December to Remember: Premium Brands Poised for Big Month
New data from Jumpstart Automotive Media shows car buyers’ interest in luxury cars tends to swell in December as factories ramp up their holiday campaigns.
by Staff
December 6, 2017
2 min to read
Ad campaigns such as Lexus’ “December to Remember” rule the holiday-season airwaves, helping to drive shopper interest in luxury cars and SUVs. Photo courtesy Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc.
SAN FRANCISCO — Jumpstart Automotive Media released new data showing how much of an impact automotive holiday advertising and promotions have had on luxury shoppers during the month of December. In analyzing luxury shopper interest trends, December ranked as the second-highest month for luxury brand shopping in both 2015 and 2016.
For the past several years, luxury auto manufacturers have designed special holiday advertisements and promotions for the month of December. From Lexus’ “December to Remember” to Audi’s “Season of Audi,” consumers have plenty of choices when it comes to holiday luxury auto shopping deals. According to WardsAuto, BMW’s “Road Home” television spot has been the most-viewed commercial this holiday season and Land Rover has the second-most viewed.
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While December ranked as the second-highest month for luxury shopping in 2015 and 2016 according to Jumpstart data, November ranked slightly higher in 2016 (31.3% vs. 31.0%), and in 2015, September was slightly higher than December (29.5% vs. 29.2%).
Jumpstart also analyzed today’s typical luxury shopper, highlighting trends and insights that illustrate how luxury auto shoppers’ characteristics are different than they were 10 or 20 years ago. Today’s television advertising caters to a new, younger audience who is more interested in luxury features that satisfy their own needs rather than showcasing their affluence to others.
Additional premium-brand data points include:
Luxury share of interest was 3% higher in December in 2015 and 2016 compared to the 12-month average for both years.
December luxury share of interest has grown 10% since December 2014.
Luxury share of interest was 1% higher in October 2017 vs. October 2016.
“Based on analyzing what people are shopping for throughout the year, it appears that the luxury holiday ad campaigns have been relatively effective, especially over the past few years,” said Colin Thomas, senior analyst, strategic insights for Jumpstart. “Nearly 20 years ago, Lexus pioneered the holiday year-end automotive sales event with the ‘December to Remember’ campaign featuring cars with giant red bows. Now we have seasonal television spots from virtually every luxury carmaker, with creative that rivals that of the Super Bowl. We’re really looking forward to seeing how much December advertising impacts traffic this year.”
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