Automotive platforms
How do you choose a marketing agency for a car marketplace or mobility platform?
By Bogdan Ladaru · Co-founder & CEO · Updated Sep 13, 2026
Short answer
Choose an agency that treats a marketplace as two markets and can say which side your growth depends on, that films with its own team, that can explain a technical product to someone who has never seen one, that runs B2B campaigns around launches and trade shows, and that reports sign-ups, listings and enquiries instead of reach.
Most automotive agency decks are written for dealerships: stock feeds, local offers, test drives. A marketplace and a mobility company have a different problem, and an agency that has only sold to dealers will run the dealer playbook on you.
The playbook
- 01
They ask which side is short before they pitch
A serious agency asks for listings and enquiries per week before proposing anything. A plan that opens with brand awareness is a plan written without your numbers.
- 02
They film, they do not brief
A platform needs constant video, on a rhythm no freelancer schedule survives. Ask whose camera shot the work they show you, and how many clips a month they deliver.
- 03
They can explain a product people have not seen
Mobility technology loses buyers to confusion, not to competitors. Ask them to explain your product back to you in a minute, for someone outside the industry.
- 04
They can run B2B around launches and shows
Campaigns timed to a launch, a trade show or a press moment, aimed at the people who can sign, not at the widest audience available.
- 05
They measure both sides separately
Seller sign-ups, published listings and buyer enquiries, each with its own cost. One blended number hides which side the budget actually bought.
- 06
They start with an audit
A written diagnosis of acquisition on both sides, your tracking and your content before any contract, so you see how they think.
At a glance
What to ask, and what a good answer sounds like
| Ask this | A good answer | A warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Which side of our market is short? | They ask for your listing and enquiry numbers first | A plan that starts with awareness |
| Who films? | Their own team, with work they shot themselves | Stock footage and unnamed partners |
| Explain our product to an outsider | A plain explanation in about a minute | Your own jargon repeated back |
| What do you report every month? | Sign-ups, listings, enquiries and the cost of each | Reach, impressions and followers |
| What happens around a launch or a show? | A campaign timed to the event, aimed at decision makers | The same always-on campaign |
| What do we get before signing? | A written diagnosis from a free audit | A proposal with no diagnosis behind it |
Proof
For Direktcar, a car marketplace, we built a content engine of reels and shorts engineered for distribution, with consistent viral hits, working the top and middle of the funnel. For PIX Moving, an autonomous mobility company, we run the paid B2B campaign for the Paris Motor Show 2026.
See the case: DirektcarOrganic distribution
Focus
Related questions
Do you work with dealerships?
Our focus is platforms: marketplaces and mobility technology. Dealership marketing is a separate specialty with its own agencies.
How soon do more listings show up?
Search ads reach people who already decided to sell, so the first listings can arrive quickly. Content and organic visibility compound over months, and the two are worth reading separately.
What does the free audit cover?
A written audit of acquisition on both sides of your market, your tracking and your content, within 24 hours and yours to keep whether or not you hire us. The 30-minute call is optional.