Looking at the auto industry currently, the dealerships make their most margins on used cars. While your station may skew young, most young people will tend to purchase a good, reliable used car since they don't necessarily have the money to purchase a top-of-the-line new one.
Another argument: young people nowadays work to earn money for their vehicle. Even though parents may foot 80% of the bill, part of that teenage/early adult's paycheck is going to go towards a down payment or car purchase. So... it makes sense to market to them. When they go out looking with their parents, they'll be able to say: "Hey dad, heard this ad on the radio and they are having good deals on Kias for **** per month."
A third argument: most car buyers tend to begin their shopping via the Internet. Younger people tend to go to the Internet with relative ease and could easily be talked into going to a dealer's site if the commercial is done right. I don't see too many older adults trusting the Internet in my area.
The thing that kills me about the car industry is how they trained customers to buy. They've trained us to wait for the absolute biggest sale or the best incentives. The problem is every car dealer has similar incentives so they all run together for consumers. I want a car dealer to start showing consumes what sets them a part from their 20 competitors in town. Is it service? Is it selection? focus on that while driving people to the lot and the website. It's like a parallel to our industry. We solve people's problems by listening and conducting a CNA. The car dealers need to reach people and let them know they have a solution to the problems they've experienced in the past buying or now with their vehicle, etc. They need to solve their consumers' problems as well. They don't do that by having the biggest incentives or doing an inventory blowout sale.
I would go in there and tell the auto dealer you feel you can help them reinvent their advertising aproach to increease sales among adults 18-25. Show he/she how you and your station can give them new ways to look at young adults and their advertising towards them.
