Loyalty Awards

For the U.S. automotive industry, superior customer loyalty was recognized this week. I had the pleasure of watching our customers receive the annual Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards in Detroit as part of the overall activities surrounding the 2013 NAIAS (North American International Auto Show). It's a great feeling knowing OEMs and their dealer networks are working like crazy to make the buying and vehicle ownership experience richer, truer and highly relevant for their customers.

As in past...

When was the last time you participated in an event that really made you think about a significant achievement? Not just obtaining a goal, more like transforming your organization's position in its playing field. Not just moving toward greater market share, but keeping your customers loyal once you've introduced them to your brand. Significant achievement is out there. I recognized it as I was fortunate enough to spend a few days at the Subaru of America National Training Conference in Atlanta,...

On January 10, 2012, Polk announced the winners of the 16th Annual Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards and one question has been asked over and over again, where was General Motors? GM did not win an award this year, but finished second in the Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer category. Similarly, the Chevrolet Silverado finished second in the Mid/Full-Size Pickup Truck category.

To some it might appear as though GM has poor owner loyalty, but nothing could be further from the truth since General Motors...

My how time flies! A year has passed and once again, we have honored excellence in owner loyalty during last night's 16th annual Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards. The awards were presented as part of the Automotive News World Congress held in Detroit, MI on January 10th, 2012. 
 
Ford dominated this year's ceremony winning six of 16 awards, including the prestigious Overall Loyalty to Make and Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer awards. In addition to these honors, Ford also won model loyalty awards...

Now that the one week rush between Sunday, January 9 and Friday, January 14 known as NAIAS Industry week has passed, I've had a moment to reflect on the three events I attended and their impact on the ethnic automotive market.

My busy week began at the 15^th Annual Urban Wheel Awards, held on Sunday, January 23 at the Motor City Casino. The Decisive Media event honored African American, Asian, Hispanic and Women industry achievers. The presentation speeches by the son and daughter of two Lifetime...

Once again, it was an honor to present the Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards last night at the Automotive News World Congress. This is our 15th year recognizing automotive manufacturers for their superior performance in customer retention, and the energy has never been more electric! We had several repeat winners and even some surprises.

For the first time since 1999, Ford Motor Company and Ford Division took top honors by winning in both the "Overall Loyalty to Make" and "Overall Loyalty...

Last week we recognized winners of Polk's annual Automotive Loyalty Awards. One category that gets a lot of attention by our customers is the overall "Make Loyalty" category which basically recognizes superior customer loyalty to an OEM's brand. Since many of the automakers have multiple divisions (i.e., makes or brands), they like to see how consumers react to these separate entities due to the unique position they try to create in the marketplace. This year, Honda won for the U.S. market. But...

It was my honor to present the 14th Annual Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards at the Automotive News World Congress this week. We’ve discovered over the years that the more you know about customer loyalty, and the more you focus on it, the better. And I can tell you first-hand that we’re seeing more and more of our customers taking their loyalty objectives very seriously. Our 2009 Model Year winners are no exception!

Every year Polk recognizes automotive manufacturers for their superior performance...

My major take-away from last night's World Congress presentation was the sharp role reversal between guest speakers Yoshimi Inaba, President and COO of Toyota Motor North America, Inc., and Mark Reuss, President of GM North America.

Mr. Inaba spoke first about Toyota's recent successes and challenges. He calmly and confidently highlighted their current and future products, large R & D investment and employee charitable volunteer activities. The audience was left with an impression of a bright...

Are you loyal? I'm not talking about loyal to your job, your friends or your breakfast cereal. I'm talking about your car...or the manufacturer of that car. I'm asking because it's a subject we think a lot about at Polk. So much so, that on January 12, 2010, Polk will be presenting the 14th Annual Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards at the Automotive News World Congress. Winners of these awards are automotive manufacturers that have demonstrated the ability to bring customers back through positive...

I wanted to analyze sales trends and look at the impact that GM's decision to discontinue the Saturn brand will have on customer loyalty. More specifically, have Saturn owners defected from GM at a higher rate this year? What are Saturn owners likely to purchase when they return to market for their next new vehicle purchase?

From January 2004 – December 2008 over 56% of Saturn owners were loyal to GM, with nearly 30% defecting to Asian brands. During this same time period Saturn maintained a make...