Unprecedented and Rapid
As explored earlier in our second post, the digital revolution has changed almost all industries, and auto journalism is no exception. Print titles have all faded into obscurity and have suffered gravely from online competition – including their own websites.
More change on the horizon?
For the auto industry however, the future seems bright, and it has the rapid advancement of technology to thank. Forbes projected a roughly US$82 Billion dollar uptick in investment by this year, likely as a result of evolving car tech and increasing digitalisation of the industry surrounding it. The instant exposure of their products to their audience on social media has transformed their relationship with consumers. Therefore, responding to their wants and needs has never been easier.
Johan Sammy of MotionDigest.com points out how Buyers are turning to social media with user’s reviews before making a decision. This recent craze for digital content, whether reading or otherwise has meant the industry needs to adapt accordingly. The unprecedented access to car previews, means auto advertisers have to work hard to convince consumers to buy in. Therefore, auto journalists must do the same to ensure they properly inform the consumer on such products.
‘The instant exposure of their products to their audience on social media has transformed their relationship with consumers.’
The addition of online mediums from traditional print titles, and the ever-increasing digital sector indicates that instead of lamenting modern changes, industries are embracing them.
To conclude
The future is seemingly pointing towards to the continued success of the auto journalism industry in the digital age. However we accept that new web and mobile communications have all but decimated the paper-back versions of these titles. Traditional publications such as AutoCar are having to work doubly as hard to catch up with more modern counterparts like auto-trader, who live and breath the digital space. They thrive in this space as it’s where they built their platform, so they are at an advantage going forward.
Conversely, age-old issues remain and new issues have arisen as a result of these advanced technologies. Modern resources such as the internet and streaming services, have given way to some titles over-monetising their content. This rears its ugly head in constant ad interruptions (see: case study) persistent promotion of unrelated products in the content among other issues. Conflicts of interest, saturation of content and subjectivity are among these. This could stand to threaten the viewer experience if not controlled.
Despite this, new media has made auto content both easier to access and consume. Alongside this, new mediums are constantly being thought up as the industry and tech evolves
Summing up
There is no escaping this truth. The digital age has made easier for both automakers to sell their products, and auto writers to tell us about them. So long as the trend continues in this direction, the industry should not panic.