More than half of new-vehicle buyer households that attend the New York International Auto Show said their auto show experience influenced their buying decision, according to a study by Foresight Research.
The 10-year study of the show analyzed the attendance, demographics, media influence, value and purchase influence of the longtime event.
The study also touted the value of auto shows in general — they are ranked first as the most influential marketing channel or media channel, just ahead of digital, according to U.S. Auto Show Immersion Reports.
The study found that in the past decade, the New York show attracted an average of 628,000 households annually. About 83 percent of attendees said shopping was their motivation to attend. Last year, 62 percent of auto buyers attending the New York show said it influenced their decision.
The average “dwell time” at the show in 2019 was 4.75 hours compared with an average of 4.45 hours at all auto shows.
The research was collected from Foresight Research databases of general consumer and recent vehicle buyer surveys conducted over the past six years.
Each year, 229,000 brand additions are made to shoppers’ lists as a result of seeing those brands at the show, according to the study.
Mark Schienberg, president of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, told Automotive News that the event allows shoppers to add or subtract brands to their consideration based on what they see at the show.
Attendees not only want to look at cars, but they want to be informed and engaged during the experience, Schienberg said.
Even before the coronavirus pandemic, auto shows were facing questions about costs and brand management. Some major automakers opted out of the Detroit show in 2019, for example.
This year, cancellations that came with the pandemic forced automakers to get creative with virtual reveals. Hyundai’s 2021 Elantra, Mercedes-Benz’s redesigned E-Class coupe and cabriolet, Toyota’s Sienna and Venza and Ford’s Bronco SUV, Mustang Mach-E and F-150 are all new or redesigned products introduced via virtual reveals in 2020.
Meanwhile, most of the global auto show circuit was rescheduled in 2020 because of the pandemic. For 2021, several shows jockeyed for position on the calendar. The 2021 New York auto show was pushed back from April to August to expand and have access to more square footage. The Detroit and Los Angeles auto shows were also forced to cancel 2020 dates and reschedule in 2021. Detroit, now scheduled for September 2021, stands to go more than two and a half years without an auto show.
Schienberg said that although manufacturers have showed creativity in virtually showcasing new technologies and products, he does not think auto shows will be replaced.
Dealers agree. The survey said 77 percent of dealers in auto show markets indicated “their franchise brands’ absence from an auto show would hurt customer awareness. 70 percent say it would drive down dealer traffic, and 69 percent say it would depress retail sales.”
Said Schienberg: “There’s a reason why auto shows have been around for 120 years. It’s because they work.”