Internet advertising is the driving force behind car sales 

 

Thursday, September 1st 2011 by Kate Billinghurst

 

A study by digital media company Specific Media has found that the online arena plays a large part in the sales of cars, showing that internet advertising has a major role to play in a managed emarketing strategy.

 

74 per cent of those asked said that the internet is an important place to carry out research for their future vehicle purchases while 66 per cent also indicated that the internet means that they can gather than information free of any bias.

 

As well as the power for consumer research, the study also shows that manufacturers need to properly consider the impact that internet advertising can have for businesses. If used in conjunction with other methods such as gaining a high website ranking, then the impact can be massive. This is because the study showed that consumers are obviously using the internet for car-based research so if advertising is placed in the correct places then manufacturers could benefit.

 

A discrepancy was also found between the brands that consumers research online and those which they end up buying. People often search for high-end firms but end up buying mid-market models 13 showing that the advertising around currently is not as efficient as it needs to be.

 

Chris Worrell, European research manager at Specific Media, said: 1CJust as the web has evolved the way people approach buying cars, brands need to adapt the way they use the internet to ensure they reach and influence in-market consumers.

 

Manufacturers should look to advertise more effectively online by targeting people who are most likely to buy their cars. This may sometimes challenge received wisdom about target audiences but it is where the power of digital advertising and actionable insight can produce results for automotive brands. 1D

 

One suggestion to come out of the survey is that brands begin to target the right audiences and also that they advertise in the correct locations and chase appropriate consumers.

 

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