Despite the fact that it's a 2-year-old infographic, the 4 basic concepts remain unchanged. It's a clear way of looking at the way that we in the automotive industry should be looking at utilizing social media in our reputation management...

... by doing the things it takes to engage well with our customers.

... by being aware that having a Facebook page is not reputation management.

... by deciding that it doesn't take much time or effort to do it right rather than "manufacturing" a positive reputation for our dealerships.

I'll go more into detail about why this infographic is important and how dealers can apply it, but for now take a look and try to understand why this makes perfect sense (or feel free to ask me if you don't see it clearly).

* * *

Via Infographics Bin. Learn more about Car Dealer Internet Marketing on Driving Sales.

To be completely fair, we've only heard one side of the story. Still, it is disturbing to believe that any part or the story below could be true given that our industry is making strides towards a stronger, more ethical reputation.

Regardless of whether the story is true or not, it's "true" enough to make it onto several blogs and ratings websites, including DealerRater and Consumerist (a top 4000 website in the world and top 1000 in the US according to Alexa). At this point, it no longer matters whether or not it's true. The stories are printed in trusted sites and soon a search for the dealer's name will yield these horror stories.

Here is the letter from the consumer:

---

Two weeks ago I attempted to purchase a 2010 Hyundai Elantra SE from Long Island City Hyundai in [redacted], NY. I left a $500 deposit on my credit card and $4500 via an electronic check transfer. After a lot of seemingly intentional confusion regarding matching a competitors price (I showed them the prices for both cash and financing and they matched the competitors cash price but only if I were financing), and then being made to wait close to 4 hours for their finance department (and losing a day of work) I got disgusted and canceled the transaction. No contract had been signed and per New York law the deposit is fully refundable. The salesman himself confirmed that the money would be refunded.

The dealer's posted policy is to refund Credit Card deposits on the Friday following the cancellation. As I canceled the deal on Thursday the 17th of June, I expected to see the credit card deposit refunded on the 18th. As of Today I still have not been refunded. I spoke to Jack (who is a manager or possibly owner) on June 29th. He "wanted me to come in so we could talk about the deal falling through." I wanted my money returned before I would entertain anything of the sort. At this point I believe it became clear to him that I was not going to buy the car from him. Since then I have called back a couple of times every day and he is always conveniently "out" (despite a friend calling immediately afterwards and speaking to him).

All I want is to get my money back. I already purchased the car from another Hyundai dealer and had nothing but a wonderful experience.

I've filed a complaint with Hyundai and the Better Business Bureau. I can call my credit card company and dispute the $500 deposit but I'm not sure how to proceed with respect to the deposit from my bank account. Is there a similar mechanism for "disputing" such a transfer. Obviously I can and will file a case in small claims court- but I would prefer to avoid that as it takes a lot of time and effort. Is there someone else I should be contacting? It is possible the dealer has gotten the message and will refund my deposits now- but since they are actively ignoring me I have no way to determine that.

---

---

Again, we only hear one side of the story. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people will also only hear that side. This dealer will not be given the opportunity to defend themselves. This article will be emailed, shared on Facebook and throughout social media, and the story itself wil be talked about across the dealers' local area.

Moral of the story: it's a digital world and news travels fast. One person treated poorly can change a dealers' reputation for a long time, perhaps permanently. Simply stated, "Do the right things."

* * *

Via Consumerist

The once-proud brand is gone. While most consider the move a good one by Alan Mulally and Ford, it still begs the question of whether or not the vehicle make that yielded songs and inspired movies could have been saved with the right strategy.

We'll never know.

[Source: Auto Insurance Quotes for Autoblog.com]

It's common for carmakers and their marketing firms to use photoshop to enhance the look of a vehicle. They can add motion, often with blurred backgrounds or smoke coming from tires.

In this case, as spotted by Jalopnik, they missed one important aspect that every moving car should have. Who's driving?

* * *

Read more Offbeat Automotive News on this blog.

Here's a quick chuckle for Wednesday: There are right ways for two companies to work together and combine their assets and form something wonderful. Honda and Toyota, despite recent woes, have long been two of the best manufacturers when it comes to hybrids. If they ever combined their technologies, they could truly build something amazing. This, however, is not the way to do it.

* * *

Read more Offbeat Automotive News on this blog.

Most companies large and small perform some sort of search engine optimization on their sites. It's natural, as Google is such a tremendous traffic driving machine. When we hear of large automotive publishing firms engaging in pre-school link-building spam efforts, it shocks us. Why? Because they simply do not work, and you'd think a publisher like Car and Driver would know that. They didn't. [caption id="attachment_45" align="aligncenter" width="497" caption="How NOT to Build Links"][/caption] The effort here was to do a link exchange with Techcrunch, a publication that has a Google PageRank of 8/10. To put that into perspective, the LA Times website is a PR 8. It is clear that they are searching for any publication that is posting about "Ford" and trying to optimize their site to be the next Ford Buying Guide traffic recipient. It didn't work. In fact, Techcrunch sent the email to Matt Cutts, Google's SEO Spam Czar. The lesson here is that if you're going to try link farming and link exchanges, try to use something other than a tactic that comes from the SEO playbook, circa 2004. * * * Read more offbeat automotive news on this blog.

The way that men and women view driving distractions is apparent in this infographic by LeaseTrader.com. It seems that the distractions are gender-related:

Men

1. Road Rage - 18.3%
2. Eating/Drinkin - 14.7%
3. Checking out Other Drivers - 10.9%

Women

1. Kids in Car - 26.3%
2. Putting on Makeup - 16.6%
3. Messing with Radio - 10.4%

Clearly we all have our priorities wrong from time to time, regardless of sex. * * * Read more Offbeat Car News on this blog.

Below, you will find the slides for the 5-year production plan that Chrysler has laid out. Read more Automotive Industry News on this blog.

In these difficult times, it's easy to understand why many car dealers are desperately trying to get the attention of the consumers. Between the economy, improved longevity of vehicles, and uncertainty within the industry, every potential sale must be made. Still, there are times when car dealers take it a little too far with their advertising. Sometimes, it's just a matter of going "over the top" with the advertising. Other times, they try to be slick and fail. Then, of course, there are those that just simply fail. Enjoy.

Cute on a baby ad. Creepy on a car ad.

Subliminal Enticement

Free Gun with Car Purchase

Yes You Can... but you shouldn't have

Scratching Head: Sending the Wrong Message

Even a Minor Slight Against Your Home Town is Wrong

It Just Seems a Little... Desperate

Disco is Dead. This Ad Didn't Bring it Back.

Stereotypes are Bad. Promoting them is Worse.

No Explanation Necessary: This Video is Wrong

* * *

Image Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

* * *

Read more Offbeat Automotive News right here.

Saw this at a hotel in Napa Valley, CA. I first thought it was a joke until an employee walked up and said, "Yep, had to have a Corolla towed last month." When I pointed out that the Corolla was not only a very fuel efficient vehicle but also required a lower amount of CO2 emissions to put on the road during its building process, the hotel employee said, "That may be true, but it's the hybrid movement that we're supporting, not the fuel economy." I thought he was joking. I chuckled. He didn't chuckle back. At this point, a little dismayed, I asked, "So what if I were to park an all-electric vehicle here. Technically, it's not a hybrid and falls under the 'All non-hybrid vehicles will be towed' rule." He thought about it for a moment and said, "Let me go ask the front desk." "Don't bother," I said before jumping into my V8, 4x4 Jeep Grand Cherokee. * * * Read more offbeat automotive news on the Blinker Fluid Blog at Driving Sales. Image Source: Fixr