GM pulls back from Facebook, but Ford doubles down: Motoramic Dash

This is the Motoramic Dash, a daily roundup of the most interesting news in the automotive world.

If General Motors was expecting to quietly pull $10 million worth of advertising from Facebook just as the social network prepares to go public in the year's most-anticipated stock sale, it's not anymore. Tuesday's report by The Wall Street Journal sent GM and Facebook scrambling for explanations -- and gave Ford a chance to set itself apart.

Despite what some headlines suggest, GM isn't leaving Facebook; where else could Buick share stories about New Mexico wolf rescuers? What GM's dropping are paid ads, which it told the Journal and others simply don't work that well. While $10 million isn't a major loss to a company valued at $100 billion, several Facebook watchers took GM's news as confirmation of rumors from other advertisers about how well Facebook ads really work. (Full disclosure: Yahoo competes with, relies on and is suing Facebook, as if you haven't heard.)

Meanwhile, showing the power of social media, Ford offered its own take on Twitter, saying "our Facebook ads are effective when strategically combined with engaging content & innovation." Ford has been more agressive and adept than GM in taking advantage of new media; here's where we note that the Ford Mustang has 4 million Facebook friends, while the Chevy Camaro has 2.7 million. Sometimes it's the tools, and sometimes it's the talent.