26 September 2011 - Analysis released today by Kantar Media's Precis Automotive media evaluation team names Audi as the most discussed car brand in social media as the 2011 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show opened its doors to the public. The manufacturer was referenced in 13 percent of all social media posts by the end of the second press day, compared to BMW (8 percent), Mercedes-Benz (7 percent), Volkswagen (6 percent) and Ford (5 percent).

Social media users were also increasingly interested in Electric Vehicles and technology; according to the research, four of the top 10 most frequently mentioned models in posts were either electric or plug-in hybrid concepts (Audi A2, Audi Urban, Ford Evos, Mercedes-Benz F-125!). Kantar Media analysed nearly 20,000 online news articles about the show between Tuesday 30th August and Wednesday 14th September. Its social media analysis monitored 5,666 discussions and posts on blogs, Twitter and YouTube. 

Other key research highlights:

  • Volkswagen generated the most online news coverage with 12 percent of all show related coverage. The German car manufacturer was closely followed by Audi (10 percent) and BMW with 9 percent. Mercedes ranked fourth with 7 percent and Ford fifth with 6percent.
  • German show with Global Reach - More than one third (33 percent) of online news coverage about the show came from foreign (non-German) websites including sites located in the US, UK, Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Australia, France, Canada and India.
  • English was the dominant language for discussion about the show in social media with two thirds (61 percent) of social media conversations conducted in this language. Just 23 percent of conversations were in German, with 9 percent in Spanish, 3 percent in Italian and 1 percent in French.
  • German car manufacturers dominated online news coverage. Six of the top seven brands in the ranking of car brands most talked about in online news articles were German marques. Ford muscled into fifth position with its Evos Concept and production-ready Focus ST. Eight of the top ten car models talked about online were also German. Ford's Evos Concept and Fiat's Panda were the only car models to break through the German hegemony.
  • Porsche 911 remains Pillar of Porsche success - the Porsche 911 was the most talked about car in all of the online news coverage as well as in social media discussions.
  • Design remained the key theme but the uptake of Electric Vehicles and Hybrids were strong emerging topics especially among social media users - An analysis of the key themes discussed online and in social media shows that the design of the car is more topical than other factors such as performance, technology and price. However, future mobility solutions (like EVs and hybrids) have also become a common theme within show discussion.

"The show remains a platform for manufacturers' latest announcements, regardless of their country of origin. Despite their dominance, German manufacturers accounted for less than half of all discussion about exhibitors," commented Jeremy Gibbs, Senior Insight Manager at Kantar Media. "Car brands are increasingly turning their attention to online and social media as part of their pre-show communications campaigns. Audi has most effectively leveraged the power of social media with a wide range of exhibits causing a stir all over the world."