Matching Companies With Marketing

Getting products in front of potential customers is the lifeblood of marketing. Whether through straightforward advertising placed in pertinent outlets or through creative ventures handled by public relations (PR) agencies, getting the word out is key.

We included an article on best practices for selecting an ad agency in our February 2013 issue (“Finding the Right Advertising Agency,” p. 60), and this month, we’re taking a look at selecting a PR firm.

Connecting Buyers, Sellers and Media at the SEMA Show

If you’re a SEMA Show exhibitor, product exposure is the name of the game. Your number-one goal is attracting buyers and media to your booth, where you can discuss and demonstrate your new and featured products in person. If, on the other hand, you’re a buyer or media attendee, your priority is saving time and legwork in discovering the latest and greatest product innovations amid more than a million square feet of booths and exhibits vying for your attention. Fortunately, there’s an efficient solution for everyone: The SEMA Show’s New Products Showcase.

Education and Logistical Help for Global Companies, International Vehicle Measuring Sessions, Make/Model Data, Attend International Seminars, Middle East Seminar, and more.

Exporting automotive specialty-equipment products can allow U.S. companies to increase their customer bases for improved bottom lines, better position themselves to ride out possible future U.S. economic downturns, and increase overall competitiveness through access to new customers. Exporting leads to new ways of doing business, and SEMA supports the global efforts of its members through a series of targeted international programs. This is the second of a two-part series on SEMA programs and resources designed to assist members to grow their international sales.

To showcase the industry’s top trendsetting vehicle models, the SEMA Award will be announced and presented to winning automakers during the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, November 5–8, 2013. Through the program, SEMA exhibitors will identify the vehicle platforms they believe are best for accessorizing and ideal for showcasing their new products.

Show organizers will take a tally of every booth vehicle at the Show to identify the most popular vehicle models in four categories: Hottest Car, Hottest Truck, Hottest 4x4-SUV and Hottest Sport Compact. With each booth vehicle representing one vote, the most prominent models will be named the SEMA Award winners for the year.

2015 Hyundai Genesis, Ford Raptor, GMC 2500 HD, 2014 Camaro ZL1 and SS

Chip Foose and WD-40 Co. are teaming up again, this time to design a custom off-road truck that will be the first vehicle built inside the new, state-of-the-art SEMA Garage-Industry Innovations Center.

Foose Design and WD-40 Co.—through a partnership with the Alex Xydias Center for Automotive Arts—will have leading SEMA manufacturers working alongside underprivileged teens and young adults to install parts and equipment on the Foose-inspired vehicle, dubbed the WD-40/SEMA Cares Foose Ford F-150. All work for the build program will be done at the recently opened SEMA Garage-Industry Innovations Center in Diamond Bar, California—a facility that allows SEMA-member companies to test and prototype parts, try its 3D modeling and printing and use its full-scale photo studio, among other things.

On October 2, 1964, Walt Arfons’ Wingfoot Express, with Tom Green at the wheel, earned a place in land-speed racing history by setting a new record of 413.20 mph, besting the previous 407.45 mark set the previous year by Craig Breedlove.

Turned out Walt’s record would be short-lived. His half-brother, Art Arfons, set a 434.02-mph mark just three days later in his Green Monster. Breedlove eclipsed that mark with a 526.28-mph average before famously running his Spirit of America into a water-filled ditch, only to have Art come back and top that, running the Monster to a 536.71-mph average.

Hot Topics at the 2013 SEMA Show

More than 50 educational programs in a number of segment categories will be presented during Education Days at the 2013 SEMA Show, and you can see the full list starting on p. 94 of this issue. However, the following few presentations are of particular importance.

More than 50 free education courses and several “pay-to-attend” educational events will cover everything from online marketing to customer service, management, industry trends and more. These courses are designed to give you practical tools that can be implemented the day you return from Las Vegas.

SEMA Data Co-op at the Show:

No matter your skill level, beginner to expert, there will never be a better time to get a healthy dose of “data savvy” than at the 2013 SEMA Show.

The SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) will be giving presentations and demos all day Tuesday, November 5, through Friday, November 8, in booth #20579, and is also offering a full slate of educational sessions on Monday, November 4. All sessions are free, run one hour each and are repeated morning and afternoon to best accommodate busy Show schedules.

There are many prestigious awards handed out at the SEMA Show. While each is significant in its own way, there is one award that should be of particular interest to everyone at the Show, and potentially, everyone in the auto industry. That would be the SEMA Award because it represents the collective voice of the industry.

By counting and sorting the vehicles displayed in exhibitor booths, we can gauge which vehicle models SEMA exhibitors believe will lead the way when it comes to generating accessory sales. The SEMA Award is a way to spotlight our exhibitors’ unique ability to identify which models are hot, just as the trends are gaining momentum.