For a century, Kelley Blue Book has been the quiet constant behind one of life’s biggest milestones.
Kelley Blue Book is celebrating 100 years of trusted automotive authority. While older generations rely on KBB, younger consumers turn to search engines and social platforms for advice. In partnership with SCADpro, we developed a campaign to bridge that generational gap and extend KBB’s legacy into the next century.
Role
DIRECTOR, STRATEGY & RESEARCH
Year & Duration
2025 | 10 weeks
Co-Directors
Riya Mehta (SR. creative director)
Baye’te Chinwendu
(CREATIVE DIRECTOR)
Amora Robinson
(SOCIAL DIRECTOR)
From 600+ pages of research, one mini-survey, and seven pillars of insight, we built a foundation for another 100 years of Kelley Blue Book. We analyzed digital-first behaviors, trust triggers, and the evolving concept of car ownership to bridge the generational gap. KBB has spent 100 years as the authority on car valuation, and that reputation is both their greatest asset and their biggest challenge. Their voice was built on expertise and trust, which worked well for generations that looked to institutions for guidance. Gen Z just finds trust a little differently.
01
my role & responsibilities
As Director of Strategy & Research, I led discovery end to end: designing and conducting the research, analyzing the data, and synthesizing findings into clear, defensible insights. I translated 600+ pages of research and one mini-survey into strategic clarity, presenting to leadership, aligning cross-functional teams around the facts, and determining which concepts advanced based on evidence over assumption. Every idea explored was grounded in research, strategically sound, and tied to real user and market needs.
Research Design & Execution
Evidence-Based Concept Prioritization
Qualitative & Quantitative Data Analysis
Leadership Presentations
Insight Synthesis & Opportunity Mapping
Data Storytelling
Strategic Direction Setting
Cross-functional Alignment
02
THE PROBLEM SPACE
The authority on cars.
A stranger to Gen Z.
7
Insight-Driven Pillars
112
GEN Z SPECIFIC DATA POINTS
For younger buyers, the research process lives on TikTok, Reddit, and YouTube, earned through peers and lived experience, not pedigree. KBB’s tools are genuinely useful, but the brand can feel formal and distant in a space that rewards authenticity.
The 100th anniversary is a rare window to reintroduce the brand, not just celebrate it. But it has to be handled carefully. Leaning too hard into legacy could reinforce the very distance they’re trying to close. KBB isn’t lacking credibility, it’s lacking relatability. The data is trusted. The brand just hasn’t caught up yet.
03
Research Methodology
Our methodology combined multiple layers of research and synthesis. We began with secondary research, blending Cox Automotive materials with independent exploration to establish foundational insights. Primary research followed through a pulse-check survey that gathered 96 responses, offering firsthand perspectives. Finally, we applied the Lextant Method of Affinitization, a traceable process for transforming data points into actionable insights, and defined our seven pillar foundation.
Each stat on this page has a source, but not all are publicly accessible. All internal Kelley Blue Book and Cox Automotive documents are cited with the links removed and marked with a ✷ . Publicly available secondary sources will continue to be linked.
GENERAL PILLARS
Insights for
04
Every Generation
1
Let’s Get Phygital!
Car buyers want a hybrid journey that balances digital efficiency and personalization with essential in-person steps, meaning dealers who streamline the process and offer clear value will win trust and satisfaction in the post-pandemic market.
61% of shoppers
are light digital users, meaning they completed <21% of purchase online, but more time spent in the buying processes digitally has translated into saving 42 minutes on average at the dealer of purchase.
48% of shoppers
start research and shopping for vehicles on third-party sites, with 43% finishing the process on third-party sites as well.
71% of shoppers
prefer an omnichannel experience.
2
Influence Isn’t Authority.
Car shoppers still trust established third-party sources like Kelley Blue Book most for credible information, and while social media plays a role in discovery, it lacks the same authority.
29% of shoppers
consider being “trustworthy” the top benefit of third-party sites, while they see the highest benefit to dealer sites as “allows me to start purchase online” (27%) and OEM sites as “provides very detailed/specific info” (30%)
Social media ranks last
in everything but one category when it comes to benefits of using each type of website, barely beating dealer sites in “provides unbiased/objective information.”
78% of shoppers
ranked Kelley Blue Book’s helpfulness between 8-10 on a 10-point scale, making it the most helpful website/app for buyers.
3
Cost of Confidence.
Car buyers seek reliability and financial confidence, but the lengthy, frustrating research and dealership process makes achieving that informed decision a major investment of time and effort.
Durability & reliability
ranked as the number one factor of importance when vehicle shopping across the board.
Financially-relevant inventory
and the ability to make informed purchases via their own learning are the most important when considering the shopping process specifically.
14:19 hours on average
are spent over the entire car purchase process.
GEN z PILLARS
Insights for
04
the Next Generation
Flow Over Force.
Car buyers want a hybrid journey that balances digital efficiency and personalization with essential in-person steps, meaning dealers who streamline the process and offer clear value will win trust and satisfaction in the post-pandemic market.
1
81% of Gen Z shoppers
said they wanted to take their time to understand all their options while purchasing a vehicle.
89% of Gen Z shoppers
leverage third party sites for researching and shopping need, with 63% skipping OEM sites altogether.
16% of Gen Z shoppers
said they would prefer expert guidance in their car-buying journey.
Certain Need, Fuzzy Path.
Gen Z is delaying car ownership and are open to alternatives like rideshare and public transit, but they enter the market when there is a need with little prior knowledge, prioritize the vehicle itself (often used), and spend months deciding. They have a flexible yet uncertain approach to mobility.
2
61% of Gen Z shoppers
report the purchase triggered by need. Top cited purchase triggers were that the previous vehicle was damaged (23%) or was unreliable/expensive to repair (22%)
66% of Gen Z shoppers
know what resources to use before beginning to shop for a vehicle compared to ≥71% of older generations.
Read the Room.
Paying mind to the nuances of platform and format, Gen Z has aptly found different
streams for
learning, shopping, and advice
through social search.
3
57% of Gen Z shoppers
turn to social media for “finding information or learning something new.”
51% of Gen Z shoppers
reported searching for something on YouTube using keywords in the last month, and the most people (35%) ranked it as their go-to for keyword searches.
40% of Gen Z shoppers
find social search results relevant and “like opinions and recommendations.”
Priced Right, Feels Right.
Gen Z approaches car buying with financial caution and value-seeking,
prioritizing
affordability and practical benefits
over brand or social responsibility, while still
wanting purchases to reflect their identity.
4
63% of Gen Z shoppers
see their vehicle as an “expression of who [they] are.”
83% of Gen Z shoppers
rank being able to estimate their monthly vehicle payment as extremely/very important.
59% of Gen Z shoppers
would “rather purchase a vehicle from a brand that gives [them] a good deal, regardless if they are socially responsible or not.”
06
MINI SURVEY
Driven by
Driver Insights
A seven-question survey checked the pulse of Gen Z car buyers, diving deeper into their sentiments, behaviors, and key brand touchpoints. The goal was to uncover how they feel about car culture as a whole—what excites them, what confuses them, and where brands have the opportunity to connect in more authentic ways.
QUESTION ONE
50%
associate car buying equally with practicality and identity — not simply one or the other.
Equally practical and identity
50%
Practicality — a way to get things done
36.5%
Freedom/Identity — part of who I am
13.5%
GEN Z <21
1
Peers & social
2
3
Tiktok/YouTube
GEN Z >21
1
2
Peers & social
3
Forums (ex: KBB, Reddit)
QUESTION TWO
Intragenerational Divides
Gen Z under 21 leans on peers and social channels first, while older Gen Z (21+) prioritizes search and research when making decisions.
QUESTION THREE
What unites us better than stress?
Trust and transparency are the biggest pain points along with pricing, hidden costs, and lack of confidence in quality dominate stress.
Overpaying/ Getting Ripped Off
Highlights previous pillar of Gen Z’s financial caution.
Hidden Costs (repairs, maintenance)
Could potentially be exacerbated as Gen Z purchases more used vehicles.
Not Knowing If It’s Good Quality
Highlights previous pillar of Gen Z’s uncertainty in the automotive space.
QUESTION FOUR
Top Feature Visibility
Gen Z wants tools that do the work of trust-building, not just data aggregation. KBB’s institutional knowledge maps directly to all three top responses.
The strategic gap isn't capability. It's presentation and reach.
29.2%
Comparing similar cars easily
KBB's core competency — direct alignment
26%
Telling me if it's a fair price
Trust signal — where legacy authority matters most
25%
Showing total monthly ownership cost
Hidden cost anxiety maps directly to feature demand
QUESTION Five
In a Word...
Respondent’s one word answers to “What’s one word you’d use to describe how you feel about cars?”
07
Outcomes & implementation
The research and strategic direction shaped Fuel for Legends — a full centennial campaign that landed well with KBB leadership across every deliverable. That meant a brand strategy repositioning KBB as Gen Z’s cultural co-pilot, two original short-form social series bringing Kelley’s voice to street interviews and “guardian angel” moments, an extended visual identity with new colors and animated type built for TikTok and Instagram, and three experiential activations — including a cross-country Pink Model T road trip and interactive on-campus car clinics designed to meet first-time buyers where they are.
CENTENNIAL BRAND STRATEGY
✷
2 ORIGINAL CONTENT SERIES FOR SOCIAL
✷
ENERGIZED VISUAL IDENTITY
✷
THREE EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVATIONS
NEXT PROJECT
DESIGNER
Mackey