Further to this the study also showed that when it came to helping readers make their choice of which new car to buy, online reviews supported by advertising were five times more effective than a magazine advert and three times more effective than a TV ad.
Les Stephenson, editor of Wheels24 says: "The site is driven by credible and comprehensive motoring news. We are also the only motoring news platform that has an accredited F1 correspondent. We take motoring very seriously and are gratified by the 78% of readers who said that they consider our platform to be a trusted source of information."
"The survey clearly showed that the Internet is a very important daily tool for the Wheels24 reader," says Gustav Goosen, CEO of The SpaceStation, the digital media sales agency responsible for the survey. "A quarter of the respondents surveyed spend more than three hours a day online and 40% of them use their mobile phones for reading motoring news."
From a lifestyle point of view the it is clear that the economy is still affecting purchase decisions with 70% stating that their main vehicle buying constraint was the monthly expensive repayments and only 18% of the readers insisting on new car purchases (with 44% saying they try to buy new but don't always manage).
The majority of the Wheels24 readers are also highly educated (77% have a tertiary education), young (36% are between the ages of 25 and 40) and in the upper income bracket (51% earn more than R30 000 per month).
"In order to harness this captive and valuable audience, we've strategically aligned numerous creative opportunities that extend far beyond just the banner to suit all forms of advertising objectives. The way we engage readers ranges from taking them on simple consumer journey's across the platform, to developing client focused editorial content in dedicated areas, which are driven commercially and editorially. In this way we have been able to deliver strong, effective advertising messages that our readers can relate and respond to," concludes the platform's Channel Sales Manager, Andrea van den Bergh.
The SpaceStation has developed an infographic to reflect the survey results that can be found at http://www.thespacestation.co.za/channel/wheels24/.
The SpaceStation
The SpaceStation is one of the leading digital media sales companies in the country and with its rapid expansion onto the African continent, one of the biggest players in the industry. The company is an innovative partnership between 24.com and DStv Media Sales which allows them to offer advertisers and media planners an effective, single point of access through which to increase the reach and effectiveness of their online and mobile marketing. Clients also gain access to powerful cross platform and multi-channel integration on all their campaigns.
The SpaceStation offers creative, innovative and valuable advertising solutions. These solutions allow their client base access to targeted and strategic audiences across a diverse range of market leading digital platforms including mobile, email and interactive TV.
With over six million connected South Africans each month, The SpaceStation represents more than 30 of South Africa's favourite websites and mobi-sites. In essence, offering their clients unrivalled access to South Africa's online population.
For more information visit www.thespacestation.co.za.
