By Australia’s automotive industry has revved up its online presence, hitting a record audience in September. According to the latest data from Ipsos iris, the automotive category attracted 12.3 million Australians aged 14 and over. This marks a 5% increase from the previous month, adding 557,000 new users. The surge represents the largest audience for the auto category since Ipsos iris began tracking in 2023.
Motorist Associations Drive Online Engagement
It wasn’t just car manufacturers and dealerships seeing online growth. State-based motorist associations experienced significant increases in their digital audiences.
Websites and apps of motorist associations saw remarkable gains last month. The NRMA led the pack with a 36% jump in audience size.
Other associations weren’t far behind. RAC grew by 29%, RACQ by 26%, and RAA by 20% in their respective audiences. These figures highlight a growing interest in automotive services and support across the country.
Automotive Category Surpasses Previous Peaks
Breaking previous records, the automotive category eclipsed its June 2024 peak, which was driven by end-of-financial-year sales.
The September figures of 12.3 million users surpassed the June 2024 high of 12.2 million.
This growth suggests sustained interest beyond seasonal sales events. The consistent rise indicates a shift in how Australians interact with automotive content online. It may reflect broader trends in consumer behavior and digital engagement.
Other Categories See Notable Growth
But it’s not just cars catching Aussies’ attention online.
- Energy Suppliers/Utilities: Up 3%, reaching 9.6 million Australians.
- Technology: Hit a peak audience of 21.3 million.
- Directories: Reached 20.8 million users.
- Travel: Attracted 18.2 million, a new high since Ipsos iris’s inception.
These categories also experienced significant increases in online audiences during September. The technology sector matched the highest audience numbers since Ipsos iris started tracking.
Australians Spend More Time Online Than Ever
Australians are logging more hours on the internet, and it’s showing in the data.
In September, over 21.4 million Australians aged 14+ used the internet, spending an average of 4.6 hours per day. That adds up to nearly 139 hours online for the month.
The most visited website and app categories were social networking, search engines, technology, retail and commerce, and entertainment. Each of these categories attracted over 21 million users. News websites also remained popular, reaching 96.7% of online Australians aged 14+.