The Geneva Motor show was packed with new product launches and enough auto exotica to stimulate the press and public alike. Running from the 4th to the 14th of March, the show is a well-established source of new trends and updates on the latest topics within the industry.

But what is the profile of motor show reporting, and who were the major manufacturers to win in terms of communication?

To answer these questions we took a look at automotive press coverage from a reading list of key national, regional, automotive and consumer publications across Europe (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K.). The majority of show coverage fell within a three-month period, spanning one month pre- (February) to one month post-show (April). Our findings were based on this period.

The Profile of Motor Show Reporting

Interestingly, the show also caused a stir further afield. Over the period, 3.6% of automotive articles analyzed mentioned the Geneva Show in Australia (141 of 3,922), 3.2% in the U.S. and Canada (322 of 10,051) and 3.1% in Japan (130 of 4,161).

“Unlike the Frankfurt and Paris shows, which are held in alternating years, the Geneva salon takes place each March and hence has become a rite of spring for the wandering masses that make up the world automotive industry.” Joe DeMatio, Automobile (US)

Within the European markets, Italy, the Netherlands and, unsurprisingly, Switzerland saw the highest penetration of show coverage. With their typical enthusiasm for the latest trends in styling, the Italian press enthused about the exhibits: “If there was to be a motor show of the year award, it would have gone to Geneva” (Pierluigi Bonora, Il Giornale).

Nonetheless, it was outgunned somewhat by Frankfurt ’03 and Paris ’02. During their respective three-month periods of coverage, Frankfurt warranted mentions in 4,546 articles (August to October 2003) and Paris 3,049 (August to October 2002).

Geneva remains a showcase for new vehicles, as well as a forum for company news. Comparing the impact of the two, product reporting generated a 72.8% share of voice, compared with 27.2% for corporate reporting.

Interestingly, this dynamic varied greatly by manufacturer. Fiat, for example, saw corporate reporting account for over 35% of its coverage. Discussion was driven by its strong domestic sales performance in January and February, as well as a plethora of quotes from former CEO Giuseppe Morchio about the progress of the group’s restructuring plan.

At the other end of the spectrum, Renault’s coverage was distinctly product-focused. Its Modus, in near-production guise, was widely previewed, while the Wind concept also caused a stir. Mike Rutherford in The Mirror (U.K.) cited the former vehicle as evidence of Renault's being “great designers,” while L’Auto Journal’s (F) Christophe Aubry waxed lyrical about the latter: “fun and cuddly, willing … a wind, a breath, a simple dream?”

Giacomo Ferrari’s Geneva piece in Automobilismo (I) was headlined “a tank full of optimism.” As is typical with motor shows, the tone of journalists’ reactions to exhibits reflected this optimism. Across the board, 97.7% of product commentary was positive or factual in tone, compared to 87.7% in non-show reporting.

Enthusiasm in corporate reporting was more measured. There was a year-on-year increase in negative commentary (18.7% vs. 17.4%). Many volume car makers expressed caution about the prospects for 2004. However, a number of prestige brands were much more bullish – BMW, for instance, forecast “another record year” for sales. Bob Lutz predicted that the European markets would fall victim to the same price wars that have been prevalent in the U.S. Volkswagen was reported to have already felt the need to incentivize Golf sales by including free air-conditioning.

Manufacturer coverage at Geneva

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The three biggest increases in rankings when compared to the 2003 Geneva show were Mercedes-Benz, which improved from 10th to 4th, BMW, which improved from 15th to 6th, and Toyota, which improved from 25th to 9th.

The 5 Series (Touring and M5 concept) was the highest-impact vehicle at the show, while the MINI (Convertible) was the most-photographed production car.

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Of particular note is the fact that of the top ten vehicles at the Geneva show, five were traditional 3-box saloon (sedan) designs and only one was an MPV-type vehicle. This goes against the trend in terms of European sales. Aside from this, there were no distinct trends at the 2004 show apart from some German publications' noting an increase in “aggressive” styling, citing the 407, VW Concept C and Audi A6, among others.