Recently, Amazon and PureCars hosted an insightful webinar, "Put a Bow on Your Holiday Sales Strategy with Amazon Video," focusing on how car dealerships can leverage video advertising to maximize holiday sales. Here’s a recap of the key takeaways tailored for the automotive industry.

The Shift to Streaming: A Cord-Cutting Reality

The shift from traditional cable to streaming services is a reality that car dealers need to embrace. According to eMarketer, non-pay TV households are expected to surpass pay-TV households in 2023, presenting a crucial opportunity for dealerships to engage with audiences increasingly consuming content through streaming platforms.

Prime Video: Your Partner for Holiday Success

The webinar highlighted the potential of Prime Video as a powerful ally in your holiday sales strategy. With a lineup of upcoming Prime Video Originals, brands can connect with engaged audiences through collaboration. Notable titles include:

• Beast Games: Based on MrBeast's popular YouTube show, this reality competition will feature 1,000 contestants vying for a record $5 million cash prize, making it a cultural phenomenon that attracts a wide viewership.
• Reacher Season 3: Following the success of Season 2, which was the #1 title on Prime Video for 2023, this series is poised to draw significant viewership, giving dealerships a platform to reach potential customers.
• The Summer I Turned Pretty: This music-driven series has captured the hearts of Gen Z and Millennials, promising more viral moments that can be leveraged in your marketing efforts.

Capturing Engaged Viewers

With approximately 115 million ad-supported viewers monthly—more than any other premium streaming service in the U.S.—Prime Video serves as the ultimate destination for connecting with engaged audiences. Amazon's robust advertising tools enhance every stage of campaign planning, activation, and measurement, allowing dealerships to maximize their advertising impact.

Data-Driven Advertising

Amazon’s advertising solutions empower dealerships to effectively reach automotive shoppers. Key features include:

• Programmatic Media Buys: Access Prime Video inventory exclusively through Amazon DSP, ensuring that your ads reach the right audience at the right time.
• Amazon Marketing Cloud: This privacy-safe clean room offers custom insights, allowing you to refine your campaigns based on performance data.
• Advanced Analytics: Powered by Amazon Web Services, these tools enable you to harness data for advanced targeting and strategy refinement.

Timing and Engagement Matter

Understanding viewer behavior is critical for your ad placements. In the U.S., 33% of Prime Video viewership occurs between 7-11 PM ET, with 86% of content consumed on connected TVs. On average, viewers engage with about 40 minutes of content per session, highlighting the importance of timing in your advertising strategy.

Targeting Automotive Shoppers

Prime Video provides valuable insights specifically for automotive marketers. Notably, 43% of U.S. automotive shoppers engage with the platform weekly. These viewers tend to be more affluent and educated than the general population, making them a prime audience for automotive marketing.

Location Targeting and Vehicle Ownership Insights

Amazon’s unique audience targeting capabilities allow dealerships to reach specific demographics effectively. By leveraging insights from user accounts, brands can target based on vehicle ownership, reaching over 190 million vehicles associated with 92 million active Amazon accounts. This precision enhances customer experiences and improves the relevance of your marketing efforts.

Conclusion: Reach and Frequency

At its core, advertising is about reach and frequency. With Prime Video being the largest ad-supported streaming service, it offers an unparalleled opportunity for dealerships to engage in-market automotive shoppers effectively. As the holiday season approaches, utilizing Amazon Video in your advertising strategy could be the key to driving sales and maximizing visibility.

‍