• Business Journal, Wednesday, February 1, 2006 11 AM

For mainstream media chieftains, the opening sentence of a story in the Southfield (Mich.) Business Journal will likely come as no shock, but it nevertheless constitutes another dagger to the already wounded heart: "Traditional mass media has been rendered nearly obsolete among first-time vehicle buyers, according to a study released [Jan. 31] by the Polk Center for Automotive Studies." According to the study, first-time buyers--the Gen Y population--are largely dependent on the Web for information and influence when it comes to cars and trucks. They are loyal neither to an automotive brand nor a local dealership. "The Internet's relevance to the 18 to 30 age group has reached critical mass and is completely reconfiguring how car companies need to reach out to first-time buyers," says Lonnie Miller, managing director of the Polk Center. The study cited by the Business Journal indicated that 35 percent of those surveyed said the Net was their first choice for counsel when it came to buying a vehicle. Television was second, but with only 8.2 percent of the vote. Magazines scored 4.4 percent, newspapers 3.6 percent, radio a negligible 1.1 percent.

Read the whole story at Business Journal »