Social networking means that the route to information is no longer linear, controlled by the manufacturers and dealers.

1. AUTOMOTIVE
CONNECTED DIGITAL: UNDERSTAND AND ENGAGE
WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS
AN ICROSSING WHITEPAPER BY DUNCAN WALTERS

2. AUTOMOTIVE: UNDERSTAND AND ENGAGE WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS
CONNECTED DIGITAL THERE’S A WORLD OF PRICELESS BRAND INTELLIGENCE OUT THERE. LET’S FIND IT!
Until recently, offline “channel media” such as TV, radio and newspapers were the main focus for
marketing in the automotive industry. But times are changing. The last two years have seen
major shifts in the way car consumers are behaving. Marketers are feeling the effects already;
people are going online to research and discuss products and traditional brand messages are
losing their grip.
The figures speak for themselves:
Who’s turning to the Internet?
80% of consumers start their car-buying research on the Internet (J.D Power & Associates)
70% of consumers base their buying decisions on the opinions and experiences of other
vehicle owners (Cap Gemini Ernst & Young)
With the opinions of other consumers so much easier to access, and so much better organised,
marketers need to rethink their strategies and address the new, empowered communities online.
WHAT IS NETWORKED MEDIA?
iCrossing believes that we are now living in an age of networked media. There are millions of
THE LAST TWO YEARS HAVE conversations happening within social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Bebo.
SEEN MAJOR SHIFTS IN THE WAY These are just a few of the highly developed social media sites that are increasing in share value.
It's not surprising, when they’re the most valuable source of up-to-the-minute brand intelligence.
CAR CONSUMERS ARE
BEHAVING.
WANT TO BUY A CAR? YOUR FIRST STOP IS THE WEB.
Developments in online social networking have meant that traditional marketing techniques have
less impact on today’s consumer. People base decisions less on manufacturer marketing than
they used to. Social networking means that the route to information is no longer linear, controlled
by the manufacturers and dealers. There are now many other ways that consumers can find,
evaluate and share the information they need.
WHERE ARE CUSTOMERS GETTING THEIR INFORMATION?
To connect with their customers, automotive brands can tap into the array of digital media that
consumers use to research and influence their purchasing decisions:
FIGURE 1: SOURCE: FORRESTER
UNDERSTAND THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY AND PERSONA
Customers use the web to research and gather information through a unique and often carefully-
considered purchase cycle. Each customer will take a different path, but search engines
consistently provide the “glue” that holds the journey together.
© COPYRIGHT 2008 ICROSSING LTD
1

3. AUTOMOTIVE UNDERSTAND AND ENGAGE WITH YOUR C
E: D E CUSTOMERS
Peers
Search
Engines WO
OM
Social
Review sites
Networks
Forums Specialist
information
/Blogs sites
Incent
tives Dealer sites
Marketing
Activity OEM Sites
FIGURE 2: WHER ARE CUSTOMERS GETTING THEIR INFOMATION?
RE
iCrossing ha developed uni
as ique quantitative and qualitative research method which aim to
e ds, o
provide insig
ghts into both a b
brand's custome and the way t
ers might engage with
that the brand m
those custommers through the journey to pur
eir rchase, and who the influencers are within the
o
sector.
TALK THEIR LANGUAGE
R
TO UNDERSTAND AND WIN BACK
U D When people search, they are expressing their wants and de
esires in the simp
plest possible wa It
ay.
CON
NSUMERS’ ATTENTTION, YOU is important to understand th language that your customers use when they search for your
he t s
NEED TO RESEARCH AND LISTEN products.
TO WHAT CONSUMER ARE
W RS
Linguistic pr
rofiling helps you to mine the uniq resource of consumer searc language, and to
u que ch d
TALK ABOUT.
KING map the dem mand for your br rands and produc cts.
The analysis below shows ho the search te
s ow erms targeted by a brand can dif from those th
y ffer hat
customers aactually use – and the potential tr
d lable to those wh get their research
raffic that is avail ho
right. Adopti the correct la
ing anguage in your digital marketing campaign is crucial to its succe
g ess.
Brand Lang
guage Search Volume
h Consu
umer Language Search Volu
ume
roadster 6634 convert
tible 104687
coupe cars 1147 sports c
cars 87327
hatchback cars
s 155 small ca
ars 4929
performance ca
ars 2940 fast car
rs 213180
2
saloon cars 124 family c
cars 1147
motor vehicles 806 cars 28
800000
environmentallyy 124 green c
cars 2728
friendly cars
biodiesel cars 186 hybrid c
cars 3503
fuel efficient ca
ars 2000 electric cars 42000
buy cars 39,552 cars for sale
r 24
46,685
Total Volume 53,668 Total Vo
olume 3,50
06,186
TABLE 1: LINGUISTIC PROFILE
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN T AUTOMOTIV BRANDS?
TO VE
To understand and earn con nsumer attention, automotive braands need to reseearch and listen to
what their cu
ustomers are talk
king about. Thes conversations are highly dyna
se s amic and
widespread, and can occur i the least obvio places. iCros
, in ous ssing provides th innovative too
he ols
and online experience that b
e brands need to re
esearch, listen an respond.
nd

4. AUTOMOTIVE: UNDERSTAND AND ENGAGE WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS
AT THE CUSTOMER ACQUISITION PHASE
Be aware – understand your network, the influencers and find your place within it
Be active – listen to your network and engage with relevant input
AT THE CUSTOMER RETENTION PHASE
Monitor – make changes based on feedback and the success of campaigns
Respond – solve problems quickly and honestly
Engage – interact with owners and influencers by providing useful content
CONSTANT CHANNEL MANAGEMENT
Collect data – refine the marketing process, target future programmes
Connect – create seamless marketing, that links all media with relevant consumers
Enable dealers – ensure that dealers can leverage manufacturer marketing activities
WE MONITOR AND ANALYSE Combine the above and you're on the right track to creating a trusted brand.
CUSTOMERS' UNIQUE
JOURNEYS, TRACKING THE KEY HOW CAN YOU DEVELOP YOUR APPROACH?
WORDS THEY USE TO HELP YOU
The key is to build a connected strategy that pulls all your digital marketing efforts together. This
TARGET YOUR MARKETING WITH should be informed by insight gathered from your online network – a true reflection of what
GREATER PRECISION. consumers want and the issues they are discussing. This provides brands with an opportunity to
engage with their customers in an authentic way.
The same insight also informs digital marketing channels, including natural and paid search, as
well as display advertising. A connected approach maximises the impact of your spend and
creates the best possible return on investment.
LISTEN TO AND UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE WANT AND NEED
Are people interested in the environment? Who wants seduction? Who wants reliability? In a
digital marketplace, marketers need a more nuanced appreciation of what individual consumers
are searching for. We monitor and analyse customer journeys, tracking the key words they use
to develop distinct user profiles that help you target your marketing with greater precision.
HOW DO WE TRACK THEM DOWN?
iCrossing’s tools enable us to perform in-depth analysis of your online communities. We identify
the major influencers, analyse their effect on your online brand equity and identify strategies that
you can employ to positively influence what is going on. To allow us to map these communities,
iCrossing developed NetworkSense Mapping, a proprietary mapping tool which allows us to
visualise networks and conversations taking place around brands, themes and sectors.
FIGURE 3: NETWORKSENSE MAPPING
This tool often reveals complex clusters of sites, which need to be deciphered carefully. Our
analysts can help you to understand where people are spending their time online, and the
conversations they're engaged in.
© COPYRIGHT 2008 ICROSSING LTD
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5. AUTOMOTIVE: UNDERSTAND AND ENGAGE WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS
Once relevant networks and influencers are identified, it's essential to use technology to “listen”
and develop a framework of ongoing measurement. NetworkSense Monitoring processes such
information to provide an overall 'brand score', as well as easy access to individual mentions,
which can also be cut by sentiment, topic, site-type or credibility. Charting options allow for
scores and topics to be viewed and compared over time, both within a brand and between
various brands, enabling competitor analysis.
FIGURE 4: NETWORKENSE MONITORING SCREEN SHOT
Finding this information, and expertly interpreting it, enables a company to monitor buzz around
brands, and develop their approach accordingly.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE MAJORITY OF ATTENTION IS ELSEWHERE?
As we’ve established, customers look in multiple places for the information they want. This is
extremely healthy for your online brand. As different sites discuss your brand online, they feed
your site with credibility through links. Google rates sites in line with how relevant they are to
their online network – and the more links, the more powerful your online brand will be.
If automotive brands are to remain at the vanguard of worldwide recognition, then they will have
to engage intelligently with social media.
TOP TIPS ON HOW TO TAP INTO YOUR BRAND'S POTENTIAL
Map online consumer opinions and target campaigns accordingly
Maintain awareness of a rapidly changing consumer demographic
Find out who’s talking about your brand; where they are, what they’re saying and what they
want
Pick up on conversations that mention interest in purchasing your products
Monitor your brand for early warnings of brand damage, and act accordingly
Engage with your network
Can you really afford to miss the opportunity to engage with consumers in this way?
DUNCAN WALTERS
AUTOMOTIVE MANAGER
+44 (0) 1273 828 140
+44 (0) 7920 068 940
DUNCAN.WALTERS@ICROSSING.CO.UK
© COPYRIGHT 2008 ICROSSING LTD
4

6. AUTOMOTIVE: UNDERSTAND AND ENGAGE WITH YOUR C
E D E CUSTOMERS
APPENDICE
ES
As part of ou ongoing indus analysis, we regularly conduc research into topical issues.
ur stry ct
Here's some recent research on some leadin automotive br
e h ng rands.
PORSCHE
UNDERSTAND BRAND PER
DING RCEPTION WITHIN NETWORK MEDIA
N
iCrossing’s C Content & Media team analysed the conversation and networks around the laun
a ns s nch
of the new P Porsche Paname scheduled fo late 2009. Netw
era, or workSense Mapp ping and Monitooring
identified live conversation within the follo
ely ns owing categories mentions in social media, green
s;
sites, blog cconversations and automotive sites.
d
NetworkSen Mapping reve
nse ealed conversations discussing t “Panamera”:
the
Social bo
ookmarking (del.i ommendation (Digg, Reddit) featu prominently in
icio.us) and reco ure
the netwo and indicate a great deal of in
ork nterest
As expec
cted, there is sign
nificant conversa
ation around the car on automoti blogs and for
ive rums
Interestin
ngly, green sites are also discuss
sing the new vehi
icle. Upon furthe investigation,
er
these connversations were seen to be focu
e used on details o the Panamera’ hybrid drive.
of ’s
THE PORSCH JUDICIAL REVIEW
HE
Faced with a proposed incre
ease in congestio charges, Pors
on sche instigated a judicial review t
that
was covered by numerous s
d sites.
ealed conversations discussing “
NetworkSen Mapping reve
nse “Porsche judicial review”:
SSD
DS Numerou mentions within news sites, bu few linking to t Porsche site - indicating a la
us ut the ack
of awaren
ness of, or intera
action with, the site
s

7. AUTOMOTIVE UNDERSTAND AND ENGAGE WITH YOUR C
E: D E CUSTOMERS
Many meentions within env
vironmental blog and forums, d
gs discussing issues around carbon
s
emissions
s
The Porsche site is linked to by bloggers, automotive foru
d , ums and several media centres,
indicating interaction with the official reso
g h ource
Ken Livin
ngstone and Tran
nsport for London (TFL) were agg
gregating news coverage to enha
c ance
their mes
ssage
Further analysis of the co
overage within au
utomotive and en
nvironmental blo revealed lively
ogs
but balan
nced debate, with each 'side' sho
h owing considerable understandin of the other's
ng
views
JAGUAR - XF CAR
X
CONVERSATI
IONS AND BUZZ A
AROUND THE XF CAR LAUNCH
C
“...a beautifully “...the way the engine
“
sculptured rear and
a box co-operate ... .is
end...” The Sun one
o of the car’s severa al
dynamic standouts...”
d
Top
T Gear
“...Those headlights
Rid and
de lo like crap...”
ook
Ha
andling (5 stars peeewee
out of 5)...What
t ja
aguarforums.com
Ca Online
ar
In the case of the Jaguar XF, research shows that the majority of the online activity is away fr
o s a rom
the brand's site.
The diagram below shows various sites disc
m cussing the Jagua XF - the larger the circle, the m
ar more
influential the site.
WhatCar
W Jalopnik
k
Jaguar.co.uk JaguarX
XF.com Jaguarforums
s.com
Here we c see that WhatCar is receivin roughly double the attention of the Jaguar UK site
can ng e o
Jalopnik is highly influential, as it often br
reaks car spy sho and industry news
ots
The relati
ively new XF site has already gained half as much popularity with ‘social media as
e hin a’
the main Jaguar domain.

8. AUTOMOTIVE: UNDERSTAND AND ENGAGE WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS
ABOUT ICROSSING
iCrossing, formerly known as Spannerworks in the UK, is a global digital marketing company
that combines talent and technology to help world-class brands find and connect with their
customers. The company blends best-in-class marketing services - including paid and natural
search marketing, social media, content and media, display advertising, user experience, web
development and analytics and insight - to create integrated digital marketing programs that
engage consumers and drive ROI. iCrossing clients include world-class brands such as The
Coca Cola Company, HBOS, TUI and Virgin. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, the company
has 620 employees in 15 offices in the US and Europe, including 110 employees in the UK.
Find out more at www.icrossing.co.uk or contact us on +44 (0)1273 828100 or
duncan.walters@icrossing.co.uk
iCrossing Limited
22 Chapter Street
London
SW1P 4NP
Tel: +44(0)1273 828100
Fax:+ 44(0)20 8433 7055
1 Palace Place
Brighton
BN1 1EF
Tel: +44 (0)1273 828100
Fax: +44 (0)1273 828101
info@icrossing.co.uk
icrossing.co.uk
© COPYRIGHT 2008 ICROSSING LTD
7