Colour plays an important part in the final selection process when it comes to buying a car, new research by SEMrush has revealed.
The data showed that GCC consumer preferences, when searching their favourite car colour online, differ greatly from the actual purchasing decisions across the region. The research revealed that red was the most searched for colour, while car sales show white continues to reign supreme in the final decision process.
SEMrush research in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE found that the colour red dominated online searches for car exteriors, equating to 70 per cent in Saudi Arabia and 35 per cent in UAE over the last 12 months.
This was followed by searches for black, blue, yellow, white, and silver, respectively.
According to sales data from automotive data website carsalesbase.com, the GCC's automotive market witnesses approximately one million new car sales a year - with the bulk of these new car sales coming from Saudi Arabia with 518,000 and 270,000 for the UAE. Axalta's Global Automotive Colour Popularity Report placed white as the number one colour in global vehicles sales in 2017, accounting for 39 per cent.
Many residents across the UAE said that they were on the lookout for cars that were a colour of their choice, but that the final purchasing decision rested more heavily on other factors.
Hamza Baig, a Sharjah resident, noted that colour wasn't on his list of top priorities when buying a car, but that he was drawn to certain colours when he visited showrooms. "I was more interested in the price and features of the model that I was going to buy. But, I always liked cars that were a dark blue. If I were to buy my dream car in the future it would definitely be a midnight blue."
Another motorist, Atif Muhammed, who recently bought a new car for his daily commute to work, said that he opted for a white colour due to how hot the summer months are in the UAE. "It is not just exteriors; dark interiors soak up heat and become extremely uncomfortable in the summer months, especially if you don't have shaded parking lots. Luckily, white is the most common colour and I was able to focus on other things like added features."
"While analysing such search trends using digital marketing tools, GCC marketers can identify the car colours that would be most effective in advertising," said Adam Zeidan, SEMrush's corporate communications manager for the Mena region.
"Colours used in car promotions are selected for the attraction factor, even if many customers end up choosing other colours for their vehicles due to practicality or availability." The top two car colours most searched for online across the GCC confirm the attraction factor, with red noted for being a colour related to speed and excitement, while black signals mystery and status, according to colour psychologists.
After red and black, the other most searched car colours online signify the following characteristics: blue for stability and serenity; yellow for positivity and joy; white for freshness and practicality; and silver for innovation and technology.
"Considering the majority of the GCC population is under 30, using the online colour search data allows regional marketers to select the communication colour they intend to use in promotions to attract customer attention, often very different from the colours we see for the majority of cars on the road," added Zeidan.
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