Picked it up at the dealership today (July-August 2004 issue) and there is an article on page 16 titled "The online grapevine":
"Online study pinpoints the source and scope of Mazda enthusiasm.
The internet has become the corner coffe shop of the new millenium, where communies of people with similar interests get together to share information, experiences, and opinions. Message boards and chat rooms are plastered with real-time testimonials and proclamations on everything from toilets to restaurants, creating a virtual goldmine for today's market researcher.
Recognizing this opportunity, Mazda recently commisioned online research designed to locate, profile, and analyze current Mazda "evangelists" (people who go online to discuss and praise Mazda and its vehicles). BuzzMetrics, the survey group that conducted the study, targeted enthusiasts who communicate via online Mazda forums, such as www.RX8Forum.com and www.MazdaWorld.org, as well as those who participate in online general automotive forums, including www.automotiveforums.com and www.tripleplate.com.
The research led to some key findings:
"Online study pinpoints the source and scope of Mazda enthusiasm.
The internet has become the corner coffe shop of the new millenium, where communies of people with similar interests get together to share information, experiences, and opinions. Message boards and chat rooms are plastered with real-time testimonials and proclamations on everything from toilets to restaurants, creating a virtual goldmine for today's market researcher.
Recognizing this opportunity, Mazda recently commisioned online research designed to locate, profile, and analyze current Mazda "evangelists" (people who go online to discuss and praise Mazda and its vehicles). BuzzMetrics, the survey group that conducted the study, targeted enthusiasts who communicate via online Mazda forums, such as www.RX8Forum.com and www.MazdaWorld.org, as well as those who participate in online general automotive forums, including www.automotiveforums.com and www.tripleplate.com.
The research led to some key findings:
- Mazda's "word-of-mouth share" (the percentage of people talking about Mazda versus other automakers) online has increased over the past two years.
- The Mazda brand enjoys high positive sentiment and low negative sentiment among online evangelists.
- The Mazda Protege and Mazda Miata enjoy the highest amount of online "word-of-mouth," while the Mazda6 and Mazda3 are growing.
- Eighty-one percent of consumers discussing Mazda online are owners.
- Sixty percent of online Mazda enthusiasts are under the age of 30"