Marketing

The GMC Yukon is a big SUV that got even bigger with its latest redesign. So to promote its arrival, GMC created what it describes as the “world’s biggest tweet.” The brand sent a couple of Yukons into the Nevada desert to carve out a giant sand billboard that could only be seen by helicopter.

Even a pandemic can’t stop the Wienermobile. Oscar Mayer briefly sidelined its 300-hp frankfurters in the spring, but the company “decided that being a source of frivolity during trying times is part of its DNA,” The New York Times reported last week. So all six Wienermobiles, most of which ride on a Chevrolet chassis with

The Nissan brand scored at the top among non-luxury brands in the 2020 Automotive Reputation Report. Subaru, Toyota, Ford and Mini rounded out the top five for 2020, the second year for the report. Reputation.com ranks 18,000 automotive brands and dealerships in the U.S. on a scale of 0 to 1,000 based on visibility, sentiment

J.D. Power’s 2020 Q3 Mobility Confidence Index found that North American vehicle owners have not changed their opinions on battery-electric vehicles or self-driving technologies. The study, fueled by SurveyMonkey and released Tuesday, said “consumers remain skeptical because of their lack of firsthand experience with these technologies and lack of education about how and why these

Mercedes-Benz’s Alabama plant is committed to delivering the most expensive mass-production passenger vehicle made in America on time. The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC arrives in stores in December and starts at $161,550, including shipping. Fully loaded, the SUV will top out at nearly $200,000. The plant in Vance, which builds the GLE, GLE Coupe and

Automakers and tech companies have sought to cultivate the trust of consumers as they’ve developed and launched driver-assist systems that many consider a prelude to self-driving vehicles. Those efforts may be misguided. Consumers often are confused by the performance capabilities and limitations of driver-assist systems, which can control some steering, acceleration and braking tasks. Motorists

As COVID-19 state mandates shut down dealership retail sales, more targeted marketing efforts with bigger budgets were shifted to fixed ops departments that remained open as essential services. “Many dealers made massive cuts to their marketing budgets, but they didn’t touch service,” says Alexi Venneri, CEO of marketing firm Digital Air Strike. The sudden importance

The service slowdown caused by the pandemic hit Woody Buick-GMC in Naperville, Ill., hard, says General Manager Jerry Roberts. Repair order counts were down about 35 percent, he says. “We had to go out and attract more business to keep people employed.” The dealership’s service marketing budget is still modest, but it grew by 70

LOS ANGELES — Mazda North America has drawn hundreds of entries for its “Mazda Heroes” initiative that will gift a special edition of the MX-5 Miata sports car to 50 U.S. residents who have supported their communities during the coronavirus pandemic. As the Oct. 25 deadline approaches for nominations, the automaker has received tens of

DETROIT — The 2021 New York auto show is moving to August, four months later than planned, organizers announced Tuesday. The event, which was postponed and later canceled this year because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, will take place Aug. 20-29, with a press day Aug. 19, officials said. The 2021 event was originally slated

Lordstown Motors says its upcoming electric pickup, the Endurance, is the perfect truck for a working Joe. So the Ohio startup has hired Joe Burrow, the Cincinnati Bengals’ rookie quarterback, to be the star of its first marketing campaign. Burrow, who was the No. 1 pick in this year’s NFL draft, is the ideal choice

DETROIT — GMC’s goal with the debut of the Hummer electric pickup next week is broad awareness, not only of the vehicle itself, but also the GMC brand and General Motors’ electric future. GMC’s reveal campaign for the Hummer EV begins next week, with spots during Game 1 of the Major League Baseball World Series

LOS ANGELES — A year ago, the mantra being pushed by Honda executives was that “cars matter” — a compelling message for a brand that derived almost half its volume from sedans and hatchbacks at the time. But as the market continues its relentless shift toward crossovers and pickups, it turns out that trucks matter

DETROIT — General Motors plans to reveal its long-anticipated Hummer electric pickup during Game 1 of baseball’s World Series on Oct. 20. GM, after a nearly 10-year hiatus for the Hummer name, will start production of the EV under the GMC brand in fall 2021, according to a promotional video. “We cannot wait to finally

Tesla Inc. has dissolved its U.S. media relations team, website Electrek reported on Tuesday, in yet another unconventional move by the world’s most valuable automaker. Reuters could not immediately reach the EV maker to verify the development. Unlike its peers who splurge millions of dollars on advertising and marketing, Tesla has largely shunned traditional channels

Last week, I did something I hadn’t done in seven months. I hopped on a plane and traveled for work, having been invited to the media introduction of the redesigned 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost in Austin, Texas. Automotive News readers may recall a time when our pages were populated with seemingly random datelines from across the

From economic stresses to increased work-from-home numbers, byproducts of the COVID-19 pandemic are giving pause to car shoppers who might otherwise consider an electric vehicle to replace their internal-combustion-engine model. But this is just a short-lived bump in the road that will be followed by a rebound in consumer interest in EVs. There are compelling

Acura faces headwinds on multiple fronts as it tries to drum up interest in its new TLX sedan, which hits dealers Monday.  The luxury segment the car competes in remains mired in a pandemic-induced sales slump. And sedans continue to lose ground to SUVs and crossovers as buyers gravitate to higher-riding vehicles.  But those forces

ATLANTA — Porsche Cars North America is expanding adjacent to its headquarters in metro Atlanta. The sports car maker will begin construction of a service center and a classic factory restoration center next to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The 33-acre “multimillion-dollar development” will also be used to expand the Porsche Experience Center performance track, the

ATLANTA — Porsche Cars North America is expanding adjacent to its headquarters in metro Atlanta. The sports car maker will begin construction of a service center and a classic factory restoration center next to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The 33-acre “multimillion-dollar development” will also be used to expand the Porsche Experience Center performance track, the