By Nick Crossley, Industry Director – Auto, Teads
I’ve been going to Goodwood for over 20 years now, and it never fails to deliver. The roar of engines, the blend of heritage and innovation, and the sheer spectacle of it all make it one of the best automotive events on the calendar.
But this year, something stood out, not from the track, but from the timelines. Watching how brands played out across digital channels gave me a clearer view of who really made an impact, and who faded into the noise.
Because here’s the thing: Goodwood is crowded. Not just with fans, but with brands. Everyone shows up. Everyone activates. Everyone tries to outshine everyone else. And unless you’ve got a clear plan to cut through, especially beyond the grounds, your presence risks going unnoticed.
Physical presence Isn’t enough anymore
Too many brands still think showing up at Goodwood with a flashy stand or a heritage model is enough. It’s not. Especially in a market where 82% of buyers are open to switching brands (according to our research at Teads).
That stat alone should make marketers stop and think: loyalty is fragile, and presence without meaningful reach is just wasted potential.
When every competitor is in the same place doing similar things, it’s easy to blend in. And when you’re trying to build brand loyalty in a category where purchase cycles are long and infrequent, being forgettable is fatal. Goodwood is brilliant, but it’s only the start of the job, not the end of it.
The real battle Is for share of voice
What stood out this year were the brands that didn’t just show up physically they scaled their presence digitally. They made noise everywhere: in premium content environments, on social, in video, in earned media. They turned their on-the-ground activation into a story the wider world could engage with.
A great example? Mini UK. They returned to Goodwood with the new electric MINI family, they didn’t just rely on their on-site presence. They amplified it digitally at scale, (coincidentally by a Teads’ Reachcast campaign), bringing the atmosphere of the Festival of Speed into high-impact mobile environments through sight, sound, and motion on premium editorial content.
The result? A fully immersive campaign that extended their brand story far beyond the paddock and directly into the hands (and hearts) of audiences nationwide.
That’s what brands need to be doing. Treat Goodwood like a full-scale campaign, not a weekend stunt. Build hype in the lead-up, push real-time content during the event, and extend the story long after the gates close. Otherwise, all that effort becomes a very expensive weekend with very limited reach.
What actually builds loyalty
Let’s be honest, no one falls in love with a car brand just because they saw a nice display in a field. Loyalty comes from emotion, from storytelling, from repetition. From seeing your brand show up consistently in the right places, saying something meaningful. And it absolutely comes from being part of cultural moments like Goodwood, but only if you amplify them properly.
If you’re relying on the crowd at the event to carry your message, you’re thinking too small. You need to hit people where they are: on their phones, in their newsfeeds, across high-quality media environments. Turn that heritage car or concept debut into something that reaches the next million potential buyers, not just the few thousand passing by your stand.
Why It matters more than ever
Car buyers are increasingly open-minded. They care less about legacy and more about experience, innovation, sustainability, design. The old rules of brand loyalty don’t apply anymore. That’s why building awareness and affinity when people aren’t in-market is just as important, if not more so, than grabbing them when they are.
Goodwood is a rare moment when people are actively leaning into the auto category. It’s an open door and if you walk through it with a plan, you can leave a lasting impression. But if you treat it as a box-ticking exercise, you’ll be forgotten by Monday.
Final thought:
After two decades of attending Goodwood, one thing’s clear: the brands that win are the ones who turn moments into momentum. Being present is the minimum. Being heard is the goal.
So if you’re planning for 2026, don’t just book your pitch space and call it a day. Build the campaign. Own the narrative. Amplify the emotion.
Because in a space this crowded, if your voice doesn’t carry, then your brand won’t either.
