AUTOMAKERS GET A 'BIG GAME BOOST' ON CARS.COM FOLLOWING PRIMETIME ADS, GAINING A COLLECTIVE 81% SPIKE IN TRAFFIC TO THEIR INVENTORY

Rhea-AI Summary

Cars.com (NYSE: CARS) reported a significant surge in traffic following its coverage of the Big Game, with an 81% increase in overall page views for automakers. Kia led the charge with a remarkable 230% spike in traffic after airing its 'Binky Dad' ad. The event showcased the rising interest in electric vehicles (EVs), as evidenced by a 21% increase in EV page views, with 75% of car ads featuring EVs. Other brands also benefitted, such as GM and Ram, with 50% and 46% increases, respectively. Ford observed a 118% increase in EV engagement despite not airing an ad during the game.

Positive

• 81% increase in traffic to Cars.com for all automakers.
• 230% traffic spike for Kia's 'Binky Dad' ad.
• 21% overall increase in EV page views.
• 50% traffic increase for GM's ad and 46% for Ram's ad.
• 118% increase in Ford's EV engagement due to competitors' ads.

Negative

• None.

Kia Is the MVP of the Night as Traffic Spiked 230% to Its Branded Pages on Cars.com

75% of Big Game's Car Ads Featured EVs, Leading to a 21% Increase Overall in EV Page Views on Cars.com

CHICAGO, Feb. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Football fans rushed to car-shopping marketplace Cars.com™ (NYSE: CARS) during and after Sunday's game to learn more about the vehicles advertised in its prime-time commercials with advertising automakers. Collectively, advertising automakers saw an 81% lift to pages on Cars.com. The lineup included spots from Kia, GM, and Stellantis brands Jeep and Ram, but Kia took home the trophy with a 230% spike in Cars.com traffic following the airing of its ad, "Binky Dad."

Kia's ad may have been the night's big winner, but every car brand making a game-time appearance experienced notable traffic surges as consumers flocked to Cars.com to learn more about the advertised vehicles, read unbiased reviews from experts and consumers, and view side-by-side comparisons to other makes and models.

Brand and Commercial	Brand Lift on Cars.com
Kia "Binky Dad"	230 %
GM "Why Not an EV?"	50 %
Ram "Premature Electrification"	46 %
Jeep "Electric Boogie"	13 %

"Americans are inundated with brand messages on a day that's as big for advertising as it is for sports, and advertisers 'win' when consumers take the next step to find out more," said Jennifer Vianello, Cars.com chief marketing officer. "So while the significant traffic growth on Cars.com is a victory for the automaker and brands that showed spots during the game, it's also a win for the brands that funneled their ad dollars to target Cars.com visitors, bypassing the multimillion-dollar traditional media buy while still capitalizing on the postgame spike of engaged, in-market car shoppers."

Only about 5% of Americans¹ are actively in the market to buy a car at any given time, so many brands strategically sit out the big show and spend a fraction of the cost on hyper-targeted digital advertising.

Although Ford wasn't advertising during the Big Game this year, the Detroit-based automaker's electric-vehicle page views saw a 118% increase in EV engagement on Cars.com from Ram's "Premature Electrification" ad and a 146% lift on Cars.com during GM's "Why Not an EV?" ad. BMW also benefited on the marketplace, with a 70% increase in views of the luxury automaker's EVs during GM's partnered ad with Netflix and a 33% bump during Ram's pharma-spoof commercial.

The game brought out a few more surprises, including:

• Cross-Shopping Consumers: Used Teslas saw a 26% bump on Cars.com during Jeep's "Electric Boogie" ad. The electric-car brand saw an even greater bump (29% for used Teslas) when Elon Musk was shown in the stands, proving consumers are still very EV curious.
• Cars on the Big Screen: Porsche saw a 47% increase in page views on Cars.com following the trailer for the new Transformers movie that features Mirage, a Transformer character that replicates the Porsche 911.
• EV-Curious Fans: In addition to brand-specific searches, Cars.com visitors looked more broadly for information on EVs, causing a 21% increase in EV page views on Cars.com, which appeared to benefit some automakers' EVs.

Methodology

Cars.com analyzed site traffic patterns for advertised car model pages during the eight minutes before each spot aired and again eight minutes after. General EV traffic patterns were measured week over week.

For more reviews, car-buying advice and tips, visit Cars.com/news.

Cars.com Internal Data
¹ Based on 3.7MM expected U.S. vehicle sales per 90 days in U.S. (SC&P Global Mobility), compared against total U.S. households (123.6MM). 2016–20 U.S. Census Bureau.

ABOUT CARS.COM INC.
CARS is a leading automotive marketplace platform that provides a robust set of digital solutions that connect car shoppers with sellers. Launched in 1998 with the flagship marketplace Cars.com and headquartered in Chicago, the Company empowers shoppers with the data, resources and digital tools needed to make informed buying decisions and seamlessly connect with automotive retailers. In a rapidly changing market, CARS enables dealerships and OEMs with innovative technical solutions and data-driven intelligence to better reach and influence ready-to-buy shoppers, increase inventory turn and gain market share.

In addition to Cars.com™, CARS brands include Dealer Inspire®, a technology provider building solutions that future-proof dealerships with more efficient operations and connected digital experiences; FUEL™, which gives dealers and OEMs the opportunity to harness the untapped power of digital video by leveraging Cars.com's pure audience of in-market car shoppers, DealerRater®, a leading car dealer review and reputation management platform, CreditIQ®, digital financing technology and Accu-Trade®, vehicle valuation and appraisal technology.

The full suite of CARS properties includes Cars.com™, Dealer Inspire®, FUEL™, DealerRater®, CreditIQ®, Accu-Trade.com®. For more information, visit www.Cars.com

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SOURCE Cars.com Inc.

FAQ

What was the traffic increase for Cars.com after the Big Game?

Cars.com experienced an 81% increase in traffic to its vehicle pages following the Big Game.

Which car brand had the highest traffic spike on Cars.com?

Kia had the highest traffic spike at 230% following the airing of its ad, 'Binky Dad.'

How much did EV page views increase on Cars.com?

EV page views on Cars.com increased by 21% during and after the Big Game.

What traffic increase did GM and Ram see on Cars.com?

GM's advertisement led to a 50% increase in traffic, while Ram's ad resulted in a 46% increase.

How did Ford's EV engagement change post-Big Game?

Ford saw a 118% increase in EV engagement on Cars.com despite not advertising during the Big Game.