The huge expatriate population has its own favourite motor manufacturers. Their most effective way to cement customer loyalty is to offer value for the luxury car owner - who has a very high level of expectation. They also want to possess the best and most powerful vehicle on the road. Leasing packages mean that customers can regularly change their vehicles and update them to the latest model. Vanity is absolutely linked to luxury.
Customers are proud to be seen in their vehicles.
In the United States, the Internet is a growing force in the automotive research and sales channel. Research firm J D Power expects this figure to reach 66 per cent in 2001. Ford expects to spend between three and five per cent of its advertising budget on the Internet in 1999, as opposed to less than one per cent in 1998, and plans to target over 20 per cent of its advertising budget towards the Internet by 2005. As the GCC becomes increasingly wired, it is expected that more potential luxury car customers will glean product data from web sites prior to visiting a showroom. Benintende says that there are other challenges which are specific to the top-tier auto segment.