- The Automotive Industry in 2026: Growth Pressure in a New Context
The year 2026 marks a critical turning point for the Automotive industry, where the question is no longer “should we do Digital,” but “how to generate real business efficiency with the most optimal budget.” After more than two decades accompanying top automotive brands, I clearly perceive the pressure CMOs and CEOs are facing: industry-wide digital ad spend is projected to hit $21.2 billion (an 11.1% increase year-over-year), while CPC and CPM are escalating across most platforms. Competitive advantage no longer belongs to “who spends more,” but lies in the ability to create real ROI.
More notably, car-buying behavior has completely shifted to the digital environment. Up to 78-82% of car buyers conduct online research before visiting a dealership, and many have already identified 2-3 preferred models before meeting a sales representative. Digital is not just a few advertising campaigns; it has become an ecosystem of touchpoints shaping perception and purchase decisions. According to the Automotive Omnichannel Marketing report, the cost to sell a car via digital marketing is only about $150, whereas traditional marketing consumes an average of $1,581 – a difference of over 10 times.
Impact of online platforms on car buyer behavior.
Source: Novaon Digital
All these factors have posed a major challenge for Automotive Marketers in 2026 to breakthrough performance and effectively minimize media costs. The most suitable Digital Marketing strategies for the Automotive industry will be revealed in the following section.
- The Most Effective Digital Marketing Strategies for the Automotive Industry in 2026
Strategy 1: Combining Lead Management and Nurturing Solutions (OnLead) In the Automotive industry, every lead is expensive, and their readiness to buy varies significantly. “Having leads” does not equate to “having sales opportunities.” The core problem lies in how the brand manages, classifies, and nurtures these leads throughout the customer’s decision-making journey. To solve this, brands need to combine lead management and nurturing solutions rhythmically:
- Collect leads from websites, search ads, social media, and content platforms.
- Use OnLead to filter, score, and classify leads based on interest levels.
- Push quality leads to the CRM while using behavioral data to re-optimize media. The value delivered is not just reducing the cost per quality lead but also shortening the car-buying journey and improving the efficiency of the sales team.
Summary of effective Digital Marketing strategies for the Automotive industry.
Source: Novaon Digital
Strategy 2: TikTok Growth – Building a Long-term Content Channel Currently, TikTok has become a crucial touchpoint for young customers and those intending to buy cars in the future. However, this platform only becomes effective when brands view it as a long-term content-building channel, rather than just exploiting TikTok as a short-term sales channel. For TikTok to truly become a long-term growth channel, brands need to focus on three core principles:
- Develop content that is entertaining, lifestyle-oriented, and shares experiences, instead of direct advertising.
- Combine with KOLs/KOCs to create natural and relatable spread.
- Maintain a consistent posting rhythm to form a stable follower community. This strategy helps brands increase awareness at a lower cost compared to traditional advertising while creating a long-term foundation for growth.
Strategy 3: Brandformance – Combining Branding and Sales Efficiency Performance marketing can generate leads quickly, but without a solid brand foundation, efficiency is difficult to maintain sustainably in the long run. The Brandformance philosophy was born to balance short-term goals with long-term brand value, combining the strengths of both brand building and sales performance. For Brandformance to truly create business efficiency, the strategy needs to be implemented consistently according to three principles:
- Synchronize the brand message across the entire digital ecosystem.
- Integrate brand content into touchpoints capable of conversion.
- Measure efficiency using both brand metrics and real actions like registrations, inboxes, and test drives. The result is that businesses both optimize sales performance and accumulate sustainable brand value.
- Automotive Industry Case Studies from Novaon Digital
The following three case studies demonstrate how Novaon Digital’s SCT model helps brands breakthrough performance and optimize costs despite market volatility. By combining lead management, trust-building livestreams, and data control, Digital Marketing becomes a lever for sustainable growth for the Automotive industry.
Case Study 1: Peugeot – Growth Turnaround thanks to Digital Experience Optimization & Data Governance
In a period of declining automotive market and intense competition in the European segment, Peugeot faced pressure to quickly recover sales and market share. The automaker had an advantage in a rich SUV product portfolio, but to turn that advantage into real business results, Digital Marketing activities needed to lead the entire customer journey – instead of just stopping at creating brand coverage.
Peugeot applied the Brandformance solution in the “When the white lion adapted to thrive” campaign.
Source: Novaon Digital
To solve this problem, Peugeot implemented a solution deeply integrated between technology, creativity, and data. The firm applied AI to analyze and determine which creative elements, messages, and product features delivered the highest performance in promotional activities. Simultaneously, the Sales – CRM system was upgraded to tightly connect customers’ online behavioral data with the sales team.
Results Achieved: The campaign helped Peugeot breakthrough in sales and establish a leading position in the European car segment in Vietnam. The combination of data and AI optimized lead conversion rates while significantly expanding market share and affirming brand power on the digital platform.
Case Study 2: OMODA & JAECOO (Note: Content describes Toyota) – Brand Launch via Livestream & Omnichannel Performance
In 2023, Toyota, together with Novaon Digital, conquered the Gen Z and Millennials customer base on TikTok by completely changing the traditional advertising mindset. Instead of rigid sales videos, the brand focused on producing short, trendy, highly entertaining content revolving around real experiences like family travel or car usage tips. This approach helped Toyota eliminate the “offensive” prejudice and cleverly be present in the minds of future customers in the most natural way.
By combining Hashtag Challenges, KOLs/KOCs, and behavioral data optimization (Performance Marketing), the campaign created an explosion in interaction with videos reaching up to 6 million views. Impressive results with over 245,000 followers not only helped Toyota strongly increase brand awareness but also built a youthful customer community, creating a solid foundation for long-term business strategy.
Toyota applied the TikTok Growth solution in the “TikTok Growth” campaign.
Source: Novaon Digital
Results Achieved: The campaign reaped resounding success with strong spread on the TikTok platform right from the launch phase. Creative content not only attracted huge interaction volumes with many videos achieving sudden growth but also maintained stable potential customer prospecting performance with optimal costs for the launch phase. This result helped Toyota reinforce its brand position in the hearts of young people and build a sustainable community of potential customers for the future.
Case Study 3: GAC Motor – Building Trust and Increasing Efficiency through End-to-End Data Management
GAC Motor is positioned in the premium segment, meaning the firm needs a Digital strategy specifically focused on trustworthiness and customer experience. Furthermore, the brand’s origin from China makes strict control of the entire customer journey – from lead collection to after-sales care – a vital factor to avoid budget waste and protect brand image.
GAC Motor applied the Onlead solution in the “Where craft meets technology” campaign. Source: Novaon Digital
To solve this challenge, GAC Motor implemented a solution directed towards comprehensive datafication. The entire process of collecting, classifying, and distributing leads was maximally automated, helping to minimize errors and limit reliance on manual operations.
Results Achieved:
- Significantly reduced errors and manual processing time.
- Increased response speed to potential customers.
- Optimized investment costs by focusing on high-value leads.
Expert Opinion
In 2026, the optimal Digital Marketing strategy for the Automotive industry does not lie in budget racing or blindly expanding channels. Instead, it requires a focus on comprehensive restructuring based on data, real experiences, and actual car-buying behavior. Digital Marketing only truly creates value when it acts as a direct business lever, helping to accurately approach the target customer group and eliminate waste in the lead generation process. Understanding this reality, Novaon Digital affirms its position as a strategic partner with a comprehensive solution ecosystem based on the trinity of capabilities: Strategy – Creative – Technology. We focus on automating and personalizing communication, helping brands tell legacy stories through messages “tailored” precisely for each individual. This combination ensures the brand hits the right insight and is fully present in the customer’s mind, creating a sustainable competitive advantage on the Automotive 2026 track.
