Subaru Owners Most Likely to Recommend to a Friend; Toyota & Honda Owners Follow, According to BIGinsight™ Analysis

A unique analysis by BIGinsight™ applies Net Promoter Score* methodology to findings from their recently released January survey of 9,317 consumers. The analysis identifies how customers perceive their auto brand of choice and provides automakers with a picture of their company’s performance through the eyes of their customers.

Worthington, OH (PRWEB) February 01, 2012

To recommend or not to recommend is the ‘ultimate question’ for automakers. Whether they are in Detroit, across the country or across the globe, a common goal in a turbulent economy is likely to build share organically through word of mouth. A unique analysis applies the Net Promoter Score* metric system to the January consumer survey fromBIGinsight™ (Jan-12, N=9,317) to show how customers perceive their brand of choice.

By subtracting the percent of consumers who detract from a vehicle’s reputation from those who would actively promote it, you can evaluate the strength of the brand’s image by the NPS. When it comes to recommending vehicles to friends and family, the five top rated vehicles are Subaru, Toyota and Honda, Lexus and Volkwagen. However, it is important to note where they were in 2010.

Toyota appears to be rebuilding trust among their customer base after a significant drop in 2011 which was likely due to recalls. It seems Lexus was met with the same issue as recalls likely impacted their customer loyalty, but the brand’s NPS remains off from 2010. Subaru owners seem to be more passionate advocates as their NPS has steadily risen. And Volkswagen shows the greatest increase among the top five since 2010. Kia, although not in the top five, appears to be gaining steam. They jumped more than 500% from 2.8% in 2010 to 18.1% in 2012.

Top 5 Auto Net Promoter Scores (Ranked by JAN 2012 Score)

Subaru
Jan 2010 – 42.3%    
Jan 2011 – 52.2%    
Jan 2012 – 56.8%

Toyota
Jan 2010 – 51.6%    
Jan 2011 – 41.3%    
Jan 2012 – 48.9%

Honda
Jan 2010 – 49.7%    
Jan 2011 – 49.7%    
Jan 2012 – 43.9%

Lexus
Jan 2010 – 65.0%    
Jan 2011 – 55.3%
Jan 2012 – 43.2%

Volkswagen
Jan 2010 – 26.5%
Jan 2011 – 43.2%
Jan 2012 – 40.7%

Detroit automakers don’t fare as well according to the analysis as they remain well behind their competitors in regards to customer opinion. However, the NPS has increased considerably for GMC and Ford since 2010. On the other hand, Buick and Chrysler have a long way to go in building brand loyalty.

Detroit Automakers Net Promoter Scores (Ranked by JAN 2012 Score)
GMC
Jan 2010 – (0.1%)    
Jan 2011 – (3.6%)    
Jan 2012 – 27.9%

Cadillac
Jan 2010 – 11.8%    
Jan 2011 – 23.7%
Jan 2012 – 19.8%

Ford
Jan 2010 – 5.4%
Jan 2011 – 7.9%    
Jan 2012 – 15.7%

Chevrolet
Jan 2010 – 12.6%    
Jan 2011 – 11.3%    
Jan 2012 – 12.3%

Buick    
Jan 2010 – 17.0%    
Jan 2011 – 4.8%    
Jan 2012 – 6.2%

Chrysler
Jan 2010 – (7.2%)
Jan 2011 – 1.5%
Jan 2012 – 0.3%

Source: BIGinsight.com

*Net Promoter, NPS and Net Promoter Score are trademarks of Satmetrix Systems, Inc., Bain & Company, and Fred Reichheld

For additional auto brands and insights on the automotive market, access the online Automotive InsightCenter™ or download the Android™ Tablet App.

The NPS which takes a simple question–Would you recommend us to a friend?–has helped countless organizations better understand “promoters” and “detractors” and paint a clear picture of their company’s performance through the eyes of their customers. By applying the Net Promoter Score*, executives can identify their customer base and move beyond “sufficient” to brand loyalty and growth.

About BIGinsight™
BIGinsight consumer-centric insight resources deliver executives the latest insights using the latest data from multiple sources including ProsperChina™ and the Federal Government. As a comprehensive source of information, BIGinsight represents the voice of the consumer and provides knowledge to marketers regarding consumer views on the economy, personal finance, retail, lifestyle, media and domestic and world issues. http://www.BIGinsight.com

Chrissy Wissinger                     
chrissy(at)biginsight(dot)com        
614.846.0146

Dianne Kremer                            
dianne(at)biginsight(dot)com
614.846.0146

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