The pandemic heavily affected the automotive industry, with a 15% decline in vehicle demand in 2020. Not only were showrooms closed, but also many automotive manufacturers shut down their production to keep their workers safe from the virus. However, with the mass vaccination, the forecast for 2021 in the automotive industry looks positive and the post-pandemic recovery is not far away.
The need for a digitalized experience is getting stronger.
“The digital retailing experience should allow shoppers to build a deal online that reflects a realistic buying scenario.”
Ali Fawaz, Head of Global Automotive Strategy at Reputation.com, in his interview.
Millennials and Gen Z are the generations that use mobile phones, the internet, and new technologies the most. Therefore, they are the main groups to target digital marketing and mobile-first strategy efforts.
Just think about this, 80% of Millennials have browsed vehicle information at least once on their mobile phones during their purchase journey. So, their decision process is influenced by what they find online on their smartphones. Here we talk about sophistication in digital experience, including virtual showrooms, 3D models, or a 360-degree panoramic view inside a car. The more consumers feel engaged with your product online, the more they are interested in buying it.
In the end, they will come to your showroom and do a test drive of the car they would like to buy. But to get there, you need to make sure that they will come to YOUR showroom and buy the car YOU are selling. So here are the channels that you should include in your marketing strategy to promote your automotive business.
If you want to increase your brand awareness, then you should be active on social media. Publish posts, stories, create AR filters (e.g., on Instagram), and put ads on these platforms. This way, you can for sure reach out to Millennials and Gen Z. Especially for the last one, do not forget to be present on TikTok too.
Younger generations also love to follow influencers (mostly on social media). These people are trusted by a huge network of followers, who always look forward to their opinion on specific products. Based on the type of car you would like to sell, you can choose influencers who focus just on automotive in general, or on luxury, sports, travel, etc.
Sponsoring events, games, a sport’s team, films, music, etc. is also a great marketing strategy to increase trust in your brand. For example, fans of a football team, who see your logo on the players’ t-shirts or see them driving your car, will be more prompted to look at information about the vehicle and buy it.
Thanks to mobile advertising companies like Adello, you have the possibility not only to promote your product on mobile devices with interactive creatives like virtual reality, 3D models, or swipe cubes, increasing people’s interest and engagement. But you can also target your audience by interests, demographics, geolocation, and device.
Do not forget the importance of making an experience personalized for your audience. If you are selling, for example, luxury cars, it would be a good idea to target not only people interested in automotive but also in luxury goods. The same applies to family cars, where you can target parents looking for a new vehicle.
Geolocation can help you target people from specific areas. For example, you can target people living in the city advertising electric vehicles and people living in the countryside with trucks and SUVs.
Demographics are also particularly helpful. If you know, e.g., that young drivers who just got their driving licenses will probably look for a second-hand car, you can target a specific age range with promotions adapted to their needs.
Try out some of our best ad creatives for the automotive industry here below and take more inspiration from our creative gallery. Contact us to learn more about the potential of mobile advertising for your business 😉
