The 5 Journeys Fueling Growth for Automotive Brands

By Sam Holmes, Head of Marketing at Force24

 

 

Not many journeys to car ownership look the same. Some begin with a passing curiosity and end months later in a dealership visit. Others start with a specific model in mind, only to change completely by the time a test drive is booked. The decision is personal, high value, and rarely linear.

As marketers, we’re tasked with making sense of these varying buying behaviours. Building relationships and trust over long buying cycles, nurturing interest without overwhelming and staying relevant when the conversation pauses for weeks at a time.

That is made harder when systems don’t speak to each other, data is fragmented, and marketing resource is spread thin across product launches, showroom events, and lead generation.

That’s where automation becomes essential. Not just as a time-saver, but as a way to deliver personalised, meaningful communication at every stage, from first touchpoint to post-sale care.

This article is my observations of the best performing and most successfully-implemented email journeys I’m seeing automotive brands use today. Whether you’re a dealer group, manufacturer, or agency supporting the sector, these journey will hopefully help you meet prospects where they are, keep the conversation going, and stay top of mind until they’re ready to act.

 

Five Automotive Journeys Worth Automating

Automation doesn’t have to mean complexity. Some of the highest-impact journeys are also the simplest to implement, especially when built around the moments that matter most to your audience. Here are five journeys worth prioritising.

1. Test Drive Drop-Off

Test drive booking is still a key milestone in the car buying process, but the drop-off between interest and action is significant. Prospects often start the process but don’t complete it — whether they’re interrupted, unsure, or simply not quite ready. With automation in place, you can respond to that behaviour in real time. If someone visits the test drive page several times or starts a booking form without submitting, a follow-up message can be triggered to offer a reminder or prompt. This could include helpful content, such as a comparison guide, a link to reviews, or even a message from the local dealership inviting them to book directly. These gentle nudges re-engage interest and help keep momentum going.

2. First Enquiry Nurture

When someone downloads a brochure, submits an enquiry, or signs up for updates, it’s a clear expression of interest. However, many leads are either handed straight to sales or dropped into a generic campaign flow — and this is where engagement can quickly cool. A strong nurture journey builds early trust and keeps the brand front of mind. A good approach is to thank the contact personally, introduce the values of your brand or dealership, and offer clarity around what happens next. For example, guiding them to book a call, check finance options, or explore models in more detail. This journey also provides space to introduce stories, ownership benefits, and content that helps buyers feel supported as they move closer to a decision.

3. Finance Interest Follow-Up

Finance journeys are among the most underutilised areas for automation in automotive, despite being one of the clearest signs of buying intent. Whether a visitor uses a PCP calculator, requests a monthly quote, or submits part-exchange information, they’re actively evaluating what’s possible. This is the perfect moment to follow up. Automated messaging can recap their quote, offer a link to view cars within their chosen budget, or introduce a finance expert who can answer their questions. You’re not trying to push them down the funnel instantly — just helping them navigate their options with less friction and more confidence.

4. Ownership Journeys

The communication gap after a car is sold is a missed opportunity for many brands. The ownership phase may be quieter, but it’s full of potential — from retention to referrals to loyalty-based upsell. An automated ownership journey allows you to keep the conversation going in a meaningful way. This might include timely MOT and service reminders, useful how-to videos for in-car tech, or occasional seasonal driving tips. As time goes on, the journey can evolve to introduce upgrade pathways, accessories, or exclusive loyalty rewards based on the model they own. When done right, it helps your brand stay helpful without being intrusive — and encourages the next sale to come back to you, not a competitor.

5. Re-Engagement Journeys

In automotive, it’s common for leads to go cold — but that doesn’t mean they’re lost. Someone who showed interest six months ago might be back in the market soon, and automation can help you stay lightly present in the background. By using data like lease end dates, previous activity, or model preference, you can design journeys that gently check back in. These might share new releases, promote offers, or invite the customer to take another look at what’s available. It’s not about sending regular emails for the sake of it — it’s about making sure you reappear at the right moment, with the right message.

 

What’s Holding Automotive Back?

Many marketers already know what they want to do when it comes to improving customer journeys — it’s the “how” that causes friction. One common challenge is disconnected data. Marketing, CRM and dealership systems often hold valuable insights, but they don’t always feed into one another. As a result, it becomes harder to act on customer behaviour in real time or personalise content meaningfully.

Another barrier is capacity. Many marketing teams are already stretched, supporting multiple locations or product lines with limited resource. Automation can feel like just one more thing to manage, when in fact, it should be the opposite — a way to take pressure off. The important thing here is to start with one journey. Something small but high impact. Seeing results quickly not only builds confidence, but also earns you the internal backing to roll out more.

A third issue is visibility. Without clear reporting, it can be difficult to demonstrate the commercial value of automation. Open rates don’t always translate to boardroom impact. But if you can show that a journey led to increased test drive bookings, service appointments, or faster conversion times, it becomes much easier to prove the return on your efforts.

 

Getting Started or Building on What You’ve Got

Whether you’re just beginning to explore automation or looking to fine-tune existing journeys, the best place to start is with your customer lifecycle. Map out the key stages of both the buying and ownership experience, and look at where the gaps exist. These are the moments where automation can have the biggest impact — not by replacing human interaction, but by supporting it with timely, relevant messaging.

While many marketing teams run seasonal or monthly campaigns, real value often comes from behaviour-based automation. If someone configures a car online, that’s a sign they’re considering a specific model. If a customer has owned their vehicle for nearly three years, it might be time to discuss upgrade options. Triggered communication in these moments often performs far better than broad calendar-based sends.

When building your first few journeys, keep them simple and focused. A clear, helpful email that guides a lead forward is often more effective than a complex campaign with multiple branches. And once a journey is live, treat it as something that evolves. Review performance regularly, listen to feedback from your sales team, and adjust based on what’s working.

 

Final Word: Make Every Message Count

Automation, at its best, supports the human side of your brand. It ensures no lead is forgotten, no follow-up is missed, and no customer is left wondering what happens next.

In a sector where decision-making takes time and trust is everything, relevance is your greatest advantage. With the right journeys in place — and the right technology and support to bring them to life — you can show up at the right moments, speak with purpose, and create an experience that truly stands out.

Because in automotive marketing, relevance doesn’t just drive engagement. It drives revenue, too.