Automakers look to develop their own versions of Bud.TV; Toyota, Audi, Ford build media channels and video podcasts in pushes to attract younger consumers.

Advertising Age, July, 2007

Byline: JEAN HALLIDAY

jhalliday@adage.com

automakers are taking a page-albeit a smaller and wisely less ambitious one-from Bud.TV and getting into the content game with their own broadband media channels, podcasts and newsletters.

While the auto industry has been talking about wanting to adopt a pull-marketing strategy for the past five years, it's better able to do so now that U.S. broadband penetration has passed the 80% mark. The media content is meant to drive awareness and affinity, as well as work 24/7, for what are most often youth-skewing brands.

Toyota's Scion brand is expanding the offerings on its six-month-old broadband channel accessible via scion.com. This month the marketer added "The Skinny,'' a video newsletter about...

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