01/11/10

Online automotive advertising worldwide is on the rebound and will pick up substantially in 2010, according to a report released today by the Advanced Interactive Media Group.

The AIM Group, which publishes Classified Intelligence Report, surveyed 20 executives in the automotive-advertising industry globally, and found that 17 expected improvement in online advertising revenue this year, while only one expected a continued decline in 2010. Several said they projected "significantly better" advertising this year, and some noted that a rebound began in mid 2009.

"Our research shows that a substantial recovery is under way in auto advertising, but that it varies widely by market," said Peter M. Zollman, founding principal of the AIM Group and publisher of Classified Intelligence Report. "Most of the growth that's likely in 2010 will be online, with declines likely to continue in print advertising, especially listings."

The 62-page report, "Revving up: Online Auto Ads Rebounding Globally," is one of a series of annual reports published by the AIM Group, including automotive, real estate, recruitment and an annual revenue estimate for Craigslist, the free-classified site. The report has been distributed to clients of the AIM Group's "continuous advisory service," Classified Intelligence Report, and is available for $495 through this link. A free preview is available here.

The report includes extensive statistical data about auto advertising markets in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the U.K. The data were published in conjunction with Autobiz, a classified-advertising data analysis company based in Paris.

It also includes a section for auto-advertising publishers, "Ten things you must do to improve your revenue."

Executives who participated in the research included Chip Perry, president and CEO of AutoTrader.com in the U.S.; Genevieve LeBrun of Trader Corp. / AutoTrader in Canada; Dr. Nikolas Deskovic of AutoScout24 in Germany; Stephen Browning of CarsGuide.com (News Ltd.) in Australia, and Tim Peake of Trader Media Group in the U.K., along with representatives of sites in Italy, India, Finland, Australia and China.

After such a dismal year in 2009, it's terrific to see optimism returning to the automotive-advertising marketplace. There's a lot of work to be done, but dealers are increasing their spending and smart publishers can make sure they get their full share of growth this year.