Direct Marketing ROI for Auto Retailers Nearly $34 for Every $1

Auto retailers spent $7.3 billion on direct marketing campaigns in 2007, driving $248.1 billion in sales - for a return on investment of $33.81, according to the Direct Marketing Association’s first-ever “Direct Marketing Facts and Figures in the Automotive Industry” report, writes MarketingCharts.

The 122-page DMA report provides an overview of the automotive industry and nearly 100 charts to help readers benchmark their own direct marketing progress.

Among the key findings of the report:

• Auto manufacturers spent $8 billion on direct marketing advertising in 2007, realizing $77.8 billion in sales. That translated into a $9.68 ROI per dollar spent.
• By 2012, auto manufacturers are expected to invest $9.8 billion on direct marketing, yielding $108.1 billion in sales, with an ROI of $11.
• Automotive retailers, whose direct marketing efforts drive the highest ROI of the 52 U.S. industries tracked by DMA, invested $7.3 billion in direct marketing advertising in 2007. As a result, this sector of the industry saw $248.1 billion in sales and an ROI of $33.81.
• Vehicle retailers will see a slight decrease in ROI, to $33.67 by 2012. That will result from spending $8.8 billion on direct marketing advertising and earning $297.8 in sales.

MarketingCharts offers some additional findings from the report.