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Thomas, Director of Global Forecasting, works in our Essen office with a team of highly qualified people. His multi-talents are used best when preparing car market analyses, assessing market potential for new cars and monitoring auto industry trends. A 20-year Polk veteran, he loves working as part of a team to find solutions for customers and working with a subject he is deeply interested in. When Thomas is not providing neutral and reliable forecasts, you'll find him traveling, bicycling, hiking, meeting with friends, listening to music, reading and enjoying nature. He lives with his wife and daughter, and finds there is always something to fix around the house. Sometimes it feels as if everything breaks down at the same time. If Thomas weren't at Polk, you'd find him traveling and writing travelogues. | ||
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When he's not protecting the innocence of our data, you'll find Ethan communicating his security objectives to each department at Polk. His mission: to provide assurance to our customers and data suppliers that Polk will protect and guard their information to the fullest extent possible! When Ethan is not acting as Polk's VP and Chief Security Officer, you'll find him hiking, playing with model rockets, reading or traveling. He and his wife of 20 years have three children. His 9-year old son inspires him because he makes him feel like a kid again. Ethan is a New Yorker at heart. He moved to Michigan in 1999 but now feels he is doing what he loves most in the ideal place. Each day Ethan makes a new list and attempts to have at least half of his list crossed off by the afternoon. It's not above him to add items to the list that he's already completed and check them off just to get an early sense of progress. | ||
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An Account Representative for Automotive Retail Solutions, Lois really enjoys building rapport and trust with her clients. What makes her job unique is having so many different solutions to offer her clients for their various analytic and marketing needs. She always has an answer for her customers, sometimes even an unexpected one. When she's not taking good care of her customers, Lois enjoys scrapbooking, playing soccer, reading to her daughter, and proofreading other people's work. Admittedly, Lois enjoys wielding that red pen and marking up text. She considers herself a professional clapper after 13 years of marriage to a singer. As to her dream job -- someday you might find Lois running a cozy pub in Ireland. | ||
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Greg's co-workers think of him as a bit of a workaholic. He's in the office when they arrive and he's still there when they leave! When he's not busy writing Corporate Communications or fulfilling his role as the blog's "Editor-in-Chief," he enjoys photography, bowling, his iPad and mac, scooting around Ann Arbor on his Vespa and spending time with his family. Greg recently acquired a ready-made family when he married in 2007, and it's now complete with the recent addition of a new grandson. Thanks to his wealth of knowledge, Greg has been nicknamed both "Doc" and "Weatherman" and it's a toss-up between the two which career he'd have if he weren’t at Polk. | ||
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Kristina, blog administrator and self-proclaimed webaholic, spends about 90% of her awake time "connected." After she leaves Polk for the day, where she is the Web Manager, she spends the rest of the night juggling between her Android, her iPad and a laptop. Her goal is to find a way to bring others to the "dark side" with her, helping them join forces with social media. When she's not online, you can find her on the soccer field attempting to "Bend it like Beckham". She enjoys Michigan football, the Detroit Pistons and the Detroit Tigers. As for the Lions -- she is not a fan. Kristina's two amazing daughters are her inspiration - she learns something new from them each day! She secretly wishes she'd gone into dentistry and could fix people's smiles without the use of Photoshop! | ||
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Brad has a "Korner" on the market for his customers. In his role as Vice President of Client Sales & Service for the Automotive Retail Solutions (ARS) & Media group, he enjoys assisting his team to help their customers achieve success by enhancing their processes through improved data and analysis. When he's not at Polk, he enjoys reading, working out and spending time with his family, which includes two teenagers and a wife who has achieved "sainthood." One of the few Buckeye fans living in the state of Michigan, he also admits to being a fan of the Cincinnati Bengals. If he weren't in his current role at Polk, he'd love to own a bar on a beach in the Carolinas or the Gulf Coast of Florida. | ||
Auto Sales Momentum is Strong: So, What's There to Worry About?
Monday, May 7, 2012 by
Guest Blogger
April auto sales continued at the strong pace set in the first quarter with a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) of 14.4 million light vehicles. This is the fourth month in a row that SAAR passed 14 million and it represents a real milestone in the auto sales recovery. Noting year-to-date sales strength, Edmunds.com, recently raised its 2012 forecasts. It appears that auto sales are accelerating at long last, but that does not mean that no speed bumps lie ahead. Between high gas prices, a...
Read More »Gas prices have risen $0.40 on average for all grades in the past six weeks, igniting consumer interest in more fuel efficient vehicles. Small car market including hybrids, electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs)—soared almost 30 percent to 3.2 percent, its fifth highest month ever. The stars would seem to be well-aligned for EV and PHEV sales to take off, but that has not yet happened. Hybrid sales—particularly Toyota Prius —accounted for the bulk of February's momentum. EV/PHEV...
Read More »Scope: Looking at 19 brands and their corresponding dealer locations and determining whether or not the location of Walmart stores influence the alignment of dealer networks in Ontario.
Brands Examined: Acura, Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volvo and Volkswagen.
Timeframe of Data: Polk Canada dealer census – Q2, 2009; Q2, 2010; Q2 2011 (Ontario); Q4, 2010 Ontario Canada Walmart locations.
Methodology:...
As I gaze down at the odometer these days, I am excited to see that my 2002 Honda Accord is getting ready to reach the 200,000 mile mark. It's been a great vehicle with minimal issues and I've taken pretty good care of it, especially with my insistence of frequent oil changes. I guess my father's saying of, "Cars run on oil and not gas" really did stick with me throughout the years.
Crossing the 200,000 mile threshold is a record for any vehicle that I have owned. It's actually my first vehicle...
Read More »The recently published half-year sales of the three German luxury
car brands (Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz) were quite impressive. All
three recorded sales performances that were considered better than
ever.
However, the Year-over-Year (YOY) growth showed some significant differences: while sales of Audi and BMW models increased by more than 17 percent, the sales performance of Mercedes-Benz (cars, without Smart) improved less than 10%. In absolute terms, BMW is leading with sales of 690,000...Read More »
However, the Year-over-Year (YOY) growth showed some significant differences: while sales of Audi and BMW models increased by more than 17 percent, the sales performance of Mercedes-Benz (cars, without Smart) improved less than 10%. In absolute terms, BMW is leading with sales of 690,000...Read More »
Japan Disaster Still has Lasting Effects on Automotive Industry
Wednesday, June 29, 2011 by
Guest Blogger
For some OEMs, new vehicle inventory has been an industry concern since the Japan disaster in March. NADA posted on 6.14.11 that Honda is forecasting a 63% decline in full year profit because of the disruption in production. It's not surprising that they rolled out a very creative incentive policy to help stop the bleeding, so to speak. Dealers were notified of the "Honda Promise," where they will honor current incentives to customers that have to wait for their vehicle of choice to become...
Read More »My fellow colleagues here at Polk have written on several occasions
about the benefits of raising gas taxes, but I'm just not buying
into it. And here's why.
Clearly, I'm not an economist but as our national economy continues to struggle to gain a solid foothold, it just seems to me that raising the gas tax will hit lower and middle-income Americans where it hurts most–directly in their collective wallets. Raising gas taxes when many Americans can barely afford to make ends meet just doesn't seem...Read More »
Clearly, I'm not an economist but as our national economy continues to struggle to gain a solid foothold, it just seems to me that raising the gas tax will hit lower and middle-income Americans where it hurts most–directly in their collective wallets. Raising gas taxes when many Americans can barely afford to make ends meet just doesn't seem...Read More »
Voice of Customer (VOC) data collection, it seems to be
happening everywhere these days...
...The Pet Store "Please go online and fill out our survey about your kitty litter shopping experience today."
...The Restaurant "Let us know what you thought of your extra-happy meal, here’s a comment card."
...The Car Dealer "Your service/purchase feedback is very important to us..."
...Etc.
Those in the retail industry confirm that Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) surveying is a key component of their...
Read More »If you believe the numbers, they aren't very encouraging. Data
breaches are up. Breach costs are up. Consumer confidence is
shaken. And why shouldn't it be? After all, it's our personal
information and identities that are being mismanaged and ultimately
compromised.
What can be even more frustrating is some of the information contained in the latest Data Breach Investigations Report provided by Verizon. The report indicates that "92% of attacks were not highly difficult," and that "96% of...Read More »
What can be even more frustrating is some of the information contained in the latest Data Breach Investigations Report provided by Verizon. The report indicates that "92% of attacks were not highly difficult," and that "96% of...Read More »
Friggatriskaidekaphobia, one of several terms for "Fear of Friday
the 13th," stirs up all sorts of trouble each time it occurs. Oddly
enough, as much trouble as this special occurrence causes
worldwide, the origins of this concept are not clear.
At a minimum, most consider the day unlucky. In extreme cases, it keeps people from leaving their house for fear of an automobile accident or some other unlucky tragedy. Donald Dossey, founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in...Read More »
At a minimum, most consider the day unlucky. In extreme cases, it keeps people from leaving their house for fear of an automobile accident or some other unlucky tragedy. Donald Dossey, founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in...Read More »
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First of all, I'd like to thank our many readers who visit our blog regularly and/or subscribe to receive our blog by email. Here at Polk, we strive to offer a diverse mix of automotive-related stories to ensure our variety of customers can always find something of interest. We'd love feedback on what we're doing right and how we can improve our blog. Click here to let us know what you think. Please answer three quick poll questions below about our blog. (If you do not see the poll questions, click... |
It has been published recently that women influence about 85% of
vehicle purchases in the U.S. I can testify this is true in my
house and I definitely have some opinions. So if you haven't
purchased or leased a new vehicle in the last couple of years you
are going to be pleasantly surprised by the wide variety of
available features. We're not just talking about expensive luxury
models, even the economy segment is all over it. There are too many
to list but here are a few standouts from a...Read More »
Why All OEMS Need to Pay Attention to the U.S. Ethnic Markets
Friday, February 25, 2011 by
Guest Blogger
We all know there are changes occurring in the demographic make-up
of the U.S. population, what may be a surprise and definitely worth
paying attention to is the magnitude of those changes and what it
will mean for automotive marketing and OEMs.
The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the Non-White/ Hispanic (read ethnic) population in the U.S. will grow from 35% of the population in 2010 to 50% of the population by 2050. By as early as 2020 the Census Bureau projects that ethnic groups will make-up...Read More »
The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the Non-White/ Hispanic (read ethnic) population in the U.S. will grow from 35% of the population in 2010 to 50% of the population by 2050. By as early as 2020 the Census Bureau projects that ethnic groups will make-up...Read More »
New Wheels for the 16-Year Old Daughter: Lease or Buy?
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 by
Guest Blogger
I have a 16-year old daughter that "needed" a car. I'm sure there
are plenty of you out there in my predicament. Because we are an
active family of four with two working parents, a car is not
readily available for her personal use which includes school,
practice, work, the mall, the movies. You get the picture.
According to her, we are purposely holding back her freedom and are
simply the worst parents in the world.
What influenced my decision to help accommodate this situation is her academic...Read More »
What influenced my decision to help accommodate this situation is her academic...Read More »
Talk about Heavy Weight vs Feather Weight! Ford who sells about a
bazillion F150s a year (Okay - 343,284 in 2010 based on Polk U.S.
Total Registrations if you want to be specific) has sued Ferrari to
stop them from using the "F-150" name for their new Formula 1 Race
car that there will be a total production run of what - 10 units?
Why? Where's the logic?
Can they really say that the F1 race fans in the rest of the world (and let's be clear about this, they make NASCAR fans look like your local...Read More »
Can they really say that the F1 race fans in the rest of the world (and let's be clear about this, they make NASCAR fans look like your local...Read More »
As a sure sign of economic recovery, American adults are expected
to spend an average of $116.21 for Valentine's Day gifts this year,
according to a
poll conducted by BIGresearch for the National Retail
Federation. That's a nearly 13 percent increase over the $103
Americans said they were spending last year, on average, for loved
ones, friends, co-workers and classmates, according to the retail
trade group.
Although it is estimated that $3.5 billion will be spent on jewelry, I started thinking...Read More »
Although it is estimated that $3.5 billion will be spent on jewelry, I started thinking...Read More »
I think I am one of many who have been watching the rise of Korean
automaker Hyundai with great interest. Hyundai has defied
expectations by addressing serious quality issues and turning
public opinion and perceptions around. It stands in stark contrast
to another new import brand that came on the U.S. auto scene in the
80's, the Yugo, fell by the wayside because of its quality issues.
Hyundai, by contrast, addressed its quality and product issues and
now has become a major player in the U.S....Read More »
Day after the Super Bowl – what did you think of the automotive ads? As reported earlier, this was a big year for OEMs with nine different companies advertising during the game. Add in the other automotive-related companies including Bridgestone (loved the "Reply All" spot!), CarMax, and Cars.com and you could see that the automotive industry really focused on the Super Bowl this year.
I asked a number of friends to give me their input during the game and boy, were they vocal. Despite being Baby...
Read More »It is not surprising that people are increasingly turning to the
internet as they engage in the car shopping process. What might be
news to some is just how much people are using the Internet and how
they are using it in the car shopping process.
AutoTrader.com and Polk recently teamed up to contact consumers about their vehicle shopping habits and what impacted them most in their choice of dealership and vehicle purchase. In this national survey, we heard from 4005 new and used vehicle buyers...Read More »
AutoTrader.com and Polk recently teamed up to contact consumers about their vehicle shopping habits and what impacted them most in their choice of dealership and vehicle purchase. In this national survey, we heard from 4005 new and used vehicle buyers...Read More »
Stuart Elliott recently reported in the New York Times that the
automotive industry could be buying the most commercial time of any
advertiser category during this Sunday's Super Bowl, vying with
beverages and movies for the top spot. There may be as many as nine
car brands, from economy makes like Chevrolet, Hyundai and Kia to
luxury market vehicles like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, peddling their wares
during what is typically the most-watched television program of the
year.
For the Chevrolet parent,...Read More »
For the Chevrolet parent,...Read More »
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