Battle Of The Brands: Which American Automakers Bare All On YouTube?

By Richard Read

Richard Read

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Richard Read covers technology, social media, advertising, legal issues, and other auto industry topics for High Gear Media. With a background in... More

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Screencap from Dodge' YouTube channel

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This week at SocialCarNews, we're hosting a little competition.

You see, we spend a lot of time debating which automakers do well on the social media front and which, well, don't. But most of those discussions center on specific marketing campaigns, like Suzuki's AllPoints contest, or the brou-ha-ha surrounding Volkswagen's recent "Shoot the Gap" ad. So, we all got together, and after the third pitcher of margaritas, we decided that we needed take a much broader view. As a result, we're going to spend this week looking at automakers' YouTube channels to see which measure up and which fall flat.

Today, we're covering U.S. brands, with European, Asian, and exotic marques following over the next few days. (As long as they sell cars in the U.S., we'll try to include them.) On Friday, the trumpets will flare and the fireworks will go off as we announce our best-in-show winners. So, put on those headphones and follow along -- and don't be afraid to put your two cents in the comments or an email.

* * * * *

Buick: http://www.youtube.com/user/BuickBuzz

Total uploads: 49 videos (though a considerable number are duplicates)
Total subscribers: 268
Total views: 211,846
Date launched: January 23, 2008
Date range of clips: Roughly one week to ten months
Like: Straightforward and simple (though given Buick's limited lineup, that's to be expected)
Dislike: Navigating by playlists can be kind of a pain. Is it too much to ask to see everything at once?
Most recent clip: "Buick Regal: 'Discover Beauty'"

Cadillac: http://www.youtube.com/user/cadillac
Total uploads: 66 (approximately)
Total subscribers: 991
Total views: 1,498,280
Date launched: November 28, 2005
Date range of clips: Roughly one day to one year
Like: It's pretty, we'll give 'em that much
Dislike: Like Caddy's sister, Buick, it's impossible to see every clip on the channel at once. What are they trying to hide?
Most recent clip: No idea

Chevrolet: http://www.youtube.com/user/chevrolet
Total uploads: 296
Total subscribers: 1879
Total views: 1,650,896
Date launched: January 11, 2006
Date range of clips: Two days to seven months
Like: Easy to use; straightforward; neat and tidy, even though the channel is over four years old
Dislike: Not much. Buick and Cadillac should take lessons
Most recent clip: "Chevrolet takes a spin at the MLB All-Star Game"