Automotive Advertising In Digital Audio: Reach Car Buyers

Buying a car is no longer a simple Saturday trip to the local dealership. The process is a journey filled with endless research, visits to comparison sites and scrolling reviews upon reviews. Consumers are trying to ingest an overwhelming amount of information before they even step onto a showroom floor, making it more challenging for automotive brands to influence them.

Digital audio is a constant companion, reaching car buyers in high-intent moments. Listening to music, podcasts, or satellite radio is already a deeply ingrained daily habit among automotive audiences. By advertising through audio channels, you can simplify engagement and guide them straight to your brand.

Why digital audio advertising aligns with automotive purchase cycles

Choosing a new car takes time. Buyers spend weeks or months researching options, which gives automotive brands numerous opportunities to connect along that path. Digital audio accompanies listeners throughout their day while they are actively driving or thinking about their next car.

In fact, 50% of people who research and shop for vehicles online listen to audio while doing so. 1 Now, let’s add in the fact that 90% of SiriusXM listening happens in the vehicle 2 and 41% of all in-car listening occurs through digital devices. 3

Audio advertising enables auto brands to:

• Reach audiences and build demand: Personalized ads deliver the right message to the right person at the right time

• Capture and keep attention: Audio is an intimate medium that captures listener focus better than cluttered visual environments 

• Build trust and credibility: Trusted podcast hosts provide authentic endorsements and recommendations that listeners value

• Better influence decisions and measure effectiveness: With our advanced solutions, you can target specific audiences with precision and track the impact of your campaigns

Targeted advertising strategies for auto buyers

Advertising influences when you understand your audience's unique preferences. Digital audio provides the tools to segment and connect with diverse groups based on what features and experiences they value most. Luckily, we know what drives our listeners’ auto intentions.

Gen Z listeners

Younger buyers value performance, design, and authenticity above all else. They are thorough researchers, with our Gen Z listeners being 25% more likely to research five or more vehicles before making a choice. 1 You can reach Gen Z listeners through their favorite music and podcasts. Consider placing your ads alongside popular content among this group like the shows Call Her Daddy and The Fantasy Footballers or the music stations like 2000s R&B and Sad Girl.

Black listeners

Black car buyers are digital-first consumers who lean toward luxury and tech-minded features. Our Black listeners are 27% more likely to be interested in new car shopping experiences like virtual test drives. 1 Audio provides a powerful way to introduce Black listeners to innovative vehicle technology and premium automotive services.

Hispanic listeners

Hispanic listeners are highly digitally focused, EV curious, and on the hunt for convenience and practicality in their vehicles. Additionally, a massive 72% of them rank fuel efficiency as the top feature they look for in a car. 1 As you craft your messaging, highlight fuel efficiency—synonymous with hybrid vehicles—and how you’ll make drivers’ lives easier to strongly resonate with this audience.

Asian listeners

Asian audiences are modern buyers with a strong preference for electrified vehicles and luxury models. They value high-end experiences, with 59% of Asian listeners expressing a desire for concierge-style owner services. 1Messaging that emphasizes premium customer care and advanced EV capabilities can perform exceptionally well among this group. 

Female listeners

Female car buyers prioritize a combination of style, safety, and excellent service. Safety remains paramount, as 75% of female listeners rank it as a top vehicle feature. 1As you target this audience, auto brands should focus on advanced safety ratings, reliable service warranties, and stylish designs to capture attention.

Luxury intender listeners

Luxury intenders are actively in the market for vehicles that offer superior design, advanced tech, and exclusive subscriptions. Our luxury intender listeners are 58% more likely to already have an in-car infotainment subscription, making it clear that they value entertainment and advanced features. 1When you partner with us, you’re already accessing an affluent group of consumers, as we boast a 49% traditional luxury audience reach. 4By aligning with our content, your brand receives direct access to high-earning households and luxury-minded consumers.

How to add digital audio to your auto campaigns

Follow these best practices to maximize your impact—whether your listeners are inside or out of the car.

Create an immersive experience

Use sound to transport the listener into the driver's seat. Promote 3D audio techniques to create a "theater of the mind" experience. From the sound of an engine revving to the quiet hum of an electric vehicle, you can build an emotional connection that standard ads simply cannot match.

Let your message take the lead

Quick reminders for service or driving to the dealer for limited time offers can shine in shorter-form ads. Long-form creative, like podcast host reads, allows for deeper storytelling. Clearly highlight a vehicle’s specific benefits, overall value, and brand attributes.

Layer platforms for incremental reach

Combining multiple audio platforms in a campaign can drive massive incremental reach. For instance, by adding streaming audio and podcasts to a SiriusXM campaign, brands see +142% incremental reach. Similarly, adding SiriusXM and podcasts to a streaming audio campaign yields +89% incremental reach. 5

Show up in interactive moments

Capture attention when users are actively engaging with their devices. Run display and video ads to appeal to listeners who are launching a listening session, switching playlists or giving a thumbs up on Pandora. When you leverage multiple ad formats in a single campaign, these visual touchpoints will help reinforce your audio message.

Measuring consideration lift in automotive audio advertising

Audio advertising delivers measurable, bottom-line results, just see it for yourself. A recent online auto marketplace advertiser combined podcasts and streaming audio to increase awareness and favorability while driving consideration and intent and agreement with core brand attributes. The campaign used a diverse media mix including connected vehicle audio, mobile audio, mobile display, rewarded video, and visual interstitial placements across the SiriusXM Streaming Network. And of course, podcast ads on the SiriusXM Podcast Network. And beyond reaching a qualified audience of auto owners, the campaign targeting also engaged adults aged 25 and older, multicultural consumers, heavy online shoppers, and auto parts shoppers. 

Using a high-impact engagement strategy, the creative featured both English- and Spanish-language audio ads and host-read podcast ads to reinforce key brand attributes and drive listeners to the brand’s website. The results were turbocharged: 6

• +10-pts lift in online ad awareness

• +8-pts lift in brand favorability

• +8-pts lift in the brand-specific attribute about value

• +6-pts lift in consideration intent

Go full speed ahead with SiriusXM Media

The car buying path to purchase is winding. Ride shotgun with digital audio to get your brand, models, features and offers consistently into their daily routine.

Ready to elevate your auto advertising strategy and reach your target buyers? Let’s chat.

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