Time to rev up those car brands socially
No drive. High-end car brands from the US and Japan simply don’t compare with their German counterparts when it comes to creating significant horsepower with social media, according to a report, Luxury Auto Brands & Their Presence in Social Media, from MH Group Communications and Forum Strategies & Communications.
The two consultancies created the MH Community Index and Conversation Index measurement methodologies to determine the size and activity level of communities around specific auto brands across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr, and found that German automakers dominate the luxury auto business category in the social media. Porsche had the highest community rating in the Community Index with a score of 5,448, followed by BMW at 3,681 and Audi at 3,612. In the Conversation Index measurement, BMW held a sizeable lead over competitors with a conversation rating of 6,164 for the period studied.
The authors identify BMW and Porsche as clear leaders, followed closely by Audi and Mercedes. For the likes of Cadillac, Acura and Lincoln, however, social media are not a significant factor in driving brand awareness or sales.
The study found that the task of breaking through in social media for luxury car brands is complicated by the fact that all the brands face an extraordinary amount of online clutter as they try to attract a focused social media community. Unofficial Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, YouTube channels and Flickr communities created and managed by fans, plus vehicle dealers and individuals who incorporate a vehicle name in their online identities siphon attention and offer conflicting brand messages.
“Communications flow as easily between different social media platforms as within any specific platform,” says Mark Hass, CEO of MH Group. “In this environment, a successful campaign within one social media platform is not sufficient to advance and protect the brand online. Luxury auto companies need to harness the synergies of using multiple social media platforms in an integrated campaign to obtain the full benefits of the technology.”
To ensure social media success, luxury car brands need to embrace and invest in Twitter, connect e-commerce and community with Facebook, convert YouTube into a brand TV network, and integrate all social media platforms to create a 360-degree structure around their online communities.
