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Auto Ad Spending Drops; Campaigns Reflect High Gas Prices

Automotive advertising spending dropped 14.2% to $1.99 billion in the U.S. during the first 3 months of the year, according to data from TNS Media Intelligence. Ad spending is "sinking as fast as new car sales," says Jon Swallen svp of research for TNS. , Although Ford and Chrysler are expected to boost support for the Ford F-150 and the Dodge Ram when they debut later this year, advertising for light trucks dropped even more.

For every dollar spent on truck advertising last year, automakers spent 80 cents on passenger autos. This year, Swallen says the ratio of truck advertising to car advertising is almost 1:1. In addition to the spending shift, advertisers are changing their marketing messages almost as fast as consumers are changing their purchasing preferences.

"Across the board, the truth is -- on whatever model, or whatever product that you are looking at -- fuel economy now is part of the equation," says Matt VanDyke, director of advertising for the Ford division of Ford Motor Co. The advertising and marketing changes are needed to match rapidly changing consumer trends. For the first 6 months of this year, overall automotive sales in the United States dropped 10.1%, and pickup sales dropped 23%.

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