Wednesday, November 4, 2009 VOLUME 2 ISSUE 13  
News and Industry Features
Chrysler plans three new Dodge vehicles, considers pickup
Chrysler Group LLC plans to introduce three new Dodge vehicles and is considering building a midsize pickup truck as it looks to rejuvenate its product portfolio and attract customers, The Wall Street Journal reports. The details are the first to emerge from Wednesday's five-year business-plan meeting at Chrysler's headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich. Chief executive Sergio Marchionne intends to spell out how Chrysler will drive sales under his leadership. Marchionne, chief executive of Fiat SpA, took over Chrysler in June after the company filed for bankruptcy protection. "All expectations both internally and externally will be met," Marchionne said before the start of the six-hour press conference Wednesday. More than 300 people are attending the event.  Chrysler Chairman C. Robert Kidder said there is no more "business as usual." "After five months and several board meetings, the board's confidence that Chrysler will re-emerge as a strong competitor" is stronger than ever, Kidder said.The Dodge cars will include an all-new compact model along with a subcompact hatchback and a midsize sedan. These cars will be introduced in 2012 and 2013.
 

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GM, Ford report sales gains as economy perks up
General Motors Co. reported its first monthly sales increase in nearly two years on Tuesday and Ford Motor Co. also racked up gains in October, providing further evidence that the U.S. economy appears to be on the mend, The Detroit News reports.  Overall vehicle sales were level with last October's totals, ending a streak of year-over-year declines as the market continued its slow climb out of the steep downturn that began in 2008.  On an annual basis, last month's selling rate was 10.5 million cars and light trucks, compared with 10.82 million a year ago and 9.22 million in September, according to Autodata Corp.  October sales provided a good measure of consumer demand because sales weren't distorted by incentives or depleted inventories, as in the previous two months.
 
November Dealer magazine out in digital format
Read the November issue of Dealer magazine now
 
GM calls off sale, keeps Opel
General Motors Co.'s board of directors Tuesday voted to keep its German carmaker, Adam Opel GmbH, instead of selling it to Canada's Magna International Inc. and its Russian partner, Sberbank, The Detroit News reports.  The board based its decision, in part, on an improved business environment in Europe and GM's overall financial health and stability since emerging from bankruptcy court after receiving about $50 billion in federal aid. Those two factors gave GM confidence "that the European business can be successfully restructured," President and CEO Fritz Henderson said. Opel and its British Vauxhall operations are key parts of GM's global product development system and account for the bulk of GM sales in Europe.
 

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Edmunds: Incentives decline as old inventory clears out
Edmunds.com estimated Monday that the average automotive manufacturer incentive in the U.S. was $2,468 per vehicle sold in October 2009, down $329, or 11.8 percent, from September 2009, and down $209, or 7.8 percent, from October 2008.
[FULL STORY]
 
Cars.com to kickoff marketing plan with Super Bowl XLIV ad
Third year at the big game

Cars.com will once again kickoff its 2010 marketing campaign with an advertisement on Super Bowl XLIV, which will air on CBS on February 7, 2010. This is the third consecutive year that Cars.com will advertise in the Big Game. The cost was not disclosed.
[FULL STORY]
 
Streamlined Chrysler vehicle logo cleared for takeoff
On the eve of Chrysler Group LLC's post-bankruptcy debut, the U.S. Patent Office approved a new streamlined logo that compresses the winged symbol that Chrysler vehicles have used since the mid-1990s, the Detroit Free Press reports. Instead of the Chrysler lettering running above the wings, the new logo has the Chrysler name imprinted in the middle of the wings. The design is a bit reminiscent of the old Ford Thunderbird logo and not much different from Aston Martin's trademark. Photo credit: Chrysler

 
Toyota pulls out of Formula One
In the wake of one of its more competitive seasons in Formula One, Toyota announced today it would no longer compete in the globetrotting racing series, The Los Angeles Times reports. The cost-cutting decision by the world's largest auto manufacturer comes after the company posted its largest financial loss in May. Toyota failed to win a grand prix in its eight seasons in Formula One and actually apologized to its fans for its limited success. Toyota's exit makes it the third auto manufacturer to leave the sport in less than a year. Last December, Toyota's Japanese rival, Honda, withdrew from F1. BMW competed in its final grand prix Sunday, and on Monday, Bridgestone announced it would no longer supply tires to the series after 2010.
 
Reynolds launches mobile marketing tool for dealers
Reynolds Web Solutions has launched a mobile marketing solution for dealerships using its WebMaker Web sites. The mobile tool  lets dealerships incorporate mobile phones as a marketing channel to provice a cost-effective way for dealerships to extend the reach of their advertising to consumers, the company said.
[FULL STORY]
 
In Digital Dealer
E-mail marketing best practices
by Peter Martin

Delivering e-mails today is becoming more of a challenge. ISPs are making it more difficult to get your message delivered, especially if you are trying to deliver a marketing message. Reputation is now becoming a major factor in e-mail deliverability. One of the key factors that ISPs look at is the “bounce rate” of your campaigns, so sending e-mail campaigns to a “dirty list” can create major delivery issues. List fatigue is a common part of e-mail marketing, yet it is commonly overlooked. You probably spend time analyzing the e-mail metrics and web analytics generated by opens and clicks, monitoring unsubscribes and complaints, and watching for bounces or undelivered messages. All of these things are easy to track and report on and they provide valuable feedback you need to build better campaigns.  But what happens when nothing happens? If you aren’t paying attention to the subscribers who ignore or delete your messages you are missing out on a tremendous opportunity. And you’re putting your good reputation at risk. Read more
 
ARCHIVE
Issue 12
October 28, 2009
Vol. 2 Issue 12
Issue 11
October 21, 2009
Vol. 2 Issue 11
Issue 10
October 14, 2009
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Issue 9
October 7, 2009
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Issue 8
September 30, 2009
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Issue 7
September 23, 2009
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Issue 6
September 16, 2009
Vol. 2 Issue 6
Issue 5
September 9, 2009
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Issue 4
September 2, 2009
Vol. 2 Issue 4
Issue 3
August 26, 2009
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Issue 2
August 19, 2009
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Issue 1
August 12, 2009
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Issue 52
August 5, 2009
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Issue 51
July 29, 2009
Vol. 1 Issue 51
Issue 50
July 22, 2009
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Issue 49
July 15, 2009
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Issue 48
July 8, 2009
Vol. 1 Issue 48
Issue 47
July 1, 2009
Vol. 1 Issue 47
Issue 46
June 24, 2009
Vol. 1 Issue 46
Issue 45
June 17, 2009
Vol. 1 Issue 45

[MORE]
TOPICS
Digital Dealer
News & Industry Events
CONTENTS
Chrysler plans three new Dodge vehicles, considers pickup
GM, Ford report sales gains as economy perks up
November Dealer magazine out in digital format
GM calls off sale, keeps Opel
Edmunds: Incentives decline as old inventory clears out
Cars.com to kickoff marketing plan with Super Bowl XLIV ad
Streamlined Chrysler vehicle logo cleared for takeoff
Toyota pulls out of Formula One
E-mail marketing best practices
DCH Auto Group ad campaign accompanies Web site launch
Reynolds launches mobile marketing tool for dealers
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