INDUSTRY
Marketing for the automotive and mobility sector
Buying a car or choosing a ride is a considered decision preceded by a long, quiet comparison phase. Visibility has to be earned before the customer is ready, and cashed in the moment they are.
First plan in two weeks · No long contracts
What decides it in this sector
In automotive the decision is rarely made on first contact. The customer looks, compares, asks someone they trust and comes back weeks later. A channel that only produces the last click therefore looks good in reporting while telling half the story.
The second characteristic is trust. This is either a large purchase or a daily service, and safety and reliability are buying criteria. Faces, real people and open pricing do more than a polished advert.
- A long consideration window: the same buyer must be reached several times.
- Strong locality: a dealership, workshop or ride is tied to an area.
- Seasonality: tyre changes, holidays and model years drive demand.
- Comparison is public: reviews and experiences are visible before contact.
How we build it
Short-form video puts the people and the fleet on screen
Cars and rides are visual products, and short-form shows them in a way a catalogue cannot. One shooting day produces model walkarounds, maintenance tips and staff introductions that can be rotated for months.
Advertising follows the consideration, not the calendar
We build audiences by stage: broad reach for recognition, remarketing for the comparison phase, and narrow purchase-intent targeting when demand peaks.
Locality built into the targeting
Targeting drawn around the location, with area-specific content, usually produces a markedly cheaper enquiry than a national campaign on the same budget.
What we measure
In this sector the sale often happens in the showroom or on the phone, so a web conversion alone understates marketing’s contribution. We combine three sources: site events, calls, and what the customer states on the form.
- Enquiries and test-drive bookings by channel.
- Call volume and where the calls came from.
- Cost per enquiry by area, not as a national average.
- Conversion lag: how long the consideration really takes.
Who this fits
Dealerships, workshops, rental fleets, taxi and ride services, and mobility apps. What they share is a customer who compares before buying and decides partly on feeling, partly on numbers.
What it has produced
All case studies
PROCESS
How the work runs
In the motor trade the consideration period is long and silent. The same buyer has to be reached several times before they get in touch.
Current state and measurement
We look at where enquiries come from and how long a path precedes them. Last click understates everything else.
The plan
Audiences by stage: awareness, comparison and buying intent. One message does not serve all three.
Production and launch
Short-form video of the stock and the people, with locally bounded advertising. Faces sell more than polished imagery.
Optimisation and reporting
Reporting combines forms, calls and what the customer says themselves, because the sale often happens in person.
WHAT WE TRACK
What the monthly report says
Enquiries
forms and calls together
Test drives
how many progressed to a visit
Assisted
conversions along a long path
Regional share
around the dealership
PLATFORMS AND TOOLS
Where the work actually happens
We do not ask you to change systems. The work runs in what you already have, and we say plainly when one of them is the thing holding you back.
Google Adssearch and demand
Meta Adsreach and retargeting
LinkedIn Adsby title and company
HubSpotCRM
PipedriveCRM
GA4measurement
Call trackingphone enquiries
TikTok Adsstock and people
WHEN WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS
Three situations where we say no
Calls are not measured
In this field a large share of enquiries are phone calls. Without call tracking the report understates the marketing systematically.
Only last click counts
The consideration runs for weeks. If the report accepts only the last touch, the work that builds awareness reads as zero.
The stock cannot be filmed
A car is a visual product. The manufacturer’s imagery looks identical at every competitor, which is why your own footage decides it.
FAQ
Frequently asked
How long is the consideration in the motor trade?+
Typically weeks, and months for larger purchases. So retargeting runs longer and the reporting looks at assisted conversions.
Does short-form video work for a dealership?+
It does, when it shows the stock and the people. Model walkthroughs, service tips and staff introductions run for months from one shoot day.
What does motor trade marketing cost?+
The work starts at around €1,500 a month, with the media budget sized to the area and the stock. Local bounding makes reach markedly cheaper.
Is national advertising worth it?+
Rarely. Targeting bounded around the dealership usually produces a markedly cheaper enquiry than a national campaign on the same budget.
See also
Get channels, content and a budget, in 30 minutes
A free call where we go through your goals and propose a concrete plan.
