What Auto Marketers, Dealers Need To Know About Radio

Pierre Brouvard

The auto industry had a stunning 2015. 17,470,600 new cars and trucks sold, breaking the prior record from 2000. Automotive News says the performance “marks the longest streak of annual gains since the 1920s and caps a spectacular comeback for the industry.”

In his most-recent blog Pierre Brouvard, CMO for Cumulus Media, Westwood One notes:

1. To reach new car buyers, AM/FM radio is America’s number one mass reach mobile medium.

Radio beats television 93% to 87% in adults 18+ reach. Among the crucial 18-34 Millennial target, AM/FM out reaches TV, 93% to 76%.

2.  Among consumers who visit a car dealer during the weekend auto buying “primetime,” radio is number one in reach.

According to USA TouchPoints, radio is more effective at reaching buyers who visit an auto showroom. The crucial Friday to Sunday period accounts for 80% of all dealership traffic. During this auto purchase “prime time,” radio’s 84% reach beats all media among 18- to 64-year-olds who visit an auto showroom.