Awareness & Purchase Intentions For New Vehicle Nameplates.

Harris Interactive and Kelley Blue Book have formed a strategic alliance to deliver the “AutoVIBES” report, (VIBES: Vehicle Introduction Brand Excitement Scale) a new and unique report for the auto industry revealing consumer awareness levels of new vehicle nameplates as they enter the marketplace as well as other key automotive marketing information. AutoVIBES, based on a monthly omnibus poll, provides auto manufacturers, marketers and advertisers an informative and efficient way to measure and monitor the new nameplate buy intentions of in-market car buyers on an ongoing basis.

As new vehicle models are introduced into the marketplace, Harris Interactive and Kelley Blue Book will track and trend which new nameplates are garnering the greatest amount of ‘buzz’ or interest among the car buying public. Buzz is defined as awareness, consumer favorability, overall impression and likelihood of purchasing vehicles that have been introduced in 2003 or will be introduced in the 2004 model year. The top new vehicles having the greatest impact on the marketplace will be announced each month.

“AutoVIBES allows OEMs to gauge reactions of car buyers in the middle of the shopping process,” Lois Sumberg, senior vice president of automotive research at Harris Interactive said, “Automakers can find important information within the AutoVIBES report early in the launch process, making it possible to modify marketing strategies while consumers are still shopping. And, conversely, they may see that their launch strategies are right on cue.”

Trend data on new nameplates is just a portion of the data available to the automotive industry from the Harris Interactive-Kelley Blue Book AutoVIBES report. Additionally, this omnibus study can provide insights about:

Consumer reliance on incentives

Brand loyalty (vehicle brands consumers are giving up v. brands they intend to buy)

Personal financial confidence rating for buying a new vehicle

Demographic information of in-market car buyers

Automotive manufacturers and other auto-related companies have the ability to include proprietary questions in the study for their own marketing and research purposes.

“Inserting proprietary questions into the omnibus offers OEMs a unique opportunity to quickly and inexpensively collect the opinions of in-market vehicle shoppers,” said Rick Wainschel, director of marketing research, Kelley Blue Book.

For more information at http://www.harrispollonline.com.