The automotive industry is more competitive than ever, with countless brands vying for consumer attention. The competitive landscape makes it important for automotive marketers to understand who their buyers are, what they need, and how to reach them effectively.

Automotive brands that implement data-driven strategies will be able to rise above the competition and win consumers’ attention. Here are our best practices and strategies for reaching automotive consumers.

Key Components of an Effective Automotive Marketing Strategy

An effective automotive marketing strategy starts with data. Consumers expect relevant communications on the right channels; automotive consumer data can help marketers deliver these tailored messages.

Here are some automotive data segments that are available for digital campaigns through Deep Sync One:

Vehicle Attributes

Target consumers based on their vehicle’s attributes, including Make, Body Type/Body Sub-Type, Drive Type, Fuel Type, Manufacturer Region, Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP), Max Payload, Number of Doors, Number of Engine Cylinders, Number of Transmission Gears, Transmission Type, Vehicle Class, Vehicle Size, Vehicle Type, Vehicle Weight (including ranges), and Vehicle Year Ranges.

Life Events

Reach consumers who have recently experienced a life event, such as:

• The purchase of a new car, which may make a consumer more interested in floor mats, car wash services, car insurance, and more.
• Moving into a new home, which may trigger the need for a new vehicle.
• A teen in the home reaching the legal driving age, signaling a potential need for a new vehicle or a new car insurance policy.

Targeting customers during these life events can increase the chances they respond to your offer.

Consumer Attributes

Market your products to consumers who fit certain attributes, including the number of vehicles owned, the Purchase Date Ranges of their vehicles, and lifestyle attributes such as environmentalism or an interest in the outdoors.

Demographic attributes, including income, marital status, occupation, hobbies, lifestyle, and age, can also be used to tailor marketing messages to consumers.

Overall, data should be a key piece of every automotive marketing strategy for 2025.

Future Trends in the Automotive Industry

In 2025 and beyond, there are two major trends in automotive marketing that are likely to become increasingly relevant:

1. The rising popularity of hybrid and electric vehicles.

The Electric Vehicles market in the United States is expected to grow by 10.49% annually, resulting in a projected market volume of $156.3 billion by 2029.

For automotive marketers looking to target potential EV buyers, Deep Sync offers the following audiences that may be helpful in reaching interested car buyers:

• Auto Fuel Type: Electric and Hybrid
• Charitable Behavior: Donated to an Environmental Cause in the Last 36 Months
• Political Voter Profile: Supports Environmental Causes

These audiences are available in the Deep Sync One marketplace. 

2. The increasing importance of privacy and compliance in data usage.

With privacy regulations constantly changing—and new policies being enacted in numerous U.S. states—it’s important that third-party automotive data follows all applicable laws and regulations. 

Deep Sync’s automotive audiences are fully compliant with auto-specific legislative regulations, including the DPPA and Shelby Act, as well as consumer privacy requirements. Additionally, Deep Sync follows all compliance requirements, including  SOC 2 Type II, CCPA, and the raft of new state legislations.

Omnichannel Automotive Marketing Strategies

Automotive marketers should embrace omnichannel marketing strategies—including channels like social media, CTV, email, and direct mail—to increase their number of touchpoints with consumers. Social media marketing, Connected TV ads, and direct mail campaigns are all powerful tools to connect with potential buyers!

95% of car shoppers begin the car buying process online, only contacting dealerships after they’ve done their research. And, reaching the same audience across online and offline touchpoints can increase conversion rates by upwards of 65%. This makes omnichannel campaigns incredibly powerful. 

Deep Sync’s automotive data is available for social media advertising on Meta and TikTok, laying the foundation for effective digital campaigns.

Deep Sync’s Data-Based Automotive Marketing Solutions

The best automotive marketing strategies begin with high-quality data. Deep Sync’s datasets emerged in the world of direct mail, where highly accurate and precise data was required. Today, our rich identity data is matched to billions of online identifiers and combined with hundreds of powerful demographic and lifestyle attributes to create highly targeted, cross-channel audiences.

Our automotive audiences are sourced from aftermarket vehicle service providers and auto parts retailers. These datasets are updated monthly. 

Deep Sync One’s Audience Builder can be used to simplify the custom social media audience creation process. Use intuitive navigation and filtering mechanisms to quickly find and distribute your target audience. And, you can easily combine automotive segments with popular demographic attributes. Automotive audiences are also available in the Marketplace.

Ready to learn more about Deep Sync’s services?

• Product Sheet: Identify & Target Your Ideal Automotive Audiences
• Case Study: An automotive services provider increased membership response rates in their respective markets. 
• Blog: Social Media Lookalike Audiences on Deep Sync One