Video: Is TrueCar’s new female car shopper ad sexist? [w/poll]

Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Videos

Controversial Truecar commercial with female car shopper - screencap

TrueCar is getting bashed in both traditional and social media venues over a 30-second ad that’s gone viral due to what some perceive as sexist overtones. The ad features a number of women talking about using TrueCar for their latest vehicular purchase, and how the website takes the “anxiety” out of buying a car. It ends with the line, “I don’t need to bring a dude with me.”

The backlash, particularly on TrueCar’s Facebook page has been pretty severe, with angry women firing away at the service over the spot. In response to the bad press it’s been getting on sites like BuzzFeed and AdWeek, TrueCar’s PR agency, PGCCampbell, and the company’s founder and CEO, Scott Painter, issued the following statement:

“Regardless of race or gender, being a more informed car buyer benefits consumers. TrueCar supplies a hassle-free experience for both men and women by providing car-buying information the public can’t get elsewhere.

This particular ad is pro-consumer and pro-women. It was developed by our creative director, who is a woman, and it addresses a real consumer issue in the marketplace.”

Judge for yourself by screening the video below. Then vote in our poll and leave your thoughts in Comments. Has TrueCar been watching a bit too much Mad Men, or are people overreacting?

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Continue reading Is TrueCar’s new female car shopper ad sexist? [w/poll]

Is TrueCar’s new female car shopper ad sexist? [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jul 2013 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FIA supports young female racers with karting trophy

Filed under: Motorsports

2011 CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy

CIK-FIA’s nine finalists (above) and contest winner (below right) – Click for high-res image gallery

Women in racing are few and far between. Sure, a smattering of notable names comes to mind – like Danica Patrick, Sabine Schmitz and Susie Stoddart – but in this male-dominated sport, they’re the exception. The FIA is taking steps to fix that, however.

2011 CIK-FIA Karting Academy TrophyTwo of the regulatory body’s organs – the Women & Motor Sport Commission and the Commission Internationale de Karting (CIK-FIA) – teamed up to award the most outstanding young female talent a helping hand. They held a shootout among nine candidates, all below the age of 16, who were tested for their physical and mental capabilities over the course of two days in Geneva before pitting them against each other in a track competition.

At the end of the process, the jury – consisting of commission president Michèle Mouton (a former WRC runner-up); two-time WTCC champ Yvan Muller and his karting-champion sister Cathy; and CIK-FIA executive secretary Vincent Caro – selected Lucile Cypriano, 15, of France. As a result, she’ll receive a fully funded ride in the 2011 CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy, where she’ll face off against 50 contenders, each representing a different country, on her climb up the motorsport ladder. Follow the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading FIA supports young female racers with karting trophy

FIA supports young female racers with karting trophy originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 07 May 2011 14:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: Female buyers not considering many domestic vehicles

Filed under: Car Buying

RL Polk women car preferences

We don’t have a demographic breakdown for Autoblog’s core audience to share, but we can tell you that the overwhelming majority of our readers are men. That said, women tend to be very specific about which vehicles they choose, and according to R.L. Polk, Asian automakers ranging from Toyota to Kia are winning over women on a grand scale.

Take a look at the graphic above, which shows the top five vehicle selections by (non-Caucasian) ethnic group. The Toyota Camry takes the top spot, scoring the number one spot in five ethnic groups. The Corolla, Civic, Accord and CR-V round out the top five, which makes sense due to the fact that those five vehicles are typically among the top-selling passenger vehicles each month. But where are the domestics?

The bottom of the chart shows the top domestic model as chosen by each ethnic group. Ford dominates the list, taking the top spot in seven of the eight ethnic groups, though judging by Polk’s data, it’s apparent that domestics are very low on the priority list. The only ethnic groups to choose a domestic in the top 10 are African-Americans (Malibu) and Hispanics (Ford F-Series).

[Source: R.L. Polk]

Study: Female buyers not considering many domestic vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video PSA: The Aussie female guide voice on your Garmin is as attractive as you’ve always hoped

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Videos, Australia, Celebrities, Humor

Karen Jacobsen, GPS voiceover artist – Click above to watch video after the jump

There may come a day when personal GPS devices go the way of the dodo. As direction services on our handheld devices become ever savvier, more and more consumers are ditching their old dashboard-mounted screens in favor of the ones they already keep in their pocket. Fortunately, even if our Garmin or TomTom devices become relics, odds are we’ll still be able to get turn-by-turn directions on our smartphones. That’s a good thing, too, because otherwise a whole generation of lost motorists would never be able to find their way while listening to Karen Jacobsen call out directions.

Who is Karen Jacobsen? While she happens to be a Queensland native who now spends her days writing music and playing in a three piece band, she’s also the most popular GPS voice on the planet. Jacobsen spent a total of 50 hours in a recording studio rattling off everything from directional phrases to single words, locations and every letter in the alphabet so that we would have the pleasure of listening to her Aussie accent as we bumble down the highway. Hit the jump to see an interview with the muse of maps as well as a sample of her singing.

[Sources: AOL News, KarenJacobsen.com]

Continue reading Video PSA: The Aussie female guide voice on your Garmin is as attractive as you’ve always hoped

Video PSA: The Aussie female guide voice on your Garmin is as attractive as you’ve always hoped originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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