Under the Hood: Mobile-First Auto Consumers
Drive brand awareness and consideration with Millennials and the next generation of auto consumers using the power of mobile.
CONTENTS
It used to be that when people needed to buy a car they would go to the dealer, walk down the rows of brightly colored models and listen to a salesperson talk about the latest and greatest makes and features. Today’s auto intender can bypass the car lot altogether and gather information from sites, apps, friends, family members and even experts, all at the touch of a button or scroll of the thumb.
In a previous study on auto intenders, we found that 27% of people in the US report doing most of their vehicle research on a mobile device.1 For key consumer segments, this number is even higher: 45% of Millennials (ages 18–34), 48% of Hispanics and 41% of people with household incomes greater than $200k report doing most of their research on a mobile device.1
As mobile changes how people connect, share and discover information, it is only inevitable that people will increasingly do their vehicle research on their mobile devices. So what does this mean for brands looking to reach today’s mobile-first auto consumers? 2 and auto consumers of the future?
Facebook IQ commissioned Ipsos to conduct a study in the US exploring the behaviors and attitudes of the mobile-first auto consumers and how this group compares to desktop-first auto consumers. We found that 71% of all respondents use mobile during the purchase process. And 58% say that in the future their smartphone is likely to be the only device they use for all their vehicle research.
Read the infographic below to learn more about the people behind the devices and how marketers can best reach them.
Infographic: Under the Hood: Mobile First Auto Consumers
What it means for marketers
Reach people in research mode:
Not only are mobile-first auto consumers further along in the purchase path, 76% know the exact vehicle they want before going to the dealer. Brands should reach mobile-first auto consumers when they are doing their research and before they make up their minds, providing information in bite-sized, highly visual formats like video.
Optimize for mobile
Mobile-first auto consumers use both m-sites and apps to conduct their vehicle research, finding advantages and weaknesses in each. Brands that use both m-sites and apps will reach people where they prefer to discover, research and purchase while addressing any friction points that are influencing them along their path to purchase.
Plan for tomorrow, today
MThe majority of mobile-first auto consumers say that in the future, they will rely solely on smartphones for their vehicle research. Brands can use the power of mobile to drive awareness and consideration with Millennials and the next generation of auto consumers and start shifting from the showroom to the “m-room.”
