Automakers view YouTube as a powerful platform to market to the next generation of customers. With more than 14 billion monthly visits, the Google-owned video service is the second-most-visited website with males ages 25 to 34, accounting for YouTube’s biggest demographic, at 11.6 percent.
It’s no wonder advertisers are pouring marketing dollars into YouTube ads and content. The platform’s global ad revenue was $28 billion in 2021, up 46 percent from the year before.
Social channels are attractive marketing platforms for automakers because of the ability to target specific audiences and the level of engagement these channels can bring.
Influencer-generated content delivers a preexisting audience and allows the automaker to capitalize on the creator’s brand, said Bill Daddi, president of New York marketing company Daddi Brand Communications.
“The objective here is to build equity by taking advantage of the image and personas that influencers have established with their audience,” Daddi said. “So the activation needs to be organic and align with what audiences expect from these creators.”
The YouTube format allows brands to be more creative with content than a typical 30-second TV commercial.
Moynihan said YouTube offers a “great opportunity” for consumers to dive deep, watching product reviews and exploring vehicle features and technologies.
Volvo said it will use Google’s analytics platform to track viewer reaction to the XC60 video, which will help it fine-tune production marketing.
“It’s an opportunity to see where consumer interest lies,” Moynihan said. “We have plans to test out whether or not consumers are responding more favorably to the design aspects of the car versus technology.”
