Volvo is continuing its withdrawal from traditional automotive industry events by announcing it is not going to attend the Geneva Motor Show next year.
“The ongoing change in the car industry is creating new audiences for Volvo Cars and new ways of bringing products to the market,” explained Björn Annwall, senior vice president of strategy, brand and retail at Volvo Cars.
“Automatic attendance at traditional industry events is no longer viable – we must tailor our communications based on how the options complement our messaging, timing and the nature of the technology we are presenting.”
Volvo had already withdrawn from most major motor shows. Geneva was one of the the exceptions, given its compact size and international nature – but now even this is being culled as the firm shifts towards Volvo’s own events and “purpose-specific communications” instead.
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Volvo wants to build a database of more than five million direct customer relationships by 2025.
“We are not saying never to car shows,” said Annwall. “We expect industry events like the Geneva Motor Show to continue evolving and we may return in future.”
An example of Volvo’s new, more direct communications with customers and potential buyers will come later this month, when the firm reveals its new S60 at the Charleston, South Carolina plant that will build it.
Once the S60 is rolled out, Volvo will have fully renewed its entire model range, a process that begun in 2014 with the launch of the XC90 SUV.