Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News Canada
  • Automotive News Europe
  • Automotive News China
  • Automobilwoche
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Account
  • login
  • NEWS
    • Dealers
    • Automakers & Suppliers
    • News by Brand
    • Cars & Concepts
    • Final Assembly
    • China
    • Shift
    • Mobility Report
    • DE&I At Work
    • Special Reports
    • Digital Edition Archive
    • This Week's Issue
    • Access F&I
    • Fixed Ops Journal
    • Marketing
    • Used Cars
    • Retail Technology
    • Sales
    • Best Practices
    • Dealership Buy/Sell
      • Done Deals
    • NADA
    • NADA Show
    • Automakers
    • Manufacturing
    • Suppliers
    • Regulations & Safety
    • Executives
    • Talk From The Top
    • Leading Women Network
    • Guide to Economic Development
    • PACE Awards
    • Management Briefing Seminars
    • World Congress
    • Aston Martin
    • BMW
      • Mini
      • Rolls-Royce
    • Daimler
      • Mercedes Benz
      • Smart
    • Ford
      • Lincoln
    • General Motors
      • Buick
      • Cadillac
      • Chevrolet
      • GMC
    • Honda
      • Acura
    • Hyundai
      • Genesis
      • Kia
    • Mazda
    • McLaren
    • Mitsubishi
    • Nissan
      • Infiniti
    • Stellantis
      • Alfa Romeo
      • Citroen
      • Chrysler
      • Dodge
      • Ferrari
      • Fiat
      • Jeep
      • Lancia
      • Maserati
      • Opel
      • Peugeot
      • Ram
      • Vauxhall
    • Renault
    • Subaru
    • Suzuki
    • Tata
      • Jaguar
      • Land Rover
    • Tesla
    • Toyota
      • Lexus
    • Volkswagen
      • Audi
      • Bentley
      • Bugatti
      • Lamborghini
      • Porsche
      • Seat
      • Skoda
    • Volvo
    • (Discontinued Brands)
    • Virtual reveals (Sponsored)
      • NISSAN: 2023 Z
      • MITSUBISHI: 2022 Outlander
      • NISSAN: 2022 Pathfinder and 2022 Frontier
      • GENESIS: 2021 GV80
      • KIA: 2021 K5
      • LEXUS: 2021 IS
      • NISSAN: 2021 Rogue
      • TOYOTA: 2021 Venza and 2021 Sienna
    • Auto Shows
    • Future Product Pipeline
    • Photo Galleries
    • Car Cutaways
    • Design
  • OPINION
    • Blogs
    • Cartoons
    • Keith Crain
    • Automotive Views with Jamie Butters
    • Columnists
    • China Commentary
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send us a Letter
  • DATA CENTER
    • Tables & Lists
    • Market Reports
    • Customer Incentives
    • Monthly Vehicle Payments
    • U.S. Vehicle Registrations
    • Loyalty
    • Vehicles in Operation
    • Research & Insights
    • Data Center Partners
  • VIDEO
    • AutoNews Now
    • First Shift
    • Special Video Reports
    • Weekend Drive
  • EVENTS & AWARDS
    • Events
    • Awards
    • Congress – Nashville
    • Congress – Washington, D.C.
    • Mobility Forum
    • Retail Forum: Dealer Discussions
    • Leadership Academy
    • Canada Congress
    • Europe Congress
    • Leading Women Conference
    • Fixed Ops Journal Forum
    • Shift Publicis
    • Shift Thrive
    • Retail Forum: NADA
    • 100 Leading Women
    • 40 Under 40 Retail
    • All-Stars
    • Best Dealerships To Work For
      • Register for the 2022 Best Dealership To Work For
    • Notable Champions of Diversity
    • Notable Military Veterans
    • PACE Program
    • Rising Stars
    • Europe Rising Stars
  • JOBS
  • Resource Center
  • +MORE
    • Advertise
    • Leading Women Network
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars
    • In the Driver's Seat
    • Publishing Partners
    • Classifieds
    • Companies on the Move
    • People on the Move
    • Newsletters
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • RSS Feeds
    • Shift: A Podcast About Mobility
    • Special Reports Podcasts
    • Daily Drive Podcasts
    • Download Apps and Podcasts
    • AAM
    • AutoAlert
    • CNA National
    • Polly
    • Truist
    • Acxiom: Acxiom VP on the intersection of analytics and car shoppers
    • Blue Yonder
    • CDK Global
    • Cox
    • Cox
    • Cox
    • DealerPolicy
    • Deloitte
    • Equifax
    • Equifax
    • Gentex
    • IHS Markit
    • MSX International
    • Micron
    • Qualcomm
    • Remember Group
    • Reputation.com
    • Ricardo: Dave Shemmans
    • Ricardo: Marques McCammon
    • Salty
    • T-Mobile
    • Cox: Transformation toward eCommerce in automotive retailing
    • Easycare: Reinventing the service contract for EVs
    • Easycare: The importance of benchmarking your reinsurance performance
    • Experian: Three steps to adapting to constant change in automotive marketing
    • Haig Partners: Buy-Sell Q&A: Where the Automotive M&A Market is heading
    • Haig: Buy-Sell Q&A: What is the value of an M&A advisor?
    • Siemens: The impact of vehicle electrification and connectivity on electrical system design
    • Text2Drive: Digital retailing meets the service department
    • Urban Science: Promoting dealer-consumer alignment across continued industry evolution
    • Western Digital: To Meet Consumer Demand, Automakers Must Double Down on Agile Development
    • Wipro: The Promise of Software-Defined Vehicles and the Cloud Car Ecosystem
    • Notarize: What to expect for the future of auto sales
    • Seagate: Unlocking value from connected-car data
    • Amazon Web Services: AI-powered supply chain decision-making
    • Epic Games: Five ways in-car designs will change in the next five years
    • Haig Partners: How are dealerships being valued today?
    • Haig Partners: Dealership consolidation trends
    • Haig Partners: Dealership valuation trends
    • Haig Partners: Dealership succession planning
    • Ally: Navigating the future of automotive retailing
    • Google: How a century-old brand is transforming the auto industry
    • Car Wars: Is a Rise in Service Leading to Poor Customer Satisfaction?
    • Solera | DealerSocket: Four real-time integrations that can save your dealership time
    • Solera | DealerSocket: Time for a new pre-owned pricing tactic
    • Kerrigan Advisors: Blue Sky Update Q4 2021
    • Qualcomm: Trading multi-year design cycles for on-demand features and experiences
    • Synchrony: 5 Ways to Help Motivate and Retain Employees
    • Twitter: EV adoption is happening...in an unexpected place
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Sponsored

The road to a zero-friction future

Sponsored Content From Facebook
This content was paid for by an advertiser and produced by the Automotive News Content Studio.
August 01, 2019 12:00 AM
Kim Stonehouse, Head of Facebook Automotive
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    Out of all the purchases we make in a lifetime, a car is among those most closely linked with our memories and our identities. We all have a vehicle that feels special to us — a car we associate with a time in our lives, past or present. Even years after selling or trading in our car, seeing the same make and model on the road transports us to a specific time and place — like when we graduated from college, moved across the country, got married, or had a baby. These memories are tied to particular vehicles not only due to time spent in them, but because they sparked our desire for those cars in the first place. In fact, studies have shown that life transitions are powerful signals that auto shoppers are looking for a new car.

    Kim Stonehouse is Head of Facebook Automotive.

    Can the experience of buying a vehicle be as delightful as the years driving it? Thanks to technology, auto customers are having seamless product experiences in other parts of their lives, making any friction they have with auto brands all the more unexpected and frustrating. 

    Of course, buying a car isn’t the same as buying a pair of shoes online. Vehicle shoppers take longer to consider this more significant purchase, comparing brands, models, and dealerships. And while the online experience plays an important role in the auto buying process, the offline interactions between the customer and the dealer still play a critical role in the final purchase decision. Connecting these online and offline shopping experiences presents unique difficulties for our industry.  

    However, these challenges to reducing friction in the auto buyer’s journey also present some of the most exciting opportunities to differentiate your brand or store. Our vision at Facebook is to build a Zero Friction Future in partnership with the auto marketing community. Our aim is to show what it looks like when we use technology to revolutionize how auto connects with its customers, unlocking radically more efficient marketing. 

    Facebook's tools can help you reach customers where they’re already spending their time, connecting them with the perfect car for their next life stage.

    Cars find people

    In today’s auto shopping experience, people labor to find their cars. But in a Zero Friction Future, people won’t have to seek out your brand or car anymore — instead, the perfect brand or vehicle will find them. 

    By the time they start shopping, 73% already have such a strong opinion formed about which car brand to buy that they consider just 1-2 brands 1. These numbers tell us that people are not actually beginning their shopping process with an open mind. Instead, auto brands must find people further upstream, before they begin their shopping process and in more personal, relevant ways. 

    Consider that 75% of auto shoppers surveyed purchase a car due to a change in circumstances, such as graduating from college, moving to a new city, or having a baby. This likelihood increases to 89% for younger shoppers aged 18-34 2.

    During these pivotal moments, people turn to Facebook’s platforms to share or seek information as they make decisions, build memories, and connect with family, friends, and their local communities. You can reach customers where they’re already spending their time, connecting them with the perfect car for their next life stage. 

    Shopping is seamless

    Auto shopping has been known to be stressful, but in a Zero Friction Future it will be seamless. Making a confident choice among makes, models, features, and price points can be challenging, especially with more information at their fingertips than ever before. We’ve seen that 91% of customers surveyed change their minds on at least one purchase factor when looking for a vehicle 3. We’re also seeing a rise in “fair pricing” sites, indicating that people want to feel more confident about their decisions.

    80% of shoppers visit Facebook during vehicle research sessions.

    Yet in a Zero Friction Future, shopping can become seamless if you provide answers in the moment people seek information — or better yet, anticipate their needs in advance. 

    The possibilities here are limitless. For example, by creating an automated experience on Messenger, Acura was able to guide customers to choose the interior and exterior colors, features, and packages they wanted in a TLX car and then book a test drive, all through their mobile devices. Sparking this one-on-one connection reduced friction for both Acura and the customer, speeding up the process of advancing buyers down the purchase funnel. 

    We’re experimenting with many other ways to reduce friction in the shopping process, evolving our entire suite of automotive tools so that you can precisely meet your customers’ needs at the right moments. For example, our automotive inventory ads automatically pull from your catalog to show customers ads with the makes, models, and years that match their preferences. We’re even getting to the point where an augmented reality (AR) car shopping experience isn’t a far-fetched idea. Retailers use AR to ‘try on’ sunglasses, clothes and make-up today. Imagine using AR to give a customer greater confidence that your full-size SUV will fit in their garage.

    Purchase is just the beginning

    Traditionally, vehicle purchase marks the end of the marketing process. But in a Zero Friction Future, purchase is the beginning, as technology enables better ownership experiences to drive loyalty.

    In fact, 81% of customers surveyed want personal engagement from their vehicle brand, and they want to experience it through their phones. 4

    Traditional marketing channels such as direct mail can be effective, but customer relationship management (CRM) tools and targeted ads will help you maintain a connection with customers at moments convenient to them, on the platforms they’re using throughout the day.

    For example, agency TurnKey Marketing used their dealers’ CRM systems and retargeting to bring vehicle owners approaching service milestones back into the dealership.  Using the offline conversions feature in Facebook’s Business Manager platform, they tracked the number of closed repair orders that happened as a result of people seeing Facebook ads.  Collectively these dealers closed more than 1,800 service orders and saw a 2-3 times return on ad spend.

    With its rich history, the auto industry is no stranger to overcoming challenges through innovation. And by helping brands create meaningful connections with the right people at the right time, we can help you safeguard the most important asset you have in an evolving landscape — your relationship with each customer. As you navigate down this road, we invite you to turn to Facebook for insights and tools to help guide the journey. Success awaits the auto manufacturers and dealers that blaze the trail to a Zero Friction Future. 

    Sources:

    1. Auto Consumer Study by Accenture (Facebook-commissioned online study of 1,003 respondents ages 18+, USA, November 2018)
    2. Auto Consumer Journey Study by Accenture (Facebook-commissioned online study of _ respondents ages 18+, in US, CA, UK, FR, DE, BR, ID, IN, and AU Nov 2018–Feb 2019
    3. GfK 2017 Auto Path to Purchase (commissioned by Facebook), digital tracking of 110 US participants 18+ who purchased of new or pre-owned car in the prior six months. Study includes local dealerships.
    4. Auto Consumer Study by Accenture (Facebook-commissioned online study of 1,003 respondents ages 18+, USA, November 2018)
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    See more newsletter options at autonews.com/newsletters.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Digital Edition
    Automotive News 5-16-22
    THIS WEEK'S EDITION
    See our archive
    Fixed Ops Journal
    Fixed Ops Journal 4-11-22
    Read the issue
    See our archive
    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up and get the best of Automotive News delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    Subscribe Today

    Get 24/7 access to in-depth, authoritative coverage of the auto industry from a global team of reporters and editors covering the news that’s vital to your business.

    Subscribe Now
    Connect With Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

    Our mission

    The Automotive News mission is to be the primary source of industry news, data and understanding for the industry's decision-makers interested in North America.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit, Michigan
    48207-2997

    (877) 812-1584

    Email us

    Automotive News
    ISSN 0005-1551 (print)
    ISSN 1557-7686 (online)

    Fixed Ops Journal
    ISSN 2576-1064 (print)
    ISSN 2576-1072 (online)

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • Subscribe
    • Manage your account
    • Reprints
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Automotive News
    Copyright © 1996-2022. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • NEWS
      • Dealers
        • Access F&I
        • Fixed Ops Journal
        • Marketing
        • Used Cars
        • Retail Technology
        • Sales
        • Best Practices
        • Dealership Buy/Sell
          • Done Deals
        • NADA
        • NADA Show
      • Automakers & Suppliers
        • Automakers
        • Manufacturing
        • Suppliers
        • Regulations & Safety
        • Executives
        • Talk From The Top
        • Leading Women Network
        • Guide to Economic Development
        • PACE Awards
        • Management Briefing Seminars
        • World Congress
      • News by Brand
        • Aston Martin
        • BMW
          • Mini
          • Rolls-Royce
        • Daimler
          • Mercedes Benz
          • Smart
        • Ford
          • Lincoln
        • General Motors
          • Buick
          • Cadillac
          • Chevrolet
          • GMC
        • Honda
          • Acura
        • Hyundai
          • Genesis
          • Kia
        • Mazda
        • McLaren
        • Mitsubishi
        • Nissan
          • Infiniti
        • Stellantis
          • Alfa Romeo
          • Citroen
          • Chrysler
          • Dodge
          • Ferrari
          • Fiat
          • Jeep
          • Lancia
          • Maserati
          • Opel
          • Peugeot
          • Ram
          • Vauxhall
        • Renault
        • Subaru
        • Suzuki
        • Tata
          • Jaguar
          • Land Rover
        • Tesla
        • Toyota
          • Lexus
        • Volkswagen
          • Audi
          • Bentley
          • Bugatti
          • Lamborghini
          • Porsche
          • Seat
          • Skoda
        • Volvo
        • (Discontinued Brands)
      • Cars & Concepts
        • Virtual reveals (Sponsored)
          • NISSAN: 2023 Z
          • MITSUBISHI: 2022 Outlander
          • NISSAN: 2022 Pathfinder and 2022 Frontier
          • GENESIS: 2021 GV80
          • KIA: 2021 K5
          • LEXUS: 2021 IS
          • NISSAN: 2021 Rogue
          • TOYOTA: 2021 Venza and 2021 Sienna
        • Auto Shows
        • Future Product Pipeline
        • Photo Galleries
        • Car Cutaways
        • Design
      • Final Assembly
      • China
      • Shift
      • Mobility Report
      • DE&I At Work
      • Special Reports
      • Digital Edition Archive
      • This Week's Issue
    • OPINION
      • Blogs
      • Cartoons
      • Keith Crain
      • Automotive Views with Jamie Butters
      • Columnists
      • China Commentary
      • Editorials
      • Letters to the Editor
      • Send us a Letter
    • DATA CENTER
      • Tables & Lists
      • Market Reports
      • Customer Incentives
      • Monthly Vehicle Payments
      • U.S. Vehicle Registrations
      • Loyalty
      • Vehicles in Operation
      • Research & Insights
      • Data Center Partners
    • VIDEO
      • AutoNews Now
      • First Shift
      • Special Video Reports
      • Weekend Drive
    • EVENTS & AWARDS
      • Events
        • Congress – Nashville
        • Congress – Washington, D.C.
        • Mobility Forum
        • Retail Forum: Dealer Discussions
        • Leadership Academy
        • Canada Congress
        • Europe Congress
        • Leading Women Conference
        • Fixed Ops Journal Forum
        • Shift Publicis
        • Shift Thrive
        • Retail Forum: NADA
      • Awards
        • 100 Leading Women
        • 40 Under 40 Retail
        • All-Stars
        • Best Dealerships To Work For
          • Register for the 2022 Best Dealership To Work For
        • Notable Champions of Diversity
        • Notable Military Veterans
        • PACE Program
        • Rising Stars
        • Europe Rising Stars
    • JOBS
    • Resource Center
    • +MORE
      • Advertise
      • Leading Women Network
      • Podcasts
        • Shift: A Podcast About Mobility
        • Special Reports Podcasts
        • Daily Drive Podcasts
        • Download Apps and Podcasts
      • Webinars
      • In the Driver's Seat
        • AAM
        • AutoAlert
        • CNA National
        • Polly
        • Truist
        • Acxiom: Acxiom VP on the intersection of analytics and car shoppers
        • Blue Yonder
        • CDK Global
        • Cox
        • Cox
        • Cox
        • DealerPolicy
        • Deloitte
        • Equifax
        • Equifax
        • Gentex
        • IHS Markit
        • MSX International
        • Micron
        • Qualcomm
        • Remember Group
        • Reputation.com
        • Ricardo: Dave Shemmans
        • Ricardo: Marques McCammon
        • Salty
        • T-Mobile
      • Publishing Partners
        • Cox: Transformation toward eCommerce in automotive retailing
        • Easycare: Reinventing the service contract for EVs
        • Easycare: The importance of benchmarking your reinsurance performance
        • Experian: Three steps to adapting to constant change in automotive marketing
        • Haig Partners: Buy-Sell Q&A: Where the Automotive M&A Market is heading
        • Haig: Buy-Sell Q&A: What is the value of an M&A advisor?
        • Siemens: The impact of vehicle electrification and connectivity on electrical system design
        • Text2Drive: Digital retailing meets the service department
        • Urban Science: Promoting dealer-consumer alignment across continued industry evolution
        • Western Digital: To Meet Consumer Demand, Automakers Must Double Down on Agile Development
        • Wipro: The Promise of Software-Defined Vehicles and the Cloud Car Ecosystem
        • Notarize: What to expect for the future of auto sales
        • Seagate: Unlocking value from connected-car data
        • Amazon Web Services: AI-powered supply chain decision-making
        • Epic Games: Five ways in-car designs will change in the next five years
        • Haig Partners: How are dealerships being valued today?
        • Haig Partners: Dealership consolidation trends
        • Haig Partners: Dealership valuation trends
        • Haig Partners: Dealership succession planning
        • Ally: Navigating the future of automotive retailing
        • Google: How a century-old brand is transforming the auto industry
        • Car Wars: Is a Rise in Service Leading to Poor Customer Satisfaction?
        • Solera | DealerSocket: Four real-time integrations that can save your dealership time
        • Solera | DealerSocket: Time for a new pre-owned pricing tactic
        • Kerrigan Advisors: Blue Sky Update Q4 2021
        • Qualcomm: Trading multi-year design cycles for on-demand features and experiences
        • Synchrony: 5 Ways to Help Motivate and Retain Employees
        • Twitter: EV adoption is happening...in an unexpected place
      • Classifieds
      • Companies on the Move
      • People on the Move
      • Newsletters
      • Contact Us
      • Media Kit
      • RSS Feeds