The automotive industry is no stranger to long purchase cycles and significant customer investment. Whether it’s a first-time buyer or someone trading in after years of ownership, understanding customer identity is key to crafting marketing strategies that resonate. That’s where LiveRamp’s identity solutions come into play, offering a transformative way for automotive marketers to connect with potential buyers throughout every stage of their journey.
Why identity is essential in automotive marketing
Think about it: the average car owner keeps their vehicle for about eight years, and leases typically last two to three years. Their personal information can go through numerous updates, from a new phone number to a new home address or email. On average, CRM data changes 2% every month, which can lead to almost a fourth of your data being inaccurate by the end of the year. Practicing data hygiene and connecting accurate enterprise data isn’t just good for business but for customers too.
To connect buyers to the best vehicle for their lifestyle, you need a deep understanding of who they are and what they need at exactly the right time. The best way to gain this understanding is through connecting customer data across the ecosystem – and a durable identity solution can help.
A solid identity strategy is like an engine – it’s essential for driving the business forward, running on high-quality data to maximize and optimize marketing outcomes. LiveRamp’s identity resolution technology tackles data fragmentation head-on, combining customer data that’s scattered across channels, platforms, and publishers into one cohesive profile.
Here’s how identity can help your auto brand throughout the buying journey:
Awareness: Crafting personalized brand experiences
In the early stages of the customer journey, it’s all about grabbing attention and making a lasting impression. Here’s how LiveRamp’s identity solutions make it happen:
- Cross-screen reach: Engage potential buyers with consistent, personalized messaging across devices.
- Targeted personalization: Use customer intelligence, such as marital status, age, gender, and income to tailor advertising to specific lifestyles.
- Data-driven campaigns: Leverage data to reach specific audience cohorts and deliver hyper-relevant content.
- Search and social activation: Launch campaigns where your audience starts their car-buying research and spends the most time.
Instead of serving up generic ads, LiveRamp empowers auto marketers to create experiences that feel custom-made for each shopper.
Intent: Identifying and acting on purchase signals
When a potential buyer shows interest by visiting websites or researching the newest models, it’s a golden opportunity to step in. Here’s how you can perfect your outreach and timing with identity:
- Intent data analysis: Identify signals like browsing behavior and site visits, even research on endemic automotive research sites.
- Expanded reach: Use addressability solutions to scale campaigns and reach more qualified audiences.
- Dynamic personalization: Serve ads tailored to browsing habits and demographic insights.
For example, if a mom of three is checking out SUVs online, you can focus on ads that spotlight family-friendly features to grab her attention. Engagement is the critical link between reach, efficiency, and conversions.
Decision: Influencing the Buying Process
As the customer gets closer to making a decision, the stakes get higher. LiveRamp’s identity resolution solutions help automotive marketers stay top of mind:
- Signal integration: Combine online behaviors, like website visits, with offline cues such as dealership foot traffic.
- Retargeting: Remind users of their interests with unique selling propositions.
- Competitive strategies: Use conquesting tactics to stand out against competitors.
At the end of the day, it’s about delivering the right message at the right time to nudge the customer toward your brand.
Action: Driving conversions and sales
Finally, it’s time to seal the deal. LiveRamp’s identity resolution solutions ensure that marketing efforts convert into tangible results:
- Incentivized messaging: Offer special deals or incentives to high-value prospects.
- Cross-screen advertising: Push tailored ads encouraging showroom visits or purchases.
- Customer suppression: Avoid wasting resources on buyers who have already closed the deal.
- Dealer collaboration: Share qualified leads with dealer partners for a seamless customer experience.
By aligning marketing efforts with actionable insights, automotive brands can turn interest into sales faster and more efficiently.
Enhancing the path to purchase
The right identity solutions don’t only enhance individual stages of the buyer journey, they improve the whole process:
- Initiate: Use location data and social media insights to personalize early outreach.
- Research and refine: Track visits to review sites and manufacturer pages to understand shopper preferences and gain visibility into sales outcomes – for your brand and competitors. Use this information to test and learn before the lease is up and the buyer is back in the market.
- Finalize: Serve targeted connected TV ads highlighting financing options or key features.
With LiveRamp, brands can even build first-party identity graphs in record time, saving resources while boosting marketing precision.
The future of automotive marketing
In today’s data-driven world, leveraging customer identity isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s a must. By adopting robust identity strategies, automotive marketers can deliver personalized, impactful campaigns that meet the high expectations of modern consumers. LiveRamp’s technology provides the tools to stay competitive and ensure your message hits the mark every time.
