Last Known Issue Volume I Issue 7
Crushing Cars Online
In our first edition of Last Known Issue I introduced Gary Vaynerchuk’s book “Crush It, Cash in on Your Passion” Crush It!: Why Now is the Time to Cash in on Your Passion (if you missed that edition you can see it along with other articles at jamesvickery.com.au). The book outlines some quick, simple strategies for taking your business online through the use of blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other social mediums.
I can’t think of a better example of a company that is “crushing it” online right now than MotorActive, a distributor of enthusiast car care brands such as Meguiar’s, Liqui-Moly and House Of Kolor. The company has been working with I Know IT for 5 years and has been in business for 20+
Passion + Formula = Their Managing Director, Bruce Morrison exudes passion for his company as he spoke to me recently about their online strategy for the Meguiar’s brand, which is traditionally sold through retailers such as Big W, Autobarn, Supercheap Auto and others. MotorActive have worked proactively to ensure the challenges of communicating directly with their customers (not easy when you don’t sell directly to the public) is overcome. The formula for success has been around the car clubs – no matter how big or small a car club is, the team at MotorActive support the clubs, attend and sponsor their events and conduct photo shoots which keeps them plugged into their customers and having a bit of fun along the way. This formula has proven successful with the Meguiar’s, Liqui-Moly and House Of Kolor brands being very well recognised amongst car lovers throughout Australia and New Zealand.
So when the hype began around social media in the form of YouTube videos – Bruce and his team began looking for ways to extend their reach online and leverage new technology.
Jock Davidson – Marketing Services Manager for MotorActive explains. “It’s been a bit of trial and error process, gradually testing the water to see what works and what doesn’t. The thing that works is not talking about products but more social topics that encourage discussion, we see this as the key to extending our community online”.
The “aha” moment – Momentum shifted recently when the company began using Facebook for their MotorEx show. Within a few weeks the MotorEx Facebook page passed the 1100 fans mark. It became clear to Bruce and his team that the winning formula wasn’t anything new at all, but in fact the same enthusiasm for car lovers is translating perfectly into the online space where fans can just well.. talk about cars.
On top of already successful websites, some of which are already hitting 10,000+ visits per month, the addition of YouTube channels and Facebook pages are gradually gaining momentum just like the MotorEx page. All MotorActive brands have their own Youtube channels containing content from recent car shows, photo shoots and other activities the company enthusiastically undertakes. Whether you’re a car lover or not these sites are well worth a look and I encourage you to check them out.
Leveraging Technology does not = Strategy Shift I think what makes this story so compelling to me is that despite a huge shift toward technology, the company hasn’t had to change its principles, approach or formula – the reason people are continuing to embrace the Meguiar’s brand is not just because they’re moving with the times, but they have just found more ways to bring their community together and leverage forms of online media that are mostly free or at marginal cost compared to traditional mediums.
I heard at a marketing seminar last night that this period of time is being referred to as the Business Renaissance. Never has there been a period when so many small to medium businesses need to adapt to the online environment. If you haven’t had a chance to read Crush It I genuinely encourage you to do so and in the meantime, think about what your customers want and share it with them online.
IT Support Forum is Here!
Crushing IT? A big milestone for the team here at I Know IT is the launch of the new IT Support Forum. We’ve always wanted to build a community and website where our clients, other IT professionals and people just wanting to know IT stuff can visit, comment and interact with our team.
The new IT Support Forum can be found at http://www.itsupportforum.com.au or via the IKIT website. If you’re an existing client you can log service requests, ask questions and comment on topics which may interest you such as the launch of Internet Explorer 9 http://www.iknowit.com.au/itsupportforum/index.php/2010/09/internet-explorer-9-beta-available-today/ and major virus outbreaks like the Here You Have virus http://www.iknowit.com.au/itsupportforum/index.php/2010/09/here-you-have-virus-threat/ If you’re looking to get information about a specific product, problem or solution check out IT Support Forum.
Some of the benefits of the new site are as follows
We hope you find IT Support Forum a valuable resource. It’s free for anyone to use and we encourage you to give us your feedback.
