Marketplace-First Consumer Behavior: From Retail to Automotive

Retail already proved it: when a shopper sees an ad, they don’t Google the brand—they open Amazon, scroll to reviews, and click “Buy Now.” Our new white paper shows the same marketplace-first behavior is now reshaping automotive. Download White paper

What we uncovered

• 93 % of engaged buyers hit third-party auto marketplaces during their path to purchase, often within minutes of seeing a TV or CTV ad.
• Linear TV still matters, but attribution shifts. Comcast set-top-box data reveals viewers who see an OEM ad often head straight to Autotrader, CarGurus, Cars.com, Edmunds, or TrueCar instead of the brand’s homepage.
• Retail-media rules the budget. Just as Amazon Ads exploded past $56 B in 2024, auto marketplaces are launching their own networks, giving OEMs and dealers closed-loop options that traditional search can’t match.

Why it matters

If your TV and CTV KPIs stop at “dealer website visits” or “dealer walk-ins,” you’re missing the real action. Marketplaces have become the critical mid-funnel bridge where intent turns into consideration—and where your media spend can finally be tied to outcomes.

Inside the white paper

• Marketplace vs. search data for both retail and automotive
• Case studies: Samsung × Best Buy, Ford Bronco CTV campaigns‍
• The rise of new KPIs—think “Autotrader.com Visit,” “CarGurus.com Visit,” “Cars.com Visit,” “Edmunds.com Visit,” “TrueCar.com Visit”—that finally link media spend to real marketplace intent

Get the full story and actionable next steps.

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