JD Power have been measuring the online traffic moving back and forth for various automotive brands and have named 8 brands has having the best social media ‘buzz’.
Automotive News have the explanation:
Kia, Saab and Chrysler.
If you know what those brands have in common, you’re in tune with the latest in automotive marketing.
The three were among the marques that consumers buzzed most positively about over online social media, such as blogs, chat rooms and Facebook.
In its annual Franchise Assessment Review on Thursday, J.D. Power and Associates ranked eight brands as “excellent” for the positive online buzz they generated in 2009: Audi, Chrysler, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, Porsche, Saab and Suzuki.
And if there’s a thought in this story that I could echo in all-caps, it would be this….
The industry has to acknowledge that this is an exploding voice of the consumer.
Hear, hear!
I know that Saab and Spyker have acknowledged the support they received from owners and fans of the brand in the lead up to the deal with General Motors. That campaign, and the others around it, generated momentum but efforts will need to be made to build that momentum into something more.
I really hope they’re giving this some serious thought and trust that they are. Your ideas about their online presence, as the consumers of the company’s products, should definitely receive full consideration.
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Thanks to Aeropilot for the link.
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{ 18 comments }
positive buzz = trendy = surge in sales?
“efforts will need to be made to build that momentum into something more
The buzz is certainly one side.
But apart from the buzz, I think that one very different factor now is that by now I think that at least the Saab Community has proven that the buzz has a real life effect.
It’s just not a lot of people talking positively on social media, there was action taken IRL to support the brand.
That’s a very different situation than before and something that they should consider very seriously at Saab-Spyker
According to latest news SAAB sales doubled in the last two weeks….. from a very low level true… but imagine it keeps doubling up
I think the internet buzz has something to do with that!
Here is one source ( in swedish )
http://www.e24.se/business/verkstadsindustri/forsaljningen-av-saab-okar_1860339.e24
Maybe just a bit OT but I think worth a quick click.
Online edition of “Wired” wants the Sonett back.
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/02/bring_back_saab_sonett/
Khrisdk,
You’re absolutely right, hence the mention in the post about Saab and Spyker acknowledging the support they received. That support came primarily in the form of the Saab Support Convoys, which in turn generated a lot of the positive buzz that was around the web in the last few weeks before the sale.
This survey is based on a year or so’s worth of material, however, and the Saab story has been an enduring one for quite some time now.
Thankfully, I think the survey was based on online content not related to the Swedish press
It’s amazing how the Swedish press differs from the press in the rest of the world. Everyone is raising eyebrows when looking to this deal and there is always a certain amount of doubt in the articles, which I can imagine.
But here in the Netherlands they kind of like the adventure as well. In between all these boring, well calculated and risk avoiding companies, there suddenly is this exaggerated form of entrepreneurship. I think the world is longing towards people that dear to do something out of the ordinary.
Brands like Apple and Google were going over these roads and they do well. So why not Saab? Why not make Saab the Apple of cars? It’s cool to drive a Saab, it’s got to do with free minds and creativity again. When you look it this way, you can see certain similarities between Apple and Saab. Apple always was for the creative ones – designers, architects, photographs – and had a lot of opponents (read: envious). Now it’s the brand to be cool with.
So, Saab has to go out of boundaries. In concept cars there are often futuristic dashboards, always skipped when a car comes in production. Why? Because car designers decide for us that we’re not ready for these innovations. I think we all love the concepts cars and at least I’m always disappointed the production car is all old-fashioned again.
This is where Saab can make a difference: make it different then the rest by using standard components (like Apple does).
On a possible negative side: I have not seen any Kia (nor Chrysler for that matter) “buzz” at all.
). Its owner was unlocking the boot just before I unlocked mine. I ceased the opportunity to stroll over and say “that is one heckuva good looking car!” 
He had bought his 8 months ago, I’ve had mine for a couple of weeks only.
But OTOH, raising brand awareness among those of us already smittened by Saab is important too.
Yesterday I found another 1997 Saab 9000 CSE in the parking lot. Same colour and shape (but a 2.0t vs my 2.3T
It is very encouraging to read the JD Powers report. I had just read the Consumer Reports 2010 Car Brand Perception Survey. The scores reflect how consumers perceive each brand in 7 categories; safety, quality, value, performance, design/style, technology/innovation and environmentally friendly/green. Toyota was 1st, with a score of 196. Saab and Hummer were at the bottom of the list posting scores of 13 and 11 respectively.
I just did not feel too comfortable with the Consumer Reports survey, especially when Saab was not ranked in the top 5 of the safety category.
Thank you for sharing the JD Powers survey!
And once more: It’s you, Steve, who deserves a lot of
THANK YOUs
for all you did for us – and for SAAB!!!
SPYKER UP! SAAB UP!
Robert P,
I hope your voice is heard at the new Spyker Saab.
Jim
Steve ,I hope that four things happen.1)That GM goes through with the deal,2)that the New Saab makes great “Saabish” that are different than the rest of the world 3) That Spyker takes you to Sweden and gives you the first new 9-5 4) that Spyker makes you the inter-net person for the new Saab so that everyone will know what a great car co. that we have.Cheers and Spyker Up Dodge111
JD POWER also conducted a study on web site and discovered that Kia, Honda and Acura rated highly in new-vehicle Web site shopping usefulness
SAAB new web site need to top that
Duh, maybe now JD Powers will put Saab at the top of all it’s quality lists like it already should be doing.
Toyota, down.
Saab,up.
Just a thought.
Remember those dismal auto sales numbers we saw all last year on autoblog or other sites? How great will it be to see Saab at the top of the chart month after month in the green? It’s going to lead it for a long time to come. Pretty cool
And really Steven, the buzz is a tribute to you. I’m sure we all would have found another website to follow, but it wouldn’t have had the effect it had without your insight, guidance, or management. You are the curator of curators, and I think the movement has you at its core. Nice work!
This is a cycle each brand would have their day at being at the top or near the top, I don
Talking of SAAB DESIGN
I like the idea of designers who do not usually design cars, coming up with just any suggestions of what future Saabs could be looking like, both for exterior and interior. That way you would get people thinking “out of the box” creating innovative and creative designs, which could be “converted” into SAAB models with a new, futuristic look.
Millennium f.ex. with all that fuzz around the functioning or not of electronic equipment, pc’s etc., is already 10 yrs back in time – imagine.
FUTURE HAS ARRIVED AND SAAB WILL FORM PART OF IT
*GO SAAB GO*
Spyker-Saab must change the ingrained GM thinking IF it is to succeeed. Muller must replace some of the key management to send a signal.
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