In July's Stat Corner column, it was noted that the amount of warranty repair occurring at dealerships is declining - 10 percent in the past two years.

As a follow-up, the amount of money dealers and manufacturers are spending is rising.

Did you know General Motors Corp. is No. 2 in U.S. ad spending, just behind Procter & Gamble Co.? According to Competitive Media Reporting, GM spent $575.3 million in the first quarter of 2003. Although that is down 7 percent from 2002's first quarter, it is a large portion of ad dollars spent annually.

Ford Motor Co. spent $323.6 million dollars in the first quarter of 2003. This is a 26.8 percent increase from the $255.2 million spent in the first quarter of 2002.

Although Honda is not in the top 10 ad spenders, American Honda Motor Co. has teamed up with EdVenture Partners of Orinda, Calif., and made Honda's youth-oriented Element the focus of marketing and advertising courses at 28 colleges.

Dealers increased their ad spending by 12.2 percent in 2002 to $4.4 billion with nearly 75 percent going to newspapers. Local newspapers received $3.2 billion; national newspapers received $43.1 million.

The increased ad spending in local newspapers will likely continue.

Stat Corner is written by Denise Caspersen, ASA's research management specialist. She can be reached at (800) 272-7467, ext. 236.

RATE THIS ARTICLE What do you think of this article? Your input will help AutoInc. develop additional articles on this subject. Share your thoughts! Your name Your e-mail address

MOST ACCESSED ARTICLES Fuel Injection Service, Not Just Cleaning The Art of Extraction EGR Systems: Operation and Diagnosis Proactive Target Marketing:_Rethinking Your Business Strategy Engine Performance: HO2S Diagnostics MOST E-MAILED ARTICLES Developing Employee Potential How Critical Thinking Can Help Your Business How to Diagnose the Ford Glow Plug What to Look for When Shopping for the Right Shop Management Software Putting a Price Tag on Complaints

AutoInc. Web Site | ASA Web Site | District of Columbia Offers Crash Parts Proposal | Scan Tools: Issues and Answers | Understanding the Common Difficulties of Feeding in MIG Welding Aluminum | It's a New Season at the Ballpark | Guest Editorial | Tech to Tech | Tech Tips | Net Worth | Stat Corner | Chairman's Message