AUTOTRADER and Gumtree Cars have been announced as joint principal sponsor of the 2020 AADA National Dealer Convention & Expo, which is taking place online on November 10 – 11.

In a special feature session on the first day of the convention, recently appointed Gumtree Cars and Autotrader dealer sales director Richard Dicello, and BrandSpark International VP of strategy Denis Hancock will for the first time share the results of an exclusive survey titled ‘Connect with the New Digital Car Buyer’.

The survey has been crafted to provide crucial insights into new and used-vehicle shoppers, recent vehicle purchasers and analyse the role of the influence of digital services in a pandemic new world.

Conducted in September 2020, and commissioned by Autotrader and Gumtree Cars, the survey will draw out in-depth insights into consumer needs and behaviours across online marketplaces and show a complete overview of the car buyer universe – analysing new and used-car buyers across the country.

Mr Dicello said in a statement: “Building on Gumtree’s ‘Connecting the Disconnected’ research presented at last year’s AADA Conference, and Autotrader’s ‘Connect’ research, this new study was conducted to further understand the Australian car buyer.

“This year has been extremely challenging for our dealer partners, thanks to so many unpredictable external factors.

“From a change in Australia’s financial outlook to the lack of new and used vehicle availability, this research reaffirms our commitment to better understanding the car buying journey, helping to inform and empower our dealer partners.

“We look forward to sharing these research findings with our growing dealer partner network and supplying them with the comprehensive insights that will help to further understand and anticipate their customer’s changing needs,” Mr Dicello said.

The AADA 2020 ‘Moving Forward’ Conference is a complimentary industry event for dealership attendees.

By John Mellor