Budget Direct acquires automotive publication Chasing Cars
Budget Direct has acquired automotive content platform and video specialist, Chasing Cars.
Auto and general chief marketing and delivery officer, Jonathan Kerr, said the addition of Chasing Cars’ suite of content, including car reviews and comparisons, would enhance the customer experience of the Budget Direct brand.
“We are thrilled to bring Chasing Cars into the Budget Direct family, adding ‘car reviews solved’ to our outstanding customer experience,” Kerr said.
“Chasing Cars is an obvious fit for Budget Direct. Chasing Cars is such a great platform for us to help our customers find and learn about their next car purchase – while retaining and enhancing the editorial independence of this first-rate car review source.”
Chasing Cars was founded by Tom Baker in 2013 and developed into a challenger for established automotive content outlets. The brand operates a YouTube channel that has approximately 61,700 subscribers.
Baker will continue to lead the publication and explained in a video published on its YouTube account that he decided to sell to the insurer so that Chasing Cars would maintain its editorial independence.
“Many sites have turned to running advertising for the exact same cars that they are reviewing, making it very difficult to deliver the kind of truly objective and independent reviews that we’re so proud to make here,” he said.
“I believe with this move that Chasing Cars can remain the most independent publication in the Australian market.”
Budget Direct will fund the operation of Chasing Cars so that the publication will not need to monetise its content.
“When I was approached by the team at Budget Direct, I was struck by their deep understanding of the Chasing Cars business,” said Baker. “They presented a clear plan to retain our trademark quality and independence while growing the number of Australians who will be exposed to, and benefit from, Chasing Cars content.”
“The contribution of Chasing Cars is to offer the highest-quality car reviews that offer truly insightful analysis, going well beyond a test drive or surface-level overview of a particular model,” he added.
