The document outlines the typical consumer journey when purchasing a new car, which involves 5 key stages: open to possibility, worldview, evaluating, shopping, and experiencing. It notes that digital plays a critical role throughout the journey, with consumers using online resources like manufacturer websites, reviews, videos, and mobile apps to research options and complete the purchase. The summary also highlights that marketers should understand consumer needs at each stage, leverage lifestyle content to help consumers establish preferences, and provide a seamless digital experience across all stages of car research and ownership.

1. The Consumer Journey:
Global Auto-Buyers
New opportunities for marketers and agencies as consumers embrace
digital on their journey to buy a new car
Five key stages to the path to purchase, and
digital plays a critical role1
1/3
of global consumers use search during
the early Open to Possibilty stage
5
Consumers triangulate information from
authoritative online content, customer
reviews and local dealer sites.
TV and newspapers are influential
throughout the journey in emerging
markets… but they may not be serving
these markets in full.
months to move through
the entire purchase journey
Consumers love online video for car
shopping: 30% say a test drive using a
gaming console would be a helpful way
to experience a potential purchase.
average number of cars
test-driven before purchase
2-3
“When I first
drove, the car
was everything.
It meant
freedom.”
Current State
Open to Possibility
Everyone has a subconscious ‘idea’ about cars.
our perceptions are formed by experiences and
everyday encounters such as:
Female, US
• The cars our parents drove
• Those we've owned in the past
• Cars we see driving past
• Slick advertising campaigns
• And cool chase scenes in movies
Motivation
Decision to Change
Something triggers a conscious
commitment to change
Issues with OUR current car
Better fuel consumption
ror performance
A new addition
to the family
Worldview
Evaluating
Consumers begin to think about the
right fit for their lifestyle
In the worldview phase, there are four decisions that
need to be made:
• Confirming You Are Going To Buy A New Car
• Working Out What You Want From A New Car
• Determining How You're Going To Get
Your Information
• Establishing A Base Level Of Brands Or Models
Do I want a roomy
family car?
Or an agile and
Fuel-efficient city car?
“If I’m honest, I’m
driven and influenced
by media more than
I’d like to admit.”
Those with solid brand preferences and/or experience
skip through this stage quickly. However, most
consumers have trouble with some or all of these
elements. In some cases, it may be hard to work out
how to get the information you need to move on.
Female, UK
38%
30%
23%
21%
Nearly a third of consumers experience
“switchbacks” where they move backward
into earlier stages of the journey.
Media Influencers
Auto manufacturer websites
(including their owned social media sites)
55% (Brazil)
49% (India)
40% (UK)
53% (US)
Car comparison & aggregator websites
34% (Brazil)
45% (India)
35% (UK)
40% (US)
Broadcast TV
40% (Brazil)
31% (India)
12% (UK)
19% (US)
Search engines
Magazines
23% (Brazil)
41% (Brazil)
34% (India)
44% (India)
29% (UK)
20% (UK)
33% (US)
20% (US)
Social networks
Newspapers
25% (Brazil)
42% (Brazil)
26% (India)
18% (UK)
10% (US)
Most of the auto shopping
journey—the process of
filtering and assessing
options— is completed
online. Consumers wait until
the last possible minute to
go into the dealership.
46% (India)
8% (UK)
Shopping
16% (US)
The Terrain
The Car
The Deal
In this phase of
Shopping, consumers
narrow down their
options through a
process of comparison
and elimination.
Consumers zero-in on
what they want. This is
a focused hunt for ‘the
one’ at the best price
possible.
Most consumers go to
the dealer armed with
all the facts they need
to buy; they typically
rely on mobile
technology to locate
dealerships and get
on-the-fly information.
“My smartphone is my rock, my life.
It’s portable and discreet.”
Female, US
“Cars to me are more
than transportation.
They define you
as a person.”
Media Influencers
The Terrain (Compare)
The Car & The Deal (Aggregate)
Car ratings/review websites
Independent car valuation websites
57% (Brazil)
64% (India)
20% (Brazil)
19% (India)
64% (UK)
Male, US
67% (US)
8% (UK)
20% (US)
Auto manufacturer websites
(including their owned social media sites)
Local dealer websites/
owned social media
54% (Brazil)
58% (India)
27% (Brazil)
33% (India)
56% (UK)
58% (US)
44% (UK)
43% (US)
Car comparison/aggregator websites
38% (Brazil)
Ownership
Experiencing
21% (UK)
Search engines
48% (India)
24% (Brazil)
31% (India)
37% (US)
20% (UK)
18% (US)
Car ratings/review websites
Broadcast TV
40% (Brazil)
31% (India)
43% (Brazil)
47% (India)
10% (UK)
17% (US)
40% (UK)
46% (US)
After their purchase, consumers seek
internal validation via their personal
experiences with the new car...
...and external validation
as their expectations are reflected back
on them via other people and media.
Eventually, the new car simply becomes
a consumer’s current car and they circle
back to the beginning of the cycle…
“I saved from my first
job in a fish and chip
shop to buy my first
car—and was very
proud of myself.”
After I bought
my car, I...
Female, UK
Connected my smartphone to the
car’s entertainment system
8% (Brazil)
16% (India)
21% (UK)
24% (US)
Uploaded photos of my car to
share with others
18% (Brazil)
33% (India)
11% (UK)
23% (US)
Posted/wrote about new car
on social networking site
19% (Brazil)
14% (India)
13% (UK)
18% (US)
Provided a review of the
dealership I bought from
23% (Brazil)
14% (UK)
23% (India)
17% (US)
Marketers, what does this all mean?
1
Understand the emotional or functional
needs of consumers at each stage in
the journey in order to inform your
creative message across media
channels and screens.
2
Before models and specs, leverage
aggregated lifestyle content such as “Top
Ten Family Cars” or “Best City Vehicles” on
MSN Autos to help consumers establish their
unique “Worldview” during the Open to
Possibility stage.
3
Create location-aware mobile messages
that get consumers into the dealership
via MSN and Windows 8 apps.
to
4 Bring the test drive experience richlife
before the dealership through
media, video and interactive games on
Xbox LIVE.
5 Deliver a seamless connection between
auto decision-making and finance with
MSN Money and MSN Autos.
forget
7 Finally, don’tdecisionto validate
consumers’
through rich
post-purchase campaigns that
enable consumers to get mobile
alerts, store important information
and join like-minded communities
where they can share and advocate
for your brand.
6 Help consumers avoida“switchbacks” by
providing and storing combination of
authoritative content, expert reviews,
consumer opinions and local dealer
information across PCs, tablets and
mobile phones.
Personalization
Enrichment
Thinking about what
might work and what
the product or service
would do for me.
How does this product
fit into my life?
Getting a better
tactile sense of the
product or service
I’m considering.
What’s the essence
or feel of it?
Gaining support
for my choices,
preferences and
ultimately purchases.
Am I making/have I
made the right choice
and do others think
so, too?
Getting more
information about
the product, including its features and
benefits. How do the
facts stack up?
Validation
1
The Consumer Journey, Auto-Buyers: Influencers and Mindsets along the Path to Purchase,” conducted by Ipsos Media CT and Ipsos OTX, commissioned by
Microsoft, February – June 2012. Study of US, UK, Brazil and India conducted online and in personal interviews; Quantitative Sample = 1002 (Brazil), 1022 (India), 761
(UK), 1106 (US); study focused on cars in the economy sector; +/- 3.10% (Brazil), 3.07% (India), 3.55% (UK), 2.95%(US) at the 95% confidence level.
Information