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Since 2008, the traditional motor show has been buffeted by
changes in consumer attention and tastes, economic realities and a
pandemic. Events that had been staples for new vehicle launches and
anchors on automotive calendars for decades became the victim of a
global recession, changes in available marketing platforms, the
availability of more directly targeted marketing, the fracture of
consumer interests and audiences, and rising costs for the motor
show itself.
Then, the COVID-19 pandemic created disruption through canceled
events and changes in timing — further changing the landscape
for reaching consumers.
In March 2020, the Geneva Motor Show pivoted to an online,
livestream-only event with only 72-hours' notice to exhibitors and
attendees. From 2020 through 2022, motor shows were sparsely
attended, canceled, or their timing was changed. Alternatives for
communication with consumers and media nascent before the pandemic
became quickly advanced.
Today, new-car reveals continue to be a priority, but automakers
now use a broader mix of press and consumer platforms, and the
motor show has lost its role as the automatic go-to space.
Are traditional motor shows truly over?
There is hope in the upcoming Paris Motor Show in October 2024,
which will have a reasonably impressive list of exhibitors. Details
on the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2024 are still thin, but
the schedule for the Detroit Auto Show in January 2025 shows a
sharply reduced media event schedule and low expectations, despite
returning to its traditional January date.
A good year now for a traditional motor show may mean seeing
five to seven all-new models. But in past years, key international
shows often claimed more than 50 new car reveals.
While excitement around a show brings people in and feeds a
positive narrative, the negativity around shows and cutbacks in
displays does the opposite, feeding the idea that traditional shows
have become irrelevant and reducing attendance. For consumers,
fewer brands on display reduces interest to attend.
The absence of ultra-premium and performance carmakers has also
dealt a blow to traditional shows. Ultraluxury brands prefer to
spend their marketing budgets on high-prestige events like the
recent Monterey show in California or the Goodwood live
demonstration show in the UK, while some OEMs have reallocated
their show budgets to motorsport programs.
The world-famous Geneva Motor Show will not be held in 2025, and
there are no plans to resurrect it. The Geneva Show first took
place in 1909 and existed as one of the key global motor shows
where it was de rigueur to launch new models. Geneva had a sense of
neutrality that was not the case with the alternating Frankfurt and
Paris shows, which tended to be dominated by the German and French
OEMs respectively in terms of presence, spend and launches. In
Geneva, any major global OEM could stage a major model launch with
almost guaranteed publicity.
Geneva, Paris, Frankfurt, Tokyo and Detroit formed the quintet
of major, globally important motor shows. These became a place
where car enthusiasts could get up close to the latest models and
enjoy their passion and maybe make a decision on their next
car.
However, the ultra-premium performance brands re-focusing on
more exclusive and targeted events also served a bitter blow to
Geneva, which had always prided itself on attracting major world
premieres from the likes of Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini.
Without these glamorous halo brands the show became a whole lot
less attractive to the general public.
As a result, it looks as though we have seen the very last
Geneva Motor Show. Frankfurt has transitioned to the IAA Mobility
Show; it is much smaller in scope, but has a clear theme and
purpose (sustainability, over and above simply zero emissions).
Detroit has returned to its traditional January calendar slot, but
that move may be too late. Though Paris' improved line-up for 2024
offers some hope for the traditional motor show, the writing is on
the wall unless they evolve with the times and offer more
entertainment and interaction for a younger audience.
Focus may be the answer
While the traditional show has struggled, we are seeing events
like the UK's Goodwood Festival of Speed and California's Monterey
Car Week serving as background for an increasing number of targeted
introductions. These are high-profile examples of highly targeted
events.
Goodwood is a very good example of how marketing spend on the
traditional motor show has changed. The Goodwood Festival of Speed
was conceived by British aristocrat Lord March who first held the
event in 1993. In 2010, Goodwood capitalized on an opportunity
created by the cancellation of the British International Motor Show
and introduced the Moving Motor Show.
The Goodwood Moving Motor Show created a chance for buyers to
test cars on the course. Manufacturer involvement in the event has
since snowballed, but it tends to be ultra-premium high-performance
OEMs that are most involved such as Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari
and Aston Martin, while premium brands like BMW, Audi and Mercedes
and Alpine are also very present with their performance models.
Rolls Royce's presence is always guaranteed due to the proximity of
the brand's factory to Goodwood House. In 2024, MG, Polestar, Ineos
Automotive, Honda, Mercedes-Benz and Ford were among the automakers
using the backdrop to make news.
The Monterey Car Week has more organic roots; its key events
include the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at the storied
Laguna Seca racetrack, where owners of historic cars put the cars
through their paces in exhibition races; The Quail: A Motorsports
Gathering, which focuses on performance luxury brands and
celebrating motorsports history; and the signature event, the
Pebble Beach Concours d 'Elegance. The Pebble Beach event is a
judging of historic cars but has grown to include displays of
concept and modern cars on the edges of the event as well.
In 2024, Acura used the event again to reveal a concept for an
all-new battery electric vehicle (BEV), Maserati showed off a new
sports car, Lincoln revealed its Navigator SUV, and Mercedes
Maybach and AMG brands had significant presence and new cars.
Yet, the decision for several automakers to rejoin the Paris
show suggests there is news coming which is better suited to the
traditional motor show environment, even if that environment proves
to be scaled back from their heyday.
The effort to be more interactive is not new for show organizers
striving to maintain relevance. The needs to reduce cost and
increase share of voice are not new, either. In 2024, however, the
continued growth of both Goodwood Festival and Monterey Car Week
suggest that the real future may be in smaller, more focused
events.
The future is in finding the right platform for the right news,
with no single event able to claim it is a “must” in the automaker
toolbox for vehicle introductions or for connecting with
consumers.
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