Every two years the automotive industry gets together in Frankfurt for Automechanika. It’s an event we’ve been visiting for over two decades now, and we always went searching for Aftermarket goodies. And although this was never the best place for great exposure and target audience for Aftermarket or tuning companies, we always managed to gather some footage.
Tender steaks. But we are 2022, and times have seriously changed. For example, where a brand like BMW used to allow you to choose between model A or model B wheel, today their choice of wheels is bigger than the Kardashian family’s entire shoe collection. And that transformation took place on a fine summer day. The gentlemen and ladies OEM were getting one shade tanner in their garden when they smelled the scent of well-seasoned steaks between their nostrils. The Aftermarket neighbour family was having a barbecue. Evidently, that’s when they decided to join them, and get a bite. Not just from the tender steaks, but also from the Aftermarket industry.
Stolen cheese. Today the gap between OEM and Aftermarket is not nearly as deep as it was the case with Lola Ferrari’s ‘headlights’. OEM uses/abuses their position to remind the end consumer that nothing beats buying stuff with an OEM label. And that has managed to convince a lot of customers to leave Aftermarket products aside. But if you thought the Aftermarket industry would just let the cheese be stolen from their bread….
Precedence. And we use KW automotive as being the perfect example for this. Yes the company started as a tuning company. Yes the company put its focus on Aftermarket products. But above all, KW automotive ensured that quality took precedence. And the result has proven itself over the past years. Not only has KW automotive become a reference in the Aftermarket industry, it has also become a solid grip for several OEM partners like Porsche and Ford to name a few.
Love child. The Aftermarket industry has become wiser the last decade, and thanks to leading companies like KW automotive it has learned that innovation and quality are key. And therefore you shouldn’t be surprised next time you get invited to a barbecue and become witness of many love children running around in the automotive garden.