The automotive industry has long been at the forefront of the advertising world, with advertising plans including everything from TV to Radio to Newspapers. But in our technologically savvy era, traditional advertising now must be paired with online advertising, mobile campaigns and Digital-Out-Home (DOOH) advertising to peak the interest of consumers. A recent study conducted by comScore, and featured in the Millennial Media’s Mobile Intel Series, confirms just how much automakers and dealers are using smartphone technology to attract new and future customers.

According to the study, automakers implemented site search, dealer/store locator and view map actions in their mobile ads at much higher rates than other advertisers. “Mobile ad spend in the automotive industry has grown over 200 percent in the last year, and advertisers are recognizing that they can make a real impact with consumers,” declared Jamie Fellows, senior vice president of product at Millennial Media.

In addition, automotive advertising is the second-largest advertising spending category, according to the National Association of Auto Dealers, and rapidly becoming one of the fastest-growing spending segments in the DOOH industry. The rVue Demand-Side Platform (DSP) for Digital Out-Of-Home, gives advertisers the opportunity to reach over 130 million* daily impressions specifically geared towards those with an Automotive Mindset. Digital Out-Of-Home advertising is one of the fastest growing media in the world due to its flexible and scalable nature. DOOH media includes digital signage, digital billboards, LCD’s, LED’s, plasma displays and projected images found in public and private environments. What’s unique about DOOH is the ability to engage audiences through full motion video, animation and sound, and the level of customization based on location and audiences.

Mobile and DOOH advertising are two complementary forms of advertising. The interactivity between mobile and DOOH advertising provide advertisers with the ability to optimize their campaign based on analytics including handset data, time of day, location and other critical data. Reaching consumers in venues like the mall, arenas/stadiums and casinos with targeted advertisements and mobile components, such as QR codes, built in to ads draws in the consumer, stimulates interactivity and possibly, purchase. By including mobile elements in your DOOH campaign, it makes touching and engaging consumers easier and delivers actionable data to enhance your next campaign.

*As of 10/3/2011. Numbers continue to grow on a daily basis. For an up-to-date daily impression count, visit http://www.rvue.com/company/audience-mindsets/automotive