• by Wayne Friedman , December 7, 2012

Local TV stations continue to tout their advertising strength and sales performance for automakers -- something they will need headed into 2013.

The TVB, the TV stations' advertising marketing group, says TV continues to be the best driver of automotive marketers -- and local TV stations the biggest ad category.

For example, it says from January through September 2012, Chrysler committed 36% of its ad budget to local TV and saw a 14% boost in November unit sales versus November 2011 levels. Likewise, Honda increased its local TV ad spend by 38% and garnered a 39% sales bump.

Subaru spent 95% more to spot television and was rewarded with a nearly 60% rise in November sales over last year.

The TVB, using Kantar Media data, says automotive advertising was up 16% for $1.3 billion for the first six months of the year.

The group also says 43% of the "purchase" factor for automotive sales came from local TV advertising, with all Internet advertising (which includes all online usage except for email) at 12%, and newspapers at 6%.

Projections are TV stations will take their usual dip in non-political, non-Olympic year coming in 2013.  Interpublic Group's MagnaGlobal estimates local TV advertising will shrink 9%.

Through the first six months of 2012, total local spot TV was at $7.4 billion, up 3.5% over the same period a year ago. According to Kantar Media, TV stations pulled in $15.6 billion for 2011.

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