Marketing

How auto tariffs will affect marketing spending

A suburban Chicago Ford dealer is encouraging shoppers to buy now to avoid tariff price increases.
A suburban Chicago Ford dealer is encouraging shoppers to buy now to avoid tariff price increases. (PACKEY WEBB FORD)
April 02, 2025 03:23 PM

Car buyers won’t be the only ones feeling the pain from new automotive tariffs. The taxes, set to take effect on April 3, could lead to a pullback in automotive marketing spending, potentially affecting agencies, ad sellers and anyone associated with what MediaRadar measures as the fifth-largest ad-spending category in the U.S., accounting for $14.3 billion in measured media last year.

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