by Amy Antenora
Editor, aftermarketNews
DANBURY, CT– Blogs, short for weblogs, are everywhere today. Whatever your interest, there is a blog about it somewhere in cyberspace.
Now, the Autolite brand of Honeywell Consumer Products Group is using the popularity of blogging to reach out to a niche market of consumers.
Playing off the success of its recent "Man Tips" radio campaign, Autolite has launched http://www.mantipsgarage.com , which offers advice (solicited and otherwise) on all things related to hot-rod living, including auto and motorcycle subjects, sports, beer, dating, marriage, but mostly cars.
"Through our Man Tips radio ad campaign, we created a character that is resonating with our DIY audiences," said Sean Lyon, Autolite senior product manager. "The blog gives the campaign some added legs to take it to the next level. Even though we’re a long established brand leader in the spark plug segment, we know we have to contemporize our consumer outreach. We view the blog as a light-hearted way to engage our consumers in conversation about topics of interest to them by entertaining them."
The site, launched as a trial in late June, is just now into its second month of posts. The blog’s author, known only as “Man Tips Man,” will write posts two to three times a week. Visitors to the blog offer up their own candid comments, from telling NASCAR drivers what they should be doing differently to commenting on their favorite beers, or asking the Man Tips Man for a bit of advice.
While Man Tips Garage is the first blog Honeywell’s Consumer Products Group has done, the company is not new to online marketing. According to Lyon, the company sees the value in it as consumers spend increasing amounts of time online.
“Honeywell’s Consumer Products Group (FRAM, Prestone, Autolite and Bendix) knows that consumers are spending more and more time online, and our marketing efforts will reflect that for our more consumer-facing brands,” said Lyon. “FRAM recently launched its http://www.framboost.com site as a way to sell cold air intake systems directly to consumers. Prestone launched its http://www.buzzkill.com online video game to help market Prestone Bug Wash and they’re very happy with the results.
“While it may surprise some, a good chunk of our audience is spending several hours online everyday. The writing is on the wall: Consumers are creating and reacting to online content as much as they’re simply consuming it. The blog encourages this kind of consumer-generated content by giving readers the chance to respond to posts with their own thoughts,” Lyon said.
For more information about Autolite, go to: http://www.autolite.com
