The Detroit News dedicates an excellent article by Nick Bunkley to carmakers and their investments in online advertising. According to a report by TNS Media Intelligence/CMR, in 2003, the world�s 15 largest automakers spent $160.3 million on Internet advertising, a 70 percent increase over just two years earlier. The news isn't good as in apparently sounds, since, despite that growth, automakers still spent only 1 percent of their total advertising budgets on the Internet, far less than companies in many other industries.
However the Internet is seen as very helpful for targeting specific groups like gay people. DaimlerChrysler invested nearly 1 million $ on Gay.com, while General Motors spent on the same web site about 624,000 $. On the contrary Ford spent only $1,000 and did not advertise on any other gay-oriented sites. Who did the right thing? Unfortunately the article provides no answer.