61% of car shoppers say CTV ads influenced them to purchase

Here’s the thing:

Tough winter conditions in the U.S. aren’t slowing down new-vehicle sales. According to Cox Automotive, January marked the fourth consecutive month with rising year-over-year sales and registered 15.6 million car sales, the strongest pace since 2021. Analysts say the increase signals a boost in the new-vehicle market.

For auto dealers keen to capitalize on the winter sales momentum, a recent study offers insights into digital media’s influence on the car-buying process. For instance, 61% of surveyed car shoppers agree that connected TV (CTV) ads swayed their purchase decision.

Data debrief:

The study, Navigating the Long Road to Purchase, from The Trade Desk Intelligence and PA Consulting, explores three phases of the car shopper’s journey — initiating the search, researching and refining the options, and finalizing the purchase. The report draws on insights from over 4,000 people in the market for a new car across the U.S., U.K. and Germany.

The research reveals that serious car shoppers — referred to as “intenders” — experience decision fatigue from an overload of options and information, which causes purchase delays. The findings suggest that marketers can alleviate this frustration by understanding how consumers engage with media throughout the various stages of their research journey.

For example, 40% of respondents say that digital out of home (DOOH) ads influenced them to begin their search during the initiate phase. Meanwhile, 55% of shoppers say display and online video marketing prompted deeper research, highlighting the influence of those channels in the research and refine stage. During the final leg of the journey, 71% of intenders say they noticed a car ad while making a decision, which aligns with the 61% who say CTV ads influenced them during this phase.

Why it matters:

While competition for auto shoppers’ attention might feel like roadblocks on the path to purchase, the study calls out consumers’ varied media diets as an opportunity to stand out with consistent messaging across channels.

Divya Manohar, who leads the Ford account for GroupM, says that strategy has informed elements of Group M’s go-to-market approach with clients. “It's very useful to look at the bigger picture to be more intentional about how we manage our campaigns, formulate our strategy and merchandise our work,” she says.

The Current is owned and operated by The Trade Desk.