The Point: Consumers are driving towards a more sustainable future, but they have a lot of questions around electric and hybrid vehicles that they want answered. Is your brand up for the test (drive)?
It’s an interesting time for the auto industry. A study found that 8.5 million people on Pinterest in the UK will likely buy an electric or hybrid vehicle in the future1, and over 630k of them engage with auto content on the platform every month.2
And while that sounds promising, there are some spanners in the works: supply shortages, shipping chokeholds that are forcing factories to curtail production, plus inflation, a looming recession, interest rates… The list goes on.
Consumers are becoming more sustainably minded, but it’s not straightforward. They’re exploring electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid solutions, but they’re also grappling with rising fuel and energy prices (e.g. how much electricity will it cost to run it?) as well as the uncertainty over these vehicles’ performance (e.g. battery life, maintenance costs, etc).
But with challenges come opportunities. Advertisers can help fill the gap and answer the pressing questions that car shoppers have. They can lean in and speak to these audiences by educating them on all these factors and relieve them of any doubt before their next big purchase.
People are already searching auto queries
Over 80% of people on Pinterest in the UK use the platform for inspiration throughout the purchase journey within the auto category, while nearly 90% said they use Pinterest for research and discovery.4
Some of the rising trends we’ve seen in the UK include searches for ‘electric car’ (up 16% YoY) and ‘concept car design’ (up 4x YoY).5 On Pinterest, it’s a buyer’s market: 25% of people we surveyed in the UK said they are looking to purchase a brand-new vehicle, while nearly 20% said they’re looking for used vehicles6—and 3 in 4 shoppers told us that the platform helps them to fall in love with auto brands and products.4
Lean into what’s top of mind for consumers
Top factors for people on Pinterest when purchasing a vehicle are price, reliability and running costs. This is consistent with the average UK population.1
Tailor your messaging to the audiences you want to speak to. For example, over 30% of millennials in the UK with a household income of over £100k are on Pinterest.7 They’re planning for their futures, and the messages they see can be a deal-maker or -breaker for your brand, whether they want to explore more or make a purchase.
Consider key moments such as moving home, getting married, having a baby, a growing family and even getting a pet. Think about your audiences’ needs and what they might be thinking about and searching for.
People come to Pinterest because they get tailored experiences. In fact, nearly 80% of Pinterest shoppers in the UK say the platform shows them truly personalised auto-branded content.4 Plus, these shoppers are open-minded (97% of top searches are unbranded8) and leave decided (Pinterest drives 10x higher branded searches off platform9).
Advertisers have a wealth of opportunity to show up in those important moments of research and discovery. Reach them here, before your competitors do.
Noteworthy brands already driving success
Turn sparks of inspiration into purchases. Learn from the brands who are already driving success with their marketing strategies on Pinterest.
MINI ran a canine-themed campaign on Pinterest to position themselves as a dog-friendly car brand, highlighting the bigger cars in their range, such as the Clubman and Countryman. They tapped into consumer trends (like the rise of dog-owners during the pandemic)—really leaning into a niche audience, what’s top of mind for customers and their needs. With their stellar creative and effective targeting—reaching pet owners far and wide—the campaign drove paw-fect results, with positive Pin awareness and purchase intent for the whole MINI brand, particularly among those aged 35-49 and 50-64.10
Meanwhile, aiming to boost awareness of their LEAF model and improve the UK’s overall opinion of EVs, Nissan launched a video campaign on Pinterest titled: ‘This is how driving should feel.’ They used keyword and interest targeting to reach their key audience, focusing on topics like EVs and Nissan technology. The company followed up with six in-depth video ads titled ‘Did you know…’ providing answers to pressing questions, the car’s unique selling points (USPs), and the benefits of owning a LEAF.
This aligned perfectly with what Pinterest users were searching for. For example, in our Brand Lift studies, we’ve seen consumers want to be educated about EVs and hybrid vehicles. They feel hesitant about battery life and charging capabilities, so it's important for brands to show up and provide educational content for them. This helps to inform their decision-making. The result: brand awareness amongst prospective buyers increased by 12%.11
Driving performance and purchases
These brands did a great job with showing up where their shoppers were looking and answering the questions they were searching for. Make sure you do too. Help educate and inspire your customers, and in turn, that will encourage them to take action.
With 90% of auto campaigns on Pinterest across Europe showing significant lift in ad recall,12 make sure the platform is in your marketing mix. Otherwise, you could be missing a trick, and missing out on these potential high-value customers.
Act on these insights
01
Provide educational content
Like Nissan, provide the answers your consumers are looking for. What’s the USP for purchasing your vehicles? What are the benefits of having an EV or hybrid? How much will it cost to run them? Help them understand the bigger picture.
02
Leverage moments and trends
Consider the latest consumer trends. MINI positioned themselves as a dog-friendly brand following the rise of the dog owner. Also, check out the Night moves trend in our 2022 Pinterest Predicts report (with ‘road trip aesthetic’ doubling YoY).13 What could your auto brand be known for?
03
Choose creative that resonates
Show customers how an EV or hybrid could fit into their lifestyles. What does that look like? Use ad formats such as max-width video to create impact and immerse the user in your product. They’re dreaming of their next big purchase. Help them make it a reality.