Event Marketing as a Tool for Distributors to Promote Aftermarket Suspension Components

In the highly competitive aftermarket suspension component sector, many brands offer products that appear technically similar to buyers. Event-related marketing helps suspension component distributors differentiate themselves by creating stronger emotional connections with their customers.

There are Two Types of Event Marketing for Suspension Components

Event marketing for suspension components can be directly related to the automotive industry, or can use co-branding with very popular events that are taking place and have strong positive associations with your potential customers. Industry events and non-industry events can both have significant impact on sales and business development, but they tend to be targeted at different market segments.

• Motorsports events attracting B2C customers
• Popular non-motorsports events with positive emotional associations

Industry events & exhibitions attract B2B auto parts customers

Industry related events offer valuable networking opportunities with distributors, retailers, and strategic partners who can develop your sales channels. Industry exhibitions are a standard method for promoting B2B sales of automotive parts and components, including both OEM manufacturing and aftermarket distribution.

Distributors use non-industry events to engage with B2C customers

Co-branding your auto parts with non-industry events engages with the emotional attachment of end users and customers to a specific event or series of events, and linking the positive feelings customers associate with these to your suspension products. This type of event-related marketing tends to focus on enhancing the public image of your aftermarket brand, and is primarily used for B2C marketing by distributors.

How does the type of event marketing affect auto parts brand recognition?

Targeted marketing of auto parts at industry exhibitions and industry related events tends to focus on performance related features. Potential buyers are already engaged with automotive performance requirements and are often technically competent and make decisions that are based on competitive performance, efficiency and cost criteria.

• Attract technical & performance customers at auto sports events
• Motorsports events also have a strong emotional connection for customers
• Non-motorsports events add reach to build positive associations with your brand

Automotive events boost the value of your suspension components

For aftermarket parts distributors, appearing at automotive events and marketing your suspension components alongside these events is a way to attract B2C customers by association with high performance, popular, motorsport events. The assumption is that B2C customers will see added value in your products even if they are not the specific products that are fitted to the vehicles that are on the track.

General event marketing adds positive emotional feelings to your brand

When you are selling auto parts by association with general, non-automotive, events and activities, the significant motivating factor is the association of your brand with the positive feelings and concepts that surround that event or activity. With automotive motorsport and performance events you can gain positive brand recognition through automotive channels as well as feel-good factors, with non-automotive events your channel has to prioritise the positive emotional associations of the event.

B2C auto components customers are influenced by emotional factors

This type of non-industry marketing has less impact on B2B customers, although it can still be influential, but it is a very important factor in promoting your auto components to B2C customers. Your B2C customers may be overloaded with technical sales promotions without the specialist knowledge or expertise to make choices based on engineering criteria. If you give them a positive emotional association with your suspension component brand it can boost their decision making in favor of your products.

How do you create effective event marketing for auto parts?

If you are working to create effective event marketing for your aftermarket auto parts, you need to tie your products to the event. For auto sports and auto performance events the link between your products and the event is very clear, but you need to either be present or include mentions of the event in your marketing and social media alongside your products.

• Motor sports events offer very clear marketing for auto parts
• Non motor sports event marketing for auto components requires thematic branding
• Be aware of legal limitations of co-branding with major sponsored events

Signpost brand awareness with current popular events

Events that have strong social impact but are not directly auto related require more signposting of your product alongside features of the event to get your marketing message across. As an example, if you want to build brand awareness alongside the current football world cup, you can create corporate and customer gifts, display decorations and promotional events that feature footballs and football jerseys with your product logo and branding.

Build positive emotional associations without the cost of official sponsorship

For legal reasons you need to be careful to avoid appearing to co-brand or making an implication that you are an official sponsor or marketing partner of a major event if you are not in this category. However, offering gifts and organizing displays and events that are themed with a popular activity that is currently featured in global media is a recognized method of building a positive emotional association with your intended customers.

SH Auto Parts delivers suspension components that complement your brand marketing

You can deploy very effective event marketing to promote your aftermarket auto parts distribution, but this will only get you part of the way. Your customers still want high quality suspension components, precision formed from high tensile steels to IATF 16949 certified standards.

You want an ACES/PIES compatible catalog of current and historic components including ODM improved suspension that will make customers associate your brand with the highest level of quality. Contact us to discuss your requirements and find out how SH Auto Parts can give you access to the comprehensive range of suspension components that will complement your event marketing and product branding.