auto parts manufacturers,auto parts suppliers

The management consultancy of the international BBDO Group has named Audi the best market-oriented company in the automotive industry. The brand with the four rings took second place overall in a pool of 282 participating companies from all sectors. The marketing experts were most impressed by the brand’s high standard of innovation and closeness to its customers.

Audi has once again demonstrated its abilities as a successful maker of premium cars. “Audi sets itself apart through premium quality, outstanding information management and high innovative capability,” the jury said in explaining its selection. This is why marketing experts from both the theoretical and hands-on realms presented AUDI AG with the BBDO Consulting Best Marketing Company Award. The BBDO management consultancy conducted the study on market orientation in cooperation with the chair for innovative brand management at the University of Bremen. The study determined the level of success of the marketing strategies for a total of 282 German companies from all types of sectors.

Michael Renz, Head of Marketing at Audi, knows that market orientation is crucial to the success of a company. “Only a company that understands its customers can achieve lasting success with its brand and products,” Renz said. Along with the methods of classic market research such as extensive surveys, in-depth interviews and so-called product clinics, Audi also relies on complex analyses of behavior and buying. The brand studies the current demands and needs of relevant groups of customers as well as future trends that will change the lifestyles of target groups worldwide and thus what they expect from their cars.

The findings are substantiated by internal programs such as the “Audi Experience” program, in which managers from all divisions of AUDI AG visit families from Audi’s target groups. Renz has personally taken part in this program and is convinced of its effectiveness. “Such field studies are a leap towards transferral of theoretical findings into practice – and are an excellent complement to classic market research,” he said.

As premium carmaker, the success of Audi is based on the highest quality, down to the smallest detail. Product developments as well as customer service closely follow customer demand, making Audi a trendsetter among automotive companies. The strong market orientation, close cooperation between marketing, sales and research and development, and the densely woven sales and service network lead to high customer satisfaction and loyalty. This has made the brand one of the world’s most successful makers of premium cars today.

Courtesy: AUDI AG, Germany

Indianapolis - Adding to its string of industry awards since launching its mobile answers service in January 2008, ChaCha announced today that it has been named to the annual FierceWireless “Fierce 15” list, designating it as one of the top wireless companies of the year. FierceWireless editors evaluated hundreds of organizations, and found ChaCha to be among the “fiercest,” proven by their creativity and innovations in the marketplace.

FierceWireless, an internationally recognized daily email newsletter reaching more than 72,000 senior wireless industry executives, provides executives in over 100 countries with a quick, authoritative briefing on the day’s top wireless stories, including new trends and technologies.

“ChaCha’s human powered mobile answers service delivers impressive results in a timely manner. It’s easy and fun to use,” said Sue Marek, Editor-in-Chief of FierceWireless.

ChaCha’s free mobile answers service allows virtually anyone with a cell phone to call 1-800-2ChaCha or text 242-242 (Cha-Cha) and receive answers within minutes. ChaCha’s expert human guides — trained and skilled individuals — use ChaCha’s powerful patent-pending search tools to respond to almost any question with a succinct answer in a text message with a Web reference link. This human interface dramatically expands the types of questions users can ask well beyond simple phone numbers or addresses.

“We are thrilled to be recognized by FierceWireless as one of the top wireless companies of 2008,” said Scott A. Jones, ChaCha CEO. “Wireless industry executives turn to FierceWireless to provide up-to-date news along with analysis of major industry trends. It is an honor to be recognized by such an authoritative source on the wireless industry.”

“We’re on the forefront of an entirely new category in which ChaCha and its business partners can provide mobile users with a much more valuable and satisfying experience,” explained Jones. “By combining sophisticated technology with human intelligence, our mobile answers service goes way beyond typical web-based mobile search. Besides getting answers to just about any type of questions, you can easily reply with follow-up questions, as you might do in a conversation. It’s like having a smart friend available to answer your questions for you 24/7. The exponential week-over-week growth we are experiencing leads us to believe that ChaCha will fundamentally alter the way consumers view information access on their mobile phones.”

The Fierce 15 selection comes in the wake of ChaCha receiving a series of awards including the prestigious AT&T Fast-Pitch Award for “best consumer mobile application” at the CTIA Wireless Association Convention in Las Vegas in early April. In March, ChaCha took top prize in the “My Search Engine is better than Your Search Engine” competition at the Search Engine Strategies conference and was also ranked as the “No. 1 Alternative Search Engine” in February by Charles Knight of the blogging network, ReadWriteWeb.

The FierceWireless “Fierce 15” celebrates the spirit of being “fierce” – championing innovation and creativity, even in the face of intense competition. The complete list of winning companies is available today in a special issue of FierceWireless and on the FierceWireless Web site.

Courtesy: ChaCha, USA

Volvo Cars came out top in Britain’s Power of Aluminium Awards for the company’s new load-anchoring system installed in the new XC70 and V70. “The system with its embedded eyelets is unique. It means a lot to Volvo Cars that we have won this award,” says Karin Lejonbäck, group manager at the Interior & Climate department.

Set into the floor of the luggage compartment of the new XC70 and V70 are load rails made of aluminium. Running in the rails are four sliding hooks or eyelets that are used to secure cargo.

What is unique about this solution is that the eyelets lie flush with the floor’s surface when they are not in use, they can be moved steplessly and they are self-locking in the raised position when in use.

The Power of Aluminium Awards ranks the concept very highly - it was given first prize in the Transport category. The award was presented recently at a ceremony in Warwick in England.

“This is the first time Volvo Cars has received this award. We have also made it to the next round of this year’s Henry Ford Technology Award, an internal innovation contest, with this function,” relates Karin Lejonbäck.

The solution is developed in cooperation with aluminium profile supplier Sapa.

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