TikTok is becoming the most entertaining showroom for the automotive industry, fostering a thriving community of car enthusiasts who are connecting, learning, and engaging with vehicle brands in unprecedented ways. And this community is growing, fast, with 89% of TikTokers now expressing an interest in cars and #Car experiencing +25% year-on-year growth in video views on TikTok (April 2024 versus April 2023) [1].

The auto community on TikTok is a diverse group made up of everyone from long-time car lovers, to those just getting into driving. Automotive represents a growing conversational topic on the platform, with vibrant discussions and niche communities forming and evolving on the platform, from #Motorsport to #Drift, influenced by music, cinema and pop culture.

TikTok fosters these niche vehicle passions, from personalisation and motorsports to heritage and history, all while users are introducing new trends and sub-communities on the platform.

Stuart Flint, Head of Global Business Solutions for Europe at TikTok, says: "The car buying experience has changed significantly and going to a car showroom is no longer the only option for car buyers. Instead, actively engaged online communities are seeking content that resonates, engaging with reviews and taking action, whether that be arranging a test drive via a showroom, or having a car delivered right to their door.

This landscape creates an incredible opportunity for platforms like TikTok, to not only showcase new brands, but also envelop potential customers in communities that are incredibly passionate about autos."

Auto fandom offers new lanes for car brands

From #CarSpotting to #SuperCars, and #GermanCars, TikTok is helping auto brands reach these newer and more engaged audiences, with the platform home to a robust community of drivers who, without established brand preferences, are highly receptive to these car brands. Automotive fandom spans a broad range of topics - there have been 45m posts on TikTok on F1 Drive to Survive, for example [1] - and this broad scope provides huge opportunities for car brands to engage.

Whether they have been prompted to buy due to lifestyle shifts, wanting a future-proof car, or because of their desire for a more premium alternative, TikTok plays a strong role in a user's decision journey, from sparking inspiration, encouraging research and ultimately driving action.

Established car brands are thinking about how they can do things differently to reach and engage the TikTok community of auto fans, two-thirds (66%) of which are in the market to buy a car inside the next two years [2]. Peugeot, with its new range of cars and refreshed brand positioning, aimed to communicate its transformation and reach drivers through TikTok. It created an original track and a series of entertaining films over three months, featuring automotive creator @SheTalksCars, which produced some of the most impressive results both TikTok and Peugeot have seen.

Car enthusiasts on TikTok might be #brandloyal but opportunity is rife

Many within the auto community on TikTok are ride-or-die brands - with 13% of people on the platform saying they are strong 'brand loyalists' who prioritise a car's brand, reputation, and heritage. This group are 1.7x more likely to have gone on to buy or lease a new car after seeing TikTok car content [2].

But this still leaves ample opportunity for rival auto brands to make their mark. Those currently learning to drive or intending to in the next few years - which represent 21% of people on TikTok - are 1.8x more likely to have no car brand preferences [2]. TikTok is the go-to place where auto brands can reach their future consumers and actually create their next generation of brand advocates.

At a time when car fans are facing information overload, with more choice and freedom than ever before, automotive brands have to think differently about how they meaningfully engage with their audiences.

Conscious car drivers inspired on TikTok

Not only are TikTokers engaged in the auto industry, but they are thinking about driving in a different, more eco-friendly way, with a community of 'conscious car drivers' prioritising greener car options. According to research, 29% of TikTok users are planning to buy an electric or hybrid vehicle in the near future [2].

And brands are tuning into this. smart’s #AllElectricNow campaign, with the help of popular German creators, engaged the TikTok community in their thousands - from pacey transformations to using electric-style effects - generating over 576 million impressions.

TikTok's car fans are made up of diverse sub-communities who share this greener way of thinking. These motorists, representing a third of all TikTokers, have a strong interest and knowledge of cars and although eco-conscious, they also want power. TikTokers looking to buy an electric or hybrid car in the near future are +79% more likely to consider a car because they want it to be more enviornmentally friendly - but they are also significantly more likely than others on TikTok to rank ‘performance, speed and power’ as a top car feature [2].



Sources:

[1] TikTok internal data, FR, GB, DE, IT, ES, NO, PL, RO, SE, April 2024, overlapping hashtags

[2] TikTok Marketing Science EUI Auto on TikTok Research 2024 conducted via AYTM