Consumers looking to buy or lease a new vehicle find newspapers to be the most helpful information source for deciding which dealer to buy from and which model to purchase, according to a new national survey from the Newspaper Association of America.
The study, “How New Vehicle Buyers use the Media to Help Them Decide,” found that well over half (56 percent) of those surveyed said newspapers were the most helpful source when deciding which dealership to visit. That was considerably more than the number-two response, television, which was cited by only 15 percent of respondents. Slightly more than one in 10 (12 percent) said the Internet helped them select a dealer.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Newspapers were also cited as the most helpful information source when selecting which car model to buy. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said newspapers helped them the most here, while 24 percent cited television and 22 percent the Internet.
Findings from the report, which looks at the role of various media throughout the new vehicle purchase process, will be discussed today during NAA’s Classified Conference, being held June 15-18 at the San Francisco Marriott and the Moscone Center. The Classified Conference this year is being held in conjunction with several other NAA meetings — Connections®, Co-operative Marketing & Sales, Marketing, NEXPO® 2000 and Research — under the umbrella of Newspapers 2000, which runs from June 15-20 in San Francisco.
Copies of the report’s executive summary will be available at the Bona Fide Classified booth at the Moscone Center. The final report will be completed later this year.
“Buying or leasing a car is a major decision, and people look to newspapers more than any other medium to provide them with the information they need to make that decision a smart one,” said John E. Kimball, NAA senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “There is a special bond between automotive dealers, buyers and newspapers that is not easily encroached upon or broken, although newspapers would do well not to assume it doesn’t need nurturing.”
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataThe report also found that most consumers plan to use both newspapers and the Internet more for their next vehicle purchase than they did for their most recent.
Maritz Marketing Research, Toledo, Ohio, conducted the survey for NAA from Oct. 28 to Nov. 22, 1999. Questionnaires were mailed to 12,000 U.S. purchasers or lessees of new 1999 domestic and import vehicles. Results are based on 3,662 responses (31 percent response rate).
Members of the working press who will be covering Newspapers 2000 can register for credentials in the Press Office at the Moscone Center, room 111. The Press Office will be open daily during the conference and then closes at 3 p.m. on June 20.
Complete schedule and other information about Newspapers 2000 can be found online at www.naa.org/newspapers2000. NEXPO-specific information is located at www.nexpo.com.
Sponsors of NAA’s Newspapers 2000 are: AdOne, LLC; AdMall.com/Sales Development Services, Inc.; AdStar.com; Agfa Corporation; ASTECH InterMedia; American Profile; Belden Associates; Bruce Bell & Associates, Inc.; Celebro.com; Claritas, Inc.; David Geller Associates/Top Value Media; enews.com; Expo Experts, LLC; Flint Ink; Goss Graphic Systems; Heidelberg Web Systems; iCopyright.com; InfiNet; KASPAR SHO-RACK; KOZ.com; MAN Roland; Mayer Motivations; megawheels.com; Metropolitan Sunday Newspapers; Multi-Ad Services; MyWay.com; NewsBank, inc.; NEWSDEALS.com; Newspaper National Network; NICC; Ontempo; Pentawave, Inc.; PowerAdz; Real Media, Inc.; ReCAS (a product of Multi-Ad Services); San Jose Mercury News; Scarborough Research; SportsHuddle.com; SRDS; System Integrators, Inc. (Sii); TC Advertising; TERA; Flywheel Media; Tribune Media Services; US Ink; VISA U.S.A., Inc.; USA WEEKEND.
NAA is a nonprofit organization representing the $57 billion newspaper industry and more than 2,000 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada. Most NAA members are daily newspapers, accounting for 87 percent of the U.S. daily circulation. Headquartered in Tysons Corner (Vienna, Va.), the Association focuses on six key strategic priorities that affect the newspaper industry collectively: marketing, public policy, diversity, industry development, newspaper operations and readership. Information about NAA and the industry may also be found at the Association’s World Wide Web site on the Internet (www.naa.org).
