A. Guttmann
Research Lead covering media
U.S. automotive advertising – statistics & facts
The United States remains one of the world's most important markets for the automotive industry, even though its sales have been up and down over the last few decades. In 2024, annual light vehicle retail sales in the U.S. totaled 15.9 million units, of which three million units came from passenger car sales, both of which represented a significant decline from pre-pandemic levels. Such a marketplace leads to manufacturers competing, which implies heavy advertising expenditures. In 2024, the auto sector's local ad spend alone once again surpassed 12 billion U.S. dollars.
Highly digitized advertising & traditional roots
Also, in 2024, the automotive segment was one of the highest spending categories in the U.S. based on local ad expenses. The sector was also among the industries with the highest share of digital ad spending in the U.S. with 74.7 percent. In contrast, passenger car manufacturers were still investing mostly in traditional media. In 2023, their TV ad spent amounted to over 1.2 billion dollars.Top advertisers
Among the leading car manufacturers, Toyota Motor Sales USA spent approximately 661.3 million dollars on advertising in the U.S. in 2023, while Chevrolet's ad expenditure reached approximately 603 million dollars, and Ford's local ad expenses totaled 314.6 million dollars. All producers invested most of their resources in TV commercials, keeping digital channels in a distant second place within their ad budgets.Uncertain future
Recent breakthroughs, especially by Asian companies, are one of the hot topics in the sector. However, American brands still dominate the local market. Chevrolet — a division of General Motors (GM) — and Ford combined accounted for one-quarter of cars owned by U.S. participants of a 2024 survey. However, 45 percent of the U.S. consumers said that they were very likely or likely will switch their car brands next time. The U.S. recent stance on tariffs may play a role in American consumers' decisions, which tend to focus on fuel efficiency, safety and low prices when buying vehicles.
