Marketing Forecast from Ad-ology

Foresight Research recently introduced its proprietary “2010: Automotive Marketing Return On Investment” study. As part of that study, a detailed examination of the influence of the internet and social media on automotive purchase decisions was conducted and returned interesting results. In 2009, 86% of all new vehicle buyers used the internet in their new vehicle purchase process. Of this group, 90% used the internet to compare vehicles and pricing, while 83% checked it for incentives. For young buyers under the age of 35, nearly a quarter (24%) used social networking to share their decision.

Moms have long had control of a large portion of the household budget. And when women become new moms, their spending habits change. Instead of buying apparel and accessories for themselves, they’re suddenly purchasing equipment and supplies for their babies. What has changed recently is that new moms are harnessing the power of the Internet to educate themselves and to purchase the best products to suit their needs.

More than one recent study has shown how B2B marketers lag behind their B2C counterparts in the social media arena. A new study by White Horse indicates that while 28% of B2C operators have looked to outside experts for help in this arena, only 10% of B2B operators have done so. Similarly, the number of B2B operators who have taken no steps to engage with social media stands at 18%. Only 14% of B2C operators have completely ignored social media to date.

In a recent survey by Mintel Comperemedia, 22% of consumers said that they think that social media sites help them make good decisions about purchases, and an equal number say that social networking sites help them make good decisions about their life in general. This segment of users are likely to be receptive to social marketing that offers tips and advice for making financial decisions. The diverse number of ways people use such sites leaves a window open for financial institutions to make meaningful connections with unlikely customers and build loyalty with current ones.

E-mail is a major marketing platform for most B2B companies. But these businesses may be missing an opportunity to make their e-mail messages even more appealing to target customers. Why? B2B marketers have been slow to include links to social networks in their e-mails. A recently published Silverpop study compared the e-mail marketing activity of B2C to B2B vendors.

A key challenge for many small and medium-size businesses is finding cost-effective ways to generate leads. Historically, direct mail or print ads in local or trade publications yielded the best results. But many SMBs are finding that new media can generate a higher flow of leads for less money. And HubSpot, an industry services provider, says that consumer contact coming from sources such as blogs or social media sites can be easily turned leads. These leads are often called inbound marketing, a form of marketing that now claims 39% of the 2010 lead generation budget for SMBs.