AdJack

Advertisers Miss the Mark for Car Buyers?

Think Gen Y is all about style over substance?  You might think that, judging from mass market vehicle commercials, says a San Diego marketing consultancy.

Think again, says Strategic Vision, at least when it comes to buying a new vehicle.

Data from the company’s 2007-2008 New Vehicle Experience Study suggests that folks born between 1979 and 1999 may not be very different from older new car buyers when it comes to preferences that influence purchases.

According to a recent Marketing Daily article, safety and security in design and durability are much more important to Gen Yers than, say, how fun the vehicle is to drive.  The study says brands perceived to have higher security ratings are much more often considered for purchase regardless of whether they are considered “fun.”

Gen Y new car buyers, 77% of whom are female, are likely to be college educated and buying for the first time. Seventy-nine percent of the surveyed buyers said they want a vehicle that offers security, can be trusted, is safe, and expresses confidence. If they perceive that security is built into the brand, then they’ll consider how fun and exciting it is.

Gen Yers do have more interest in style and performance than older generations, but for the most part, when it comes to buying a new car, “any 19-year-old is more like their 50-year old parent than their Gen Y cohort,” says Strategic Vision spokesman Alexander Edwards.