ATLANTA, (DJC) – The Porsche web site — http://www.porsche.com —
was rated no. 1 by Detroit-area marketing students who were surveyed by
Automotive News for the trade publication’s Automotive Marketer section.
Automotive News queried 45 marketing students from the University of Detroit
Mercy and Oakland university in Rochester, Mich., who sampled 38 automobile
manufacturer or automobile division Web sites. Each site was evaluated
according to five criteria: information accessibility, design, brand
management, user friendliness, and overall strategy.
Four points were possible in each category. Of a possible
20 points, the
Porsche site received the highest, 16.8 points. According to an April 17,
2000, Automotive Marketer article, “The site’s interactive features
reinforce Porsche’s claim as a global automaker by taking potential
customers and dreamers alike to Porsche dealerships and Porsche’s
travel club events throughout Europe and North America.”
The Porsche site also received praise from several European publications.
Expressen, a major Swedish evening newspaper, put the Porsche site atop its
list, while AutoPlus, a French automobile publication, ranked the site no. 1
along with the Fiat and Peugeot web sites. Internet magazine Online Today
also applauded the site, ranking Porsche’s car configuration interface
second
behind Volvo’s configuration application.
Finally, the Prof-Net Institute in Dortmund, Germany,
evaluated more than
300 Internet presentations by companies in the automotive industry from 16
different countries. The Institute ranked the Porsche site no. 2, which is
a
vast improvement over 1997 when the site ranked second-to-last.
Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) and Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche AG jointly
develop and continuously examine the site to identify specific areas of
improvement. “The Internet is a constantly changing environment that
requires
frequent evaluation,” said Kevin Nicholls, manager, marketing
communications,
PCNA. “It’s great to get these accolades about our site, but we will
continually fine-tune and improve our Web presence.”
PCNA, based in Atlanta, Ga., is the exclusive importer of Porsche cars for
the United States. A wholly owned subsidiary of Porsche AG, PCNA employs
approximately 220 people who provide Porsche vehicles, parts, marketing and
training for its 205 dealers in North America. They, in turn, provide
Porsche
owners with best-in-class service.
