New Study Tracks Auto Companies' Online Strengths And Weaknesses
2 September 1999
New Study by Hass Associates Tracks Auto Companies' Online Strengths And Weaknesses; GM, Toyota Score Best Among Global Automakers
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 2 -- General Motors Corp. enjoys the
auto industry's most positive presence on the internet, according to a new
study of corporate online image and reputation released Thursday by Hass
Associates.
Largely because of its well-publicized launch of an internet-oriented
business unit, GM received the highest level of positive attention during
August on more than 80 web sites and newsgroups that are frequented by
investors and others interested in news and information about the auto
industry.
Toyota also fared well in the study, while Ford saw its positive score
significantly lowered because of its controversial battle with an enthusiast
web site accused of publishing proprietary information.
The online presence of automakers across the globe was evaluated using an
innovative system that tracks internet news coverage and discussion, and
assesses the impact of that coverage on reputation and image. Just as an
individual's IQ score is determined by performance on a test, a corporation's
or a product's MQ score is the result of performance on a rating scale. The
system was developed by Hass Associates, Inc., an Ann Arbor-based public
relations firm that specializes in using the Internet for corporate and
institutional communication.
"A strong MQ is valuable because it is a measure of visibility among the
growing group of investors, consumers, journalists, government officials and
other opinion-makers who rely on the Internet to gather information and keep
abreast of business developments," said Mark Hass, president of Hass
Associates. "A weak or negative number is a sign of trouble."
The auto industry MQ scores are generated monthly, based on news coverage
on the web and discussion on various newsgroups. Each relevant web site story
and newsgroup dialogue is analyzed and given a numeric score based on several
criteria, including tone (positive, negative or neutral) and substance. At
the end of the month, negative scores are subtracted from positive ones, with
the difference being a company's overall MediaQuotient.
The same tracking approach can be used to compare companies in other
industries, specific products and even specific public issues.
Web sites and newsgroups included in the auto industry review fell into
three categories: general interest, auto industry-specific and
investor-oriented. Among the sites studied were major general news sites such
as MSNBC and CNN; industry-specific sites, such as auto.com; and
investor-oriented sites, such as the Motley Fool. Hass Associates editors,
using automated tools and traditional content-analysis techniques, reviewed
thousands of current web site headlines, feature stories, top news stories and
industry news highlights, as well as newsgroup discussions.
Fourteen auto companies were covered in the study released today. Here is
a snapshot of how they fared, with their MQ scores shown in parenthesis:
BMW (+57): Overall, the company received only a modest amount of
coverage, with an emphasis on production, a stock split and a recall of 30,000
cars in the United States because of emission problems.
DaimlerChrysler (+22): A wave of negative reports related to earnings,
lawsuits and minivan woes eroded a positive presence established by product
reports about the PT Cruiser and other vehicles.
Fiat (-39): The company earned the lowest MQ in August largely because of
GM's rejection of a business relationship.
Ford (+180): A late-month torrent of stories about the company's efforts
to shut down an enthusiast site critical of Ford resulted in negative
attention. A steady flow of small but positive news throughout the month
about the company's global expansion, its efforts to recruit minority
suppliers and other stories paid off in the form of a dominant presence among
the sites and newsgroups specifically focused on the auto industry.
General Motors (+272): A strong overall presence in each of the internet
categories studied and a positive response to the creation of the e-GM
business unit combined to give GM the industry's best score.
Honda (+161): Environmentally friendly technology and its stubborn
determination to go it alone in the increasingly merged global auto industry
gave Honda a positive run of online reports.
Isuzu (0), Suzuki (+3): Invisible or worse.
Mazda (+45), Mitsubishi (+70), and Peugeot (+59): A low volume of
stories, most of which were positive, however.
Nissan (+161): Vehicle development strategy and strong sales in Canada
provided positive fodder.
Toyota (+258): Its promise to deliver custom-ordered cars registered very
positively within the auto-industry and general news categories.
Volkswagen (-6): Generally a weak presence in Internet media and
discussion groups, with an Audi recall damaging the company's overall score.
More details about the report can be found online at
http://www.ha-i.com/dev/mq/ . The material posted on the web is a summary of the
complete MQ report which is offered to Hass Associates, Inc. clients by
subscription.