Leading Auto Brands in Australia: Q3 2023 Performance Analysis

Introduction

In the dynamic auto industry of Australia, several brands have emerged as leaders in digital engagement, leveraging their websites and apps to connect with a substantial audience. This article examines the performance of three leading brands in the auto category during Q3 2023: carsales.com Limited, Carsguide.com.au, and Tesla Motors. By utilizing Sensor Tower's comprehensive data, we gain insights into audience trends, app engagement, and advertising strategies.

carsales.com Limited

carsales.com Limited's digital presence features the websites carsales.com.au and bikesales.com.au, along with the carsales: Buy & Sell Cars app.

• Audience Trends:

  • carsales.com.au attracted a stable monthly true audience, with over 22M unique visits in July, decreasing to around 19M in September.

  • bikesales.com.au saw a peak in visits during August with approximately 6.9M monthly visits, followed by a slight decline in September.

• App Engagement:

  • The app maintained a strong monthly active user base, peaking at around 960K in August before a minor drop in September.

• Ad Spend & Channels:

  • Monthly advertising expenditure was highest in August at approximately $130K, with significant impressions on Facebook and Instagram. Notably, Facebook dominated the channel with impressions exceeding 23M.

Carsguide.com.au

Carsguide.com.au's online ecosystem includes the website carsguide.com.au and the CarsGuide - Used Cars For Sale app.

• Audience Trends:

  • The website experienced a consistent decline in monthly visits from 3.3M in July to just under 3M in September, indicating a slight reduction in user engagement.

• App Engagement:

  • The app had a stable but low monthly active user base, hovering around 20K throughout the quarter.

• Ad Spend & Channels:

  • A significant increase in monthly ad spend was observed in September, reaching over $50K, with Facebook accounting for the majority of impressions.

Tesla Motors

Tesla Motors maintains its digital footprint through tesla.com and the Tesla app.

• Audience Trends:

  • The website saw a gradual decline in monthly visits from 3.7M in July to about 2.9M in September, reflecting a decrease in web engagement.

• App Engagement:

  • The app's monthly active users slightly increased, reaching over 73K by the end of September, demonstrating a growing interest in Tesla's mobile experience.

• Ad Spend & Channels:

  • Notably, Tesla did not allocate any budget for monthly advertising during this period, focusing instead on organic reach.

Conclusion

The Q3 2023 analysis of leading auto brands in Australia highlights varied approaches to digital engagement and advertising. carsales.com Limited capitalized on a diverse ad strategy, while Carsguide.com.au saw increased ad investments towards the end of the quarter. Tesla Motors, on the other hand, relied on organic growth without ad spend. Sensor Tower’s comprehensive data across web, app, and advertising platforms provides unparalleled insights into these trends, critical for understanding cross-platform user behavior. For more detailed insights, explore our Web Insights, App Performance Insights, and Pathmatics offerings.