As auto brands zigged toward an all-out EV marketing blitz starting in 2021, auto shoppers have zagged toward hybrids with stunning enthusiasm. By the end of 2024, electrified vehicles had reached 3.2 million total sales, good for 20 percent of all US auto sales. Hybrids accounted for roughly 60 percent of those 3.2 million vehicles sold.
The reasons for the accelerated pace of hybrid adoption as compared to battery-electric vehicles are well chronicled. Price is generally cited as a main factor, with the average transaction price for a new BEV in February 2025 at $55,273, and the average price for a hybrid vehicle around $47,900 This $7k+ gap in sticker price has boosted the fortunes of brands such as Toyota and Honda, who both reported record sales of hybrid cars and trucks last year and have taken a measured approach to rolling out their EV lineups.
A hybrid vehicle also offers more flexibility than an EV, as charging isn’t a requirement for traditional and plug-in hybrids offer a gas engine as a backup for longer road trips. This distinction becomes especially important for drivers living in rural areas with sparse charging infrastructure, or those without the ability to charge at home such as urban apartment dwellers.
What Automotive Brands Can Learn from Consumer Preference for Hybrids
Auto brands are quickly pivoting as a result of this trend, as the number of plants that will build vehicles with three propulsion systems — internal combustion engine, hybrid and EV — will nearly double from 11 in 2023 to 21 in 2029, according to a July report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, which cited S&P Global Mobility data.
That said, while EVs remain central to the future of the automotive industry, this detour on the road to electrification offers some lessons on how we might market to the future buyers of these vehicles. The meteoric rise of hybrids reflects consumer preferences favoring flexibility and choice. The same can be said for marketing. Going “all in” on one or two marketing channels or tactics creates opportunities for brands with a more balanced approach to steal market share via conquesting efforts, while leaving opportunities for deeper engagement with consumers on the table.
The Role of Traditional TV and Beyond in Auto Marketing
It’s no secret that auto brands have a long-standing affinity for linear television as their primary vehicle for marketing their products and dealerships, and this has continued thus far in 2025. MediaPost reported that national TV spending tallied $485.1 million through the end of February, up 0.2 percent from $484.2 million in the first two months of 2024.
BIA Advisory Services predicts that 82 percent of Tier 1 local TV auto marketing budgets will go towards over-the-air (OTA) linear TV, with 79 percent of Tier Two’s allocation and 73 percent of Tier Three’s allocation dedicated to linear as well. While local TV is a viable option for marketers looking for local reach, it’s worth considering alternatives when factoring in the core viewership demographics. According to a 2023 report by the Pew Research Center, adults aged 50 and above are the primary consumers of local TV news, with only 20 percent of viewers under 30 regularly viewing local news broadcasts. This challenge presents a couple of solutions.
A Targeted, Cross-channel Approach Offers Flexibility and Deeper Engagement
Knowing that a car purchase is often a household decision, marketers should be leveraging household-level targeting to deliver relevant messaging based on available data for that household. In a similar way that hybrid vehicles form a “bridge” between ICE and EVs, Connected TV (CTV) offers a best of both worlds scenario. It leverages the power of influence that television provides with additional options to localize messaging via dealer location callouts or QR codes that scan directly to local dealer inventory, and measurement solutions tying exposure back to sales. Further engagement with that same household is now an option via desktop and mobile video. It can be designed to foster deeper engagement with each member of the household through interactive exploration of the vehicle features, vehicle customization options and local inventory feeds to turn leads over to local dealers to complete the sale.
This household-targeted CTV to individual device strategy is also a great test for those brands looking to experiment with a “tier-less” marketing approach, seamlessly blending sleek tier one-style video and television impact with the more shopper-oriented desktop and mobile video creative executions that tier two and three marketers are familiar with. What’s more, tying that activity back to actual sales is now possible through closed-loop attribution available for digital campaigns such as these.
Taking a hybrid approach has helped auto brands give consumers the choice and flexibility they desire when purchasing a new vehicle. Using that same approach with your automotive marketing ensures all your bases are covered, no matter what road shoppers take to discover your brand or dealership.
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