New Audi TT most talked about car at Geneva Motor Show

High performance models draw the social media crowd, but journalists and bloggers focus on small city cars London, 18 March 2014 Analysis released today by Kantar Medias automotive evaluation team reveals that Audis new TT was the most mentioned model at the 2014 Geneva International Motor Show within both online news and blogs (6.04% of mentions) and social media (4.36%). The Ferrari California T took second place, with 5.96% of mentions in online news and blogs and 3% in social media. In general, performance and luxury cars proved to be the most popular exhibits for social media users. The Honda Civic Type-R Concept took third place with 2.25% of mentions, while the McLaren 650S ranked fourth with 2.10% and the Lamborghini Huracan made fifth place with 1.67%. Online news and blogs however focused on the new generation of small city cars that were unveiled at the show, with four of these ranking within the top ten models. Peugeots 108 took fourth place in the overall ranking for online news and blogs with a score of 4.45%, closely followed by the Renault Twingo with 4.12%. The Citroen C1 and Toyota AYGO took seventh and tenth place with 3.79% and 3.11% respectively. Peugeots 308 took eighth (3.38%) after being crowned European Car of the Year. Geneva delivered its traditional panoply of automotive stars in the form of several high-profile performance and luxury exhibits, said Simon Hughes, Head of Automotive Insight at Kantar Media Intelligence. These models were particularly popular on social media, where car enthusiasts and interested observers were captivated by design, status and prestige. It is interesting to contrast this with the small car show focus of journalists and bloggers. But whatever the trend, the key for manufacturers is to spot, in real-time, what is being discussed online and analyse what it means for their brand. Other key research findings include: Announced on the eve of the show, the European Car of the Year has become an established part of the Geneva event. This was reflected in the online news and blogs, with several of the nominees, including the eventual winner, Peugeots 308 (eighth), appearing high up in the rankings. Other nominees to perform well were Mercedes-Benzs S-Class saloon (third), as well as the all-electric Tesla Model S (11th) and Skodas Octavia (13th). A brands future design direction remains crucially important. Among the concepts on show, the Honda Civic Type-R Concept was celebrated for its aggressive looks as well as its performance. Elsewhere, the Volkswagen T-ROC Concept, with its removable roof panels and LED signature headlights, drew attention in its own right and also served to preview the next generation of VW SUVs. In other news, Mazdas stylish Hazumi Concept, was understood to foreshadow its next-generation B-segment offering, while Volvos chic

Concept Estate, demonstrated more subtle sculpture, and Skodas Vision C concept, went with a more bold and edgy approach, with sharper lines and a more aggressive road presence. Key facts and figures of Kantar Medias research are provided in the infographic available to download from the Kantar Media website: http://blognewsintelligence.kantarmedia.co.uk/2014/03/12/new-audi-tt-most-talked-about-car-atgeneva-motor-show/

-ends-

Methodology Kantar Medias analysis is based on volumes of articles or posts from one month before the first press day (February 4th, 2014) to the end of the second press day (March 5th, 2014) in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Sources for online news are key global media outlets and blogs tracked by Kantar Media using the Autotracker online analysis tool. Sources for social media coverage included Twitter, Facebook, forum posts and comments of video sites including YouTube. All articles or posts must discuss or tag the show, be that Salon international de l'automobile Genve, Geneva motor show, #SIAG or other linguistic variants.

About Kantar Media Kantar Media provides critical information that helps our clients make better decisions about communications. We enable the worlds leading brands, publishers, agencies and industry bodies to navigate and succeed in a rapidly evolving media industry. Our services and data include analysis of paid media opportunities; counsel on brand reputation, corporate management and consumer engagement through owned media; and evaluating consumers reactions in earned media. As the global house of expertise in media and marketing information, Kantar Media provides clients with a broad range of insights, from audience research, competitive intelligence, vital consumer behaviour and digital insights, marketing and advertising effectiveness to social media monitoring. Our experts currently work with 22,000 companies tracking over 4 million brands in 50 countries. For further information, please visit us at www.kantarmedia.com For further information please contact: Teresa Horscroft / Kate Alexander Tel: +44 (0)7788 584413 Email: presscontact@kantarmedia.com