Jumpstart Automotive Media, a media, insights, and marketing solutions company, released its February shopper interest data results, showing how much luxury-​oriented consumers are now cross-​shopping full-​size pickup trucks. In February, the full-​size pickup truck segment climbed four spots from the past year and now represents the third most-​shopped segment, the highest it’s ever been according to Jumpstart research.

Helping fuel the interest in full-​size pickup trucks were the RAM 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500, which made their debuts at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this past January. The fully redesigned RAM 1500 was up 172% in shopper interest from December to January and overtook Ford’s F‑150 for the top spot in share among full-​size pickup trucks. The Chevrolet Silverado 1500, with a lighter body and now a diesel option, climbed 31% compared with January 2017.

Truck dealerships can woo Luxury Car Shoppers by advertising fancy features. The newest AudienceSCAN survey found 46% of Luxury Car Shoppers use iPhones, so the Apple CarPlay feature in truck models could entice them.

Showcasing the continued power and interest in full-​size pickup trucks, this segment represented three of the top-​five most-​shopped models during January. Ford Mustang finished first in January (#1 in December); RAM 1500 finished second in January (#24 in December, climbing 22 spots); Ford F‑150 finished third in January (#4 in December); Chevrolet Camaro finished fourth in January (#7 in December); and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 finished fifth in January (#6 in December).

Dealers could pique Luxury Car Shoppers interest in luxed-​out truck through social media. The latest AudienceSCAN survey showed 55% of Luxury Car Shoppers took action after seeing ads on social networks in the past month.

One of the notable areas that drove this increase in trucks was from luxury shoppers. Luxury shoppers who were also looking at trucks (cross-​shopping) were up by 22% from the previous month, while non-​luxury shoppers only saw an increase of 11%.

Truck dealers can remind Luxury Car Shoppers of all the high-​end options pickups have through newspaper ads. The most recent AudienceSCAN study reported 50% of Luxury Car Shoppers took action after seeing ads in the newspaper (print, online, mobile or tablet) in the past month.

“Luxury shoppers are willing to pay higher prices to get the latest technology and advanced features, and most trucks offer this in some of their higher packages.” said Aline Hilsabeck, senior director of insights and analytics at Jumpstart. “For example, the new RAM 1500 has a trim option that comes with a 12-​inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, all the blind spot monitoring and advanced safety features, and more. These are luxury features, so when you combine them with the size, functionality, and versatility of a large pickup truck with towing capability, the appeal is undeniable.”

AudienceSCAN data is available for your applications and dashboards through the SalesFuel API. Media companies and agencies can access AudienceSCAN data through the AudienceSCAN Reports in AdMall.