Jason Campbell, General Manager, Toronto International Auto Show
There’s still nothing like a car show for touching, feeling and dreaming about that new car experience.
Even though most buyers now do the bulk of their auto research online, there’s still a place for hands-on. And that was especially evident at the Canadian International AutoShow, held in Toronto in February.
Canadian auto dealer caught up with Jason Campbell, the show’s general manager, for a recap of how this year’s event went. “Despite online shopping becoming more prevalent, people still want to see the vehicle physically,” said Campbell. “The buying decision might be six months to a year or longer, but they can see what’s coming down the road, and compare it.”
Right from its record-setting opening day, the show continued to stamp new milestones. In total, 339,590 people came through the gates, a 6 per cent improvement over the 2016 edition.
There were 41 debuts at the show, 16 of them concept vehicles. Hyundai chose the show for the global unveiling of its all-new Accent, while Jaguar offered the first North American look at the F-Type 400 Sport. But the star of the show, judging by the crowds around it, was the Aston Martin AM-RB 001 hyper-car concept, the first time it had been seen at any auto show worldwide.
“(The Aston Martin) was announced at the factory in Gaydon and done online, and it was taken to a couple of dealerships in the Middle East, but there was never a public showing until now,” said Campbell.
The show’s international coverage helped to get Aston Martin president and CEO Andy Palmer to bring the car to Toronto, Campbell said. “Here in Toronto we’re not dominated by the Big Three as in Detroit, and you don’t get lost in other announcements like in Geneva. You will be the star of the show here.”
The AM-RB 001 unveiling kicked off the media day, with Palmer giving the show’s opening remarks. It was a good choice, Campbell said, because no other manufacturers currently compete in the concept’s segment and so the show didn’t play favourites.
It was followed by the announcements of the 2017 Canadian Car of the Year (Volkswagen Golf Alltrack) and Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year (Subaru Forester) by AJAC, the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada.
The Toronto show always highlights a large number of features and displays beyond the new vehicles, which also helps to draw people who may primarily come to see them, and then visit the manufacturers’ booths.
This year, these included antique cars from Canada’s first 100 years, race cars from 50 years of Canadian Grand Prix Racing, a vintage muscle car competition, an exotic auto display, and live panel discussions, as well as a number of automotive aftermarket vendors. “No one in the world offers everything we do, including Frankfurt, Paris, Los Angeles or Geneva,” said Campbell.
While it’s impossible to recreate the auto show atmosphere in the showroom, dealers can take away some ideas from the show.
He added that having customer service representatives to answer questions, but with no sales pressure, is important to visitors. “There are a lot of SUVs and CUVs here, and one of the things a lot of people ask is for the folding seats to be demonstrated,” he said. “One lady was sold a car but she wasn’t given an explanation when she bought it and she couldn’t figure it out, and so she learned here. People are also looking at the configuration, whether it’s more important for them to have a people carrier or a luggage carrier. The CSRs are here to show the options and answer questions in an unpressured environment, and I think that’s why people come to the show.”
The show is spread over two halls of manufacturer exhibits, linked by the floors containing the classic cars and vendors. In the north hall, which houses most of the mainstream automakers, Campbell reported that people were most likely to ask about prices, options, and payment plans. In the south hall, which contains most of the premium brands, shoppers were asking about semi-autonomous features such as self-driving or self-parking, lane departure systems, and hands-free liftgates.
“I also heard a lot about fuel economy, and a lot of people asking about electric vehicles, especially about the (provincial) rebates,” said Campbell. “At Hyundai, they were asking about the future for hydrogen fuel recharging stations, and the distances that hydrogen vehicles can go. I think it’s a combination of curiosity and in trying to make decisions.”
While it’s impossible to recreate the auto show atmosphere in the showroom, dealers can take away some ideas from the show. “Here you have a non-threatening environment, and a lot of people feel comfortable asking questions because there’s no one saying, ‘Hey, do you want to make a buying decision today.’ If you can provide that kind of comfort level for your customer, I think that’s got to be an ambition. Some dealerships are offering a different solution in terms of no pressure and no commissions, and it does transform (the experience).”
Keeping up with social media is also essential, and the AutoShow makes the most of it. While the event is running, the show continually posts news to Facebook and Twitter, including live streaming, and in turn tracks views and then advertises to the appropriate demographics.
By sending an e-blast to the consumer base, the show can see an immediate uptick in ticket sales. “We can track who went to the site and bought tickets,” said Campbell. “We see how many return (online) on a day-to-day basis and click through. We can use photos of specific cars, and see if they’re interested in supercars, or classic cars, or consumer cars. That can give you a great deal of confidence when you’re advertising.”
The show’s focus going forward will be international coverage, which will ultimately translate into local interest. “We want to continue to be relevant to all the dealers,” Campbell said. “It’s the total automotive experience that we offer, and I take a lot of pride in that.”
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