Cars.com Debuts New “Driving Smart” TV Segment Across TEGNA Media

Buying a car is one of the most significant purchases consumers make in a lifetime, so shoppers need to do their homework. Now, Cars.com is providing a study aid: The site is expanding its coverage with a TV segment that covers Car Shopping 101. To kick off one of the busiest car shopping days of the week, “Driving Smart” will air on Saturday mornings on more than 30 TEGNA Media stations across the country starting July 23, 2016. Cars.com is a part of TEGNA’s digital portfolio. Combined, TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) reaches more than 90 million U.S. consumers each month across broadcast and digital media.  

“Tens of millions of people visit Cars.com every month looking at new and used vehicle inventory, researching deals and special offers, reading consumer reviews about dealerships and seeking car shopping advice from the experts,” said Patrick Olsen, Cars.com’s editor-in-chief. “There’s an extensive library of content on Cars.com and text and images are still very important in the research process, but we know video is increasingly popular because it’s quick and easy to consume. We already receive millions of views on our YouTube channel and ‘Driving Smart’ is just one more way to reach even more consumers and share our objective, trusted information on car shopping and ownership.”

According to a recent study by J.D. Power, 68 percent of vehicle shoppers reported that video viewed on third-party websites, like Cars.com, is “important” in their online shopping process. 

“We are excited to be working with our colleagues at Cars.com to deliver their award-winning editorial content to a wider audience,” said Lynn Beall, executive vice president and chief operating officer of TEGNA Media. “These segments fit our mission to inform, engage and empower the people we serve across platforms. Cars.com is the leading destination for car shoppers and owners and these segments will provide an invaluable service to our audience.”

“Driving Smart” segments will be produced by Cars.com’s in-house multimedia department, and will feature a number of experts from Cars.com’s Editorial team, which has a combined 330 years of experience in automotive journalism. The 90-second episodes will cover topics such as car comparisons, ownership and maintenance tips, advice on selling a car and breaking automotive industry news that is important to car shoppers or owners. The segments have the potential to reach one-third of all U.S. households across TEGNA Media.

“We hope that as consumers get ready to hit dealer lots over the weekend, Cars.com can help provide the advice and confidence they need to make one of life’s biggest purchase decisions,” said Olsen. 

For a list of stations and air times and to view all past “Driving Smart” episodes, visit www.cars.com/tv.