Knowing Who is Likely to Buy A New Vehicle and How Consumers Use Media to Shop Them

Knowing Who is Likely to Buy A New Vehicle and

A new report from CNW Research, shows the average age of the primary driver of a new vehicle is continuing to increase and that reaching this critical audience requires more attention to media detail than ever before.

CNW Research regularly surveys and analyzes new vehicle owners and intenders for a variety of automobile manufacturers and its studies are widely regarded in the industry for their focus on understanding how and why people come to a decision on when and what they will spend their earnings on. In its latest report, it finds that the average age of the primary driver of a new vehicle has increased to 49.8 years old, some 10 years older than when it first studied the subject in 1985. CNW president Art Spinella says this dramatic increase in the age of the average primary driver has significant implications for how automakers should go to market. You need to understand how these drivers use media if you want to reach them successfully, he says in the latest report.

The brand with the oldest average drivers is Buick with 61.7 and the youngest is Scion with 33.3. Interestingly, the average age of a Ford Car driver is 45.6 years, while that of a Chevrolet car driver is 56.5 years.

CNWs Spinella says the key to reaching would-be buyers is to understand how different media play different roles for consumers depending upon where they are in their decision process on buying a new vehicle. TV is still most important for making consumers aware of a product, but for dealers both newspaper ads and online presence is the key to getting consumers to come to their dealership to buy. Selection and price are paramount to consumers in the final two weeks of the decision process CNW finds, and dealers should concentrate on that message in their print and online advertising.

Dealers should also make sure consumers can easily find them, CNW finds, noting that a Google search address with a current Google Map location and photo is critical in this regard. A recent survey by WANADAs membership department found that a significant number of members are lacking this feature.