Top Automotive Brands Struggle To Engage On Social Media, Finds New SAMY Alliance Report

LONDON, 4th February 2025: New research from SAMY Alliance, the social-first digital marketing agency, reveals a mixed performance among 54 automotive brands in their online community management efforts. 

Almost three quarters (73%) of automotive brands performed poorly across Instagram and X, negatively impacting engagement with consumers on those channels. In doing so they are failing to unlock social media’s potential through best-in-class community management, with significant gaps in creativity, responsiveness, and engagement despite 71% of consumers being more likely to recommend a brand if they had a positive social media experience with it.

The report, part of SAMY Alliance’s Driving Engagement Community: Management in the Auto Industry whitepaper, evaluates brands using the CAOS (Community, Advocacy, Outreach Score) scorecard, which takes into account community engagement, response frequency, conversation growth tactics, evidence of outreach on partner and superfan social channels, plus much more. Brands are then given a score out of 50, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses in community management.

Online community management is a cornerstone of an effective social media strategy, playing a key role in driving brand loyalty and fostering authentic connections with followers. Community managers, employed by brands, act as ambassadors—engaging with followers, addressing feedback, and creating shareable content that drives interaction and builds trust.

The analysis shows that of the 54 automotive brands featured:

• 75% engage in little to no daily community management on Instagram, limiting their responses when they occasionally reply to basic text replies without a distinguished tone of voice. This lack of dynamic interaction, such as using GIFs or videos, hampers the ability to foster deeper connections with followers and fails to drive conversation growth.
• 86% of brands on X face challenges with negative feedback. Despite the platform’s potential for real-time interaction, many brands struggle to address criticism promptly and effectively. However, top performers like Mercedes-Benz and MINI have managed to maintain a more balanced and positive presence.
• On TikTok, results are mixed. While 25% of brands have embraced the platform and scored well in engagement, most struggle to utilise user-generated content (UGC) or drive meaningful conversations. With 13 of the brands monitored still lacking a TikTok presence, there is significant untapped potential to reach younger audiences through creative content strategies.

Top 10 Performing Brands

Brand / CAOS Score (out of 50)

Mercedes-Benz / 28

MINI / 27

Mazda / 26

Honda / 25

Ram Trucks / 24

BMW / 23

Defender / 22

Ford / 22

Range Rover / 21

Jeep / 20

Using the CAOS scoring system, Mercedes-Benz and MINI consistently rank among the top 10 across all three platforms, demonstrating a strong community presence and high levels of engagement. Other notable performers include Range Rover and Ram Trucks, which have excelled in fostering positive interactions and maintaining an active presence on Instagram and TikTok.

Joe Moring, Social Director at SAMY Alliance commented on the findings, saying: “Effective community management isn’t just about replying—it’s about getting granular with your strategy and creating meaningful connections that build trust, foster loyalty, and ultimately drive business results. 

“Brands that embrace the community to power their content, (not just sharing user-generated content), adopt dynamic strategies and engage authentically, are setting themselves apart. Community management is no longer optional—it’s mission-critical for automotive brands to thrive in today’s digital landscape.”

The SAMY Alliance social team, SHARE Creative, used the CAOS scorecard to evaluate community management efforts, analysing each brand’s performance across Instagram, X, and TikTok. The scorecard considers factors like engagement frequency, responsiveness, the use of dynamic content, and how effectively brands leverage UGC to drive conversations. The evaluation spanned from daily interactions to broader advocacy efforts, providing a comprehensive view of each brand's digital strategy. 

Download the full report looking at how automotive brands rank in terms of community management here.

Ends

Editors notes

SAMY Alliance, the social-first technology and data-enabled digital marketing agency, founded on consumer understanding and state–of–the–art creativity. 

With presence in more than 55 markets and over 10 years of experience and through our specialised solutions in Research, Social Media, Strategy, Creativity, Influencer Marketing, ePR and Paid Media, SAMY Alliance has become the brand partner of choice of over 100 AAA customers such as Diageo, Microsoft, Formula 1, KIA, Tous, Netflix, INEOS, L'Oreal, Beiersdorf, The North Face, Unilever, or Samsung.

https://samy.com/en/