ROCHESTER, Mich., June 09, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Auto show marketing power is putting the pedal to the metal according to Foresight Research’s 2015 Auto Show Immersion ReportTM. Slated for release next week, the definitive study of the U.S. auto show sector reveals strong increases in both show attendance and show influence on new car purchase decisions.
“After years of increasing domination by Baby Boomers, the new car market is finally seeing Millennials returning to market; these younger buyers are much more active in, and influenced by, experiential marketing including auto shows,” says Chris Stommel, President of Foresight Research. “Year over year we’ve seen a 50% increase in show attendance among buyers overall and a 75% increase in auto show influence on new auto purchase decisions. Millennials are a significant contributor to these increases.”
Perhaps even more importantly to OEMS and show promoters, Foresight’s exclusive Marketing Communications Channel ROI Measurement attributes 28% more new auto sales to auto shows in 2015 vs. 2014.
“Auto shows are increasingly delivering a highly desirable audience of new auto buyers,” Stommel notes. “Almost half of these visitors have household incomes over $100,000 (well over double the incidence in the population); 80% were there to actively shop for a new vehicle, and 27% were first time new car buyers. When you factor in that 58% of buyers who went to an auto show were influenced in their purchase decision by that experience, and that 60% spent at least three hours there, you have all the makings of a powerful marketing tool.”
The 2015 Auto Show Immersion Report™ includes show attendance and influence compared to other marketing channels, as well as recent new auto buyers’ views of show influence and experience. Auto show brand and message influence metrics, joined with measures such as dwell time and ride & drive participation give a rich picture of how auto shows fit in the shopping process for recent buyers.
In August this report will be followed by publication of a new Auto Show Best Practices: Branding Power Report™, a compelling look at auto shows as a branding channel, including actionable insights on how to leverage them most effectively for branding.
“These reports, together with our Auto Show Display Evaluation Studies of participating brand displays, provide a 360-degree view of auto shows from attendance, to shopping and purchase influence, to the auto show experience and confirm that auto shows add fuel to brand marketing,” Stommel says.
About Foresight Research – www.foresightresearch.com
Foresight Research specializes in syndicated and custom studies focusing on the key influencers of purchase decisions in automotive and marine industries. Since 2008, Foresight Research publishes several syndicated reports each year that provide information, strategies and best practices to help auto companies and their partners build, position, and support marketing insights and actions.