Social Media and the Automobile Industry: The Real Revolution

Abstract:

In recent years the automobile industry has faced considerable challenges. Economic recession and declining sales for many manufacturers has resulted in corporate restructuring with large divestments of business units and plant closures and downsizing. In addition to external challenges, companies have had internal difficulties and there have been a significant number of product recalls involving companies renowned for product quality.
These tends cannot be underestimated but many of them are by their very nature temporary. In recent years, the auto industry has had to adjust to another significant and enduring challenge that has perhaps been overshadowed by production and sales issues. This challenge is the emergence of social media.
This paper will examine the role of social media and its implications for the auto industry. It develops metrices of key performance indicators in order to assess the relative role of social media by the world’s top 15 auto companies. The role of social media is investigated in terms of each value chain activity in order to determine the role that social media has in the design, development, sales and marketing of automobiles.