LOS ANGELES, May 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- AMCI announces its annual Trusted Automotive Brand Study (TABS) rankings and awards. The results are sure to surprise many.
Trust is one of the most powerful human emotions. We are biologically wired to make our decisions based on trust. The auto industry has been slow to embrace this imperative. But building trust has never been more important to the auto industry as both OEMs and dealers navigate disruption, changing consumer preferences, the role of the automobile and a transition from traditional retail sales and service to a variety of digital, subscription and mobility services.
The annual AMCI "Trusted Automotive Brand Study® (TABS)", again confirmed that trust accounts for more than 50% of a consumer's decision to repurchase or recommend an automotive brand or their dealers. TABS is unique in its ability to identify consumer preferences at both the OEM and dealer level.
According to AMCI, the level of trust that a consumer has for a brand or dealer is driven by three factors: Competency, Integrity and Empathy.
"The auto industry has improved in satisfaction over the years but now needs to understand and execute on the emotional drivers of consumer behavior," says Dave White, President of AMCI Global Client Services. "The traditional focus on quality, satisfaction and the elimination of problems does not create reasons for customers to trust a brand. In this rapidly changing market, satisfaction alone is not enough."
The recipients of the 2019 Trusted Automotive Brand Study (TABS) awards are:
MOST TRUSTED LUXURY BRAND AND DEALERS – ALFA-ROMEO
MOST TRUSTED NON-LUXURY BRAND – HONDA
MOST TRUSTED NON-LUXURY DEALERS - MAZDA
Many brands have made great strides in our 2019 TABS study. Some areas of interest:
- Honda has made great strides at the brand level and now appears to have largely put the drag of the Takata recall behind them. They are the No 1 non-luxury brand.
- Mazda is the most improved of any auto brand in 2019, now ranked No 3 non-luxury brand and No 1 non-luxury dealers.
- Alfa Romeo, starting with a clean sheet, has vaulted to the top luxury position with a small lineup and retail footprint by focusing on all three pillars of trust.
- Kia has slipped from the top-non-luxury position in the last two studies by not keeping pace with the significant improvements by competitors.
- Tesla's significant drop provides evidence of the pressure consumers often experience when any OEM pushes volume over customer experience irrespective of whether you control your retail operation or are a franchise. Complete control and ownership of your retail network as the Holy Grail is clearly a myth.
- Buick is a perfect example that high satisfaction doesn't automatically result in high levels of trust or an emotional connection.
"We are pleased to see more automotive brands' focusing on trust but as the market makes dramatic shifts there is a lot more work to be done. The top automotive brands Trust Indices are still hovering around 50 on a 100-point scale and lag many other familiar consumer product and retail categories" said Dave White, President AMCI Global Client Services.
For further information contact: Ian Beavis, Chief Strategy Officer, AMCI Global at [email protected] or via phone at 714.813.6300 or Dean Leathers, Chief Innovation Officer, AMCI Global at [email protected] or via phone at 248.914.4353.
About the Trusted Automotive Brand Study
AMCI has always been committed to improving the industry's performance, not just in the auto sector but within the greater commercial ecosystem that all consumers experience. In January 2019, AMCI conducted its 3rd Trusted Automotive Brand Study (TABS). The research was executed in collaboration with C Space, an Interbrand Group Company. A nationally representative sample of 2500 owner across 34 brands participated in the study.
About AMCI Global
AMCI is a leading global automotive marketing agency committed to serving every part of this vibrant industry and creating advocates for automotive brands. Founded in 1984, AMCI has grown to include five distinct practices and many exclusive products designed to solve the auto industry's problems and prepare it for the future. With over 15 million consumer drive experiences in the last 10 years alone, as well as thousands of in-dealership visits all over the world to improve the customer experience, AMCI has worked with nearly every major automotive brand across the globe.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, AMCI has offices in Detroit, Atlanta, Nashville, Dallas, London and Beijing. Discover AMCI at https://amciglobal.com/ or follow us on Twitter at @AMCIGlobal.
SOURCE AMCI
Share this article