Case study · Deep dive · Catalogue ads
When the stock becomes the ad
When the stock itself becomes the ad, a lead costs three to twelve times less than on the same group's other form campaigns. What our accounts show, and how to set it up.
Meta catalogue ads and Google Vehicle Ads · five dealer groups
What we see
Same group, two prices per lead
Across all our accounts, an ad built from the stock costs three to twelve times less per lead than the same group's other forms.
The reason is simple: the ad shows the car the person is looking for, with its price, its photo and its dealership. It does not sell a brand, it answers a precise wish.
How it works
From the dealership forecourt to the ad
Every car in stock becomes a line of data, then an ad on Google, Facebook and Instagram. Once sold, it leaves the ads on its own.
- Your stockThe cars for sale at your dealerships, already live on your website.
- The feedEvery car becomes data: model, year, mileage, price, photos, dealership. Updated every day.
- Merchant CenterGoogle checks the data and links it to the dealership’s profile. Meta does the same with its catalogue.
- Your adsOne ad per car, on Google, Facebook and Instagram.
- SoldA buyer picks theirs, calls and comes for a test drive. The sold car leaves the ads on its own.
In Fréjus and Toulon, €1.7 per lead, against €21 on the other forms: twelve times cheaper.
€2.6 per used car lead, against €16 on the group's other forms.
€3 per lead in catalogue ads, against €13 on the rest.
€2 per lead in catalogue ads, against €6.6 on the other forms.
With Google Vehicle Ads, €0.93 per lead in Q3 2026.
514,000 Vehicle Ads impressions for €890 in the very first month, December 2025.
Over time
Conversions add up
Four months of Vehicle Ads in a multi-brand group: conversions go up, the cost per conversion goes down.
| Month | Cumulative conversions | Cost per conversion |
|---|---|---|
| December 2025 | 819 | €1.2 |
| January 2026 | 1,638 | €0.97 |
| February 2026 | 2,683 | €0.93 |
| March 2026 | 6,675 | €0.80 |
What we call a conversion, over these four months
These figures belong to one group, in its market. They give an order of magnitude, not a promise.
« Our used car stock changes every day; the ads follow, on their own. »
Checklist
Your catalogue ads in six settings
What we check before launch, then every week.
- A feed updated every day
The website stock, exported every night: model, year, mileage, price, photos, dealership.
- Real photos
Photos of the car itself, in order, the first one taken from the front three-quarters.
- The right price
The price in the ad matches the website to the cent, or the platform rejects the ad.
- Sold cars removed
Sold in the morning, out of the ads by evening: never promise a car that has gone.
- The right audiences
Website visitors who looked at a model first, then buyers in the area.
- A form at the end
The ad leads to an instant form, with the car already noted for the salesperson.
Frequently asked questions
Catalogue ads: what we get asked
Do you need a specific website?
No. You need online stock that can be exported every day. Most automotive stock tools allow it.
Does it work for new cars too?
For new cars in stock, yes. For a model to order, a classic campaign with a precise offer works better.
What is the difference between Meta and Google?
Meta shows the car to people who were not looking for it yet; Google, with Vehicle Ads, to those already searching for that model. They complement each other.
What would it look like for your dealerships?
The calculator prices your campaigns in two minutes. Or write to us: we reply within 24 hours.