Who’s winning the automotive brand battle? New report reveals SA’s marketing and PR leaders

One of the standout findings: automotive brands collectively spent over R593m on advertising during this period, with 106,739 placements across television, radio, and print. While TV remains the go-to platform, brands are increasingly shifting investments to social media and radio, signalling a change in how they engage audiences.

To ensure an objective view of the industry, this analysis includes a broad selection of major automotive brands from various geographical regions, offering a balanced reflection of the sector’s competitive dynamics rather than a curated shortlist of top performers.

Key takeaways from the report:

• Toyota and Audi lead the pack in advertising, but with different approaches
  Toyota took a multi-channel approach, rolling out 126 new adverts across TV, print, and social media, with its “It’s not a bakkie, it’s a Hilux” campaign generating notable attention. Audi, just behind with 124 adverts, went all-in on radio, leveraging its EWN Traffic sponsorship to dominate the airwaves.

• Volkswagen tops media coverage, while sentiment varies across brands
  Volkswagen secured the highest media coverage, with Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi following closely. However, not all publicity was equal – BMW led in positive sentiment, while brands like Nissan, Hyundai, and emerging players struggled to generate engagement.

• R593m in ad spend reflects industry’s fierce competition
  With a total of 106,739 ad placements, the automotive industry’s marketing spend underscores the intense battle for consumer attention. TV remains the dominant medium, but social media and radio investments are increasing, particularly for brands like Jetour and Audi, which prioritised audio and digital engagement over traditional channels.

• Social media winners and losers: BMW leads, Haval and Jetour fall behind
  When it comes to social media, BMW dominated with 55% of total mentions, reflecting strong consumer interest. Audi followed with 21%, while Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz hovered at 10% and 6%, respectively. Newer entrants, including Haval and Jetour, struggled to generate traction, highlighting the challenge of breaking into an increasingly competitive space.

Get the competitive edge – download the full report now

Want to see where your brand stands in the industry? This exclusive report delivers a deep dive into advertising trends, media impact, and consumer engagement across South Africa’s automotive sector. Whether you're fine-tuning your marketing strategy or tracking competitor activity, these insights will help you stay ahead in the race for visibility and market share.

Ornico provides reputation, media, advertising and brand research with a suite of products that includes Brand Intelligence® across the African continent. It does this to help marketers and brand owners make sense of the flood of information that occupies traditional and social media.

By collecting and analysing media data across many channels, Ornico informs brand owners and marketing decision makers about the most important strategic decisions they'll ever make regarding their brands.

From editorial and advertising monitoring services, social media analytics to advanced brand research, Ornico provides a holistic and independent view of brand performance as reflected by television, radio, print media as well as social and digital media.