Out-of-Home Drives Auto Sales, Brands into Recovery with New Ad Tech

As the country reopens following COVID-19, there’s good news for auto dealers as they look to rebound. Auto dealers can now activate Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising campaigns using new technology that delivers verifiable results that consumer exposure to printed and digital billboards drive measurable increases in new and used vehicle sales.

In an initial research program conducted for a major automotive advertiser, Clear Channel Outdoor RADAR measured a 15% increase in new vehicle registrations as well as significant lift in other key campaign goals. This innovation is the nation’s first ad tech solution to make the connection between vehicle sales and consumer exposure to OOH advertising.

This solution arrives at a pivotal time for auto dealers and marketers as Americans are expected to take to the road in droves this summer. In a new study commissioned by the Out of Home Advertising Association of America, 62% of consumers surveyed reported they plan to travel by car for a getaway – an impressive 72% jump from last year. Moreover, while travelers prep for more road trips post-COVID, experts expect a rise in personal car purchases and less interest in other modes of transportation due to coronavirus fears.

This presents a unique opportunity for auto dealers to harness the power of OOH during these uncertain times and not only drive consumer awareness of an auto brand and dealership visits, but also boost sales for both new and pre-owned vehicles.

In a recent study involving a major auto brand in four media markets, Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO) compared samples of consumers exposed to its OOH ads (billboards) versus those unexposed to its OOH ads. CCO integrated it’s RADARProof® attribution solution with Polk Demand Signals by IHS Markit to produce the findings below which are built from complete new and used vehicle transactions in the U.S.

What we found:

• The campaign drove an overall 169% lift in visitation to the advertised auto brand dealerships.
  • The advertised brand achieved a 15% increase in new vehicle registrations during the campaign.
  • The advertised car model achieved a 5% increase in new vehicle registrations when comparing the exposed and unexposed consumer groups.

The application of this new ad technology, along with the accelerating trend in road travel, gives auto dealers across the country the jump start they need to rebound and gain sales traction. And once they settle into the driver’s seat, auto advertisers can experience the real value and impact of their OOH campaigns during these recovery months, and beyond.