Autobytel Q2 Consumer Choice Report Shows Orders for Domestic Cars and Trucks Up Sharply Among Online Shoppers
IRVINE, Calif.--July 9, 2003--Internet Sales Appear to Be Significant Driver of Domestic Market Share; Online Requests for Cadillac up 40%, Chevy up 17%, Ford up 15%
Autobytel Inc. , the Internet's largest new car buying service, today announced the cars and trucks that were requested most(a) by its millions of online shoppers during the second sales quarter of 2003. According to the company's second quarter Consumer Choice report -- covering April through June -- domestic brands enjoyed a dramatic spike in popularity among online shoppers. With domestic vehicle sales flat industry-wide in Q2, the Autobytel report suggests that strong online sales have been a significant contributor to U.S. automakers' market share during the second quarter.
Among Autobytel's most popular vehicles overall, the number of shoppers requesting domestic makes rose nearly 15% vs. Q1, while those requesting imports rose just over 4%. Three of the top five (and nine of the top 15) makes that enjoyed the biggest sequential quarter percentage gains in online requests were domestic brands -- including Lincoln (up 22%), GMC (+20%), Chrysler (+12%) and Buick (+11%) -- in addition to Cadillac (+40%), Chevy (+17%) and Ford (+15%). Year-over-year gains were also dramatic -- with requests for Cadillac models up a full 74%, Chevrolets up 35% and Fords up 8% versus Q2 2002.
"There are many factors at play, but the relationship between increased Internet marketing spending and increased sales is becoming clear," said Autobytel President and CEO Jeffrey Schwartz. "Several of our biggest Q2 gainers have employed a relatively Internet-heavy marketing mix -- and it has paid off." Schwartz noted that GM is far and away the biggest Internet marketer in the auto industry, and is the second biggest Internet marketer among all U.S. businesses. Meanwhile, Ford has recently become among the first OEMs to participate in Autobytel's innovative Dynamic Content Placement (DCP) marketing platform. DCP is designed to be a synthesis of auto marketing and auto information, automatically selecting from thousands of Ford model data statements to strategically present objective, helpful information about Ford cars and trucks to online shoppers based on their specific research decisions.
Second quarter industry sales tallies reveal the return of the big, more expensive trucks and SUVs after a slow first quarter -- possibly driven by post-war gas price declines and aggressive domestic incentives that are essentially enabling consumers to make bigger-ticket purchases. These factors may have been even more pronounced online than off, as indicated by Autobytel's results. The GMC Yukon, Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, and Ford Explorer all garnered major Q2 vs. Q1 gains, as did the Cadillac Escalade, which was a major driver behind a 106% increase in the number of Autobytel consumer requests for domestic luxury vehicles.
Although imports were still requested more than domestics in all but the truck and SUV categories, domestics gained significant ground in several import strongholds. Ford's centennial marketing and aggressive pricing, for example, paid off with strong showings for not only the F-150 and Mustang, but also the Focus, which gained 16% more requests in Q2 versus Q1. The Pontiac Vibe and Hyundai Tiburon, meanwhile, enjoyed robust growth in the compact category. Overall, requests for domestic cars in the passenger category grew 45%, while declining 6% for imports. Domestic growth also outpaced import growth in the sports car, luxury and minivan categories.
The flip side of the big SUV comeback is a marked decline in fuel-efficient vehicle requests (including hybrids and diesels) -- virtually across the board. While the Toyota Prius' fall-off could be attributed to consumers' anticipation of the 2004 version (due this fall), the drop in Honda Civic Hybrid and VW Jetta TDI -- both of which had enjoyed major spikes in Q1 requests -- suggests that online consumers, like their offline counterparts, are currently moving away from fuel-efficient cars.
2003 Autobytel Consumer Choice Awards(TM)
In addition to shedding light on online consumer trends as they unfold, Autobytel's Q2 tally also tracks the front runners in the race for the 2003 Autobytel Consumer Choice Awards(TM), which will be determined at the end of the sales year based on the millions of vehicle Purchase Requests(b) submitted throughout the year by online car buyers. Some of the leaders at the half-way mark include: the Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Chevy Silverado, Ford F-150, and Toyota Camry. The race is on -- with the Silverado currently enjoying big gains on the heels of a recent upgrade and the appeal of the Altima and Camry redesigns seeming to cool slightly. The release of the 2004 Ford F-150 -- a major upgrade likely to appeal to savvy, feature-driven online shoppers -- promises to give the Silverado, and the rest, a serious run for their money ... Stay tuned!
(a) By requesting a car on an Autobytel car-buying site, consumers indicate a serious intent to buy, and are contacted by a local accredited dealer.
(b) Online car buyers submit vehicle Purchase Requests through Autobytel to local dealers, once they intend to buy a specific vehicle. The 2003 Autobytel Consumer Choice Awards will be based on the volume of vehicle Purchase Requests submitted (with an intent to buy) by online shoppers through Autobytel's network throughout the sales year.
About Autobytel Inc.
Autobytel Inc. , a leading Internet automotive marketing services company, helps retailers sell cars and manufacturers build brands through marketing, advertising and CRM (customer relationship management) tools and programs. The company owns and operates the automotive websites Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com, Carsmart.com and popular automotive research center, AutoSite.com, as well as AIC (Automotive Information Center), a leading provider of automotive marketing data and technology. Autobytel Inc. is the Internet's largest new-car buying service and, in 2002, generated over a billion dollars a month in car sales for dealers through its services. Autobytel Inc. is also among the largest syndicated car-buying content networks, reaching millions of unique visitors as they are making their vehicle buying decisions. Autobytel Inc. content and technology has potential exposure to over 94 percent of the active Digital Media Universe.(c)
(c) Nielsen/NetRatings Q1 2003 Digital Media Universe Report (Autobytel Inc. is the unduplicated audience of the Autobytel, Autoweb.com, CarSmart and Autosite.com Brands. Autobytel Inc. provides content to the Yahoo!, AOL MSN portals and various automotive manufactures' sites. The unduplicated audience of these Brands has an active reach of over 94 percent of the home and work Digital Media Universe.)
