Of all consumer goods and services, none has the aura of attraction as the automobile. Today, there are over 400 million automobiles in this world. The automobile is the motor of the modern economy, providing the means of transportation to ship goods from factories to outlets. The automobile represents the ideals of freedom and mobility for consumers, allowing them to go anywhere that they want.
In the Los Medios y Mercados de Latinoamérica 1998 study, we found that 39% of all persons between the ages of 12 and 64 in Latin America reside in households which own one or more automobile. The numbers differ significantly by country:
Table 1. % of Persons Who Live in Households that Own Automobiles by Region
Region |
% Own Autos |
| Argentina | 47% |
| Brazil | 45% |
| Chile | 41% |
| Colombia | 22% |
| Mexico | 45% |
| Venezuela | 29% |
| Balance of Central America | 34% |
| Balance of South America | 19% |
Source: Los Medios y Mercados de Latinoamérica 1998
People get cars for a multiplicity of reasons. We asked the respondents to name the principal reason for which they use their cars.
Table 2. Most Cited Reason for Using Automobile
| Commute to Work |
Daily Family Use |
Business Use |
Leisure Use |
Weekend Family Use |
| 40% | 36% | 11% | 9% | 4% |
Source: Los Medios y Mercados de Latinoamérica 1998
The reasons are significantly different by region.
Table 3. Most Cited Reason for Using Automobile, by Region
| Region | Commute to Work |
Daily Family Use |
Business Use |
Leisure Use |
Weekend Family Use |
| Argentina | 51% | 20% | 10% | 8% | 11% |
| Brazil | 24% | 48% | 13% | 13% | 2% |
| Chile | 30% | 40% | 15% | 8% | 7% |
| Colombia | 42% | 31% | 21% | 1% | 5% |
| Mexico | 58% | 27% | 7% | 4% | 4% |
| Venezuela | 56% | 22% | 8% | 9% | 5% |
| Balance of Central America | 50% | 23% | 10% | 10% | 6% |
| Balance of South America | 51% | 26% | 14% | 4% | 5% |
Source: Los Medios y Mercados de Latinoamérica 1998
In Mexico and Venezuela, the automobile is more likely to be used for commuting to work and less likely for daily family use than elsewhere.
In Argentina, the automobile is more likely to be used for commuting to work during the weekday and family use over the weekend than elsewhere.
In Brazil, the automobile is less likely to be used for commuting to work during the weekday and more likely to be for daily family use than elsewhere.
In Colombia, the automobile is more likely to be used for business purposes than elsewhere.
These different patterns of automobile usage suggest that the automobiles and related products and services must be marketed in different fashions.
(posted by Roland Soong on 3/08/99)
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