Industry: Automotive

Scenario: GMC uses behavioral targeting to influence people researching the Jeep Grand Cherokee to consider the GMC Envoy instead (see "Derail Your Competition with Conquest Ads").

Buying a vehicle is typically an eight- to 12-week process, with consumers taking numerous steps along the way before making a purchase. Auto marketers use behavioral targeting as a way to extend ad inventory and to reach consumers at all points of their buying process-- both those who have expressed interest in their product as well those who are researching competitive vehicles, as in the example above.

"With such a small percentage of consumers in market for a vehicle at any one time (about 1.5 percent of the population), behavioral targeting affords advertisers the opportunity to create more touch points with the consumer, and potentially create a sequenced messaging mechanism based upon their various targeting criteria," says Joe Kyriakoza, the vice president of product development for Jumpstart Automotive Media.

He continues by explaining that the automotive industry uses behavioral targeting as an opportunity to reach auto shoppers who have performed auto research behaviors via:

• search engines
• third-party auto research sites
• an auto manufacturer or auto dealer's site.

"Third-party research sites are typically sold out, and this finite group of consumers becomes a valuable target that an advertiser can reach in non-auto environments. The auto shoppers are then segmented into groups based upon specific behaviors and / or geographies (i.e., SUV shopper in the Tri-state area)."

Kyriakoza says that branding can be achieved by purchasing broader segments, while direct response objectives can be achieved with the appropriate sales messaging.

However, he says that BT is not necessarily useful for companies looking for high clickthrough rates. "As you message to a user in a non-automotive environment, they may be less inclined to click, but those who do tend to be more inclined to buy or move further down the purchase funnel (based upon research gleaned from Jumpstart campaigns)."

(Note: you can read more by Kyriakoza and other automotive experts in our Driving Interactive automotive marketing newsletter.)