Foresight Research Says Auto Shows Not Only Drive Sales Today, They Also Generate Valuable Word of Mouth Supporting Tomorrow’s Sales

ROCHESTER, Mich., Jan. 28, 2016 -- Early indications from 2015-16 season studies reveal auto shows are providing increased word of mouth value to auto marketers, says Foresight Research, a leading provider of auto show and experiential marketing research and insights.

Auto shows offer one of the few opportunities outside of the dealership for car buyers to see, touch and sit in new vehicles before they buy, and possibly their only chance to do so across a variety of brands, models and segments.  It should then be no surprise that last year almost one-in-five new vehicle buyers attended an auto show before their purchase; of these, nearly six-in-ten were directly influenced by that show.

Yet the value of auto shows does not stop there, as 43% of recent new auto buyers are influenced by advice from others - and auto shows draw a high concentration of the people who most often provide that advice, according to Chris Stommel, President of Foresight Research. 

“Auto shows attract people with a high interest in automobiles who play the role of advisor within their own social circles,” Stommel said.  “While over half of all auto show visitors will recommend a car or truck to at least one other person a year, we track a group of heavy influencers we call Talkers Plus^™ who advise at least 6 others per year.  This group dominates the new car conversation and offers brands an excellent opportunity to generate word of mouth and build advocacy.”

This influential consumer group differs from the typical show visitor in other ways as well.  They spend a longer amount of time at auto shows, are more likely to pre-plan which displays they visit, and are more shopping-engaged at shows.  “Highly influential visitors offer greater opportunity, but they can also bring higher expectations,” Stommel said.  “To maximize ROI, a successful display must both attract the high influencers, and also meet their high standards.”

The first major 2015-16 season auto shows in Miami and Los Angeles reveal about a 50% increase in the mix of Talkers Plus^™ since new auto sales started their rebound in 2013.  “We are seeing automotive word of mouth up everywhere.  This offers brands even greater opportunity to leverage the highly influential audience at their auto show displays,” Stommel said.  “We’ll look forward to tracking this trend across all 58 shows Foresight measures this season.”

About Foresight Research – www.foresightresearch.com 
Foresight Research specializes in syndicated and custom studies focusing on key influencers of purchase decisions in the automotive industry.  Since 2008, Foresight Research publishes syndicated reports each year that provide information, strategies and best practices to help auto companies, their partners, and auto dealers to build, position, and support marketing insights and actions.   

Contact
Nancy Walter                          
Foresight Research
248.608.1870 x 18
[email protected]