Automotive
What a rough ride it has been for the automotive industry. But 2011 could be the year of record sales.
What a ride it has been for the automotive industry. Sales plummeted during the downturn, yet 2011 could see record sales of about 60.24 million cars and light trucks.
Toyota was already suffering from (very public) quality problems when the earthquake hit Japan. Despite overall global demand, Japanese automakers have been forced to halve production.
Other trends of note:
- Global sales at Kia and Hyundai are soaring: Consumers are attracted to reasonable prices and high quality.
- Sales in China, the world's largest car market, are expected to hit 17.5 million units in 2015.
- China, also the largest manufacturer, produced 18.3 million units in 2010. Will Western consumers be convinced of reliability?
- U.S. automakers - making money post-restructuring - have urged suppliers to lower prices. High costs and other factors have hampered Europe's results.*
At MSLGROUP, our global purview provides the context for counselling our automotive clients. Recent work includes: public affairs for a German manufacturer, global PR for supplier ZF Friedrichshafen, and sports marketing for GM.