How Automotive Brands Are Driving Mega Results with Micro and Macro Influencers

In today’s competitive car industry, automotive influencer marketing has become a powerful way to connect with target audiences. Traditionally, car brands have relied on celebrity endorsements in television commercials to attract prospective customers. However, as more consumers are turning to social media to discover and research brands, influencers have become automakers’ keys to boosting visibility and relevance via authentic, lifestyle-driven content.

We used our influencer marketing solution to measure the impact innovative influencer activations are driving for automotive brands. But first, some context.

Table of Contents:

• Why does influencer marketing work for the automotive industry?

• What are the benefits of micro and macro influencers for automotive brands?

• What is EMV in influencer marketing?

• 3 automotive brands winning with influencer marketing

• Ford

• Mazda

• Hyundai

• Key takeaways: Car brands and influencer marketing

• FAQ: Automotive influencer marketing

Why does influencer marketing work for the automotive industry?

Through storytelling and authenticity that builds confidence and trust, influencer marketing helps automotive brands connect with online communities based on common interests and values. On the whole, influencers are crucial allies for automotive brands, tailoring their messaging and strategies to digital channels. This capability is only becoming more important as the youngest members of Gen Z (for whom social media ads are the leading source of brand discovery) approach and reach driving age.

What are the benefits of micro and macro influencers for automotive brands?

Along with having high credibility among their loyal and engaged followers, micro influencers (who have 10,000 to 100,000 followers) and macro influencers (who have 100,000 to 500,000 followers) have a level of authenticity and relatability that bigger creators struggle to match. 

To learn more about the world’s leading automotive brands are successfully leveraging influencer marketing, check out the Automotive Influencer Benchmarking Snapshot.

Micro and macro influencers have the ability to show followers how cars fit into their daily lives, with storytelling optimized for particular platforms. Most of all, micro and macro influencers have the potential to generate amazing ROI, giving auto brands cost-effective ways to connect with specific buyer segments.

What is Estimated Media Value (EMV) in influencer marketing?

Estimated Media Value, or EMV, measures the impact of an influencer campaign by translating engagement and reach into ad spend value. This measurement helps stakeholders compare the ROI of influencer marketing with that of traditional paid media. For example, an Instagram post that has $2,000 EMV achieved the same results in terms of visibility and engagement as $2,000 of traditional ad spend. Meltwater’s influencer marketing solution uses AI-driven analytics and social performance benchmarks to automatically calculate EMV, both for individual posts as well as across campaigns. 

Learn more about how EMV is calculated, along with examples.

3 automotive brands winning with influencer marketing

Car brands around the world are seeing favorable ROIs from partnerships with micro and macro content creators. Here are three examples of brands taking strategic approaches to automotive influencer marketing and generating impressive results.

Note: The EMV values mentioned below were calculated with Meltwater’s influencer marketing solution.

Ford

With its tagline “Built Ford Tough”, this heritage brand takes pride in its reputation for durability and dependability. As a result, adventurers and explorers are natural target audiences. With the help of travel and outdoors influencers, and a dash of Canadian pride, Ford Canada is reframing this heritage for the digital era.

The above post by Sahil Kumar (@travelmowgly), a travel macro influencer whose content focuses on exploring Canada, highlights the Ford Bronco Sport alongside the natural splendor of Tobermory, Ontario. With a .46% engagement rate, it generated about $24,000 in EMV.  

Meanwhile, for an October 2025 campaign, the brand tapped professional hockey player and outdoor enthusiast Carey Price to show off how he uses his Ford truck to embark on off-grid adventures. The above Instagram post achieved an out-of-this-world engagement rate of 17.11% and more than $111,000 in EMV. 

In both campaigns, Ford Canada used influencer partnerships and local connections to reinforce the brand’s rugged but relatable image.

Mazda

Influencers don’t have to be able to drive to generate big results for auto brands. For example, dog influencers are helping Mazda USA connect with pet lovers. 

Micro influencer Bojack the Chocolate Labrador (@bojackthelab) generated about $16,700 in EMV with his Instagram post (shown above) highlighting the spaciousness of the Mazda CX-90.

Similarly, sponsored content from Bernie the Bernese Mountain Dog (@bigcitybernie) also illustrated Mazda as the choice for drivers with big dogs.

The above post generated about $18,700 in EMV, with an engagement rate of 3.54%. 

With these and other playful, dog-focused collaborations, Mazda emotionally connected with its pet-owning audiences.

Hyundai

Family-focused influencers help brands across sectors build trust with parents, including when it comes to cars. As consumers search for vehicles that will keep them and their children safe, they can use parent influencers as their shortcuts to trusted recommendations. 

Recently, Hyundai USA enlisted photographer/videographer and parent Bryan Adam Castillo (@bryanadamc) to feature the brand’s Santa Fe Hybrid model. The above post featuring him and his child generated about $12,700, reaching about 25,400 viewers.

On the flipside, content creator Kensie Meadows (@mackensiemeadowss) used a sponsored post to show how the Hyundai Ioniq 9 fits into her life as a busy mom-to-be. The post shown above achieved an impressive 8.52% engagement rate and generated about $103,200 in EMV.
Through these campaigns, Hyundai positions itself as a family-first brand with practical, reliable cars that appeal to modern parents.

Note: The data in the table above was drawn from Meltwater’s influencer marketing solution based on a small selection of influencer posts.

Key takeaways: Car brands and influencer marketing

From adventurers and explorers to pet lovers and families, content creators are helping automotive brands reach new, often younger, digital communities via their lifestyles, interests, and aspirations. By partnering with authentic micro and macro influencers, brands like Ford, Mazda, Hyundai, and more are launching digital campaigns with provable impacts online and off. To learn more about how automotive brands are leveraging influencer marketing, download our Automotive Influencer Benchmarking Snapshot, full of real-life case studies and exclusive, data-driven insights. 

FAQ: Automotive influencer marketing

What is influencer marketing in the automotive industry?

Influencer marketing in the automotive industry involves partnering with social media creators to showcase vehicles in real-life contexts. It helps car brands build trust, reach younger audiences, and generate engagement through authentic storytelling.

What’s the difference between micro and macro influencers for car brands?

Micro influencers (10K–100K followers) usually have niche, highly engaged audiences. Macro influencers (100K–500K followers) reach larger but slightly broader audiences. Automotive brands can use a mix of both for balanced reach and authenticity.

How do automotive brands measure influencer marketing ROI?

Many use Estimated Media Value (EMV), which translates engagement and reach into a dollar amount equivalent to paid media spend. This helps compare influencer performance with that of traditional ad campaigns.

Why are micro and macro influencers effective for automotive marketing?

Because their audiences trust their opinions. Micro and macro influencers can offer more authenticity and relatability than celebrity endorsements, helping brands connect with specific lifestyle segments like pet owners, travelers, or families.

Which car brands are leading in influencer marketing?

Ford, Mazda, and Hyundai are some great examples. Ford has worked with adventure influencers, Mazda has collaborated with pet creators, and Hyundai has partnered with family-focused influencers — each achieving strong EMV and engagement rates.

Ready to get in the driver’s seat? Tour our AI-powered influencer marketing solution or fill out the form below for a free demo.