carsales mediahouse

Engage your target audience by maximising your brand’s message this summer across the carsales network

With more free time and heavier mobile use, summer reshapes the way Australians explore their next big purchase. That change is clear across the carsales network, with unique audiences historically lifting in January across a handful of our core verticals. Last year, for example, the increase was 27 percent on carsales, 25 percent on boatsales and 11 percent on caravancampingsales compared with December¹.

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It signals an audience that is more curious, more active and open to influence, giving brands a valuable opportunity to guide early decision making.

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Where intent accelerates

During summer months we see a familiar pattern play out. As soon as the holiday break begins, Australians move from light browsing to genuine decision making, and it shows across the network. Our data from last year showed that views and leads lift sharply after Christmas² and again in early January³, with SUVs and LCVs showing some of the strongest momentum during this period⁴⁵⁶⁷.

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This uplift is not limited to automotive. boatsales routinely experiences meaningful growth in sessions across January, while caravancampingsales attracts strong summer research behaviour as holidaymakers start planning the trips ahead⁸.

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What this really reveals is a shift in mindset. Summer gives people the time and headspace to explore their next move, and they turn to our platforms to do it. It is a moment when curiosity becomes intent and when the experience you deliver, especially on mobile, matters most.

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Why mobile matters even more

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Mobile plays an even bigger role in summer. 72% percent of all carsales network traffic now comes through mobile devices⁹.

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We have shaped the carsales network around that behaviour, refining the experience so it feels fast and intuitive on mobile¹⁰. It means people not only visit more often, they stay longer too, with average time on site last year rising by 14 percent in summer compared with spring¹¹.

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Make the seasonal uplift work harder for you

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Summer gives brands something rare. People have more time, more intent and a stronger appetite for exploring what comes next. To make the most of that momentum, your messaging should fit how consumers behave.

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Instead of relying on presence alone, the most effective summer strategies use a mix of formats that build visibility, reinforce consideration and support conversion as intent strengthens. These are some of the products that can help make a big difference to your messaging mix:

High Impact Homepage
Great for the rapid surge that follows Christmas. Homepage placements put brands in front of buyers the moment they return to browsing, delivering strong uplift in model search share and view share when campaigns go live¹². This is an effective way to reset mental availability as shoppers come back online.

Native and In Feed formats
Designed for how people browse in summer. These formats keep your message in the natural rhythm of the mobile scroll, whether someone is dipping in briefly or checking back throughout the day. They deliver lightweight storytelling and consistent visibility without heavy creative lift.

Video and In Feed Video
Summer is an aspirational season and video aligns well with that mindset. Short video placements work strongly on mobile and help build familiarity early in the journey, especially when paired with performance formats later on.

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A season built for momentum

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Summer uplift is not a short-term spike. It is a sustained period of heightened research, longer onsite engagement and faster decision making across multiple verticals. When your messaging reflects that behaviour and meets buyers where they are, you unlock one of the most valuable windows of the year.

To make the most of this season, speak with your carsales representative about the product combinations that best support your goals.

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^Source

^{1. Google Analytics, % unique audience increase Jan 25 vs Dec 24 calculated per vertical.}

^{2. carsales internal data, Views and Leads by day, 27 December 2024 vs 25 December 2024.}

^{3. carsales internal data, Views and Leads by day, first week of January 2025 vs last week of December 2024.}

^{4. carsales internal data, SUV and LCV view volumes by day, 27 December 2024 vs 26 December 2024.}

^{5. carsales internal data, SUV and LCV lead volumes by day, 27 December 2024 vs 26 December 2024.}

^{6. carsales internal data, SUV and LCV view volumes by day, 2 January 2025 vs 1 January 2025.}

^{7. carsales internal data, SUV and LCV lead volumes by day, 2 January 2025 vs 1 January 2025.}

^{8. Google Analytics, boatsales and caravancampingsales session increases across December 2024 & January 2025 .}

^{9. Google Analytics, carsales traffic by device, June 2025.}

^{10. Mediahouse product suite redesign and optimisation for mobile.}

^{11. carsales internal data and Google Analytics, average time on site comparison December 2024 – February 2025 vs September 2024-November 2024.}

^{12. Google Analytics, April to June 2024, model uplift in search and view share before vs during High Impact Homepage activity.}

‍

Make the seasonal uplift work harder for you

‍

Summer gives brands something rare. People have more time, more intent and a stronger appetite for exploring what comes next. To make the most of that momentum, your messaging should fit how consumers behave.

‍

Instead of relying on presence alone, the most effective summer strategies use a mix of formats that build visibility, reinforce consideration and support conversion as intent strengthens. These are some of the products that can help make a big difference to your messaging mix:

High Impact Homepage
Great for the rapid surge that follows Christmas. Homepage placements put brands in front of buyers the moment they return to browsing, delivering strong uplift in model search share and view share when campaigns go live¹². This is an effective way to reset mental availability as shoppers come back online.

Native and In Feed formats
Designed for how people browse in summer. These formats keep your message in the natural rhythm of the mobile scroll, whether someone is dipping in briefly or checking back throughout the day. They deliver lightweight storytelling and consistent visibility without heavy creative lift.