Impact of marketing channels on car purchase decisions across German regions
Konnov, Aleksandr (2025)
2025
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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025112830547
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025112830547
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This thesis examines how different marketing channels influence car purchase decisions across four macro regions of Germany: North, South, West and East. In recent years, the German automotive market has experienced a strong shift towards digital sources, which now dominate the customer journey. However, the effectiveness of each channel still varies depending on regional media habits, infrastructure and the characteristics of the local market.
The research problem of the study is empirical. The objective is to identify which marketing channels raise awareness among customers, support comparison research and encourage buying activity. A quantitative Webropol survey was conducted, resulting in 47 valid responses. The survey aimed to discover which channels participants use when searching for a car, which sources they trust the most and which formats eventually lead them to concrete actions such as booking a test drive or visiting a dealership.
The findings show that digital channels play the most significant role in shaping customer research and final decisions. Online reviews, YouTube videos and the websites of dealers and manufacturers proved especially influential. Traditional channels, such as TV, radio, billboards and printed media, remain effective in some regions — particularly in the East — but they rarely trigger direct buying action. Clear regional differences were observed: the North relies heavily on simple digital search tools like online magazines and search engines, the South tends to shift quickly to brand-specific content, the West shows highly multichannel behaviour and the East combines web search with a higher-than-average use of traditional formats.
By comparing these patterns, the thesis provides practical insights for professionals in car sales and automotive marketing. The results suggest that regional communication strategies should be adjusted by strengthening digital content nationwide while using supportive channels according to local habits and infrastructure. The study also offers recommendations on improving brand awareness and attracting customers in each specific region.
The research problem of the study is empirical. The objective is to identify which marketing channels raise awareness among customers, support comparison research and encourage buying activity. A quantitative Webropol survey was conducted, resulting in 47 valid responses. The survey aimed to discover which channels participants use when searching for a car, which sources they trust the most and which formats eventually lead them to concrete actions such as booking a test drive or visiting a dealership.
The findings show that digital channels play the most significant role in shaping customer research and final decisions. Online reviews, YouTube videos and the websites of dealers and manufacturers proved especially influential. Traditional channels, such as TV, radio, billboards and printed media, remain effective in some regions — particularly in the East — but they rarely trigger direct buying action. Clear regional differences were observed: the North relies heavily on simple digital search tools like online magazines and search engines, the South tends to shift quickly to brand-specific content, the West shows highly multichannel behaviour and the East combines web search with a higher-than-average use of traditional formats.
By comparing these patterns, the thesis provides practical insights for professionals in car sales and automotive marketing. The results suggest that regional communication strategies should be adjusted by strengthening digital content nationwide while using supportive channels according to local habits and infrastructure. The study also offers recommendations on improving brand awareness and attracting customers in each specific region.