Marketing

Sonic Automotive Inc.’s fast-growing used vehicle unit EchoPark Automotive has named VaynerMedia as its first agency of record, following a pitch process that began in March. EchoPark, which launched in 2014, said now that it has firmly established its infrastructure and expanded its footprint, the goal is to invest in marketing to build the brand

After working to develop digital retailing at Ford Motor Co., longtime automaker executive Matt VanDyke is now looking to accelerate online sales throughout the broader auto industry. In June, VanDyke left Ford after 14 years, primarily in marketing roles, to become president of Shift Digital. VanDyke, who was CEO of the FordDirect joint venture with

I saw a news release some months ago about a franchised dealership group that created a brand for a digital sales tool it was rolling out for used vehicles. What interested me was the fact that the retailer, Titus-Will Automotive Group, didn’t use its established brand name to go to market with its new online

Van Horn Automotive Group has had a digital retailing presence since before the pandemic began in 2020, with the goal of selling vehicles to consumers entirely online. The group, with 19 dealerships in Wisconsin and Iowa, initially drew on its established brand name and called its offering Van Horn Direct. But the process turned out

Dealership marketing company AutoWeb Inc., after this spring revealing doubts about its ability to continue as a going concern, said Monday it has agreed to be acquired by One Planet Group, a self-described hybrid technology firm led by one of AutoWeb’s founders. One Planet Group will pay AutoWeb shareholders 39 cents per share, according to

To push its new supercharged, off-road F-150 Raptor R, Ford is using a rabid wolf, rattlesnakes, a scorpion, bats and a monster. Those creatures star in a video for the pickup that is meant to look more like a trailer for a horror movie than a truck ad. The two-minute film, called “Scary Fast,” comes

A Chevrolet Silverado is hauling a tiny house with a big porch across six cities this fall in a search for new stories. The 2022 heavy-duty pickup will tow the house across the South for the Moth’s first pop-up porch tour, sponsored by General Motors, as the storytelling nonprofit celebrates its 25th anniversary. During the

With competition increasing, electrification coming and Aston Martin moving into new segments, the British ultraluxury brand is rolling out a new global marketing campaign centered around the words “Intensity. Driven.” And, for just the eighth time in Aston’s 109-year history, the company’s famous winged logo is slated for an update. It’s all part of an

A California dealership group and a former customer have agreed to a $2.5 million class-action settlement in a case surrounding ringless voicemails — a practice that is popular among auto dealers. The allegations against Moss Bros. Auto Group, based in Riverside, Calif., claim the company continuously used ringless voicemails that amounted to “aggressive unsolicited marketing”

Vietnamese automaker VinFast is opening its first U.S. showrooms in California shopping centers next week on its way to 30 company-run retail locations in the state by year end. VinFast has chosen Santa Monica, San Diego, San Mateo, Corte Madera, Commerce and Berkeley for its first six showrooms, the company said in an email invitation

Volkswagen of America’s head of marketing, Kimberley Gardiner, is leaving the automaker after less than two years on the job, VW dealers were told Wednesday. Gardiner, 54, one of Automotive News’ 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry in 2020, was hired away from Mitsubishi Motors North America in November 2020 as VW’s

NEWARK, Calif. — Lucid Motors, the direct-to-consumer electric vehicle startup, is expanding its “studio” store locations to major U.S. cities, including recent openings in Seattle and Denver. But there are still current and future reservation holders who are too far away to easily test drive the Air sedan and its new Grand Touring trim. So

Dealership technology giant CDK Global is getting out of the cookie business. CDK is closing Fresh Beginnings, a bakery that Hugh Hathcock and his wife, Judy, started in 1985 as a source of gourmet gifts to help his dealership clients build relationships with their customers. CDK acquired the bakery in 2018 when it bought eLead1One,

Dodge says it’s going to be an electric summer. The Stellantis performance brand plans to preview future products in August during what it calls Speed Week. It kicks off Aug. 12 with a press preview for the MotorTrend Presents Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge event that takes place the next day. Roadkill Nights spotlights muscle

Matt VanDyke, a longtime Ford Motor Co. marketing executive who last year became CEO of the company’s FordDirect joint venture with dealers, is leaving the automaker to become president of Shift Digital, a digital marketing vendor. VanDyke will assume the new role June 28. “Consumer purchasing habits are dramatically changing as more individuals embrace the

Chevrolet is auctioning off a unique piece of Corvette artwork that comes with a rather valuable bonus: an actual car painted to look like the image. The “Own the Color” auction, which runs June 20-24, is for a non-fungible token of the upcoming 2023 Corvette Z06 created by the artist Xsullo. An NFT is a

Vehicles in rarer colors such as yellow, orange and purple retain their value at a better rate than cars in traditionally dominant colors such as silver, black and white, auto research website iSeeCars.com said in a study. Karl Brauer, executive analyst at iSeeCars.com, said he hopes the study released last week will persuade people to

The Jeep Wrangler zoomed its way into Jurassic Park lore in 1993 when it sped away from a charging Tyrannosaurus rex in one of the highest-grossing films of all time. Jeep is leveraging that prehistoric stage again nearly 30 years later in Jurassic World Dominion, the sixth and purportedly final film of the series. The

Jeep is getting some screen time in the upcoming Jurassic World: Dominion. The Gladiator, Wrangler and a vintage Grand Wagoneer will appear in the dinosaur-packed epic in continuation of a relationship that began with the first Jurassic Park film in 1993. In the first entry, a T. rex chased a Wrangler in one of its

Comedian Jay Leno loves cars but says driving the Ford F-150 Lightning converted him into “a truck guy.” Leno tested one of Ford’s new electric pickups — with CEO Jim Farley riding along — for an episode of his CNBC show, “Jay Leno’s Garage,” that will air this fall. “As much as I love my

The nation’s largest new-vehicle retailer has begun a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign aimed not at car shoppers, but at potential employees. AutoNation’s “Go Be Great” campaign began airing on TV networks including ESPN, CNBC and NBC last week, ahead of the Indianapolis 500 race on Sunday, May 29. AutoNation is a sponsor of Indy 500 driver

WASHINGTON — Ford Motor Co. has agreed to pay $19.2 million to resolve allegations it falsely advertised real-world fuel economy and payload capacity for some hybrids and pickup trucks, the Iowa Attorney General’s Office said Tuesday. The multi-state settlement covers 2013–2014 C-Max hybrids and 2011–2014 Super Duty pickups. In 2013, Ford lowered the advertised fuel

Jimmy Car Car” is taking his show on the road. Or rather, the man who still answers to that childhood nickname — Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley — is now doing a show about the road. Farley has taken on podcast hosting in addition to his role leading America’s second-biggest automaker. His weekly show

The troubled, ever-evolving Tokyo Motor Show will rebrand itself yet again in an attempt to breathe life, energy and attendance into Asia’s onetime premier auto expo. When the show returns in 2023, it will open under a “Japan All-Industry” banner, said the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, which has hosted the event since its inception in

DETROIT — It’s no secret what Dodge is about these days. The brand spent the last eight years recasting itself as a youthful purveyor of American muscle, led by its powerful Hellcats and edgy advertising. Focusing on the high-octane realm has supercharged its base of enthusiasts and sparked an active following of millions online. Now,

Most brands mine social media and influencer trends to tap into popular crazes. But Chrysler is using one rising phenomenon as a foil — #VanLife. The hashtag, which is affixed to social content plugging the kind of nomadic lifestyle that has gained traction during the pandemic, serves as the inspiration for a new campaign for

As brands rush to tell consumers about what electric vehicles can offer, Ford Motor Co. is trying to bring “frunk” into the cultural lexicon. “Frunk” is slang for front trunk, or the empty space under the hood where most gasoline-powered vehicles have an engine. The frunk is representative of how the arrival of mainstream EVs

Two ads for the Land Rover Defender have been banned in the United Kingdom over concerns that they could mislead viewers into thinking the vehicles would keep drivers from going over a cliff. The ads showed a Defender parking at the end of a cliff as the vehicle’s backup sensors make a beeping sound. Two

Ford is taking what appears to be a subtle shot at Elon Musk in a new campaign set to get airplay during this weekend’s Kentucky Derby coverage on NBC.  The effort from Wieden+Kennedy has blue-collar sensibilities and aims to promote the automaker’s status as a major employer of hourly workers. One ad begins with scenes

As brands rush to tell consumers about what electric vehicles can offer, Ford Motor Co. is trying to bring the “frunk” into the cultural lexicon. Frunk is slang for front trunk, or the empty space in the front hood where the gas-powered cars keep the engine. EVs don’t use internal combustion engines, freeing the space