The importance of digital advertising is undisputed. By the end of 2018, an estimated $273 billion will be spent on digital advertising, accounting for approximately 43% of global advertising dollars, according to an eMarketer report.
In the automotive industry, digital advertising has become particularly important. Customers now spend 60% of their time online during the car-buying process, according to the 2018 Car Buyer Journey by Cox Automotive.
This increased emphasis on the digital world, though, has created a new threat: digital ad fraud. Fraudulent publishers see the growing digital ad dollars and are looking to make a fast buck by having click bots adversely affect the numbers. Advertisers globally are estimated to lose $6.5 billion each year to bot fraud, according to The Association of National Advertisers.
Dealers must acknowledge this threat and build a plan to counteract digital ad fraud to ensure each dollar spent is reaching a real consumer.