Happy spring!

If you're in the US, you might have seen the hysterically funny Ford ad a few months ago: A red Mustang with the top down stopped at a snow-swept intersection; the driver in a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses -- frozen solid. The tagline: "You don't launch a convertible this irresistible in winter."

What that guy needed was a better forecast -- or a warmer shirt (you know the old saying: There is no bad weather, only bad clothes). I'd hate for you to step out into this blustery season unprepared, so here's my "weather forecast" for the spring season.

• Auto marketing: Spring is in full swing. Carbuyers have been raining on the advertising and traditional media parade. But new-media formats like online ads, email, and search are breaking through the clouds across the US and Europe; the outlook gets even sunnier as emerging technologies like geotargeted TV and marketing resource management mature. Soon, marketing measurement will improve, meaning you'll soon be in your garden again, weeding out the nonperforming marketing spend.

• Customer experience: slow thaw. To date, automakers' cross-channel experiences have been as painful as sticking your tongue on frozen metal. Now, OEM sites in the US and Japan are beginning to thaw -- but it's still pretty chilly. The long-term forecast looks better, thanks to personalization, customer experience organizational and management changes, and new insights into increasing consumer trust. And trust is a prerequisite for customer-focused innovation.

• In-car and media devices: partly sunny, some storms and showers. Consumers will give in-car TV and iPod photo devices a cool reception. Watch out for TV instability as TiVo and HDTV change direction; and keep an eye on emerging media formats like wikis and RSS on the horizon. The climate's been right for GM to be out experimenting with blogs and podcasting; by 2007, it'll be making electronic stability and telematics standard equipment. The far-upper atmosphere looks stunningly clear: Hyundai's launching satellite radio in all its vehicles; Volvo's even sending customers into space.

Research Referenced In This Issue Best And Worst Of Japanese Site Design, 2005 (36133) Best And Worst Of Site Design, 2005 (36074) Blogging: Bubble Or Big Deal? (35000)    Comcast Throws TiVo A Lifeline (36657) Consumer Trust In Media Declines Further (36255) Consumer-Focused Innovation (36181) Digitenne Brings Digital TV To Cars (36464) Email Marketing FAQs For Beginners (36500) Europe's Search Engine Marketing Forecast, 2004 To 2010 (34197) HDTV Leads DVRs And VOD In Awareness (35145) iPod photo: Stick To Music (35147) MSN adCenter Points To The Future Of Search Ads (36639) Personalization Attracts A Valuable Crowd (36256) Poor Contextual Help Erodes Shoppers' Trust (36548) The Consumer Advertising Backlash Worsens (35123) The Customer Experience Value Chain (36551)    The Future Of Digital Audio (36428) The Top Marketing Technologies In 2005 (35112) What Online Ad Formats Work? (35747) Where Is Marketing Measurement Headed? (33836) Who's In Charge Of Customer Experience? (36176)

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