Brand Image of auto manufacturer

My car’s running slow
In a large European market, a major international automotive manufacturer was concerned that sales were being constrained by its current image. However, it was unsure what were the major market fundamentals which drove image, and how it compared to the competition. In particular, it needed a framework of understanding of consumer needs and its relative performance within that to help develop a relevant and effective communications’ strategy.

Our diagnosis tools
We used an approach to monitor the value of the brand’s image presence in the market against the prevailing customer needs.
The first step was to measure the market fundamentals – the basic stated needs of consumers which would have to be acknowledged
in the communications strategy. Employing a technique called
Scalar Conjoint, utility scores were generated for each attribute
based on paired comparisons between them.

A measure of ‘derived’ image importance was then used
(the relationship between image ratings and preference for a car brand) to identify what determined the preference for specific brands. The analysis also produced an ‘opportunity’ measure of what is required to ‘beat the market’ on selected attributes.

The road test
The client’s brand appeal was driven mainly by styling, advanced design and comfort, but there was very little opportunity to establish
a competitive advantage on these attributes.  A significant opportunity was presented, however, in resale value where, although it was not currently highly rated, nor was the competition, and there was high scope for establishing a positive perception gap.

Finally, we compared stated basic market fundamentals with derived importance to produce a strategic (road) map which guided the client’s overall positioning and communications strategy.