STUDY: Ford owns brand loyalty in 2009; Scorned Saturn, Pontiac buyers will look outside of GM
Ford buyers appear to love their cars more than customers of any other automotive brand, returning back to the American automaker when it comes time to purchase their next vehicle. According to a study by Experian Automotive, six of the top 10 vehicles for customer brand loyalty wear badges from the Blue Oval. That includes the Ford Fusion (62.4 percent), Ford Edge (57.9 percent), Ford Five Hundred/Taurus (56 percent), Ford Freestyle (51.9 percent), Ford Escape (49.4 percent) and the Ford Focus (47.57 percent).
Other vehicles making up the top 10 include the Toyota Prius (52 percent), Chevy Impala (51.7 percent), Toyota Camry (47.8 percent) and Toyota Corolla (47.56 percent). This brings up an interesting question: With the closing of automotive brands like Saturn and Pontiac, where are those buyers to turn for their next automotive purchase?
Apparently, not back to General Motors. According to Experian, Pontiac owners are most likely to look to the Ford lineup for their next car or truck and Saturn shoppers will switch to Toyota or Honda – not particularly surprising given that Saturn was meant to compete with import brands. Experian predicts that GM's overall market share will fall from 20 percent to about 17.5 percent, with most of the slack being picked up by Ford, Honda and Toyota.
[Source: Experian Automotive, USA Today]
PRESS RELEASE
Six Ford vehicles among industry's top 10 for having highest customer brand loyalty
/PRNewswire/ -- Ford Motor Co. vehicles accounted for six of the top 10 vehicles for customer brand loyalty, according to recent industry analyses from Experian Automotive.
Ford Fusion, Ford Edge and Ford Five-Hundred owners showed the industry's highest brand loyalty, returning to buy a Ford Motor Co. vehicle 62.4 percent, 57.9 percent and 56 percent of the time, respectively. The Ford Freestyle (51.9 percent) was fifth, the Ford Escape (49.4 percent) was seventh, and the Ford Focus (47.57 percent) came in ninth. "
Ford had an outstanding performance for brand loyalty in the second quarter of 2009," said Jeff Anderson, director of Consulting and Analytics for Experian Automotive. "With six of the top 10 vehicles for customer brand loyalty, Ford is showing that its products are passing the most important test: turning happy customers into repeat buyers." Other top-finishing vehicles included the Toyota Prius (52 percent) in fourth place, the Chevrolet Impala (51.7 percent) in sixth place, the Toyota Camry (47.8 percent) at number eight and the Toyota Corolla (47.56 percent) in 10th place.
"Brand loyalty is a critical element of success, even survival, in today's challenged auto industry," said Scott Waldron, president of Experian Automotive. "The ability to retain customers is an important indicator of product success and commitment to developing long-term customer relationships. As automakers are scrambling to maintain market share, holding onto current customers has never been more important."
These loyalty findings, along with analysis of other industry trends, were the result of Experian Automotive's latest quarterly industry study looking at results from the first half of 2009. A recorded presentation of Experian Automotive's full industry analysis can be viewed at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/309875578.
About Experian Automotive
Experian Automotive, a part of Experian, delivers information services to manufacturers, dealers, finance and insurance companies, and consumers. Experian® helps automotive clients increase customer loyalty, target and win new business, and make better lending and vehicle purchase decisions. Its National Vehicle Database, housing more than 625 million vehicles, along with Experian's credit, consumer and business information assets, meets the industry's growing demand for an integrated information source. Experian's advanced decision support services help clients turn this information into improved business results. Experian technology supports top automotive businesses, including eBay Motors, CarsDirect.com, CarMax and NADAguides.com. For more information on Experian Automotive and its suite of services, visit our Web site at http://www.experianautomotive.com.
About Experian
Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients in more than 65 countries. The company helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score and protect against identity theft.
Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended March 31, 2009, was $3.9 billion. Experian employs approximately 15,000 people in 40 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; Costa Mesa, California; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.com. Experian and the marks used herein are service marks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
Cameron 11:07AM (10/16/2009)
They've earned this former import fanboy's loyalty, and I don't even own one yet!
Have an Ecoboost Mustang on the market when I graduate college in a few more semesters and I'm yours Ford.
Reply
Pat 12:31PM (10/16/2009)
If your are talking about the Fusion...well yeah its hecho in Mexico… with an engine, drive train and parts made in the red white and blue...as well as designed and supported by a first class American engineering staff…NAFTA may have been shotgun wedding but its working for Ford just fine. Hecho en Mexico is a lot better for you than做 在中国 (Made in China=).
You think it would be more economical to ship all those parts made in the USA and Michigan based engineers across the Pacific and then back? I betcha it wouldn’t! .Be glad Ford isn’t shipping cars made in China to the US (yet)! Those cars would be all red and ummmm red inside. Pray, PRAY HARD that Mexican productivity keeps going up.
John 7:36PM (10/16/2009)
To: Pat
"If 'your are' talking about the Fusion..."
Pretty sure he said EcoBoost Mustang, which refers to the Ford EcoBoost V6 (made in USA) and the Ford Mustang (made in USA).
You trying to scorn the Fusion for being built in Mexico is not really an argument here. Besides, its working well for them. One of the best in quality, THE best in fuel mileage, and now the best in owner loyalty.
Pat 12:34AM (10/17/2009)
@ John...I was talking @ Brian's comment about Ford(""domestic" automaker that has its best selling cars hecho en Mexico, amigo.") , which for some reason didn't seem to have a “reply to” button when I tried to comment to his (Brian’s) initial comment. I did not mean to respond to the pro- mustang comment (Cameron's) at the top of the page. I totally agree about the Fusion, I'm NOT ragging on it...I'm praising it, reread my comment. If however you want to deride me for screwing up my comment placement, you can whale away!
John 2:13PM (10/20/2009)
You obviously dont know how to use these comment boards any better than you know the auto industry.
You replied to somebody else's comment, on a totally different (and bogus) subject. Just goes to show your immature nature, as if your comments dont speak for themselves.
Pat 12:45AM (10/21/2009)
oooh thanks John! Now why exactly do I deserve an Ad Hominem attack?
Because I agreed with you that the Fusion is a great car for Ford? That is an odd reason to bust out your nastiness...Because I made a mistake on where I placed a post an a message board...really?
Guilty as charged, I work for a living and don't spend hours on end placing messages on comment boards.
So presumably the personal attack comes mainly because of one reason I suppose. I'd seen a post that heaped scorn on Ford for producing cars in Mexico and that seemed jingoistic and myopic, so I pointed out that having an automaker produce cars in Mexico is a whole heck of a lot better for US workers that the poster probably imagined, its particularly better than moving production to Asia like all kinds of other industries have! If you don't like the premise, then point out the problems with that reasoning with something better than a personal attack. As far as I can tell you trying to calling me "immature and ignorant" was the best you could come up with since you couldn't scrounge up any facts to attack the point. So you took the kindergarten approach and started calling people names. I'm not to worried about any moral high ground you may have to be calling me immature.
As for my lack of knowledge of the industry...*shrug*...I don't need to engage in a 3rd grade argument about who knows more than whom...my manhood isn't at stake, but I earn a living just fine and help pay the bills of other people in my family with the work I do for clients in the auto industry, I'll take the vote of confidence of those clients over yours any day.
Brian 11:10AM (10/16/2009)
Yeah, "domestic" automaker that has its best selling cars hecho en Mexico, amigo.
Reply
Brian 11:11AM (10/16/2009)
And another company that took MY TAX MONEY in the DOE "loan". And yes this is different from Nissan taking the same loan. Nissan is in no danger of going belly up (Chapter 11) while Ford is, so the Ford "loan" was a mini-bailout by another name, money that could be used to keep the lights on.
Wait until Ford comes up for a REAL feat at the bailout buffet.
Brian 11:22AM (10/16/2009)
Oh look, the Blue Oval Mafia would rather rate my comments down than engage me in debate. This just proves that they have no counterarguments.
jrhmobile 11:30AM (10/16/2009)
No, we just don't believe in feeding trolls ...
Brian 11:32AM (10/16/2009)
And BTW, I wonder what the resale value is like on these Ford and Lincoln pigs? Probably gut-wrenching.
Sea Urchin 11:35AM (10/16/2009)
Brian, most in here have no mental capacity to debate.
So many in here still claim that Domestic cars are better, even after the fact that 2 of 3 died.
Brian 11:41AM (10/16/2009)
Sea Urchin, good to see someone else here who "gets it" (besides Matt who at least understands Ford's situation).
I'm still waiting for an explanation about how the Fusion is a "domestic" when it is built in Mexico on a Japanese platform using less domestic content than Camry and Accord (which are made in the USA).
henrykrinkle 11:46AM (10/16/2009)
"...would rather rate my comments down than engage me in debate."
WAAAHHH!!! Somebody pay attention to me!!!
Nothing a rational, intellegent person can say will ever change the mind of a member of the lunatic fringe so after a while we just give up on you and get on with our lives.
askjeffro 11:59AM (10/16/2009)
Brian, simply put, you are acting a fool. You should learn to be quiet and save face from everyone identifying you as such.
You claim that Nissan's loan was appropriate because they are financially sound then blast Ford for the same kind of loan because they are at risk of going belly up. What you fail to understand is the construct of the loan you try to use to blast Ford.
If you took 10 minutes out of your ranting to actually read the agreement, available via the DOE, you would understand that the government has first dibs above all other creditors on existing assets should Ford not repay in cash. Ford has way more than enough assets to ensure coverage of the loan so there is effectively no risk to taxpayers here. (Same thing with the other companies by the way.) This arrangement is in strong contrast to the "bailout" loans other makers and banks have recently been receiving.
All that said, I do agree that Ford should not have gotten the loan. (None of them should have.) I am against government involvement in the markets. Its a fleeting dream, but that is my belief.
merlot066 12:08PM (10/16/2009)
I'm sorry, I don't speak Japanese, so I can't speak on Toyota's behalf for 45% of cars that were shipped over from Japan, not to mention the profits go back to Japan.
"And another company that took MY TAX MONEY in the DOE "loan". And yes this is different from Nissan taking the same loan. Nissan is in no danger of going belly up (Chapter 11) while Ford is, so the Ford "loan" was a mini-bailout by another name, money that could be used to keep the lights on."
I guess it's good you don't live in Japan, because you'd be pretty pissed at Toyota right now. Ford has 2 years to pay the loan back, right? After all, you said they now have 2 years (compared to the year that you said they had a month ago). Have you seen Nissan's lineup lately? I'd say they have more to worry about than Ford. Not to mention the fact that Ford has the most advanced alternative fuel vehicles in the industry (their fleet of electric and hydrogen Focuses, their Hydrogen Fusion 999 racer, their Hy series Edge, their fleet of plug-in Escape Hybrids, and their best-in-class Fusion Hybrid) so Ford is likely to get more out of the extra cash. Ford doesn't need a loan from the DOE to keep the lights on, the $16 Billion they have in the bank works just as well.
Also, Ford's resale values are going up. They do have a bunch of things against them though. F-series has one of the lowest resale values... because F-series trucks are abused the most. If somebody wants to buy a work truck they buy an F-150 or a Ram. If you want a truck with a good 0-60 time that you can load up with bling, you buy a Tundra.
Pat 12:33PM (10/16/2009)
Dang...my comment was aimed @ Brian...my bad
LaserRed38 4:34PM (10/16/2009)
Idiot. It's a "domestic" because the people who designed it are American. And the profits from selling it go to Ford and our country.
The profits from Camry/Accord/Civic sales go back to Japan. Granted, the parent companies do take a portion of that and invest it back into their US operations, but mostly that money goes over seas. People don't argue with you because you're ignorant and they don't want to waste their time
That Fusion built on a Japanese platform? Oh yeah that's Mazda. At the time Fordo owned the biggest stake in Mazda; why NOT platform share.
Mike 7:08PM (10/16/2009)
Brian,
You are unbelievable. Here's a homework assignment from you, find out the domestic content in a Fusion. Then do some more and tell me what specific AMERICAN town Ford's various design, research, and engineering facilities are in. Next you can tell me where Ford's headquarters and locations of their other manufacturing facilities both for vehicle assembly and parts production.
Next you can tell me why at a cash burn rate of 1B per quarter, they need a 5.9B loan to "keep the lights on" when they have over 16B in the bank right now. If the DOE loan is due in 2 years, they won't ever use a penny of it to "keep the lights on", guess you missed out on next year's launch of two electric only vehicles which makes good on their promises to develop and launch alternative powered vehicles. Oh yeah, they've also agreed to produce those batteries here in the U.S.. I also want you to go back to your predictions last year and tell us how they fared. You've been dead wrong since you started posting here. Any reason to believe you have magically found a crystal ball that is going to make you right now? I didn't think so.
As far as your need to engage in debate, I imagine that just like every other time that I or someone else actually does, you'll abandon the post and run to the next domestic entry that you can start your stupidity all over again. There's a very good reason you are perpetually low ranked.
Yaroukh 10:13PM (10/16/2009)
@Mike: 2Q cash-burn was actually 300m which resulted in 21b down from 21.3