Breaking news from SEMA member companies, including Yokohama Tire Corp., Sonoma Raceway, Goodguys Rod & Custom Association, Lund International Holding Co., and more.
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The Mobile Connectivity Trend Continues
For 2013 and the immediate future, the buzz phrase in the mobile-electronics market remains “vehicle connectivity.” At least, that seems to be the consensus of a variety of category observers within the field, from journalists to marketing professionals.
“Just as we’ve seen in past years, in-vehicle technology has been driven by the iPhone and the efforts to either connect with it, integrate with it or make it part of the environment,” said Mobile Electronics Magazine Editor in Chief Solomon Daniels. “Manufacturers know that consumers carry their music around with them. The vehicle is no longer the central point for entertainment; it’s more of an offshoot.”
It has become fairly routine for businesses to periodically review health-care coverage to monitor cost and quality. But this year, health-care review will be more difficult. That’s because the Affordable Care Act—the national health-care plan otherwise known as “Obamacare”—is being phased in, bringing with it new rules about how companies offer health care.
The law took effect in 2010, but its most consequential requirement—that all individuals obtain minimum levels of coverage on their own or through their employer—takes effect next year. Starting in 2014, large companies (50 employees or more) must decide whether they will offer affordable coverage or pay a fine. Under the law, companies with 49 workers or fewer have no obligation to offer coverage. Insurance exchanges, both public and private, will take effect to help insurance buyers shop for affordable coverage. These are just a sampling of the highlights. There will be more regulations to consider year by year until the law is fully implemented in 2020.
New product releases from Custom Autosound, TruXedo, Prothane, Hypertherm,ExtendMySeat, LED Wheels and other SEMA members.
Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger, Lincoln MKC and Dodge Charger SRT8.
Eight candidates entered this year’s election, each vying for a position on the 2013–2016 SEMA Board of Directors.
The Hot Rod Power Tour is nearing its 20th birthday (this year’s running in June swings from Texas to North Carolina), but the roots of long-distance hot-rod hauling go back much further than that. The October 1963 issue of Car Craft covered an annual road trip made by members of the Los Angeles and Bay Area Roadster Clubs.
The story, “Cruisin’ for a Reason,” described how members would start from their respective ends of California and convene at a hotel in Fresno, roughly halfway between each club’s home base. “More than a dozen cars in each group made the tour, drawing glances of admiration and respect from thousands of motorists along the freeways and super-highways,” wrote Lynn Wineland, one of three Petersen staffers who went on the tour.
Feature Articles Now the Top Digital Marketing Tool
Three new studies have unearthed a startling trend in online marketing: The traditional feature article—used for centuries to market brands in conventional media—is now the go-to digital marketing tool for 2013. Driving the trend are changes Google has made to its search engine during the past few years. Essentially, the revamp rewards websites that post interesting, quality content and heavily penalizes sites that cough up yawn-fests stuffed with keywords only a search robot could love.
It’s Easier Than You Think!
Not too long ago, it took an expert in HTML to enable you to launch a website for your business. It was all very mysterious and was often communicated in a “trust us, you wouldn’t understand” manner. Today, there are numerous ready-to-go platform solutions that have made what was once an expensive and expertise-intensive process into a do-it-yourself reality. In fact, many business owners today are finding that understanding their business technology and managing the details internally is not only relatively easy to do, but also brings a whole new level of control into the business that most often produces better results while saving money.