By Nam Hyun-woo
BUSAN — While some carmakers were busy showing off their new cars and technologies at the Busan International Motor Show 2018, a handful of others turned a blind eye to the biennial show, missing one of the biggest opportunities to appeal to domestic customers.
The show, slated for June 8 to 17 at BEXCO in Busan, is one of the two biggest motor shows held in Korea, along with the Seoul Motor Show which takes place in odd-numbered years.
For a number of companies, this year's Busan show is a critical promotion opportunity in their bid to rebound in the domestic market.
GM Korea, which is striving to put its operations back on track, is pinning its hopes for recovery on the show, introducing the Equinox SUV to the domestic market as well as staging other consumer events.
Audi Korea, which recently resumed sales, also revealed four new cars as well as announcing new sales strategies.
However, a number of well-known carmakers — Honda, Volvo, Peugeot, Porsche, Ford, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, SsangYong Motor and others — were indifferent about the show, citing the declining promotional effect of motor shows or their headquarters' policies.
Deciding whether to participate in a motor show is fully up to an automaker, but some companies are drawing criticism for their indifference, given that a motor show is not only a promotional opportunity for the carmaker but also a chance to show its commitment to a market and give returns to its customers.
Of them, Volvo is drawing criticism for its continued absence in domestic motor shows, despite its growing popularity.
Volvo is known for its compliance with the headquarters' policy of "attending one event per continent each year." Citing the policy, Volvo has been attending motor shows in China for Asia, saying it is the largest market in the world.
Given its sales in China, which last year grew by a record 25.8 percent from a year earlier, driving the company's 7 percent growth globally; Volvo's sole attendance at Chinese motor shows is understandable. The fact that it was acquired by China's Zhejiang Geely in 2010 also gave reason for its adhesion to China.
Volvo, however, broke such a policy last year, as the company participated into the 2017 Auto Shanghai and then the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show. Japan is the second-largest market for Volvo, and Korea the third.
Such a move came amid Volvo's increasing popularity in Korea. From January to May this year, Volvo sold 3,463 vehicles in Korea, up 22.8 percent from the same period last year.
Last year, Volvo's Korea sales grew 26.9 percent from 2016 to stand at 6,604, marking the fourth consecutive year of more than 20 percent annual growth.
Porsche, which appeared at last year's Seoul Motor Show, has been skipping the Busan Motor Show and holding other direct events instead in the belief that it is more cost-effective in promoting its cars to selective customers.
"It is true that an increasing number of global companies refrain from attending not only domestic but also global motor shows, due to their recognition that such exhibitions are not very effective," said an official from an automaker who attended the event.
"However, there are other companies which joined the show in the belief that motor shows are not just for their profit but also for returning customers' interests by offering various experiences to visitors. Nowadays, it is regarded as an activity of social contribution."
BUSAN — While some carmakers were busy showing off their new cars and technologies at the Busan International Motor Show 2018, a handful of others turned a blind eye to the biennial show, missing one of the biggest opportunities to appeal to domestic customers.
The show, slated for June 8 to 17 at BEXCO in Busan, is one of the two biggest motor shows held in Korea, along with the Seoul Motor Show which takes place in odd-numbered years.
For a number of companies, this year's Busan show is a critical promotion opportunity in their bid to rebound in the domestic market.
GM Korea, which is striving to put its operations back on track, is pinning its hopes for recovery on the show, introducing the Equinox SUV to the domestic market as well as staging other consumer events.
Audi Korea, which recently resumed sales, also revealed four new cars as well as announcing new sales strategies.
However, a number of well-known carmakers — Honda, Volvo, Peugeot, Porsche, Ford, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, SsangYong Motor and others — were indifferent about the show, citing the declining promotional effect of motor shows or their headquarters' policies.
Deciding whether to participate in a motor show is fully up to an automaker, but some companies are drawing criticism for their indifference, given that a motor show is not only a promotional opportunity for the carmaker but also a chance to show its commitment to a market and give returns to its customers.
Of them, Volvo is drawing criticism for its continued absence in domestic motor shows, despite its growing popularity.
Volvo is known for its compliance with the headquarters' policy of "attending one event per continent each year." Citing the policy, Volvo has been attending motor shows in China for Asia, saying it is the largest market in the world.
Given its sales in China, which last year grew by a record 25.8 percent from a year earlier, driving the company's 7 percent growth globally; Volvo's sole attendance at Chinese motor shows is understandable. The fact that it was acquired by China's Zhejiang Geely in 2010 also gave reason for its adhesion to China.
Volvo, however, broke such a policy last year, as the company participated into the 2017 Auto Shanghai and then the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show. Japan is the second-largest market for Volvo, and Korea the third.
Such a move came amid Volvo's increasing popularity in Korea. From January to May this year, Volvo sold 3,463 vehicles in Korea, up 22.8 percent from the same period last year.
Last year, Volvo's Korea sales grew 26.9 percent from 2016 to stand at 6,604, marking the fourth consecutive year of more than 20 percent annual growth.
Porsche, which appeared at last year's Seoul Motor Show, has been skipping the Busan Motor Show and holding other direct events instead in the belief that it is more cost-effective in promoting its cars to selective customers.
"It is true that an increasing number of global companies refrain from attending not only domestic but also global motor shows, due to their recognition that such exhibitions are not very effective," said an official from an automaker who attended the event.
"However, there are other companies which joined the show in the belief that motor shows are not just for their profit but also for returning customers' interests by offering various experiences to visitors. Nowadays, it is regarded as an activity of social contribution."
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