Home | Press Room | Press Release Archives | Tsunami of Negative News Devastating Toyota While Ford Enjoys A High Tide Of Good News

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For Immediate Release March 15, 2010
Contact: Cristi Allen
callen@decisionanalyst.com
Phone: 817-640-6166

Arlington, Texas—The immense wave of controversy over unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles, now in its second month, is having an impact on consumer sentiment that is likely to be far-reaching. Toyota has become less appealing to 53% of Americans, while at the same time 29% of Americans view Ford as having increased its appeal, according to Decision Analyst’s New Vehicle Brand Barometer Study of 4,294 American consumers.

What is less apparent on the surface are the competitive eddies swirling around all automotive brands today that are also impacting the scene. The chart below depicts brand appeal among eight major automotive brands.

“The competitive landscape it leaves in its wake will likely be very different than the one we knew just two short months ago. Ford is still riding a sweet wave of positive sentiment about its refusal to take government funds, its financial turnaround (which is still in progress) and its appealing product offerings,” said Allan Vivian, Vice President at Decision Analyst. “Chevrolet is also registering at higher levels of appeal than most other brands. Of the three domestic brands, only Chrysler has not increased its appeal in a meaningful way. This could mean that more U.S. car buyers will now be ready to consider a domestic vehicle in the coming months.”

Methodology

Data collection for Decision Analyst’s New Vehicle Brand Barometer Study is conducted online using its American Consumer Opinion® (www.acop.com) panel. The data for this release was collected between February 22 and March 5, 2010, and the sample size was 4,294. The survey is conducted among U.S. Consumers aged 18 and over. The margin of error is approximately 1.5%, plus or minus, at a 99% confidence level. If you would like additional information related to the New Vehicle Brand Barometer Study, please email Allan Vivian, avivian@decisionanalyst.com.

About Decision Analyst

Decision Analyst (www.decisionanalyst.com), based in Dallas-Fort Worth, is a leading global marketing research and analytical consulting firm specializing in advertising testing, strategy research, and advanced modeling for marketing-decision optimization. The 32-year-old firm delivers competitive advantage to major clients in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. In addition, Decision Analyst operates the American Consumer Opinion® Online panel, one of the largest online panels in the world with over eight million members around the globe.

For additional information contact:
Cristi Allen
Publicity
Email: callen@decisionanalyst.com
Phone: 1-800-ANALYSIS (262-5974) or 1-817-640-6166
Address: 604 Avenue H East
Arlington, TX 76011

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