Auto Trader to drive more buyers to new car stock

At a time when the new car market faces a challenging combination of new regulatory targets, softening retail demand, and increased supply, Auto Trader is delivering its largest ever marketing investment to drive new car buyers to its partners’ stock.

Launching today, ahead of the key plate change month of September, the multi-million-pound campaign will run ‘always on’ for six months and reach circa 96% of the UK’s adult population at least 35 times. It showcases the 20,000 brand-new cars and 37,000 nearly new cars available today on Auto Trader’s award-winning new car platform.

The ‘Found AT’ campaign has been created as part of Auto Trader’s ongoing commitment to support its partners meet the growing challenges in the new car market. As well as working closely with retailers on enhancing new car retailing on its platform more broadly, retailers were consulted with throughout the development of the campaign to ensure the right tone, approach and messages were delivered.

With a core objective of adding even more to the existing 2 million monthly visits to its new car platform, and the circa 6.5 million daily new car searches, the campaign provides both rational and emotional reasons to choose Auto Trader as the destination to purchase a new car. It gives confidence that Auto Trader provides the most convenient and transparent car buying journey, offering a full view of the market, with thousands of brand-new and nearly new cars of all sizes and fuel types available now. There are no wait times, just the perfect new car ready to drive away. Importantly, the campaign offers a clear, decisive and compelling reason to buy a new car today.

One of the industry’s primary hurdles, is overcoming the current flat lining in new electric vehicle (EV) demand as ZEV target pressure mounts. As such, a key part of the new campaign will focus on stimulating consumer interest in electric. As well as models featuring prominently throughout, there’ll be a dedicated TV spot and digital campaign focused on Auto Trader’s hugely successful monthly electric vehicle giveaway. Over the course of nearly four years, and an investment of circa £5 million to drive excitement in the switch to electric, the initiative has seen over 12 million entrants and 44 EVs given as prizes.

To help stimulate the new car market, it will be essential to convert some used car buyers to new. That’s why as well as those buyers who are already in-market for a brand-new car, the ‘Found AT’ campaign will target and influence the very significant proportion of consumers who begin their car buying journey undecided between new or pre-loved. In fact, Auto Trader’s research reveals that more than three in every ten (31%) visitors to its platform are open to either a used or a new car. With a total of 450,000 new, ‘nearly new’ and used cars advertised daily, Auto Trader is the best platform to enable car buyers to conveniently and transparently compare.

Alongside digital and out of home executions, the campaign features a 30 second advert, which has been directed by award-winning advertising director Glenn Kitson. And with so many visitors open to new or used, the campaign will also target Auto Trader’s total audience of 11 million unique monthly users, as well as the five million followers and subscribers to Auto Trader content.

“As the new car market dynamics change, and the industry faces a growing array of challenges, not least the mounting pressure from EV targets, this new campaign highlights our unwavering commitment to our partners. As well as ensuring retailers and manufacturers have the best opportunity to profit during the key plate change month of September, I hope this campaign and our wider investment in new car marketing this year will have a lasting contribution to the ongoing health of the market.”

John Smyth, Director of Swansway Motor Group, said: “Compared to used, the new car market is feeling the pressure at the moment. It’s why we’ve been very strategic in our marketing channels to ensure we’re investing in the right place and getting the best return from our partners. And it’s why we’ve been working closely with Auto Trader for some time, who have really helped to make our new car digital showroom works just as hard as our digital used car forecourt, and the results have been impressive. The new campaign is another big commitment from the team, and it’s come at exactly the right time for the market; we’re excited to see it come to life.”

To enable all new car retailers to benefit from the campaign, and to drive the best opportunity from the September plate change, Auto Trader’s new car platform is free to trial for two months for those not already advertising their new car stock. For more details, retailers can visit contact their account manager or visit https://www.autotrader.co.uk/partners/retailer/solutions/new-car.