” They broadcast their need to vendors who meet their terms and conditions, collect offers from them, and then make a selection. He calls it VRM (for Vendor Relationship Marketing), and it completely reverses the direction in which CRM flows.
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Blog Post

Picking the perfect part: Customer support for complex purchases

Man Working on CarOver the last several months we’ve asked the thought leaders in several Brick Meets Click segments to share what’s happening in their business that would be of interest to the broader community. In this blog, Phil Bishop and Joe Register talk about how digital technology is changing shopping in the automotive aftermarket and positively impacting product marketing and supply chain efficiency. It turns out that helping customer pick the perfect part can be a model for supporting customers who need to make complex purchase decisions.
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Lookout

Where is Facebook’s real value to retail?

The recent Facebook IPO raised expectations and initial market reaction has tempered them.  Where  is the real value to retail?  The recent BMC original paper Making Facebook Work for Retail looks at three practical ways Facebook can create value for retailers beyond being an advertising vehicle.  The concepts of attracting, engaging and involving are not new; however, the reason to focus on them now is that only a few have put them into action. Many are missing this opportunity. The paper shows how taking action to attract, engage and involve can yield “new found money.” Who would walk away from that?
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