In today's fiercely competitive automotive industry, target marketing has become a vital promotional tool for dealers. Not only is this approach a cost-effective way to lure new buyers, it can also boost customer satisfaction and secure consumer loyalty, which is a rare commodity these days.

Historically, the auto manufacturers and their dealers have worked together to get customers into to the showroom. The auto makers (OEMs) spend heavily on national (and at times, regional) advertising to attract attention to new models, or existing models that have new features or are available at a savings. Much of this spend has been on television and in national magazines. In turn, dealers (and their regional associations) target buyers in their immediate selling areas, mostly through local newspaper and radio advertising.

Traditional media—radio, television, and print—do not have the ability to target advertising directly to consumers who are actively engaged in shopping for a car. After all, only a small percentage of the population (about 2%) is in the market to buy a car at any given time. This creates huge inefficiencies in dealer local media spending if they are utilizing mass media to drive traffic into their showrooms. It also can mean significant opportunity for a savvy graphic communications service provider.