Mobile motors: consumers use smartphones to buy cars

Independent mobile advertising network Greystripe has just announced that a huge majority of smartphone owners will use their devices to help them both find and buy a new car. Android and iOS users looking to pick up a new set of wheels, whether second hand or straight out of the factory, intend to use their devices during the process.

What’s the story?

Greystripe surveyed over 850 people on it’s network between November last year and this February, on the topics of buying cars and mobile phones. According the release they issued today:

• 25% of iPhone and Android users plans to buy a car within 12 months
• 78% of thesse say they will use their mobile device for both searching and purchasing their car
• 15.6% intend to buy a new car, with another 10.4% looking at the used market

Dane Holewinski, director of marketing at Greystripe says “touch device users are a tech savvy consumer segment with plenty of income… Auto brands are aware of the attractiveness of this audience and have been one of the most aggressive industries when it comes to rich media mobile advertising that harnesses the power of touch.”

What we think?

This is actually a nicely strategic survey release by Greystripe. The first thing that popped into my mind when I saw this release was “wow, good for smartphone owners” – the fact that 25% of iPhone and Android owners have enough disposable income around to buy a new car simply can’t be ignored. I’m in that boat myself; an Android owner who’s in the market for a second-hand car. And, yes, I’ve been using my phone to research.

The automotive industry hasn’t ignored this either – the correlation between smartphone ownership and probability of new car purchasing. There have been a lot of links between car manufacturers and mobile apps over the last few years, with GM, Hyundai and Mercedes investing heavily (amongst many, many others). Greystripe claims that auto brands alone have increased their spending by 113% in Q1 2010 over the same period in 2010.