Lexus USA is shifting its auto show strategy away from expensive auto show vehicle reveals and will instead focus on consumers — from Automotive News:
“We are making adjustments,” said Bob Carter, head of sales for Toyota Motor North America. “Auto shows are still a critical part of the business, and they’re critical from a consumer perspective. Most buyers — 35 percent of the people who are going to buy a car in the next 12 months — stop by an auto show. It’s a very important place to communicate.”
“What you will see us do is align our investments to those shows relative to the size of the markets,” Carter said. “We’ll adjust the investment on media days, but to the consumer, it’s still the place to be.”
Lexus will continue to have a presence at auto shows, but will devote more resources to experiential marketing events like ride-and-drives instead of press conferences.
Carter also dropped this tidbit of information:
Carter said Toyota and Lexus planned to launch 31 new vehicles or derivatives of existing vehicles over the next three years — seven more than it had done over the previous 36-month period.