Carsales mediahouse, the media division of Australia's largest digital auto marketplace, has implemented Adobe's Customer AI to analyse behavioural signals in real time and enhance targeted advertising efforts.
Customer AI, which operates as part of Adobe Real-Time Customer Data Platform (CDP), is being used by carsales mediahouse to combine first-party data with advanced artificial intelligence, aiming to refine audience segmentation and more accurately identify potential car buyers.
Non-linear buying
Research conducted by carsales indicates that 46% of Australian consumers pause or reverse their vehicle purchasing decisions at some stage during the transaction journey. The unpredictability of the process has prompted carsales mediahouse to seek more precise ways to analyse where consumers are within the purchasing funnel.
Customer AI analyses a wide array of user interactions within the carsales ecosystem, leveraging real-time behavioural data beyond surface-level engagement. This analysis allows the platform to estimate outcomes such as the likelihood that a consumer will submit an enquiry about a vehicle, thereby improving both the clarity and accuracy of audiences for advertisers.
The partnership was supported by Adobe's Ultimate Success team, which provided carsales with training, coaching, and strategic guidance on activating Customer AI within their media and marketing frameworks.
New audience insights
Initial outcomes from the adoption of this AI-driven approach include a reported 20% improvement in identifying purchase intent, according to data released by carsales mediahouse. The system has also contributed to a 23% increase in push notification engagement, as targeted communications were refined based on AI-powered segmentation.
"At carsales, our first-party data is our greatest asset — it's what sets us apart. By integrating Adobe's Customer AI, we're able to enrich that data even further. The combination gives advertisers more precision, more relevant audience segmentation, and ultimately, can help to deliver a better return on investment."
Stephen Kyefulumya, General Manager of Media – Product and Technology at carsales, explained that the new technology has also brought changes to the understanding of audience segments.
"Many buyers may not seem ready to purchase based on surface-level actions, but when you look deeper — at all the touchpoints in their journey — their intent becomes much clearer. That's where Customer AI is proving really valuable.
Our previous segmentation method indicated that about 65% of consumers were in the early stages of their buying journey and 28% had medium intent to submit an enquiry. Customer AI has shown nearly the opposite is true, and our early marketing activations and testing back that up."
AI-driven insights have enabled the company to identify high-intent buyers more effectively, particularly those likely to take action within a four-week timeframe. Efforts such as targeted email and push notification campaigns focused on these segments have led to the noted increase in engagement compared to marketing activities conducted nine months prior.
Benefits for sellers and buyers
Adobe stated that its collaboration with carsales demonstrates how using first-party data in conjunction with AI can improve outcomes for both advertisers and consumers, aligning buyer intent with sellers' offerings more accurately.
Carsales mediahouse is continuing to explore additional AI-powered technologies as part of its broader strategy to enhance user and advertiser experiences. The company aims to develop its audience-targeting capabilities further and assist advertisers in reaching consumers who are most ready to purchase.
