Daily Research News Online no. 1034 - New Research Source for Online Automotives

New Research Source for Online Automotives

July 30 2001

Polk & Co has created a new product for all automotive researchers with the launch of its Polk-Media Metrix Automotive Internet Intelligence Report. This unique source should usefully combine the company's automotive statistics with Internet usage and demographic data from Jupiter Media Metrix.

The objective of the latest report is to allow advertisers to understand the specific online behaviour of automotive owners, as well as to identify the optimum websites for advertising. The report is designed as an aid to the online media planning process for automotive manufacturers, dealers, financiers, aftermarket businesses, insurers and advertising agencies.

It is hoped that the intelligence will enable users to understand the types of people who are visiting sites, what vehicles they drive, and how competing sites stack up. The product itself will also provide online usage and demographic metrics, such as top Internet properties, unique visitors, reach, gender and age. These variables will all be broken out by key segments, such as automotive manufacturer, make and model.

In this vein, findings from the most recent 2001 quarter of the research reveal that:

Among car sites, Autobytel.com has the highest composition of visitors owning a luxury car, while Buyerconnection.com has the highest composition of visitors owning a sport utility vehicle.
Close to half of all Honda owners (45.5%) visited at least one technology site. The most popular technology site among Honda owners is ZDNET, with a 21.3% reach.
Overall, 24.5% of automobile owners visited at least one automotive site. The most popular automotive site among GM owners is Carpoint, while the most popular one for Toyota/Lexus owners is Edmunds.

In summing up the new research, Steve Flinker, senior vice president at R. L. Polk & Co, said "This arrangement with Jupiter Media Metrix allows us to provide customers with a tool that will greatly enhance their online marketing and advertising campaigns. This partnership provides critical information regarding the Internet, which continues to be one of the fastest growing mediums for gathering vehicle shopping information."

Doug McFarland, president of Media Metrix, added that "Advertising in traditional media has always been critical to the success of automobile sales, and with online advertising continuing to increase, the Internet is proving to be no different. By bringing together the leaders in automotive intelligence and Internet research, the Automotive Internet Intelligence Report reveals never-before-collected data to help the automotive industry better understand its consumers and develop more effective online marketing campaigns."

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.