Branding Goals and Strategies at International Auto Shows

Abstract

This study investigates the branding goals and strategies of four globally renowned car companies at the 2013 edition of the Geneva Motor Show. The study collected and analyzed data on the branding activities of the four companies from a variety of sources. The findings indicate that the four car companies utilized the Geneva Motor Show to pursue two types of strategic branding goals: brand image reinforcement and brand image renewal. The findings further reveal that the car companies applied a three stage brand building strategy based on a temporal division of the Geneva Motor Show into pre-, at-and post-show stages, pursuing distinct brand building strategies during each stage such as publicity, experiential branding, brand advertising and sales promotion. The findings contribute to the literature by shedding light on an important yet little researched brand building platform in the automotive industry.