Expert reviews are a core feature of all major motor magazines – but do they actually influence sales?
Emotional Logic conducted research with 2,000 car buyers and found that reading a motor magazine significantly changed their buying behaviour.
After reading the motor magazine (in print or digital format) 63% of car buyers made changes to their shortlist and 33% were changing the car they are most likely to buy. The study found that cars featuring in the magazine were less likely to be dropped from the shortlist and more likely to become the favourite. This proved that motor magazines have a strong influence over which cars consumers are intending to buy.
A study in Germany* found that test scores in expert reviews have a statistically significant impact on the number of new cars sold. Looking at the test scores for six car manufacturers in a leading motor magazine, it was found that for every 10% increase in test scores new car registrations for that model increased by 0.4 to 0.6%. This may sound like a low number but means that impact of reviews could contribute an extra 5% of sales. In this highly competitive market that is a number worth considering.
[*Source: Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics]
