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Automotive Market Research & Auto Industry News
The latest automotive news and racing news along with statistics on automotive enthusiasts, automotive market segments, vehicle registration data, and basic search engine opimization (SEO) tips for automotive websites. Our automotive news feeds are updated 24 hours a day so feel free to bookmark this page. Click on a link to go to the original news source; a new browser window will open.
Today's Automotive Industry News
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Toyota's Camry and Prius Remain Top Cars for Auto Shoppers in April - Midland Daily News Friday May 18 2012 10:38 am  Toyota's Camry and Prius Remain Top Cars for Auto Shoppers in AprilMidland Daily NewsDataium not only provides data and research on auto shopper/buyer behavior nationally, but by specific makes, models, vehicle segments, and markets, as well. The national report is available for download at dataium.com/library.and more » Read more... |
97 Pct of Americans Ready for Auto Start-Stop Micro-Hybrids - EV World Friday May 18 2012 4:43 am  EV World97 Pct of Americans Ready for Auto Start-Stop Micro-HybridsEV WorldMILWAUKEE -- New consumer research conducted by Johnson Controls, the world's leading supplier of automotive batteries, finds that 97 percent of Americans are ready for new Start-Stop technology that improves the fuel economy of their vehicle.Stop/start technology on the riseAutonet.caall 5 news articles » Read more... |
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Tire Hall of Fame Nominations Now Open - Tire Review Friday May 18 2012 2:51 am  Tire ReviewTire Hall of Fame Nominations Now OpenTire Review... will be considered, but are not a primary consideration as attributes for selection. The Hall of Fame Inductions will take place Oct. 29, as part of TIA's Tire Industry Honors event, which takes place prior the SEMA Show/Global Tire Expo in Las Vegas.Nominate someone for TIA's Hall of FameModern Tire Dealerall 4 news articles » Read more... |
AutoTrader.com Announces New Leadership at VinSolutions - Sacramento Bee Friday May 18 2012 1:17 am AutoTrader.com Announces New Leadership at VinSolutionsSacramento Bee"Brian is a strong leader who understands the marketing and operational needs of auto dealers as well as consumer behavior in the car buying process. Keith and Brian will focus on maintaining the company's innovative drive to provide automotive dealers ...and more » Read more... |
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NUCAP Acquires Brake Align Inc. Thursday May 17 2012 11:48 pm Brake Align Inc., located in Ashland, Va., is the manufacturer of the Brake Align Runout Correction Plate. Read more... |
Advance Auto Parts Reports First Quarter Results Thursday May 17 2012 11:47 pm First quarter earnings per diluted share (EPS) were $1.79, which was a 32.6 percent increase over the first quarter last year. Read more... |
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SMP Announces Increase in Stock Repurchase Program Thursday May 17 2012 11:46 pm SMP said it intends to fund the stock repurchase program through its revolving credit facility. Read more... |
AAIA Elects Tim Lee Chairman of the Board Thursday May 17 2012 11:46 pm  The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) has elected Tim Lee of Lang Distributing, as chairman of the AAIA Board of Directors for 2012-... Read more... |
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Prestolite Performance Expands Sales Team Thursday May 17 2012 11:45 pm  Prestolite Performance recently expanded its sales team with the addition of Craig Stark (pictured) as vice president of sales and Michael Grimes as ... Read more... |
Total Car Score Names 2012 Kia Forte To "Top Cars For College Grads" List - MarketWatch (press release) Thursday May 17 2012 10:03 pm Total Car Score Names 2012 Kia Forte To "Top Cars For College Grads" ListMarketWatch (press release)About Total Car Score Total Car Score is an automotive research and comparison website that establishes a new industry-wide standard for ranking every car, truck, van and crossover on the market. TotalCarScore.com evaluates and ranks cars according to ...and more » Read more... |
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Research and Markets: European Government Support for the Automotive Industry - SunHerald.com Thursday May 17 2012 10:00 pm Research and Markets: European Government Support for the Automotive IndustrySunHerald.comThis report provides an overview of the European light vehicle market and its importance to various economies across the region. It looks at the European wide programmes and support that is currently or being put in place with specific analysis of ... Read more... |
Rodders Gear Up for Pinewood Builders Challenge Thursday May 17 2012 11:26 am Twenty hot-rod and custom car builders have signed up to participate in
the annual HRIA Pinewood Builders Challenge. Each builder will create a
one-of-a-kind Pinewood car that will be raced at the Pinewood Drag Races, presented by eBay Motors, in Pomona, California, July 27, 2012.
read more Read more... |
Definition: Automotive qualitative vs. quantitative research
Qualitative market research gives you a high level view. It is obtained from a small group of respondents and the data isn't analyzed with statistical techniques. A focus group is an example of qualitative research. A focus group may give you some answers but is often a starting point for quantitative research.Quantitative market research gives you details. It is obtained from a larger number of respondents and the data is analyzed using statistical methods. Quantitative research results are given using a margin of error.
Where enthusiasts get information to buy parts
Before buying products, enthusiasts (depending on market segment) rely on the following sources:
Enthusiast Web sites: 60%-85%
Internet search: 50%-75%
Manufacturer Web site: 50%-70%
Mail order catalog: 40%-65%
Chain automotive store: 30%-50%
Friend/relative: 30%-50%
Social media (Facebook, etc.): 2%-15%
Personal vehicles registered in the United States
There are 254,000,000 vehicles registered for personal use in 117,538,000 households (2010 US Census Department data).
Automotive direct mail response rates
Rented mailing lists response rates are typically 0.5% to 1.0%, sometimes as high as 1.5%.House file response rates are typically 1.0% to 10%, sometimes as high as 15% to 20%.
Automotive email delivery, open and click-through rates
Rented email list delivery rates should be 95% or more. Open rates can range from 2% to 5% depending on subject line. Click-through rates are typically 0.25% to 0.50%, sometimes as high as 0.75%. Repeat emails can increase the response rate of a second email by 50%.
House file email delivery rates should be 98% to 100%. Open rates should range from 15% to 20% or more. Click-through rates are typically 1.0% to 3.0%, sometimes as high as 5% to 8%.
Automotive enthusiast buying cycle
Many enthusiasts will take time before buying. Here is the length of time between when an enthusiast decides to buy a part, and when it is actually purchased (depending on market segment):
1 day: 5%
Less than one week: 30%-35%
1 week: 18%-25%
2 weeks: 20%-25%
3-4 weeks: 10%-17%
1 month or longer: 5%-10%
Definition: Margin of error
When reporting results for quantitative research, margin of error is used to describe the amount of random sampling error in the data. All margins of error are based on a confidence level. All Hedges & Company research uses a 95% confidence level which means if a survey were repeated in identical conditions, 95 times out of 100 the results would always be within the margin of error.Margin of error examples
Automotive parts retailers: 381 responses are required for a margin of error +/-5%. 469 responses are required for a margin of error of +/-4.5%. 769 responses are required for a margin of error of +/-3.5%.
Automotive enthusiast consumers: 385 responses are required for a margin of error +/-5%. 475 required for +/-4.5%. 1,067 required for +/-3%.
Annual spending on auto parts and accessories
There is a big range of investment in the hobby. Here is the amount of money spent each year by enthusiasts on automotive performance parts and accessories (depending on market segment):
$10,001+ per year: 10%-15%
$7,501-$10,000: 5%-10%
$5,001-$7,500: 15%-20%
$2,501-$5,000: 25%-35%
$1,000-$2,500: 20%-30%
Less than $1,000: 10%-15%
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and the importance of metadata and content
When designing a web site for search engine optimization for the automotive market, pay close attention to the following elements on your page.
Metadata in <head> section:
Page title <title>Title here</title>
Page description <meta name="description" content="Description here" />
Content in <body> section:
Content rich in words relevant to your page's main subject.
Headline tags <h1>Main headline here</h1> (ideally just one h1 per page) and <h2>Subheads here</h2>
Make the most important words bold using <strong></strong> tags.
Add alt tags to images that reflect the page topic using the code alt="Alt tag here" wtihin your <img src="/image.gif"/> tags.
Size of market segments
Here are the approximate size of various market segments in the automotive specialty equipment market. Due to extensive crossover between segments and enthusiasts owning multiple vehicles, this adds up to more than 100%.
Street performance: 70%
Truck/SUV: 55%
Passenger car: 45%
Restoration: 35%
Compact performance: 30%
Racing: 30%
Street rod/custom: 25%
Off-road: 20%