Member Benefits

The Vancouver International Auto Show:

Member Survey Shows There Is Something For Everyone — Especially Dealers

BRUCE CAMERON, COLUMNIST, BLACK PRESS MEDIA

“From vintage displays showcasing each decade of the last 100 years to exhibits forecasting what the future holds, the 2020 VIAS has something for every member of the family,” says Jim Pattison, the Honorary Chairman of the 2020 Vancouver International Auto Show.

While the excitement among consumers for the 2020 VIAS continues to build, industry members from dealerships around BC are also excited about the possibilities, according to the latest NCDA membership survey results.

According to the survey, undertaken late last fall by independent research company Return on Insight, dealers are most impressed by the usefulness of the VIAS in showcasing brands (72 per cent) and launching new vehicles (70 per cent). But they also find the auto show useful in increasing brand exposure for their dealerships (62 per cent). Over half of dealers also think that OEM incentives, provided to pass on to consumers, are useful (55 per cent).

Ultimately, auto shows are intended to sell vehicles, and recent research indicates that over half of BC dealers think the VIAS is useful for prompting showroom visits (55 per cent) and increasing the sale of vehicles (54 per cent). While it is sometimes difficult to pinpoint the exact effects of different forms of promotion on the consumer purchase cycle (from consideration to sale), there is no doubt that auto shows play a key role.

In fact, nine out of 10 consumers (89 per cent) who attended the 2019 Vancouver Auto Show indicated in a follow-up survey that attending the show helped in their decision to buy a vehicle. Further confirmation of the impact of the auto show is the fact that 40 per cent of show attendees actually did purchase a new vehicle after the show and a further 42 per cent intend to purchase a vehicle.

So for impact and effectiveness, the VIAS is an opportunity not to be missed. Perhaps that is why almost all of the 2019 attendees plan to return to see the 100th anniversary event in March 2020.

Figure 16

Usefulness of the VIAS

“How useful do you find the following aspects of the Vancouver International Auto Show?”

Increasing Media Coverage of a Particular Brand or Model

Very Useful

34%

Somewhat Useful

38% 72%

Assisting in Launching a New Vehicle 31% 39% 70%

Increasing Dealership Brand Exposure

Receiving Incentives from OEMs for Consumer Redemption

Prompting Showroom Visits After the Show 28%

23%

23% 34%

32%

32% 62%

55%

55%

Increasing Sales of Vehicles 21% 33% 54%

NCDA Member Engagement Survey, November 2019

Figure 17

Impact of the VIAS

Separate Survey Questions Asked of 3600 attendees to the 2019 Vancouver International Auto Show

Yes Plan To

Purchased a New Vehicle After the VIAS 40% 42% 82%

Attending VIAS Helped in Decision to Buy a Vehicle

89%

Plan to Return to VIAS in 2020 99%

3,600 people who bought online tickets to the 2019 VIAS were asked follow up questions 6 months afterward. A total of 819 responded (a 23% response rate). • 23% attended the VIAS with a specific vehicle in mind • Among those, 17% did buy that vehicle, 14% changed their minds

NCDA Member Engagement Survey, November 2019

Thanks to support from If any dealership did not the CADA, the NCDA’s receive their copy, please Salary and Compensation Report was provided to member dealers in fall 2019. contact the NCDA office at 604.214.9964 or by email: info@newcardealers.ca