Automotive Marketing

It is not a secret by any means that we in Canada live in a very diverse country. This diversity creates the need for automotive marketing targeted at unique groups of people in almost every city. The most unique target market of all is not located in a single city, but within the provincial boundaries of Quebec.

A quick glance at the vehicle segments and brands that are popular in Quebec shows that buying habits in this province are a little bit different than in the rest of the country. This got me thinking: How different are Quebec vehicle buyers verses the other large provinces? I have always known that the demographic make-up of the province was a little different, with the most obvious difference being that French is the primary language in Quebec. But, as we looked deeper into the market, it became apparent that consumers in the province lead a more urban lifestyle and have more of a European mindset, these factors seem to be leading their unique vehicle preferences when compared to the rest of Canada.

For the last several years, the sales trends indicate a strong preference for compact vehicles in Quebec. The Asian automakers have clearly had the more appealing product as viewed by the Quebec consumer. Some automakers have not done well in the province because they didn’t offer the compact vehicles that the Quebec market demanded. Now it has taken a near crippling recession to prompt the mindset of some automakers to shift to more compact-orientated vehicles. To succeed, not only do these automakers need to offer high-quality products in these segments, but for the Quebec market in particular, they will need a specific marketing approach tailored to this very distinct consumer base.

Polk has just put together a Polk View titled "Compacts in Quebec - Small Cars with Big Popularity". This Polk View analyzes the sales trends and buying behaviours of this unique consumer group and discusses the factors driving them. Please download this Polk View and share your thoughts.

Posted by Peter Haefele, Senior Analyst, Polk (08.19.2009)