The Automotive Attribution Gap: Why 92% of Sales Are Invisible
Autotrader's own data says only 8% of auto sales are traceable in dealer CRM systems, and half of dealers overspend with no measurable ROI. Why this is structural, and why better software will not fix it.
Why Dealership Video Marketing Underperforms
Test drive video watch time grew more than 65% in two years. Most dealership video does not participate in that growth, and production quality is not the reason.
What Car Shoppers Actually Do Before They Contact You
Roughly 14 hours of research across 4.2 websites, 61% of it spent on somebody else's platform, and only 1 in 3 shoppers knows what they want. The journey is nearly over by the time you enter it.
Third-Party Leads vs. Owning the Channel: The Real Cost Per Sale
A $45 lead that closes at 15% and arrives at three dealerships at once is not a $45 lead. Benchmarks put the true cost near $8,000 to $12,000 per vehicle sold, against $50 to $150 for owned channels.
What Automotive Video Marketing Actually Costs Per Lead in 2026
Automotive leads run $39 to $283 depending on channel, and third-party listing costs rose 40% in a single year. What each channel costs, why it is climbing, and the line item nobody puts on the spreadsheet.
Automotive Video Marketing in 2026: Where the Money Is Going
Dealer ad spend hit a record $9.96B in 2025 while manufacturer digital growth was cut to 2.2%. Two numbers that look contradictory and are not.