The Problem
Autotrader had a history of being a successful auto magazine but the market started to shift online and Autotrader was not getting its fair share. The goal was to significantly increase online visits and sale postings. Because of the brand’s reach, the plan had to spread to the edges of Canada and everything in between.
The Fix
Our ‘Darwin’ approach to message testing improves pay-per-click performance and allows for the winning proposition to be translated to other marketing channels. The result is that you remove much of the guesswork from the traditional focus group/ad agency model and you can take your brand to market with greater confidence that your messaging will perform before you invest in the higher expense of traditional marketing.
Once the creative was decided we launched a TV campaign, utilized out-of-home advertising and improved the Autotrader pay per click campaign in an attempt to draw more traffic and attain traffic lost to competitors like Kijiji.
Pay Per Click
Using PPC best practices we wrote improved ad copy and ran it with the current PPC campaign.
Television
30s and 15s TV spots allowed Autotrader to reach a broad audience and create mass brand awareness.
Out-of-home Advertising
Billboards, transit shelters, and specialty digital boards were used to reach the on-the-go consumer and create buzz.
The Results
Autotrader’s declining users increased by 17%, well ahead of expectations. Autotrader.ca became the top online destination for automotive information for men 18-34. Brand health scores also showed vast improvement for awareness, uniqueness and relevance.
69
Increase in Top Of Mind awareness
75
Of non-users intended to visit
7
More clicks through to site from PPC
