Americans more than ever are heading online to get purchase critical “information.â€Â Given the tough economic times, the value of every spare dollar means that people have to be more thoughtful about how they spend it.
As a recent article in the Wall Street Journal reveals, auto purchases are no exception. Not only is general information about a car important but finding/affiliating with like consumers is spawning a growth in “niche†online sites. Even as U.S. auto sales have fallen by about 30% this year from a year earlier, more than 100 new auto-related Web sites have been launched, says research group Hitwise. Continue reading “Consumers turn online for car purchases”
The collision between the economy and car companies has caused one unpleasant pile up. Indicators for consumption and growth are not very pretty. It is important to note that despite some of the macro gloom, there are still signs of a growing future.
Today’s 
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As I sat at my gate last week, awaiting my flight home from Las Vegas CES 2009, I overheard other CES-ers recounting their experiences at the consumer tech summit. Some commented on attendance while others mentioned the cool new stuff from industry stalwarts like LG and microsoft. It made me long for the day that changes in the 
In 2008 I talked about in-car technology as becoming less utilitarian and more about the car as a content platform of tomorrow. And why not, cars and trucks increasingly share information with other platforms (RFID sensors, tolls, central tracking systems, etc.). For 2009, I am curious how this in-car technology and the growing digital ecosystem could actually help improve one’s quality of life, beyond just getting to your destination.
The economic perils facing the country are on the minds of the Lab’s practice leads. Contractions in aggregate spending are clearly going to impact consumers and marketers in Digital Out of Home, Gaming and Mobile.