With Memorial Day on the horizon, consumers across the country are locking in summer plans: road trips, beach weekends, cross-country drives to visit family.
And for a significant share of them, those plans include shopping for a new set of wheels to make the journey in. For auto dealers and marketers, the window to reach these buyers is open right now.
But here’s the catch. Not every Auto Intender is looking for the same thing. The shopper in Los Angeles eyeing a sleek EV has very little in common with the buyer in Dallas in the market for a heavy-duty pickup. Reaching them with a message that resonates means meeting them where they live, both literally and figuratively.
Why Local Matters More Than Ever
Auto purchase intent is anything but one-size-fits-all. Every market has its own personality, its own driving culture, and its own set of needs. A national campaign can certainly build awareness, but it often misses the nuance that turns interest into action.
When you look at the data, the differences across markets are striking. In the coming months, consumers in:
- Chicago are 48% more likely to purchase a 2-door car
- Washington, D.C. are 23% more likely to purchase a 4-door car
- Los Angeles are 44% more likely to purchase a hybrid or electric vehicle
- Dallas are 32% more likely to purchase a truck
- Miami are 2x more likely to purchase a van, and 47% more likely to purchase an SUV
Those aren’t small swings. They’re meaningful indicators that the right message in the right market can dramatically outperform a generic, broad-strokes approach. A truck-heavy campaign in Dallas? Smart. The same campaign in downtown Chicago? You’re leaving impressions, and dollars, on the table.
A Case Study: How One Georgia Dealership Drove Real Results
Roughly a third of U.S. adults are planning a road trip this summer, and about a third are also in the market for a new or used vehicle. That overlap creates a powerful opportunity, but competition is fierce. Many dealers reported declines in consumer foot traffic heading into Q1 2026, making it harder than ever to stand out.
Last spring, one Georgia dealership decided to do something different. They partnered with Locality streaming to drive sales at their dealerships, leaning into local relevance and connected TV’s growing reach. To measure what actually moved the needle, Locality teamed up with Polk Automotive Solutions to run a brand lift study.
The results were hard to ignore:
- +266% lift in buy rate for consumers exposed to the ads versus a matched control group
- 3.8x more likely to purchase from the dealer rather than a competitor
- $19.17 in return for every $1 spent on the campaign
That last number deserves a second look. A return on ad spend of nearly $20-to-$1 isn’t just a good outcome. It’s the kind of performance that reframes how a dealership thinks about its marketing budget for the year ahead.
The Takeaway
We’re entering the season of intent. People are planning, comparing, test-driving, and getting ready to make a move before the summer kicks into full gear. For dealers and brands in the automotive space, the question isn’t whether buyers are out there. It’s whether your message is reaching them in a way that feels relevant to their market, their lifestyle, and their next chapter.
Local isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the difference between being seen and being chosen.
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*Sources: MRI-Simmons 2025 Local Fall Target (somewhat/very likely to buy or lease a new vehicle in the next 12 months, indexed to U.S. adults); MRI-Simmons Trending Topics Q3 2025; Cox Automotive Dealer Sentiment Index Q1 2026; Polk Automotive Solutions Auto Sales Lift Study executed for Locality. Campaign exposure 02.19.25 to 12.31.25 with 90-day lookback window.*
