ROCHESTER, Mich. -

As the industry picks up and many are forecasting sales to climb this year, Foresight Research revealed the results from its first 2012 Automotive Marketing Communications Study. And it seems car shoppers are looking for different “messages” from dealers and OEMs this time around. The time when touting a few incentives and coming out with fun, eye catching advertisements were enough to hook consumers seems to have come to an end.

With the threat of fuel prices rising and the economic recovery moving at a slow pace, shoppers are noticing more “practical” advertising, the study revealed.

"The auto industry continues its recovery," said Steve Bruyn, chief executive officer of Foresight Research. "After historic lows in 2009, U.S. light vehicle sales stabilized in 2010, and improved toward the end of 2011.  Our sample of 2010 to 2011 buyers represents a unique viewpoint into their behaviors and influences as the auto industry recovers from the worst economic period since the Great Depression." 

In interviewing 7,851 new vehicle buyers in the U.S., the company found that buyers were “less often influenced by ‘emotional’ messages, including style, fun to drive, sporty image and touch of class, and more often influenced by ‘practical’ messages such as discounts, vehicle reviews and competitive comparisons.”

And as the “emotional” messages fell to the wayside, consumers seemed to be more concerned with issues such as fuel economy, and interestingly, brand reputation came in as the third most influential message.

On the other hand, the availability of incentives dropped out of the top 10 strongest influencers as manufacturers reduced incentives.

Commenting on the results, Bruyn noted,"This post recession customer base has changed due to lingering hardships caused by the recession.  By comparing our recent findings to past years’ results, we see behavioral changes that may represent the new future marketing reality.”

And overall, buyers this past year seemed to “look for and listen to fewer marketing communications, as a different mix of customers and needs met budget-restrained marketers,” the company explained. 

The initial 2012 Marketing Communications Report analyzes buyer behaviors 12 months prior to their vehicle purchase, the company noted. And 17 different forms of marketing communications are compared.

Also, 27 different marketing messages received by buyers from various communication channels  are measured and rank-ordered, officials concluded.