Digital Ads Drive Purchase Decisions of Auto Shoppers

Those in the business of selling cars need to seriously consider the impact of digital advertising. A recent survey conducted by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), and reported by AdWeek, found that consumers considering the purchase of an automobile are 71% more likely to be influenced by digital advertising than the average consumer.

The IAB study surveyed 6,200 car shoppers and 19,774 regular consumers over the course of several months during 2013. It found that 34 million Americans were planning to purchase an auto in the next six months. More important, it revealed a number of key differences between auto shoppers and regular consumers regarding digital behavior.

For one, 75% of auto shoppers own smartphones compared to just 54% for the general population. Tablet ownership is higher, too—42% among car shoppers versus 33% for everyone else. In addition, many auto shoppers (69% vs. 35%) stream video on their mobile devices and rank higher for online video streaming (52% compared to 35% of regular consumers). They’re also more likely to watch video commercials before streaming video programming, at a rate of 66% to 53%.

This greater-than-average digital influence isn’t limited only to automobiles. The car-buying group is more likely to research all products online before buying, including everything from electronics to financial services to medicines and home improvement. But given the high sticker price for automobiles, auto marketers in particular need to weigh the impact of digital advertising in influencing their customers’ purchasing decisions.

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MDG, a full-service advertising agency with offices in Boca Raton and New York, NY, is one of Florida’s top branding firms. MDG’s core capabilities include print advertising, direct mail marketing, branding, logo design, creative, digital advertising, media planning and buying, radio and TV advertising, Web design and development, online video advertising, email marketing, content marketing, social media marketing, and SEO. For more about the latest trends in advertising and branding, contact MDG today at 561-338-7797 or visit www.mdgsolutions.com.