Auto dealers who want to maximize their digital advertising spending need to pay close attention to where – and when – consumers research their vehicle purchases online, says a new research report from J.D. Power and Associates.
Online advertisers, especially dealers who are targeting new vehicle buyers, can tailor how quickly their advertising reaches their intended audience by understanding the differences between daily and monthly web site visitation patterns, the report concludes.
Retail-oriented messages such as cash-back promotions are more effective when placed on web sites that have high average daily audience reach and accumulate their maximum reach quickly, while branding campaigns do not require this type of speed, says J.D. Power.
For instance, when measured during a span of four weeks, ESPN.com and Travelocity.com had a reach of 32% and 33%, respectively, among consumers who plan to buy a mid-size premium crossover utility vehicle in the near future. However, ESPN.com achieves its reach in a shorter period of time. ESPN delivers nearly one-third of its total monthly audience in just one day, on average, while Travelocity.com has a daily reach averaging only about 4%, says J.D. Power.
“Online advertisers who consider average daily audience reach when targeting new vehicle buyers can quickly determine which web sites are most efficient for reaching their intended audience and how rapidly their advertising message will be served,” says Steve Witten, executive director of marketing/media research at J.D. Power. “Optimizing media buys and advertising spot placements in this manner can help advertisers achieve their specific marketing objectives.”
The study also finds that visitation to particular web sites can vary greatly by the type of vehicle consumers are likely to purchase. The report finds that compact basic car buyers are 44% more likely to visit YouTube at least once per month than the average new vehicle buyer, and 14% of large pickup truck buyers visit NASCAR.com at least once per month compared with 10% of buyers overall. “The Internet is especially effective in helping advertisers find ‘in-market’ consumers—those who are actively shopping for a new car or truck—so marketers often overlook the fact that online advertising is also a particularly effective branding tool,” says Witten.
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