Autotrader launches new brand platform

Autotrader launches new brand platform ‘feel like a car person’ featuring a new ad from Saatchi & Saatchi

In a nationwide media and public relations campaign, Autotrader is focused on building awareness around the brand and creating positive perception based on the strong consumer insights we have identified through market research.

Autotrader Head of Marketing, Dan Pugh, explains: “We know not everyone is a ‘car person’. And for those who aren’t car people, the only time they wish they knew more about cars is when they’re buying or selling one. Autotrader gives buyers the tools and knowledge to become car confident. We are an automotive marketplace where everyone wins”. The campaign is centred around creative produced by Saatchi & Saatchi Australia and shot by Tim Green from Good Oil, and delivers on the belief that with the right kind of help, anyone can become a car person -- even an out-of-his-depth woodsman that has lived an isolated life in the wilderness.

Saatchi & Saatchi GM Toby Aldred is confident this creative will stand out in the market as “there is a lovely mix of the dry everyday humour Aussies love with a splash of the absurd, but undeniably, the roguish charm of the woodsman, our tech savvy bear and straight faced saleswoman makes for a super unlikely and enjoyable combination”. To maximise awareness, the creative concept was scheduled across a range of media channels, by taking a video-first approach across TV, Catch-up TV (ie Kayo, 7Plus & Foxtel Now), digital video including YouTube and social channels including Facebook. This will be further enhanced through outdoor media across transit locations and on bus exteriors in the Sydney market and extending later in the year across a radio campaign with Nova & Smoothfm.

Autotrader’s ‘Feel Like A Car Person’ campaign launched in July and we took advantage of increased viewing surrounding the Olympics, with almost 100 dedicated spots across Olympic events in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Add the exposure secured in the Masterchef finale, plus Bachelor and Survivor premieres, our Autotrader brand message has

received strong exposure across a broad audience of car intenders and likely purchasers. Supporting the advertising strategy we have also embarked on a public relations campaign, providing expert opinion based on recent research undertaken by YouGov, specifically commissioned by Autotrader. Revealingly, almost two thirds (64%) of Australian drivers aged 22-54 feel very uncomfortable in haggling and negotiating about pricing and would be more confident in buying a second-hand vehicle if they were given insights and tips on what to look for and check when buying (75%). On a more positive note, thinking back to the last time they purchased a second-hand car, three in four (81%) Aussie drivers aged 22-54 say they got a good deal on their last purchase. This includes 53% who got a fair deal and 28% who got a great deal. To assist in communicating these insights we have enlisted the support of Dr. Tim Sharp, Australia’s very own “Dr Happy”, a behavioural psychologist and founder of The Happiness Institute, to help educate and empower Australians to feel confident in their buying decisions. Dr Sharp’s message is clear: “When we focus on the positive emotions and let that guide our decisions, we typically walk away with a fairer deal and a better experience as a result. The best way to do this is be prepared and do your research. By building your knowledge and information, you’ll be in a better place to achieve a successful outcome”. Our PR campaign kicked-off Friday 27 August and early morning risers may have seen Richard Dicello, Head of Motors at Autotrader, featured on Sunrise with consumer correspondent Shaun White. Exposure across Australia’s #1 TV Breakfast Show, is just the start of our PR campaign, and with the assistance of Dr Sharp, interviews have been lined up across Nova Radio, Autotalk, GoAuto, Money Magazine, Lifehacker & TickerTV.

Autotrader is determined to make 2021 the year we show Australians how they can “feel like a car person”, by encouraging confident car buyers.

Notes: Commissioned by Autotrader, independent consumer research agency, YouGov, surveyed 1,245 Australians between 17-22 June 2021 via an online quantitative survey.