Social Media in Automotive industry

• Zica of Tata Motors become Tiago as per Voice of 37,000 suggestions through social media hunt contest done by Tata Motors
• Hyundai Creta has 10k customers waiting even before real car is unveiled in real owing to its social campaign
• Mahindra KUV 100 debuted their car with an online dubsmash contest
• Honda Jazz had 30k online customers ready to buy after being unveiled on social media

Automobile is industry where Brand imagery plays a great deal in buying behavior. Brand personality, Self Image, self-reflection are critical factors while purchasing a new car. People see cars as a reflection of themselves. So they want to express the feelings of their car among their peers &that is where the connection with social media is done. Social media is something that people use to express their feelings, emotions & share the things they love. So subtly it makes lot of fit to use social media in automotive marketing

The CMO Council report on social analytics within the auto industry throws out some interesting stats and takeaways:

• 23 percent or essentially one out of four car buyers use social media to discuss or communicate a recent purchase experience.
• 38 percent of consumers report they’ll consult social media next time they purchase a car.
• An incredible 84 percent of all automotive shoppers are on Facebook with 24 percent using the networking site as a resource for purchasing their last vehicle.

Even when the average person connects so much with his car, it’s not the hidden imagery that get people most engaged on social media; it’s the physical cars. “It’s the cars themselves that drive the most social buzz and excitement,” said Rob Milne, the North American Director of Marketing Operations for Mazda. “When we get into some of the more human aspects, there’s a little less interest. When we’re showcasing the product, the technology, photos of our engines – that’s when people get excited.”

Most of auto brands now put their new upcoming models on facebook & conduct social media contests to increase their reach. Expert reviews & customer reviews are put on youtube to gather WOM before vehicle launch. Digital teams are vital in automotive marketing  & work overnight to push these ads on facebook feeds of people specially targeted demographically thereby pushing content virally to a larger audience.

While the buying frequency of cars may be infrequent, but the interest in same transcends the purchase event. Thereby an engaging media like social media becomes an automatic fit in automotive marketing for the industry.& it’ s playing a larger role in sales funnel rather than just branding.