GM also has marketing
arrangements with America Online, NetZero and several focused
communities.
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eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY) and
General Motors (NYSE: GM) announced
Thursday that they have signed a co-marketing agreement
that will see the Internet auction site and the auto giant
partner on both online and offline promotions.
According to GM
Director of Alliances and Acquisitions Rich Christensen,
eBay Motors, eBay's online
automotive auction house, is a natural fit for GM in terms of traffic
and general demographics.
"At GM, we're identifying and going after all of the possible ways to
build relationships with the online community," Christensen said.
The automaker also has marketing
arrangements with America Online, NetZero, and several focused
communities such as Black Voices.
Ads and Events
The companies said that GM will have a presence
on both eBay and eBay Motors through advertisements
promoting its products and services .
According to Christensen, the automaker's online ad campaign includes
both general branding ads and more specific promotions.
Joint events being planned by the companies include charity
auctions of GM autos, such as the Yukon XL used in
MTV's "Real World" TV show and "other
one-of-a-kind cars."
The companies worked together on similar auctions in
January when eBay hosted three charity
auctions for GM that raised a total of nearly US$150,000.
Other events could include live chats with automotive experts
and celebrities, the companies said.
Christensen said chats could include
celebrity buyers of GM products and added that GM had had "a
lot of requests for chats with designers and engineers." The
companies are also contemplating dedicated fan sites for
popular GM makes such as the Chevrolet Corvette.
The deal makes GM the exclusive automotive sponsor of eBay
subsidiary Kruse International's live auction events. Kruse
currently auctions more than 13,000 cars annually
through over 25 live auctions each year.
Replacements Parts
As part of the partnership, GM will provide links to products
and services that are not currently available on eBay. For
instance, a link to GM Restoration Parts could make it easier
for eBay users with vintage GM cars to find replacement
parts.
Christensen stressed that GM does not want to compete with eBay
Motors sellers, but instead wants to offer an easy way for auto
enthusiasts to obtain parts that they cannot find at eBay.
eBay stock closed Thursday down 2 1/4 at 37.
Jackie O's Car
In related news, eBay has auctioned off an automobile once
belonging to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Bidding for the
vintage 1974 BMW Bavaria 3.0S began December 1st at $12,500 and
ended on Monday with a final bid of US$57,100.
A green sedan with tan leather interior and an odometer reading
of 65,000 miles, the car is said to have been Onassis' favorite
car. She used it exclusively to commute between her Manhattan
apartment and her country estate in New Jersey until she sold
it to her neighbor in Peapack, New Jersey.
In addition to the car, the unidentified winning bidder will
receive six photos of the former First Lady with the car and
the original title documents, dated and signed by Onassis.
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