Marketing

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. is expanding its swanky King Ranch trim to the 2021 Explorer in a bid to move the nation’s best-selling large crossover more upscale. Slotting just below the high-end Platinum trim, the Explorer King Ranch will have leather-trimmed seats, wood accents and an optional premium technology package with special seats and

The Cherokee Nation said it’s time for corporations such as Jeep and sports franchises to retire the use of Native American names and imagery. Jeep has used the Cherokee tag for nearly 50 years, and its Grand Cherokee has been a top seller for the off-road adventure brand. The Cherokee Nation, however, doesn’t think slapping

If you thought an aluminum body was a big leap for the Ford F-150 a few years ago, get a load of the newest version with a rocket booster and optional wheels made of giant kiwis. Ford Motor Co. collaborated with video game maker Psyonix to make the 2021 F-150 available for purchase in Rocket

Kia is in the midst of a product golden age, says James Morrell, the brand’s dealer council chairman. Consumers might have gotten a taste of it on New Year’s Eve, when Kia showcased the redesigned 2021 Sorento on the big screens in New York’s Times Square during the famous ball drop. The Sorento took a

General Motors‘ Super Bowl commercial with actor Will Ferrell helped make two things clear about Norway: Its citizens are much more into electric vehicles than the rest of the world, and its leaders don’t care for anchovies on pizza. After GM released a teaser clip in which Ferrell orders a delivery of 5 million anchovy

The redesigned Mitsubishi Outlander marks a new era for the small Japanese challenger brand. Richard Nisbett, the Mitsubishi National Advisory Board chairman, got a sneak peek of the midsize crossover, due to go on sale in the second quarter. He called the design, fit and finish “next level” and said the 2022 Outlander will be

In its latest ad, Subaru of America has again shifted the spotlight from its vehicles to community outreach. The commercial, tied to Subaru’s second multimillion-dollar donation to nonprofit Feeding America during the COVID-19 pandemic, is the freshest example of the brand’s marketing message built around the theme of love, which the automaker first utilized in

Acura dealers have been waiting for several years for Honda’s premium brand to remake its aging lineup to better compete with fresher rivals. The new year brings it two steps closer, with new generations of the TLX midsize sedan and MDX midsize crossover. With hopes that the coronavirus will begin to fade in 2021, Acura

LOS ANGELES — The global debut of the next-generation Mitsubishi Outlander crossover, which is seen as critical to the struggling brand’s success or failure in the U.S. market, is set for Feb. 16 on the Amazon Live marketing platform. The automaker said early Monday that the midsize 2022 Outlander will be the first new vehicle

DETROIT — Cadillac has tabbed the target audience for the upcoming Lyriq as those who are ready to make the jump to an electric vehicle but waiting for the right one. For its first Super Bowl ad since 2012, Cadillac doesn’t play up that the Lyriq is an EV, instead focusing on the Super Cruise

Here’s a look at the four automaker Super Bowl spots and the entry from Vroom, the used-car shopping site that’s making its Super Bowl debut. General Motors is running a corporate electric vehicle spot in addition to a Cadillac ad. Jeep, which is expected to feature singer Bruce Springsteen in its spot, and Toyota are

DETROIT — Look out, Norway. General Motors — with a little help from actor Will Ferrell — wants to bring the electric vehicle crown to the U.S. But, first, Ferrell wants to give the Nordic country a piece of his mind in GM’s Super Bowl spot, which touts the sleek, electric Cadillac Lyriq crossover, the

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. won’t advertise nationally during the Super Bowl, but its marketing machine won’t be fully sidelined for the big game. The automaker plans to promote its “#FinishStrong” ad campaign encouraging mask-wearing with regional commercials running Sunday in states hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Viewers in California, Texas, Florida, Michigan and

Safeties are normally worth just 2 points in a football game. During Super Bowl LV, one could be worth $2 million. Volvo, a brand long known for being focused on safety, is promising to give away 25 new vehicles if a safety is scored during the game Sunday, Feb. 7. It’s the second time the

DETROIT — General Motors said it plans to run two Super Bowl ads this year to spotlight its electrification strategy, driver-assist technology and the Cadillac Lyriq. GM will run a corporate ad as part of its “Everybody In” campaign, centered on GM’s proprietary Ultium battery platform and its bet on electric vehicles. GM plans to

James David Power III, who turned a scrappy home business that tracked customer satisfaction with new-vehicle quality into a giant global market research firm that today monitors everything from consumers’ experience with new-car sales and service, to auto lenders, airlines, health care providers, homebuilders and hoteliers, died Saturday. He was 89 years old. He died

The data make up a new monthly feature from the Automotive News Research & Data Center and its growing roster of partners. Here’s a summary. U.S. new-vehicle registrations, from Experian. Traditionally, registration figures roughly correspond to but do not match sales figures reported by automakers. For example, Hyundai reported 8,095 Elantra sales for November, but

David Power III, who turned a scrappy home business that tracked customer satisfaction with new-vehicle quality into a giant global market research firm that today monitors everything from consumers’ experience with new-car sales and service, to auto lenders, airlines, health care providers, homebuilders and hoteliers, died Saturday. He was 89 years old. He died of

Electric vehicle owners will consider purchasing another EV in the future based on their ownership satisfaction, according to J.D. Power’s first Electric Vehicle Experience Ownership Study, released Thursday. The study found that the likelihood of EV owners purchasing the same brand lessens as satisfaction declines. Owners with satisfaction scores from 600 to 750 points are

The Washington Auto Show is postponing the spring event because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, show organizers said Thursday. The event was set to run March 26 through April 4 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in the nation’s capital. Show organizers in August moved the 2021 show from its original dates — Jan.

Subaru of America has launched a fresh round of advertising centered around a new donation to nonprofit Feeding America amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Camden, N.J.-based unit of Japan’s Subaru, along with its two independent distributors — Subaru of New England and Subaru Distributors Corp. — said they will be donating a total of 100

Findlay Subaru Prescott is giving customers inclined to show up for an oil change first thing in the morning incentive to wait a few hours. The Arizona dealership has a reverse early-bird special for routine services. On weekdays between 1 and 5 p.m., customers who bring their vehicles in for service may be greeted with

Chuck Cook knew exactly what he wanted for his 90th birthday. When he picked it up at Cecil Clark Chevrolet last week, the Florida dealership threw him a party. Cook bought the store’s first 2021 Corvette, a Torch Red midengine C8. It’s the Air Force veteran’s fourth Corvette over 40 years. “This is my birthday

DETROIT — Matt VanDyke, Ford Motor Co.’s director of marketing, will soon become the CEO of the company’s FordDirect joint venture with dealers. VanDyke, 48, will take the reins of the digital lead-generating company Feb. 1. He replaces Diane Craig, who became president of Ford’s International Markets Group this month. “Matt VanDyke has been an

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. on Saturday will begin running new 30- and 60-second ads that stress unity following riots this month at the U.S. Capitol that left 5 dead. Called “Builders,” the spots focus on the ability of Americans to come together and create, featuring images of construction workers, nurses, firefighters and other volunteers.

DETROIT — General Motors is rebranding itself this week to invoke visions of blue skies ahead and promote its commitment to electrification. GM will launch a redefined corporate marketing strategy centered on EVs and will modernize its logo with a sky-blue hue and lowercase letters. “There are moments in history when everything changes. Inflection points.

Pinterest users are known to be planners, with some using the platform to create vehicle wish lists that they hope to turn into reality one day. Digital Air Strike, a digital marketing agency, is helping dealerships pursue Pinterest’s affluent users as they build digital boards showing interests that can include wedding dresses and food as

DETROIT — The Detroit auto show, rescheduled because of the pandemic, has been canceled altogether for 2021, organizers said Monday. The show, slated for September in downtown Detroit, will be replaced this year by an outdoor, enthusiast-focused event at a racetrack north of Detroit in Pontiac, Mich. While many details have yet to be worked

DETROIT — General Motors is launching a commercial electric vehicle business called BrightDrop and locked in FedEx Express as the first customer for a delivery van later this year. The BrightDrop brand will offer electric products, software and services, GM said Tuesday. Its products will include a commercial van known as the EV600 and an

A remarkable shift has been taking place in automaker executive ranks: Women now rule the U.S. marketing world. In 2018, Joy Falotico took on the chief marketing officer title at Ford Motor Co. The next year, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles tapped Marissa Hunter to fill a new role, head of North America marketing. Months later, Deborah