A new study commissioned by SEMA indicates that aftermarket products influence about 1,180,000 new-vehicle sales each year. The automotive marketing research and consultancy firm AutoPacific collected and analyzed consumer data to quantify the effect that accessorization has on the sale of new vehicles. The resulting report, “Influence of Accessories on New-Vehicle Sales,” details the findings.

It isn't often you can capture this many iconic figures in one candid photograph, but that's exactly what Petersen Publishing photographer Pat Brollier managed to do on a June day in 1974.

Businesses that rely heavily on web marketing are in for a rude awakening in the coming year. That's when privacy advocates will begin crippling the ability to easily track visitor activity on a company's own website as well as across the Internet. In practice, the backlash against visitor tracking—commonly known as "Do Not Track"—is expected to make it tougher for a company to monitor which visitors are using its website and how they are using it.

More than 190 exhibitors registered for a booth in the 2010 SEMA Show’s new Global Tire Expo—Powered by Tire Industry Association (TIA). This section of the Convention Center was dedicated to the tire industry, serving as a focal point for buyers searching for the hottest tire-related trends and products. During registration, 16,390 buyers designated their intention to explore this category, noting an interest in tires and accessories, including both passenger and light-truck applications. To satisfy that desire, Global Tire Expo exhibitors unveiled the following products both on the Show floor and in the New Products Showcase.

A special group of enthusiasts entered the Las Vegas Convention Center on the final day of the 2010 SEMA Show. Despite the trade-only attendance rule, this select group was granted a “golden ticket” through the SEMA Opinion Leader Program. Participants received access to the SEMA Show on one condition: Their experiences had to be shared via feedback surveys and, when possible, across a variety of Internet-based social networks. This was the second year of the project, and the feedback and enthusiasm were inspiring.

SEMA presented Mike Spagnola, founder and president of Street Scene Equipment and long-time SEMA member, with the 2010 Person of the Year Award at the 2010 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

After an exciting competition late last year, the Street Performance Council (SPC) Select Committee earned the distinction of winning the 2010 SEMA Political Action Committee (PAC) Council Challenge. The contest ran between August and October, and the winner was the council Select Committee that was both 100% “PAC approved” and contributed the highest dollar amount.

In the November 2010 issue of SEMA News, we discussed how SEMA-member companies might use auctions to find the perfect vehicle to feature in promotions and advertising. Such vehicles can provide value well beyond their material worth by helping customers realize long-held dreams. In some cases, however, the effectiveness of even the optimal vehicle eventually diminishes, whether because of changing styles, a new marketing direction or other factors. The company may then wish to utilize an auction to divest itself of that property with either a minimal loss or—even better—a net gain because of appreciation. Perhaps the most significant benefit of consigning a collector or exotic vehicle to an auction is the extremely passionate pool of buyers drawn by such events.

Marketers looking to get a handle on social media as a promotional tool have found an easy solution: Integrate the medium into existing e-mail marketing programs. The pioneers of this method say that a little creative contact with current and potential customers on social networks, such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter, can add new muscle to tried-and-true e-mail.

The economy and the environment have been the major drivers for many markets over the last three years, and they have also been consistent topics of conversation among tire and wheel experts. The tire industry underwent a sort of accordion buckling in inventory as the economic slowdown led consumers to balk at anything other than critical expenditures and then pent-up demand caused a sudden resurgence.