by Tanya Gazdik, April 14, 2017

With so many car brands available on the market today, most Americans turn to Google to view pictures, read reviews, and find details on the vehicle they’re interested in purchasing.

Yonkers Honda wanted to show how these Google searches have evolved over time so they put together a series of map graphics illustrating the trends.

The Alfa Romeo brand is on the rise while Smart Cars seem to be falling out of favor in 2017. Alfa Romeo ran a robust Super Bowl advertising campaign this year. Looking at the increased search interest in Alfa Romeo from 2016 to 2017, it appears consumers responded to the brand’s increased presence at the big game.

In 2016, Smart Car was the most searched for a brand across a number of states. Smart Car leads the way for the search interest in the U.S. in 2016, as the most searched car brand in 13 different states.

Gas prices impact consumer purchasing decisions in the automotive industry. In 2012, an expensive year for gas prices according to AAA, Honda and Smart Car were the most searched brands in the highest number of states.

Where is Tesla the most searched car brand? Surprisingly, not California, but Nevada.

Overall, car brand loyalty and interest ebbs and flows quite a bit. Looking at data from 2012 to 2017, it was rare that one brand remained the most searched brand for a state for more than one to two years, said Boris Maksumov, marketing manager at Yonkers Honda.

“One of the primary takeaways auto marketers should draw from these findings is the importance of strong brand marketing,” Maksumov tells Marketing Daily. “Brand loyalty isn’t what it used to be as Americans’ preferences shift through the years, so it’s important to make sure your brand is top of minds as consumers work their purchase decisions.”

MediaPost.com: Search Marketing Daily

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