How Cox Automotive Drove a 31% Increase in Ad Likeability
Inside the Report
+31%
Increase in Likeability
+5%
Increase in Brand Mention as “Single Best Thing”
+4%
Increase in Brand Recognition
Executive Summary
Cox Automotive, the parent company of AutoTrader and Kelley Blue Book (KBB), redefined its video creative development process by using iSpot Pre-Market Creative Testing to ensure the creative connects with audiences before launch. By integrating iSpot’s real human response data and competitive benchmarks with the brand’s AI-generated animatics, Cox successfully accelerated production cycles while safeguarding the brand’s 100-year legacy of trust. The partnership drove strong performance gains, including a 31% increase in ad Likeability and a lift in Brand Recognition through data-driven creative refinements.
“ We’ll take some of those early revisions and we’ll run them through iSpot and see how they score. It’s very important to see those initial scores for us.“
Trent Thacker, Senior Director of Marketing Intelligence, Cox Automotive
Challenge
As a legacy organization, one of Cox Automotive’s greatest assets is its strong brand reputation built on consumer trust—especially for Kelley Blue Book, which turns a century old in 2026. The primary challenge was consistently maintaining that feeling of trust, across campaigns. Because the brand is viewed by many consumers as a seal of approval, even a minor misstep in creative tone or Polarity Score could jeopardize decades of equity. The team needed a way to verify that their messaging resonated across diverse demographics, from digital-native Gen Z buyers to experienced Baby Boomers, without alienating their dealer partners.
Solution
Cox Automotive utilizes iSpot Pre-Market Creative Testing to assess how creative lands with various audiences before they put any media spend behind it. The process leverages survey-based assessments from a robust, geo-demographically balanced sample of over 500 respondents, delivering actionable insights in 48 to 72 hours. With access to both quantitative and qualitative data via the intuitive iSpot dashboard, Cox Automotive can drill down into specific demographics and target audience filters to pinpoint exactly what consumers think and feel about an ad, all before the ad airs. Additionally, during the development phase, Cox Automotive pioneered the use of AI engines to transform initial scripts into high-fidelity animatics for these tests.
For example, the iSpot Creative Pre-Testing insights behind Autotrader’s “Keenan Thompson” ad revealed a clear opportunity to strengthen impact by increasing Brand Recognition. By spotting these gaps early, the team modified the creative to clearly emphasize branding components, making sure the creative was dialed in before the final film was produced.
“ We look at the Ace Score from iSpot which for us is just that real quick sanity or kind of gut check, is this a good ad, or is it a bad ad?“
Trent Thacker, Senior Director of Marketing Intelligence, Cox Automotive
Results
Through the use of iSpot Creative Pre-Testing, Cox Automotive identified immediate and measurable performance gains for this campaign. By using these insights to strengthen the branding, specifically within the background and end cards, the team achieved the following results:
- 31% Increase in Likeability: Creative refinements resonated significantly better with the target audience’s emotions.
- 4% Lift in Brand Recognition: Increased brand density in the background and end cards ensured the message stuck.
- 5% Growth in Brand Mention: When asked for the “Single Best Thing” about the ad, more viewers specifically identified the brand.
- Cross-Brand Synergy: Integrating the trusted Kelley Blue Book logo into AutoTrader spots successfully leveraged 100 years of trust to drive awareness for both brands simultaneously.
Ultimately, the partnership enabled Cox Automotive to launch a campaign that balanced product education and information with entertainment while upholding a trusted brand image proven to engage today’s car buyers.