An Internet Marketing Plan

Kareem Khalil, Alexa Perlstein, Rachel Gropper & Charlie Bryan

Table of Contents
Problem Solution Competition Business Model Target Market Website Development Plan Search Marketing Plan Promotional Plan Budget Team Bios 2 3 4 6 9 11 15 17 19 20

Problem
People, in general, are inconvenienced when their car breaks down. With little knowledge of car maintenance, these people need information to help them tackle their problems on their own or nd quality local service at home and on- the-go. It is common for most drivers to skip over reading the user manual before operating their vehicles. When an issue arises that they dont know how to handle, and they arent AAA members, these drivers are at a serious disadvantage. An overarching issue most people nd when looking for car service boils down to time and cost efciency. Trust is also a major factor in choosing a car maintenance provider but when auto owners are in a pinch, immediate options for help are limited.

Solution
We wish to build a free mobile application for users to download in order to nd convenient car repair services and keep their car in top performance. Auto-Mate.com combines the elements of many successful apps and services to create an all-in- one system to take users from A to Z when maintaining their car. The app is designed for all car owners, but is tailored to be simple and user-friendly for new and inexperienced drivers. We realize that most people arent car experts. The majority of us need help to resolve car issues conveniently, timely, and cost effectively. Whether you are at home or on the road, Auto-Mate makes car-care a better experience with the following features: Easily search common vehicle diagnostic issues. Pinpoint a vehicles issue by searching key terms Users can nd step-by-step directions for common problems and do-ityourself xes Auto-Mate Auto-Opsy Our Auto-Opsy feature allows users to diagnose their car issues with a visual interactive guide Find Explanations of basic car terminology and maintenance tips How Tos for basic car upkeep Simple explanations for different parts of a car and how they work List of items that every car owner should own Search and locate repair shops based on location services and nd convenient appointment times Provide resourceful information of local repair shops Hours of Operation Specializations Time/Availability Deals and Discount Offers Distance from current location Reviews from Auto Experts and other consumers

Competition
Auto-Mate is a new and innovative business model, positioning itself more as a middleman than a replacement business. However, even as a connector, competition exists with other web services and auto hotlines. As available digital technology continues to become more advanced and less expensive, more and more automakers will be building their cars with internal diagnostic systems. OnStar is the trailblazer in this sort of built-in technology and their services have increased dramatically since the creation. While at the present time no technology quite the same as Auto-Mates exists, it is clear something will soon. The present advantage of Auto-Mate is the price point as cars with innovative diagnostic technology are extremely expensive.

CarMD is the third party leader in what they call on board diagnostics. Their technology has been around since 1997 and has gone from being able to read oil levels and tire pressure to being Mac and Windows compatible, providing car health reports that show consumers how much their vehicles issues will cost them over time and when they are going to need to x them. CarMD has been featured in many notable magazines and talk shows and was Home Shopping Networks top Dollar Earner per Minute item multiple times. CarMD is clearly a well rooted pioneer in the industry and their market share will only be increasing. While CarMD is a physical apparatus costing $120, Auto-Mate is a free mobile application. The products are no doubt similar, but the target market is completely different. Our product is directed towards young drivers who probably dont have the money to invest in something as expensive as CarMD.

Competition
Outside of built-in and physical technology, the next closest competition is other mobile applications designed for vehicles. Since 2011, Car Trouble has already had its foot in the doorway. An application built for Android users, Car Troubles goal is to help a consumer diagnose the problem their car is having. The app has gotten very positive customer reviews. Auto-Mate is designed to have a self-diagnose feature as well, but offers more than CarTrouble with its ability to help you locate places to x the problem that you diagnosed. When serious car trouble occurs it isnt enough to check an app and realize the car isnt safe, getting to a shop is the most important objective.

AAA is another well established business. AAA specializes in auto care and is a subscription based business so the people that have it dont have to worry about nding a solution on their own. AAA is fairly expensive and people buy into it for the convenience factor. AAA has been around for a long time and is trusted among all. It remains the top-of-mind brand when you need auto assistance in a hurry. The expense is again something that makes AAA a service prefered by older consumers as opposed to our target audience of young drivers.

Business Models
We will be utilizing Advertising, Brokerage & Subscription and models to build our customer base and generate revenue. Building a User Base We will initially establish our customer base by partnering with auto dealers and repair shops in major test markets in New York State (Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, and Westchester). We will provide promotional materials (cards, key chains, ice scrapers, etc.) to these partners to be given to their customers after each visit. While the car problem recognition features of the app will be universally available upon release, we plan on establishing AutoMates dealer location and review features in the New York rst, so that we can establish a good reputation as a business that is honest, thorough, and accurate. Eventually, after becoming well-adopted locally in New York State, we will begin to tweak this feature to implement it in other states throughout the U.S.

Advertising Model Everyone has car troubles, so nding companies that want to advertise to a large audience (car owners 16+) will not be too challenging. We could generate revenue by in-app advertising for general car-related companies like local gas stations, car washes, and dealerships (ads based off of GPS feature), car upkeep products like ArmorAll, Napa Auto Parts, Bose Sound System, and major car manufacturers. Ads will be simple banners and pop-ups that appear throughout app use, but premium subscribers can use the app ad-free.

Business Models
Brokerage Model One way we will both build and maintain our customer base and generate revenue is by utilizing a brokerage model for our application. We will allow users to book appointment times for car repair through the Car-Mate app without ever having to call a repair shop and interact with a mechanic. By partnering with local shops, we will have access to their weekly appointment schedules and help them ll open time slots. Users can sign up for the rst available appointment time (the traditional way) and also submit a list of times before the scheduled appointment that they would be free in case an opening appeared. Therefore, if a customer does not show to a scheduled repair time, we can use our database to nd another who will be able to come in at that time. If a business agrees to partner with us, we will charge a commision (x% of total sale) for every customer who went to their shop through our app because we will be both bringing in new customers, and helping to manage the shops time and efciency by lling empty time slots.

Subscription Model The subscription model ($29.99 per year) will be used as an additional way to generate interest and make money. The Auto-Mate app will be completely free and entirely usable without any charge, but a subscription will make it possible for users to get faster service by being bumped up on auto shops queues. We dont want the subscription feature to take away from the convenience of the app so it will remain as purely an optional and secondary feature. We will create an incentive for car shops to buy into this program by omitting commission fees on any car owner who entered the shop and pays for the subscription. This creates a win-win for Auto-Mate, the shop, and most importantly, the customer.

Business Models: Web 2.0

Web 2.0
Auto- Mate exhibits various aspects of Web 2.0. Web 2.0 is characterized by social networking, user-generated content, remixing of digital content, collaboration, open source and empowered individuals. Auto-Mate contains user-generated comments on various mechanic shops so that users can pick the shop that best ts their needs. Also, Auto-Mate will collaborate with the State of New York to promote car knowledge and safety at DMVs when new drivers take their license test. Lastly, Auto-Mate is empowering individuals to become more engaged with their cars. Through video tutorials and access to basic terminology people will be able to take better care of their car and drive more safely.

Wikinomics

Wikinomics is a new business model thats based on economic value of mass collaboration. The principles of Wikinomics are openness, peering, sharing and acting globally. Auto-Mate is open because we are transparent about how this App was developed and the reasons behind our premium membership. Additionally, we encourage reviews of the various mechanic shops we feature so that users can pick which shop they would like to use. The Auto-Mate developers work in a horizontal networking instead a formal hierarchical structure. We have informal levels of control and separate our duties based on skill and interest. We are self-organized and focus on open communication in all departments. Lastly, we are currently only a local app for residents in New York State. We hope to someday reach a national status and hopefully a globally status. When we reach a globally status we hope to build a multinational workforce.

Target Market
Primary Target Market
Demographics: Males and females Ages 16-30 Geographic Scope: New York State residence

Psychographics: These are new drivers and college students who want to gain knowledge and understanding about their vehicle. They want to learn the basics of their car and what specic lights and alerts mean. They are self-motivated and want to perform simple car maintenance tasks such as changing a tire on their own. They are technologically savvy and use their mobile device for nding information. This is a price sensitive demographic and they appreciate the option to use this app for free. This app allows users to see earliest available appointment times at various shops, which is important to our demographic that seek immediate gratication.

Secondary Target Market

The secondary target audience for Auto Mate would be anyone with a car of any age in the New York State region.

Target Market Proles

Meet Derek Derek is a 17 years old junior at Ithaca High School who just got his license. He recently bought a used car that didnt come with the car manual. Although he has a general idea about the various functions and capabilities of his car he wants to make sure he knows everything he can about the lights and alerts. Additionally, he is hoping to learn how to perform simple car maintenance on his own to save money.

Meet Sarah Sarah is a 19 year old who is about to attend Binghamton University for her freshman year of college. She is learning how to be independent and uses her phone as her primary source for information. Additionally, she is bringing her car up to school and is unfamiliar with the area. She will be downloading apps to help her become familiar with auto shops in the area in case her care has any issues.

Meet Connor Connor is 25 years old and a graduate student at St. John Fisher University. He is a young professional and extremely technology savvy. He is always the rst to try out the latest and greatest apps that provide him with the most useful information. When it comes to his car care he wants to access to multiple options that allow him to pick the best price, location, and accessibilty all at once.

Meet Amy Amy is 29 years old and just relocated to Buffalo for a new job. She knows that the winter weather conditions will have an impact on her car and she hopes to gain knowledge about car maintenance. However, she also wants to feel prepared incase of an emergency. Amy wants to be able to diagnose her car issues so she can determine what she is capable to do on her own and what problems require greater assistance.

10

Website/App Development Plan

Auto Mate will be available as both a smartphone app and an online website. As a guide for car upkeep tips and emergency self-x strategies, as well as local repair shop and appointment scheduling, it makes sense that there will be more focus put into the Auto Mate Application, rather than the website, because of programs on-the-go nature. Still, the website will be just as eshed out as the app and be available for free online. Universal Auto Mate Account Users begin by creating their own online account that can be used to log in to both the website and application. Account creation is optional, and is not needed to access many features of the app. Users can input personal and location information to help assist them in locating local repair shops, and also choose what type of car(s) they have so they can get help and information that is related to their specic car make and year. App Overview The Auto Mate mobile app is free for anyone to download, with an optional choice to upgrade to the premium plan for $29.99. There will be an ofcial downloadable app, as well as a .mobi version of the website to maximize accessibility for all users. Website Overview The website will be very similar to the app, though the interface will be tailored to users who arent exactly on-the-go and will be more suited for online viewing. Information about car upkeep and xes can be a bit more in-depth and lengthy than the mobile version, and users may have more options for customizing their account, contacting repair shops, and setting up maintenance appointments that might not be accessible due to limitations on the mobile app platform.

11

Website/App Development Plan

App & Website Strategy As site owners, we want the Auto Mate mobile application and online website to be users primary source for car information and maintenance scheduling. Our revenue will be generated from advertising and repair shop partnership and brokerage, so we want users to spend a lot of time on our site so that we can charge more for ads, and for users to use Auto Mate to book appointments through us so that we receive commission. Users want to get help and information on the y so that they can deal with car problems no matter where they are. By providing numerous articles on car xes, general information, and upkeep tips they will have incentives to browse solutions and stay on the site longer, and by providing local repair shops they can contact we can ensure that they will use our site to book appointments when emergencies strike. App & Website Scope The website and mobile application will mainly have the same features. Users can manually search car problems and nd step-by-step solutions or use AutoOpsy for help diagnosing their cars issue. The Drivers Ed feature will be a built in wiki that explains how different car parts work, and provide general information on how cars work and how to keep them working well. Auto Mate uses geo-location to nd local repair shops and car service facilities for the user, and displays their comments, reviews, general information, and whether or not they are an Auto Mate certied partner. Users can then schedule appointments directly through the app, and provide alternative times to be bumped to if they are a premium user. All of these feature and functions are combined to work together in Auto Mate. For instance, a user can use AutoOpsy to nd out they need an engine x, and then be linked directly from the page to another section containing local shops that can x this type of problem.

12

Website/App Development Plan

App Structure The app will follow a basic structure, with a homepage that loads upon app start-up and is the where every other sections ows out from. The top left corner features a garage icon that will return the user to the home page from any part of the app, and the upper right corner features a magnifying glass that brings up the search bar when clicked. Users begin by initially selecting which car(s) they own, which will then always appear on the homepage in the garage. From the homepage users can touch button links for AutoOpsy, Find a Mechanic, Drivers Ed, Gas & Services and Settings to visit these sections. Touch interface will be a key part of app navigation, especially with Auto-Opsy. Pages will be linked and ow to each other if appropriate, and features like touch to call will bring up a call prompt with the dealers number already lled in.

App Prototype

13

Website/App Development Plan

Website Structure The website will follow a standard structure with a homepage that shows the users car(s) and randomly selects featured articles each time it loads. There will also be a randomly selected highlighted feature to be broken down in the upper right (Drivers ed is used in example, may also be Auto Opsy, Find a Mechanic, or Local Gas & Services) that will also change every time the page refreshes. Every page will feature a navigational bar across the top that will allow the user to go back home or to another page from anywhere on the site. Every page will also feature a Settings section on the bottom for accessing things like account settings and website FAQs. All articles and sections initially ow out from the main page, and certain pages will link to others (like winter car tips can lead to an article on checking air pressure).

Website Prototype

14

Search Marketing Plan

We would like to utilize the services provided by Google AdWords to organically drive trafc to Auto-Mate.com. More specically, we believe that identitfying Auto-Mate.com as a display network, we can successful align ourselves with more than a million websites, videos, and apps where our ads can potentially be displayed. In this fashion, our chosen AdWords will be automatically matched to websites and other placements like mobile phone apps when our keywords are related to the sites content. Chosen AdWords: Automate strange car noises dashboard warning light maintenance light at tire smoking engine car wont start dead car battery tire change car maintenance car accident local car maintenance autobody shops ithaca broken head light cracked window

In creating our Google AdWords campaign, we will run a Search Network with Display Select to reach the most consumers. Then, we will select our network to include the Google Search Network as well as the Google Display Network as described above. Our ads will be displayed on all types of devices by default and will be targeted solely to people in Ithaca, New York as we are still devising the application for local use.

15

Search Marketing Plan

Our bid strategy will be basic, letting AdWords set our bids to help maximize clicks within our target budget, which will start with $10 a day. We are aware that actual daily spending my vary and may peak at 20% above our daily budget in order to help our campaign reach its potential. Google AdWords allows for ad extensions to meet additional requirements within individual campaigns. Because Auto-mate is solely useful to the local Ithaca area, wed like to extend our ads with local information, as well as extend our ads to a link to our mobile/tablet app. For our ad delivery we are setting the ad rotation to optimise for clicks. In other words, Google AdWords will show ads they expect to provide more clicks and chose this setting because it is ideal for most advertisers. With time we hope to achieve a high CTR, meaning our ads attract attention and get clicks often, but for now we are hopeful for a 1.0% CTR (with every 100 impressions there is one click). With a budget of $10 a day and a CPC rate of $.10, we can estimate our CPC to be 100 click throughs. Once we hit that budget limit, our ads will be removed from the rotation for the remainder of the period.

Sample Ad:
Text Ad Headline: Car Support in Your Hand Description line 1: Mobile maintence for your vehicle Description line 2: Auto-mate has the answers Display URL: www.auto-mate.com Destination URL: http://www.auto-mate.com

16

Promotional Plan
Auto-Mates promotion plan will focus on innovation and newness in advertising to ensure our primary target audience is intrigued and motivated. We have a three step plan that will include radio advertisements, informative air fresheners, and car wash print advertisements. This combination of physical and digital promotion will suit our young target market well while making sure our secondary audience is not ignored.

Pandora Radio Ads The rst type of promotion will be local advertising on Pandora Radio. Pandora is our primary promotional option for a number of reasons. For one, Pandora is extremely well known and relatively cheap considering how large of an audience it can attract. Our budget is strict, so our advertising with Pandora will be specied to our initial launch markets of upstate New York. Depending on the frequency of these specied advertisement spots, cost will run us anywhere from $10,000 - $20,000 for a campaign. Pandora is also a perfect medium because of its ability to focus a message. We can tailor our ads to play on stations that young people listen to. This way we are controlling the dollars we spend and not wasting any air time with a misguided message. This feature makes Pandora highly potent. Finally, Auto-Mate is primarily a mobile application and many Pandora members use the service on their smart phones. This way we are literally only a click away from having consumers download our application. Users wont have to worry about writing information down or missing out on misheard details. One touch of the screen during our advertising results in a consumer viewing our free application page. This also provides a perfect measuring system. Which we can access through web service data.

17

Promotional Plan
Air Fresheners Our second promotional plan is also geared toward our target audience of new drivers aged 16-30. We will again focus on our launch cities, stationing free air fresheners displaying Auto-Mate information in DMV locations. Depending on the ease of contract with the State, it would be even more benecial to have the air fresheners distributed directly with other documents new drivers receive with their license. Our service acts largely as a convenience tool for drivers with car trouble unaware of their problem and surroundings. Convincing DMVs to partner with Auto-Mate should not be a problem because our service helps drivers be safe and knowledgable.

Car Wash Ads Our nal promotional piece will focus on car drivers young and old. We will place advertisements inside of automated carwashes. Just as the previous two promotions, these ads will also be implemented in our launch cities. Advertisements in carwashes will help promote the Auto-Mate name in a multitude of ways. When a driver takes their car to the wash, they sit in the car and watch the machines do their work. An ad inside the wash will provide maximum uncluttered exposure to consumers. This is also an area untapped by any companies in direct competition with us. In fact, other advertisers in this realm are car related which will give Auto-Mate a bit of credibility. Finally, consumers who get their car washed generally get it done often and care much for their vehicles. Repeat visits will maximize frequency to consumers interested in their cars performance, something that Auto-Mate strives to maintain.

18

Budget
Search Marketing Google Ad Words Note Cost $10/Day over 1 Year $3,650 Total: $3,650 Promotions Radio Ads Note Cost Note Cost Note Cost 1 Year $15,000 200,000 at $0.25 ea. $50,000 20 Locations at $10 ea. $200 Total: $65,200

Air Fresheners

Car Wash Ads

Bottom Line Total: $68,850

19

Team Biographies
Kareem Khalil is a senior Integrated Marketing Communications major in the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College. Born and raised in Rochester, NY, Kareems hobbies include playing guitar, drawing, participating in intramural sports, and getting disappointed by the Buffalo Bills.

Alexa Perlstein is a senior at Ithaca College with a double major in Applied Psychology and Integrated Marketing Communications with a minor in Art History. She is from Cedar Grove, New Jersey and greatly enjoys her ability to take a twenty-minute train ride into New York City. In addition, she is the Tompkins County Liaison for Project Generations, a club that unites IC students with local senior citizens they volunteer with. Her hobbies include horseback riding, drawing, and spending time with her friends.

Charlie Bryan is a Senior Integrated Marketing Communications major at Ithaca College. Charlie plays rugby for the school and is the treasurer for the team. He is from Cleveland, Ohio and is a huge Browns fan. In his free time, Charlie likes to read books and hang out in his hammock.

Rachel Gropper is a senior Integrated Marketing Communications major at Ithaca College with minors in Communication Management Design and Web Programming. Active within the Business School, Rachel serves as the Co-President for the American Marketing Association, Ithacas leading professional organization on campus. Hailing from rural Poughkeepsie, NY, Rachel loves the outdoors: camping, days at the beach and going on adventures.

20