NEW YORK Yahoo! today relaunched its automotive section, with Chrysler, Chevrolet and GMC as the inaugural advertisers on the redesigned property’s home page.
With more than two-thirds of new car purchases researched on the Internet, according to J.D. Power and Associates, the revamped site is meant to help consumers in their decision making.
To aid the car-purchasing process, the new Yahoo! Autos lets consumers compare the details, ratings, pricing, features, reviews and photos of up to four vehicles at once. Consumers can then share this information with family and friends through e-mail and instant-messenger links. The Sunnyvale, Calif., Web portal also has enhanced its “My Auto Center” to allow consumers to search for a new or used car, conduct unit comparisons, build their ideal vehicle based on features and save it in one place.
The changes will give advertisers access to more qualified customers at every level of the marketing funnel: awareness, consideration and purchase, said David Leider, category development officer of automotive sales at Yahoo! The company hopes that, in turn, will attract more ad dollars from automakers, as well as other marketers looking to reach this audience. The auto category is projected to spend $289 million this year, up 22 percent over last year, according to Jupiter Research.
Today, Chrysler’s 2005 Town & Country (new model showcase), Chevy’s Malibu (top banner) and GMC’s Canyon (180 x 150 unit) are the models being advertised on the auto section’s front page (www.autos.yahoo.com).
Yahoo! this week unveiled an interactive video game on the Reuters Sign in New York’s Times Square to promote the redesign. The ad, running through April 22, encourages people to use their cell phones to play the digital driving game.
New Yahoo! Autos Provides More Ad Opportunities
