All posts by Chanté O’Neill

This is the first in a series that will highlight auto marketing trends to help you drive more effective marketing campaigns. With the second half of the year underway, one theme continues to prevail in conversations among auto marketers: measurement. With more focus to prove ROI, optimize campaigns in real time, and understand the full consumer journey, marketers are doubling down on attribution while sharpening their analytics tools.    One of the most widely adopted platforms in this space is Google Analytics 4 (GA4). Since its full rollout, GA4 has replaced Universal Analytics for digital measurement. Its event-based model offers new ways to track behavior and measure performance, especially in complex, multi-touch journeys like auto shopping.  Let’s break down four quick tips to help you unlock the full potential of GA4—plus a quick summary to dial in this type of measurement.  GA4 Tune-Up Tips for Smarter Auto Marketing: 1. Event-Based Tracking Offers Full-Funnel Visibility  Unlike Universal Analytics, GA4 focuses on events (rather than sessions) by tracking actions such as scroll depth, video views, CTA clicks, and more, giving you detailed insights into how users engage with your site. It’s especially helpful for A/B testing and understanding micro-conversions across the buyer’s online journey.  2. Use Clean, Consistent UTM Parameters  UTM parameters tell GA4 “where” your traffic comes from. However, if they’re inconsistent or overly complex, your reports will be too. Use a simple naming convention for channels and campaigns so you can easily see what’s working.  See example chart below:  3. Set Up GTM to Capture the Key Events  Google Tag Manager (GTM) tells GA4 “what” happens once a consumer arrives to your website.  Ensure GTM is set up to record important on-site actions—including page views, form submissions, phone clicks, or test drive bookings.  Start with GTM testing by using Preview Mode and Tag Assistant.   4. Extend Your Data Retention Window  By default, GA4 only stores user-level data for 2 months. If you want to track long buying cycles or compare year-over-year trends, go into your GA4 settings and extend the retention period to 14 months.  GA4 Tune-Up Tips Summary:  GA4 is Google’s enhanced analytics platform, built to give marketers a more flexible, cross-platform view of user behavior by using an event-based model designed for the future of measurement.  With industries like automotive — offline interactions, third-party sites, and long purchase paths are common. GA4 often needs to be supplemented with additional tools or CRM integration to capture the full buying journey. According to Neilsen, measurement of ROI across channels is more important than ever and marketers have an opportunity to fine tune it.  Discover how Experian Automotive can help measure your marketing performance with solutions like OmniImpact for Automotive™ and an Auto Response Analysis.  Next Up...  From personalized follow-ups to omnichannel messaging, forward-thinking retailers are evolving how they communicate with today’s car shoppers, and measurement is just one piece of the puzzle. In our series, we’ll explore another focus for Auto Marketers in the latter half of 2025: Messaging and Communication with your consumers.

Without data, anticipating buyer behavior in the months ahead can be challenging. While some OEMs had record sales¹ this spring, it remains critical to identify who’s in the market—whether to purchase or service their vehicle. With tax refund season in the rearview mirror and summer promotions approaching, consumers may be weighing their next move. Some could have “one foot in the showroom door” while others are waiting to see which dealer delivers the most compelling offer. Meanwhile, 41% of drivers choosing to keep their vehicles longer² are likely focused on maintaining them. So how can you best position yourself?  Explore These 3 Strategic Moves to Navigate This Summer:  Firm up your Service Marketing Plan: With summer road trips on the horizon, your customers may be in the market for services like A/C repair, wheel alignment, tire rotation, engine cooling, oil changes, multi-point inspections, and more. Discover who’s most likely to need service in the next 30–60 days with Experian Automotive’s AutoAudiences. Understand Customers’ Communication Preference: To effectively target your audience, start by understanding how they would prefer to communicate. As Car Dealership Guy puts it, “The shift in consumer preferences is undeniable and generational.”³ Experian Automotive’s Product Management Director, Kirsten Von Busch echoes this, adding, “Understanding generational differences is crucial to developing effective marketing strategies that resonate with each group’s unique preferences”. Experian’s Automotive Consumer Insights support this approach with data-driven messaging and communication channel recommendations.  Focus on Growing Market Share with Mid-Year Auto Trends: Two purchase types that are trending in the beginning half of the year include Leasing⁴ and Trade-In. Whether you have EVs or AWD vehicles on your lot, consider (A)ll (W)eather (D)eals that can (1) Supersede those in your backyard as part of your Conquest strategy and (2) Build upon your “Why Buy” dealer loyalty.  Experian Marketing Engine powers automotive marketing by helping automotive marketers identify the right audience, uncover the most appropriate communication channels, develop messages that resonate and measure the effectiveness of their marketing activities. Timing is everything, so start Targeting and Conquesting in your Market today!  Sources:  http://www.autonews.com/retail/sales/an-april-us-sales-2025-0501/  https://news.dealershipguy.com/p/3-real-time-shifts-in-car-buying-behavior-post-tariff-announcements-2025-05-01  https://news.dealershipguy.com/p/dealers-are-saving-thousands-in-labor-in-fixed-ops-2025-05-30 https://www.experian.com/blogs/insights/auto-the-current-state-of-ev-financing-why-more-consumers-are-choosing-leasing/