New Car Buyers Seeking Technology Consume Media at High Rates

In a study which isn’t entirely surprising, new vehicle buyers who purchase a vehicle based on its technology, consume media at high rates.

According to the J.D. Power 2015 U.S. Automotive Media and Marketing Report Summer edition, 43 percent of premium brand drivers and 28 percent of non-premium brand drivers cite technology features as one of the reasons they purchased their vehicle. More new-vehicle drivers that purchase based on technological features access the Internet on tablets (54 percent) and smartphones (69 percent) than those that don’t buy for technology. Those shoppers also consume media at a higher rate, through the Internet, television and even read more magazines than those that don’t seek technology in their vehicles.

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Automakers that are attracting technology-minded buyers include Lincoln, Infiniti, Cadillac and Audi among the premium brands. In the non-premium segment, Mazda, Buick and Chrysler have the highest rate of buyers that purchase for the latest tech. In addition, nearly 70 percent of new-vehicle drivers access social media websites or apps, with Facebook being the most popular, followed by LinkedIn and Pinterest.

“It’s important that auto manufacturers promote the technological virtues of their vehicles to consumers via the media they consume,” said Arianne Walker, senior director, automotive media & marketing at J.D. Power. “Targeting these technology seekers with the right messaging is critical to using marketing dollars efficiently to reach consumers who will actually buy new vehicles because of new technology.”