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Reaching Auto Enthusiasts
May 15, 2000 An increasing number of online automotive players appear to be buying into the adage that you can't be all things to all people, and are accordingly targeting their offerings to specific niche populations. Some are looking for ways to leverage their content and e-commerce to drive additional traffic, appeal to a wider audience, and pick up additional revenues. PickupTruck.com has come up with a strategy for doing just that. Aligning with three other enthusiast sites -- VWVortex.com, FreshAlloy.com, and AudiWorld.com -- PickupTruck.com has formed BVerticals, which the company says is "the Internet's first e-co/op.'' John Gillies, currently CEO at PickupTruck.com, will also serve as CEO of BVerticals. According to PickupTruck.com founder Mike Levine, an e-co/op is a group of grassroot, vertical enthusiast Web sites with existing traffic and communities. The sites team together to dominate a particular niche -- in this case, automobiles -- to gain economies of scale. Levine explains that the e-co/op concept is different from the similar-sounding Web ring -- a co/op-type construct that has been around since the Web's early days -- in that e-co/ops share a common back-end infrastructure. That infrastructure -- both technology and business -- will be provided by BVerticals. Although each site retains its current URL and its original look and feel, they will all be hosted by one ISP and any user profiles created at one site will carry over to the other sites in the e-co/op, allowing visitors to move from one destination to another and retail their personalization features in message boards and chat rooms. Levine says that BVerticals' goal is to have 10 to 12 sites in the e-co/op by the end of 2000. By leveraging the repeat traffic of multiple sites, BVerticals will make a more attractive advertising medium, offering not only reach, but specific targeted marketing opportunities based on customer profiles. Levine says that together the four sites in the e-co/op attract nearly 1 million enthusiasts and new visitors each month, and that most visitors return every eight days for the sites' updated content. The overall vision is for BVerticals' Web sites to function as vertical portals, funneling sales leads to manufacturer Web sites, large dealer group Web sites, third party lead generation Web sites, and direct sales Web sites. PickupTruck.com and FreshAlloy.com already have agreements with CarsDirect.com. While BVerticals emphasizes content and community, with e-commerce as an adjunct, Mobilia.com's primary focus is on the $24 billion automotive collectibles and specialty buyers market. The site is going after that group with a combination of commerce, auctions, community, and pricing applications. Mobilia.com recently closed a round of funding after raising $4 million, and Eric Killorin, CEO and founder of Mobilia.com, says that the company is "ideally positioned to capture the hearts and pocketbooks of car lovers everywhere." Killorin launched Mobilia Magazine, a publication devoted to car collectibles, in 1993 and points out that car collecting is now a mainstream activity, with an estimated 11 million enthusiasts buying everything from NASCAR diecast models to Hot Wheels toy cars. PRIMEDIA, publisher of 31 automotive titles, has also entered the enthusiast space with the launch of GR8RIDE, a site the company calls a "complete online resource for the hardcore automotive enthusiast." GR8RIDE aggregates content, commerce, and community and has partnered with Summit Racing, NOPI, Discount Tire, and AIM Industries to offer aftermarket products to serve the enthusiast automotive aftermarket industry. PRIMEDIA points out that automotive enthusiasts have long depended on mail order to fill their specialized needs and are accustomed to making their purchases at places other than bricks-and-mortar stores. The company estimates that these consumers represent $4 billion in annual spending and that GR8RIDE partners represent about 50 percent of that total. In addition to e-commerce, the site offers product information, how-to advice, and consumer product reviews. |
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BVerticals can be reached at info@bverticals.com |
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