Conference on mobility narratives

CB News is organizing a conference titled "The new narratives of mobility" during the Paris Motor Show, in partnership with NRJ Global, Auto Plus, and Reworld MediaConnect. The event will take place on Thursday, October 15, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., focusing on media at the salon, the evolution of media inside vehicles, and the upcoming arrival of autonomous vehicles.

NRJ Global's involvement

Franck Charnay, deputy general director of NRJ Global, discussed the company's plans for the Paris Motor Show. NRJ Global is present on the Geely stand as an extension of the partnership between the brand and the NRJ Music Awards 2026.

Activities at the Geely stand

On Monday, October 12, the NRJ 16/19 team was live from the stand during the press and media day, and Louis participated in the unveiling of a new Geely model. On Friday, October 16, during the Motor Show's nighttime event, an NRJ Extravadance DJ set of two hours will be offered on the stand.

Partnership timeline

The partnership began on September 30 at the Bridge with a launch evening and showcases of artists nominated in the Revelation categories. It continues in dealerships with a game allowing participants to win VIP packages to attend the NRJ Music Awards on October 23.

Promotion through radio

On air, during Manu's morning show, listeners can try to win a Geely E2, the new all-electric city car. In Cannes, Geely will provide the official fleet for the NRJ Music Awards, with two cars displayed on the esplanade on Thursday and Friday as part of an activity that allows participants to win tickets to the ceremony.

In-car audio experience

The game will allow participants to discover the audio system of the vehicles, with 16 speakers and up to four ambient preset settings. The public will be able to hear and appreciate the sound quality themselves.

New entrants in the market

New entrants like Geely are disrupting the automotive market with different communication strategies. Franck Charnay noted the speed at which these new entrants are building their brand in France, associating television, radio, and digital with partnerships and events that allow the public to discover their vehicles and try them out.

Brand image and purchasing decisions

He mentioned that some brands initially focused heavily on the equipment-price ratio, but now measure the weight of the brand image more in the purchasing decision. A car represents a significant expense and its purchase is socially involved, so building an identity to which the public can attach themselves is essential.

Emotion and brand promotion

Emotion evoked by the brand is crucial for the move to action. Cinema offers familiar faces and reassuring associations, such as Denza with Daniel Craig, Jaecoo with Jean Reno, or BYD at the Deauville Film Festival. The choice of Jean Reno to promote Jaecoo in France seems particularly well chosen, as it reassured someone in Charnay's circle before buying a vehicle from this brand.

Media partnerships and brand identity

Historically, Peugeot established itself in the territory of cinema, but now all new competitors are also present on this subject. Music allows the creation of a powerful emotional link, as seen with Renault's advertising music and collaboration with Jean-Michel Jarre, and Cupra's development of identity through urban music.

Geely's communication strategy

At Geely, the partnership with the NRJ Music Awards or with Shakira in Spain seems coherent with the quality of sound in the in-car experience. Xpeng emphasizes technology, while BYD multiplies associations from cinema to football with PSG and esports with Team Vitality, giving significant importance to sponsoring major events and partnerships that run through all its activities.

Strategic importance of brand identity

This strategy is legitimate considering the large number of models offered, making it difficult to support them all separately. Charnay noted that this is an exciting period that may soon be taught in communication schools, as all these brands must build their identity quickly among the French public, without forgetting the necessary education on electric vehicles to overcome the last psychological barriers.

Connected car and media evolution

The connected car is reshaping the landscape of media listening. NRJ Global is supporting this evolution by making radios and on-demand content accessible in car interfaces, notably via Radioplayer.

In-car audio advancements

With voice commands, the listener should be able to find their station by simply stating its name. The sound quality of vehicles opens up perspectives for musical media, with some models having very sophisticated audio systems, including speakers in the headrests, allowing for personalized listening with real acoustic bubbles.

Future of in-car entertainment

For example, the driver can be the only one to hear GPS instructions or, if they make a call, their contact. With sometimes more than fifteen speakers in the vehicles, the quality of in-car listening has made a spectacular leap. The car accommodates more entertainment, but during driving, audio retains an advantage over video: it allows entertainment while keeping the eyes on the road.

Advertising and listening context

This gives good reasons to think that audio will retain an important place in the future. For advertisers, digital audio listening also allows better adaptation of messages to the listening context. It is already possible to identify live listening in a car and to broadcast a specific message.

Privacy and future enhancements

In the long term, additional information, such as the number of occupants, could refine this approach if manufacturers make them available under conditions that respect privacy.