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From Brief to Breakthrough
October 9, 2025
See how carsales’ Unmissable strategy helped Mitsubishi and Nissan turn attention into action, driving standout results across the buyer journey
In an industry where attention is hard won and loyalty can shift quickly, Mitsubishi and Nissan arrived at carsales with different briefs but the same ambition: to capture attention, stay front of mind and convert intent into measurable outcomes.
The team listened, diagnosed and delivered a strategy grounded in insight, helping each brand show up where it mattered most and when it mattered most.
The Challenge
For Mitsubishi, the task was clear: reclaim the top spot. The Outlander had long led the Medium SUV under $60k segment for both view and lead share1, until competition began closing in. The goal was to reignite demand, regain number one for view share and defend lead dominance.
Nissan’s focus was broader, to scale retail messaging across the funnel. The brand wanted to amplify its finance, cashback and warranty offers across its full range, connecting with more buyers, driving leads and building pre-EOFY momentum. In a competitive market cluttered with retail messages, the challenge was consistency; reaching more buyers, more often, without creative fatigue or wasted spend.
The Insight
Car buying takes time. According to carsales Auto Buyer Journey research, the journey spans 5.7 months2. During that time, buyers are comparing, calculating and shortlisting, with 24% ready to buy now, 29% within a month and 38% planning further out3.
In such a fragmented journey, being seen early and often is the difference between being browsed and being bought. That is where carsales stands apart, connecting every moment of intent from first thought to final decision, and from OEM to dealer.
The Solution
Enter Unmissable, a full-funnel marketplace strategy designed to make brands impossible to ignore.
Built for an auto-only, intent-driven environment, Unmissable combines premium inventory, scale and share of voice to guide buyers from awareness to action. The approach spans homepage takeovers, native cards, push notifications, video and retargeting, with each element working in sequence to create sustained momentum.
The breakthrough came through one-to-one communication at true scale via the native carsales app, where buyers are active, engaged and ready to act. More than 900,000 shoppers were reached, delivering instant and privacy-compliant impact4.
The Results
Mitsubishi reached 3.8 million Australians5, achieving 13 times more clicks6 and a 5.2 times lower cost per click than comparable campaigns7. View share rose 23.2%, search share 7.5% and lead share 14.1%8, results that led to a rebook.
A control study confirmed the lift. Shoppers exposed to Unmissable were 3.75 times more likely to search Mitsubishi, 3.4 times more likely to view listings and 4.8 times more likely to submit a lead9.
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Nissan achieved similar success, reaching 3.7 million Australians10, delivering 2.8 times more clicks11 and a 77% lower cost per click than comparable activity12. The campaign lifted view share 19.5% and lead share 31.97%, driving a four-year lead high and sustained post-campaign momentum13.
Results across the brand's most popular models spoke volumes. Qashqai +34% views / +27% leads; Navara +23% views / +111% leads; Patrol +53% views / +31% leads; X-Trail +18% leads14.
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The Final Word
Real time. Real proof. That is the marketplace advantage.
When you connect OEM to dealer, media to message and buyer to car, Unmissable becomes more than a name. It becomes the outcome.
Ready to see how Unmissable could drive results for your business? Contact the team today.
Or, for to dive into the strategy and results, check out the case study here.
SOURCES:
1. carsales internal data, Prefacts, January 2023 - July 2024.
2. Automotive Buyer Journey 2023, conducted by Ipsos. Owners n=215. Q. Thinking about each stage of the journey so far, how much time, approximately, have you spent at each stage below? Q. Why did you stop, pause, start-over or re-evaluate?”
3. carsales Consumer Sentiment Survey, Wave #20, April 2025, n=1,634. Q. When are you looking to buy?
4. carsales internal data, February 2025 (Nissan) and June 2025 (Mitsubishi).
5. Google Ad Manager 360, 15 January 2025 - 15 March 2025.
6. Google Ad Manager 360, 15 January 2025 - 15 March 2025, 13x more clicks than comparable (product+ investment) competitor campaigns run during similar campaign period, Q4 2024 and Q1 2025.
7. Google Ad Manager 360, 15 January 2025 – 15 March 2025, 5.2x lower CPC than comparable (product + investment) competitor campaigns run during similar campaign period Q4 2024 and Q1 2025.
8 carsales Internal Data, Prefacts, 15 January 2025 - 15 March 2025 (campaign period) compared to 15 November 2024 - 14 January 2025 (non-campaign period).
9. Google Analytics, 8 May 2025 – 30 June 2025 (campaign period).
10. Google Ad Manager 360, 24 December 2024 to 25 February 2025.
11. Google Ad Manager 360, 24 December 2024 to 25 February 2025, 2.8x more clicks than comparable (product + investment) competitor campaigns run during similar campaign period,Q4 2024 and Q1 2025.
12. Google Ad Manager 360, 24 December 2024 – 25 February 2025, 77% lower CPC than comparable (product + investment) competitor campaigns run during similar campaign period,Q4 2024 and Q1 2025.
13. carsales internal data, Prefacts, December 2024 – February 2025 (campaign period)compared to December 2023 - February 2024 (non-campaign period).
14. carsales internal data, Prefacts, December 2024 - February 2025 (campaign period) compared to December 2023 - February 2024 (non-campaign period).
The Solution
Enter Unmissable, a full-funnel marketplace strategy designed to make brands impossible to ignore.
Built for an auto-only, intent-driven environment, Unmissable combines premium inventory, scale and share of voice to guide buyers from awareness to action. The approach spans homepage takeovers, native cards, push notifications, video and retargeting, with each element working in sequence to create sustained momentum.
The breakthrough came through one-to-one communication at true scale via the native carsales app, where buyers are active, engaged and ready to act. More than 900,000 shoppers were reached, delivering instant and privacy-compliant impact4.
The Results
Mitsubishi reached 3.8 million Australians5, achieving 13 times more clicks6 and a 5.2 times lower cost per click than comparable campaigns7. View share rose 23.2%, search share 7.5% and lead share 14.1%8, results that led to a rebook.
A control study confirmed the lift. Shoppers exposed to Unmissable were 3.75 times more likely to search Mitsubishi, 3.4 times more likely to view listings and 4.8 times more likely to submit a lead9.
Nissan achieved similar success, reaching 3.7 million Australians10, delivering 2.8 times more clicks11 and a 77% lower cost per click than comparable activity12. The campaign lifted view share 19.5% and lead share 31.97%, driving a four-year lead high and sustained post-campaign momentum13.
Results across the brand's most popular models spoke volumes. Qashqai +34% views / +27% leads; Navara +23% views / +111% leads; Patrol +53% views / +31% leads; X-Trail +18% leads14.
The Final Word
Real time. Real proof. That is the marketplace advantage.
When you connect OEM to dealer, media to message and buyer to car, Unmissable becomes more than a name. It becomes the outcome.
Ready to see how Unmissable could drive results for your business? Contact the team today.
Or, for to dive into the strategy and results, check out the case study here.
SOURCES:
1. carsales internal data, Prefacts, January 2023 - July 2024.
2. Automotive Buyer Journey 2023, conducted by Ipsos. Owners n=215. Q. Thinking about each stage of the journey so far, how much time, approximately, have you spent at each stage below? Q. Why did you stop, pause, start-over or re-evaluate?”
3. carsales Consumer Sentiment Survey, Wave #20, April 2025, n=1,634. Q. When are you looking to buy?
4. carsales internal data, February 2025 (Nissan) and June 2025 (Mitsubishi).
5. Google Ad Manager 360, 15 January 2025 - 15 March 2025.
6. Google Ad Manager 360, 15 January 2025 - 15 March 2025, 13x more clicks than comparable (product+ investment) competitor campaigns run during similar campaign period, Q4 2024 and Q1 2025.
7. Google Ad Manager 360, 15 January 2025 – 15 March 2025, 5.2x lower CPC than comparable (product + investment) competitor campaigns run during similar campaign period Q4 2024 and Q1 2025.
8 carsales Internal Data, Prefacts, 15 January 2025 - 15 March 2025 (campaign period) compared to 15 November 2024 - 14 January 2025 (non-campaign period).
9. Google Analytics, 8 May 2025 – 30 June 2025 (campaign period).
10. Google Ad Manager 360, 24 December 2024 to 25 February 2025.
11. Google Ad Manager 360, 24 December 2024 to 25 February 2025, 2.8x more clicks than comparable (product + investment) competitor campaigns run during similar campaign period,Q4 2024 and Q1 2025.
12. Google Ad Manager 360, 24 December 2024 – 25 February 2025, 77% lower CPC than comparable (product + investment) competitor campaigns run during similar campaign period,Q4 2024 and Q1 2025.
13. carsales internal data, Prefacts, December 2024 – February 2025 (campaign period)compared to December 2023 - February 2024 (non-campaign period).
14. carsales internal data, Prefacts, December 2024 - February 2025 (campaign period) compared to December 2023 - February 2024 (non-campaign period).
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