Sneak Peek of Auto Supplier Social Media Study Offered at OESA Communications Executives Council Meeting

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Aug. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Preliminary results of SMaASH™ 2.0, the second annual study of how the top 25 North American automotive suppliers use social media, will be unveiled by Jim Bianchi, APR, president of Bianchi Public Relations, Inc., at today's meeting of the Communications Executives Council (CEC) of the Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA) at the OESA/MERA Conference Center.

The SMaASH™ – Social Media and Automotive Supplier Habits™ – study was launched by Bianchi PR last autumn. The inaugural 2014 study analyzed social media usage by the top 25 North American automotive OEM suppliers, as ranked by Automotive News, during the first six months of 2014. The study identified five critical mistakes and opportunities auto suppliers were making with their social media posts (http://www.bianchipr.com/top-5-auto-supplier-social-media-mistakes/).

Completed earlier this month, the SMaASH™ 2.0 study analyzed social media posts from the top 25 companies over the same period of 2015 and indicates where and how social media usage by auto suppliers has changed in the past year.

"Although auto suppliers – like many other business-to-business companies – have adopted social media, many of them feel they are lagging behind consumer companies in terms of strategy, content and engagement. But it seemed no one offered hard, industry-specific data to help them," said Bianchi.

"So, last year, to fill this need and provide them with some benchmarks and actionable insights, we developed the SMaASH study," he said. "This year's study builds upon the 2014 results, showing what progress has been made, what trends are emerging and what opportunities for improvement in engagement and effectiveness still exist."

Bianchi said that in some respects – such as a dramatic increase in the use of visual images in posts – auto suppliers have made remarkable progress, yet in other areas, such as the social sharing of credible, third-party media coverage, some opportunities for improvement remain.

Bianchi PR plans to formally release final SMaASH 2.0 results next month. For more info, visit http://www.bianchipr.com/article/study-reveals-five-ways-north-american-automotive-suppliers-can-improve-social-media-engagement-2015/.

About Bianchi PR

With special expertise in PR for automotive suppliers, professional service firms and other business-to-business enterprises, Bianchi PR was founded in 1992 and is ranked in the top three independent PR agencies based in Michigan, according to PRWeek's 2015 ranking of public relations firms.

Among Bianchi PR's ongoing automotive, industrial and business-to-business PR clients are BASF, Cooper Standard, Eisele Connectors, Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies, FRIMO North America, Johnson Controls, Schaeffler Group, TRW Automotive and 3M. The firm's experience also includes work with organizations such as the SAE International, Automotive Industry Action Group, the Center for Automotive Research, the Motor Vehicle Lighting Council and the Steel Market Development Institute. For more information, visit http://www.bianchipr.com or call 248-269-1122.

Bianchi PR is a member of the Public Relations Global Network – "The World's Local Agency" – one of the world's largest international public relations networks. PRGN harnesses the resources of 50 independent public relations firms and nearly 1,000 communications professionals to connect international companies and organizations with individual and culturally diverse markets globally. Visit PRGN online at www.prgn.com or on Twitter at @PRGN.

About OESA

Formed in August 1998, OESA provides a forum for automotive suppliers by addressing issues of common concern through peer group councils, serving as a reliable source of information and analysis, providing an industry voice on issues of interest and serving as a positive change agent to the automotive industry. With 450 member companies, OESA represents more than 70 percent of North American automotive supplier sales. OESA is the original equipment division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). For more information, visit http://www.oesa.org.

With some 30 members from many of the world's leading automotive suppliers, the OESA Communication Executives Council provides a forum for senior automotive supplier communication executives from OESA member companies to identify and address strategic issues, share best practices, recommend solutions and promote the welfare of the supplier industry by supporting the effective implementation of communication practices. For more information, contact Jeff Laskowski at 248.430.5951 or [email protected].

SOURCE Bianchi Public Relations, Inc.

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