We’ve all seen them—on the showroom floor, on the retail shelves, at parts counters. Point-of-purchase (POP) and related merchandising displays compete for our attention daily. But do they really work? How are they created? And why should manufacturers consider adding POP/merchandising displays to their marketing mixes?

“They’re the last three feet of closing a sale,” said Jim Redfield, CEO of Griffin Chase Oliver Inc., a specialist in merchandising display production. “That’s the bottom line.”

Who are “typical” automotive specialty-equipment consumers? What is their relationship with their vehicles? How does that relationship influence their purchasing habits? And how can automotive specialty-equipment businesses reach them with their marketing? These are some of the perennial questions that drive the industry. SEMA is now offering the 2012 SEMA Market Segmentation Report, an in-depth summary of a recent, comprehensive look into these and other questions affecting every company in the specialty-equipment marketplace.

2012 SEMA Annual Market Report Preview admin Fri, 06/01/2012 - 14:02

One of SEMA’s primary tools in achieving its mission statement—to help its member businesses succeed and prosper—is providing market research that draws on historical comparisons and illuminates current trends. As a major part of that effort, the association produces an overview of where the industry stands each year. The 2012 SEMA Annual Market Report has just been released and is now available. The report is free to SEMA members and is available for a $250 fee to non-members.

There are basics to manufacturing that change little over time. To create marketable parts, manufacturers must mold, mill, drill, cut, weld and otherwise fabricate raw materials into something consumers find useful. The tools used to do these things are another matter altogether. It’s no secret that machine technologies are changing rapidly.

Since the earliest performance parts began to emerge from the dust on dry-lakes proving grounds in Southern California following World War II, hot rods have been a mainstay of the automotive specialty-equipment industry. They spark the imaginations of builders in every car and truck niche, and they continue to enthrall the motoring public at show venues and on roads across the country.

The product listings on the following pages run the gamut from powertrain and drivetrain hard parts to interior and exterior accessories, but their common bond is that they were all featured in the hot rod category of the New Products Showcase at the 2011 SEMA Show. We’ve also interspersed observations about current trends from officers at leading companies involved in the hot rod industry, as well as from young executives who are closely connected to their enthusiast segments.

While tech-giddy employees are prone to fawn over every new iThing smuggled into the workplace—devices that are often used in violation of company policy—IT security pros see something very different: a security breach waiting to happen. The hard fact is that many of those unauthorized devices can slash gaping holes in company security systems in a nanosecond, exposing company data and applications to hackers. Indeed, even some authorized devices keep security IT up at night, since their current software solution may not be designed to handle some of the brand-new phones and tablets.

New Products introduced by Eddie Motorsports, Backbone Industries, UnderCover, Spectre Performance, Edge Products and other SEMA member manufacturers.

Chrysler’s Jeep brand has seen a resurgence in recent years, winning awards that range from the Grand Cherokee’s 2011 Urban Truck of the Year to the Wrangler’s 2012 Four Wheeler of the Year. Its popularity has also blossomed in emerging markets. According to Chrysler Group LLC, sales of Jeep-brand vehicles in China in 2011 rose 64% compared to the previous year, climbing to 38,373 units. Sales also exploded in Russia, rising 85% to 2,327 units. Here’s a look at some of the particulars in those markets.

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