“It’s tough to look at 2021 and not expect more change, not just in automotive but across all categories,” said Kimberley Gardiner, VP & Chief Marketing Officer at Mitsubishi Motors North America. “Flexibility has to be at the core of our planning and go-to-market strategies, with multiple playbooks both at the brand and dealer levels, meeting customers where they are, and simplifying the steps involved in vehicle shopping, buying and servicing.”
“The future of the automotive industry has never been so exciting,” says Angela Zepeda, CMO, Hyundai Motor America. “With fast advances in technology, autonomy and ride sharing, the way people use cars is changing rapidly and we are well prepared at Hyundai to take advantage of those transformations.”
“Looking ahead to 2021, one of the biggest opportunities lies in further accelerating online shopping in the automotive industry, and working closely with dealers to do so,” said Allyson Witherspoon, vice president marketing communications and media, Nissan North America. “We’re prioritizing our online retailing and e-commerce capabilities with programs such as Shop @Home, knowing that’s how consumers are primarily shopping at this point.”
You’re seeing a meteoric rise of influencers, and I attribute some of that to the fact we haven’t been able to go shopping with friends. We often say that friends and family are the biggest influencers on a purchase. If I can’t go shopping with my best friend in California, where is that influence coming from? It’s likely going to come from those content producers that are entertaining, engaging and really building a relationship with you. I think influencers carry a strong sense of authenticity to their followers. They’re really careful about who they partner with. They feel their personal brand is on the line. And it’s as much a compliment to be chosen by them as it is for you to have a partnership with them.
It’s so easy to just cast multicultural faces in your advertising. That has to be just the beginning. When you’re impacting communities and lives through your advertising, that’s when you make a difference. When you start to employ people behind the camera that reflect that diversity on screen, that’s when brands really make a short-term and a long-term difference and that’s what we’re working to do at Cadillac.
When it comes to the NBA, not everyone is an all-consuming, avid sports fan, but there are still so many people that love the game, and love what the NBA brings from a cultural standpoint.. You have people that love the competition, the celebrities, the showmanship. The NBA is a perfect example of a platform that lives well beyond the sports - it’s the music, the talent, the fan experience and so much more.