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Ryan Beene
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Auto marketers want TV viewers to reach for another device
LOS ANGELES -- TV promotions still reach the biggest audiences, but auto marketers say the greatest untapped potential lies with consumers poised to use other devices to respond quickly to what they see on screen. Marketing executives see a gold mine in viewers who turn to their laptops, tablets or
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Online video has changed how auto marketers connect with customers
LOS ANGELES -- Chrysler-Fiat marketing chief Olivier Francois hopes he has this summer's pop-music hit in his back pocket, the thumping soundtrack to a Fiat 500 commercial that has evolved into a full-length, party-themed video for a song with "Fiat" in its title. "If it works, we will have written
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Automakers grow adept at targeting ads to Internet surfers
LOS ANGELES -- The digital age has spawned effective ways for auto marketers to swipe customers from competitors. By monitoring the online shopping habits of millions of consumers, marketers can place online ads in front of shoppers quickly and precisely. "If you go to Edmunds and shop for a RAV4,
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Mitsubishi hints at subcompact for U.S.
LOS ANGELES -- Desperate for new models to bolster their limited lineup, Mitsubishi dealers recently got a glimmer of hope with news that an entry-level sedan may arrive stateside in 2015. The dealers were shown a rendering of the subcompact at the brand's regional dealer meetings held during the
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Hyundai sets new TV spots to reggae beat
LOS ANGELES -- Hyundai is again cranking up the tunes to help its commercials resonate with customers. A remix of the Bob Marley song "Three Little Birds" will be the soundtrack for TV spots in a campaign touting the package of safety and maintenance services included with Hyundai's Blue Link ...
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Mazda volume skids 4th straight month
LOS ANGELES -- Mazda once again watched the auto industry's recovery from the sidelines as it posted its fourth straight monthly U.S. sales decline in April. Mazda sold 19,894 vehicles last month, down 7.5 percent from April 2012. Four-month sales totaled 98,177 vehicles, down 5.5 percent from last
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'Game changers' will star in Mazda6 launch
An innovative surfer, pioneering Olympian and others who Mazda calls "game changers" will help launch the redesigned Mazda6 mid-sized sedan in an advertising campaign kicking off this week. The campaign will give Mazda a consistent presence on TV for the rest of the year, says Russell Wager, vice
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Dealers grouse that stair-step plans are causing more pain than last year
… and half of them love them," Accavitti said. "Right now, we're just selling the car on it being a great car." Ryan Beene , Lindsay Chappell, Gabe Nelson, Larry P. Vellequette, Jamie LaReau, Mark Rechtin and Mike Colias contributed to …
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Fisker, Energy Department blasted over loan to struggling firm
… from Claghorn talked about the status of loan applications from other companies seeking funding from the vehicle loan program, which last granted a loan when it had $4 billion remaining. Ryan Beene and Bloomberg contributed to this report.
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Energy Department recovers $21 million from Fisker
… resigned last month; CEO Tony Posawatz and Chief Operating Officer Bernhard Koehler, who helped start the company. Ryan Beene , David Phillips, Reuters and Bloomberg contributed to this report.
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Kia prices Cadenza large sedan at $35,900
LOS ANGELES -- Kia has set the starting price of its new range-topping Cadenza sedan at $35,900, including shipping, to target the high-end of the large sedan segment. When it arrives in showrooms this month, the Cadenza sedan will slot above Kia's Optima mid-sized sedan in terms of size, price and
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Hot Hyundai-Kia hit icy patch in first quarter
LOS ANGELES -- After four years of rapid growth, Hyundai-Kia was hit by a double whammy this year. Toyota and Honda have recovered fully from the 2011 earthquake in Japan. And Hyundai-Kia's assembly plants are running at full tilt with no new capacity coming soon, the company says. Hyundai-Kia U.S.
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Mazda revising store plan; goal is upscale look
NEW YORK -- Mazda is developing new designs for its U.S. dealerships even as dealers continue to adopt the brand's 10-year-old Retail Revolution facility program. Robert Davis, senior vice president of Mazda's U.S. operations, said the new look, which is still being developed, will emphasize ...
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Fisker faces suit alleging failure to give advance notice of dismissals
LOS ANGELES -- Fisker Automotive, hours after dismissing about 75 percent of its employees, was hit with a federal lawsuit accusing the company of breaking the law that requires employers to give workers advance notice of mass layoffs. The cash-strapped maker of luxury plug-in hybrids laid off 160
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Fisker lays off 75% of its employees amid financial woes
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Fisker Automotive, the plug-in hybrid sports car maker that has been grappling with financial woes, said today it laid off 75 percent of its more than 200 employees. A Fisker source who was among the employees affected said the layoff took place at about 8 a.m. local time (11 ...
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Hyundai volume drops 2% on tight Sonata supplies
LOS ANGELES -- Hyundai Motor America today said its U.S. sales fell 2 percent in March as Sonata sales fell because of inventory limitations, more than offsetting record sales of its compact cars. Hyundai's March sales fell to 68,306 units from the 69,728 sold in March 2012, Hyundai's best-ever ...
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Kia down again; March sales fall 15%
LOS ANGELES -- Kia Motors America's March sales tumbled 15 percent from the all-time monthly sales record set in March 2012, the company said today. Kia sales fell to 49,125, from 57,505 in March 2012. Sales also fell in February; it was the first time since mid-2009 that Kia sales have fallen for
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Hyundai dealers get up to speed on quick lubes
LOS ANGELES -- Sandro Davalos has a need for speed -- in the service drive, that is. The parts and service director at Bakersfield Hyundai in Bakersfield, Calif., says his department in less than a month has cut the time for an oil change in half to about 45 minutes. The swifter pace means the shop
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Jeep to sell new Cherokee in China
NEW YORK -- Jeep will sell the new Cherokee mid-sized SUV in China, Jeep CEO Mike Manley says. Jeep sells the Compass, Wrangler, Grand Cherokee and Patriot in China. All are imported. It did not sell the Cherokee's predecessor, the Liberty, in China. Jeep is a key part of Chrysler Group's plan to
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U.S. auto sales wrapping up a strong March
… think April will be like March," he said. "It's going to be a barn burner." Mike Colias, Diana T. Kurylko, Ryan Beene and Andrew Thurlow contributed to this report andnbsp;
