What happens when you give a bunch of Pittsburgh bloggers a Suzuki Kizashi for three days?
Jim Shorkey Pittsburgh Suzuki and Kia dealer and GatesmanMarmionDrake+Drake have jumped onboard the car blogging bandwagon with the
Shorkey Road Test, an invitation to local bloggers to put the Kee sa' shee through its paces and generate a buzz.
"We wanted to use a word-of-mouth strategy to announce the new Kizashi," says Shorkey, who insists that even a carpooling mom like me (I know nothing about cars) could contribute. "We're hoping that by giving customers the opportunity to hear what real people are saying, they're able to make the best possible decision when shopping. The early response has been great!"
As a driver of a Dodge Durango, I was thrilled to get behind the wheel of a keyless entry car with real zip, even if I had no place to go except back and forth and up and down around town.
On the first day I picked up my friend and, with sunshine streaming through the sunroof, I purchased six bottles of champagne and a French wardrobe for my daughter's birthday, visited a cute new boutique called Sweet Zoo in Bridgeville and nearly drained my bank account. I'm not sure I can afford this kind of luxury.
On day two, my college-aged daughter was ready to disown me after I asked her to accompany me up to Mt. Washington for a photo-op.
Thanks to the bold advertising splashed on the car, we were received around town like the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile. Here's a bit of the buzz we generated along the way: "How's the gas mileage (23 city)." "Is 'at all wheel drive?" "Those alloy wheels, wow!" and "I like 'at Kizashi!" The Rockford-Fosgate sound system impressed everyone within hearing distance (1/2 mile). The seats were comfy, handling was way better than a Durango but it lacked headroom.
My daughter had no problem there as she spent the entire ride ducking below the dash muttering "kill me now."
Shorkey says about 65 people have signed up for the test drive and more than a dozen bloggers have already logged onto the website. The site has received almost 2,300 visitors since it launched the last week of January.
Writer:
Deb SmitSource: Jim Shorkey, Pittsburgh Shorkey Suzuki
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