Who's who in car buying
For the past two years, Publisuisse Market Research has been offering Swiss car importers the Sinus-Milieu study to help them target the market more effectively. What have been the results?
Swiss car importers for the past two years,
so that they can work the market more efficiently. With which
results?
The 76th Geneva Motor Show closes in
opens its doors in a few days and will once again attract hundreds of thousands of
have attracted enthusiastic car fans. But fewer and fewer people are watching
also buy. The Swiss car market seems to have been
Forward gear can no longer be found. As in previous years, the
sales fell in 2005. Only 259426 new passenger cars were sold in the
enrolled last year - 3.6 percent fewer than in 2004.
According to the statistics of the Association of Swiss Automobile Importers
the new market collapsed by almost 25 percent in six years. Undeterred
For years, advertising expenditure in the automotive industry has tended to reflect
optimistic forecasts and, according to Media Focus, fluctuate around 270 million
francs. Although this amount represents only a fraction of the
industry turnover (a good CHF 10 billion), and advertising spending in the
The capital goods sector tends to react moderately to sales fluctuations,
Nevertheless, the figure should be treated with caution, according to
of the media agencies.
The slump was very noticeable for many of them, because
most importers would have behaved pro-cyclically and the
advertising expenditure per unit has not increased. It is therefore quite conceivable that
dealers and the second-hand market have also become more active. In addition
individual market entries of new brands could make major dents in the
advertising statistics have leveled out, there is speculation.
Renewal rate has fallen
The fact is that the efficiency controls on advertising budgets are rigorous
and these are focused on gaining market share. Because the
The rate of renewal of the Swiss wagon fleet is - from the economic crisis
and the uncertain job prospects - the savings behavior
the opposite direction. It can therefore be assumed that
importers to new tools that offer a different approach to the
Target group definition as the classic socio-demographic positive
would react. The industry media key does not yet
conclusions about a paradigm shift, even if car commercials are slightly
have increased.
There is great interest in consumer typology, explains Markus
Hollenstein, Head of Marketing at Publisuisse. Among other things, because they
is already well established abroad. "Over ten individual
Presentations were made to car companies, and regular meetings were organized.
Queries from agencies that look after car customers,
are proof of the interest," says Hollenstein.
Several car companies would plan and book based on the Sinus-Milieus
leave. Even if no surveys are currently available, he assumes that the
that car advertisements will now be placed more precisely, even in
previously less considered, but very affine program environments.
Gregor Doser from Mediaedge CIA sees the first signs of this among customers
to a rethink, but also notes that there is still much
persuasion is necessary.
That the skepticism stems from the fact that the Sinus-Milieu data, which are now
three years old may no longer be up to date, he does not believe.
The values surveyed, such as brand image, ownership and preference of
Car types, brands or the financing of a new car would not change.
fundamentally change so quickly. To dispel this suspicion
The study should be repeated, says Hollenstein from Publisuisse.
But that is not planned at the moment.
And so we will continue to monitor the acquisition intentions of the various
target groups, which were first presented in 2004.
According to them, the established and status-oriented prefer to buy a
new car than a used one, the interest in vehicles with
diesel drive, especially in modern performers, are large and are
German brands are particularly popular in the leading social milieus.
popular.
Japanese PWs are particularly popular in the middle-class milieu.
question, the Swedish vehicles are particularly popular with the
The established and even the escapists are very popular. According to
customer satisfaction survey conducted by Publisuisse, the Sinus studies
after just a few years, not only in media agencies, but also
such as the Market Radar Tool.
Luca Aloisi
