Automobile Retailers

Endorsements are important in the world of sports, as they can be quite lucrative and can change the financial status of the sports star overnight. When Mercedes-Benz China announced that it had signed tennis superstar Roger Federer to a multi-year partnership with a focus on advertising and strategic marketing, the tennis world stood up and took notice.

Federer will not only work with Mercedes-Benz in advertising campaigns, but he’ll work with the sport of tennis in China to help improve conditions and generate interest. He’ll be an integral part in “Swing for the Stars,” a tennis program in China for players under 13 years of age. The program was launched by Mercedes-Benz and the Chinese Tennis Association.

Federer’s deal with Mercedes-Benz joins his other endorsement deals, which include Gillette and Rolex. He is also one of the top faces of Nike in China, which makes him a recognizable figure already and a perfect fit for the Benz endorsement deal.

The Chinese Tennis Association is hoping that their own partnership with Mercedes-Benz China and the subsequent partnership with Roger Federer will help draw awareness to their own position in the sport. With a focus on developing young players and interest in tennis, the CTA’s mission will play a huge role in marketing development for Mercedes-Benz as well. It is truly a partnership which benefits both sides.

Grassroots interest is perhaps the greatest potential component for developing interest in a sport. Tennis is no different, so it will be interesting to see how Federer and Mercedes will be able to work at the grassroots level in China to bring more interest into the sport. With Federer being a famous face, his presence alone may be enough to draw new individuals to the sport of tennis.

With deals like this one, it is all about achieving future consumers. The brand name of Mercedes-Benz, together with Roger Federer and the CTA, will be spread through the sport of tennis in China for years to come. This endorsement deal is huge for Mercedes in China and will likely spill over into the international community.

Remember the days of packing friends into the old car, bringing along plenty of food and music, and setting out for the open road with nothing but time and gas money as your road map? Those days might have been replaced with the daily grind of the 9-to-5, but for three Utah guys, the great visions of road trips across the grand United States are alive and well.

Joshua Keeler, Joey Stocking, and Adam Gatherum, all from North Salt Lake, are heading out to visit all 48 of the contiguous United States in slightly more than five days nonstop (except for gas).

The road trip began Sunday morning as the trio took off from Vermont and, as of this morning (May 5, 2008) are in Alabama. That’s the fifth state of their route. The adventure should take around 120 hours and will cover 7500 miles. Scheduled to end on Friday, if they’re successful of course, the trip will come to a close at the Four Corners where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah meet.

The group is using AAA maps and global positioning software. The car of choice for the trip is the Toyota Scion xB, perfect for gas mileage and spacious enough for three guys heading across America. The Scion’s excellent gas mileage record should have cut down lots of time for fill-ups on the trip, too, making the goal all the more possible.

People can track the progress of the guys online at their website. As for keeping non-drivers entertained and nourished properly, they’ll be relying on iPods, laptops, movies, books, and a barrage of gas station food designed specifically to entice the road trip diet.

The trip was conceived by Jim Keeler, Joshua’s father, but was put on hold after Jim’s mother passed away. Now the mantle is being picked up by the three guys and it looks to be an enjoyable feat and a nice test drive for the Toyota Scion xB.

If you’re like me, you’re sick and tired of the paying more and more for your car. Between gas prices, maintenance costs and insurance, sometimes I wonder if it’s even worth having a car! But some vehicles cost less than others. Hybrids are less expensive on fuel costs, for instance. And some newer cars have 100,000 mile warranties that reduce your maintenance costs.
With certain Pontiac vehicles, however, you can save money on insurance.
The Pontiac Montana has recently been added to the list of the ten vehicles with the least expensive insurance premiums. But why the Montana?
The amount of your insurance premium typically relies on the make and style of your vehicle. Larger family vehicles are usually less expensive to insure because insurance companies assume you’re going to be a safer driver with your family in the vehicle. That’s why four-door vehicles are also cheaper than two-door vehicles.
Similarly, vehicles equipped with four-wheel drive are also more expensive on insurance. That’s because insurance companies assume you’re going to be taking your vehicle through rough terrain. That leaves more probability for accidents and injury, thus increasing the premiums.
Car buyers don’t always take into consideration the insurance premiums when they buy a car, though. And very few people, if any, base their car-buying decision solely on the price of the monthly premiums. It’s just one of those things to consider the next time you visit your nearest Pontiac dealer.