A report of the US consulting company Outsell Inc., released in the middle of July, forecasts that online spending will grow 12.3% in 2008 to $105.3 billion and therefore will exceed TV+radio+movies ($98.5 billion) for the first time. This is remarkable though not surprising that in times of economic strain, advertisers shift away from traditional spending towards the web, where they know, how many people clicked on their ads and how many people ignored them.

For interpreting the data you need to know, that Outsell counts the money companies spend on their own websites as part of their advertising budgets, as websites are ostensibly used for marketing. And that’s what's interesting: The 1,088 US-based companies surveyed will spend $61.5 billion, or 61.8% of their online advertising and marketing budgets, on their own sites. Outsell’s lead analyst says: “For more than decades, media companies have been the channels for advertisers to reach audiences. Suddenly companies don’t rely completely on them.” A trend which is also displayed by the automotive industry.

Examples of web-driven automotive manufacturers

General Motors has moved almost a quarter of its media spending into digital in the past three years, according to the GM's VP-vehicle sales service and marketing for North America. That includes online ads, homepage takeovers, search, sites for dealers and customer-relationship management. Their latest move into digital is an online effort for its certified-user vehicles. Last week they unveiled a new website, to entertain and educate people about the risks of buying a noncertified-used vehicle from a seller. The site uses videos of car buyers shot with hidden cameras. Initially the site is promoted virally, followed by search and paid online media.

Volkswagen hast just launched its web special Volkswagen 2028, which offers the brand's vision of the automotive world 20 years from now . The website centers around a short interactive film which gives the viewer an introduction to the subject. In the film, which takes place in 2028, a father tells his son about the automobile world of 20 years ago, while the present-day Internet user can select any of numerous links to take a look at the automotive future. The website combines classical film sequences with 3D effects.

For each model its own special

Looking at new vehicles, the trend becomes more obvious. It’s very popular for automotive manufacturers to create websites or microsites for new models (and sometimes there are just two of them to promote the vehicle). Take a look at the Mercedes GLK web special with an interactive music video, where users are driving the new model in an urban setting, which they can actively help to design. Interactions with the objects lead to changes in the music, which is modified with new sound effects. Or the microsite, which promotes the movie “Sex and the City” and the car itself.

The Audi R8, placed in the movie version of “Iron Man” is presented on a special microsite “Audi Iron Man R8 Experience” (as the car is featured in the movie version of “Iron Man”) and on its own microsite. Or find out how the new flagship BMW 7 is being introduced: Though it will not come onto the market until November 2008, it’s already being presented via a microsite which features two films as well as the soundtrack, and a “Visualizer”. The next phase of the BMW 7 online special will be coming up by the end of September.

But it’s not that only luxury brands are going this way: For example, in Brazil, the new Ford KA is presented in an appealing way: The user is transformed into an insect, an ant, a bee or a grasshopper, which allows him to explore the car in all of its details. The journey begins after the user uploads his picture onto the body of the insect. Along the way, he will find characters that explain what the car means to each one of them: e.g. the cookie which has its bed on the seat and challenge the user to a duel when he crosses its territory.

The Volkswagen corporation head of CRM and Internet Marketing said some months ago, that in future they will be faced with the question: Should they distribute their advertising budget between a growing number of media or should they instead invest in their own websites? We are almost certain about the answer.

If you would like to read more about the online world of automotive manufacturers click here.

Pro

Possibility for advertisers to communicate directly with their consumers

Consumer loyalty by involving them in highly emotional brand worlds

Possibility to learn more about the users to address them in a more personalized manner