Pub. 6 2017-2018 Issue 2

12 San Diego Dealer • 64 percent of auto show attendees say they are in the market to buy a car or truck within the next 12 months after the auto show. • 56 percent of attendees who purchase new vehicles after the show said that the show influenced their decisions. That percentage is up from 51 percent only two years ago. • More than 25 percent of attendees who planned to purchase a vehi- cle had their minds made up about which brand to purchase after visiting the show. • Over 25 percent of buyers gave advice to six or more people about vehicles and spread the word to non-attendees. • Even after the event, auto shows influenced purchase decisions (69 per- cent of visitors said they plan to visit a manufacturer’s web site; 55 percent planned to visit a dealer). Clearly the numbers show that people who attend auto shows are influenced by the experience. Let’s talk about audience for a moment. According to Foresight, 40 percent of buyers influenced by the auto show are 18 – 34 years old, compared to 31 percent for digital and 32 percent for TV. And the traditional audience is captured also, with 40 percent of buyers in- fluenced by the auto show having an annual income of at least $100,000 (compared with 37 percent for digital and 34 percent for TV). Plus, auto shows continue to provide effective engagement long after the show. A separate Foresight white paper shows that nearly 26 percent of show attendees were still influenced after 12 months – about the same level as were influenced in the first three months. But what of the future? Foresight research shows that Millennials are not only returning to the market, but are generally more active than older adults in places where (automo- tive) marketers can reach them, and one of those marketing vehicles is…wait for it… the auto show. It’s clear that auto shows inspire new vehicle purchases, but it should also be noted that auto shows also significantly influence which vehicle is purchased . Foresight says that vehicle brand consideration changes across all demographics as a result of attending an auto show by as much as 48 percent. Putting it simply, if a brand is not represented at a show, it is missing a prime opportunity to influence sales and risks being eliminated from consideration lists. Contributing to that influence is the dynamic of the auto show itself. The increasing com- plexity of the automobile can be intimidat- ing, but well-trained product specialists can educate consumers on today’s technology, and offer a glimpse at what they are doing for the future, i.e., connected and autonomous vehicles. This works in the dealers favor, since the consumer will enter the dealership well educated, allowing the sales staff to focus on tailoring the right package for the customer and closing the deal faster. The conclusion then, should be clear. Auto shows continue to be among the best tools available to drive traffic to dealers. The key is getting consumers to the show, something that both dealers and the association can accomplish by working together. Continued from page 10