June was a good month for both
Korean and domestic automotive manufacturers. But the folks at YouGov BrandIndex would probably assert that the domestics are benefiting more from supply shortfall from the Japanese brands Honda,
Nissan and Toyota post-tsunami than from any inherent sentiment among U.S. consumers favoring the Detroit automakers.
A new study from the firm says consumers are actually losing interest in
domestic car brands, while luxury and international brand perception is improving despite shortages from the earthquake off the coast of the nation.
The problem, according to the study, is
that the efforts by Chrysler, Ford and GM to get on the avant garde of technology has backfired because of glitches and usability issues. And recalls have also harmed the perception of several
domestic brands.
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The BrandIndex, which ranges from 100 to minus-100, makes a zero score neutral. YouGov BrandIndex says it polls 5,000 people each weekday from a representative population
sample, amounting to north of 1.2 million interviews per year, drawn from an online panel of some 1.5 million.
The scores, based on queries about whether consumers have a generally positive
feeling about a given brand, suggest sentiment about luxury, international, domestic and mid-market brands have diverged markedly since May, when sentiment for luxury brands was at around 37, followed
by international brands at 25, then midlevel brands at 20 and domestics at 19.
By the end of June, the YouGov scores for international brands led at around 39, followed by luxury at 36,
mid-market at around 19 (a little below where it had been) and domestics have dropped a lot, to 8, based on a chart of YouGov results.
Chrysler had recalls on 11 of its 2011 models; Cadillac
likewise with its SRX, noted the firm. But perhaps the most publicized problem was Ford's issues with its MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch technology, which, with its new version of Ford's Sync
communications program, hasn't been a hit with reviewers, or owners.
It also hurt the company in gold-standard ratings and reviews like those produced by Yonkers, N.Y.-based Consumers Union,
and in J.D. Power and Associates' most recent Initial Quality Ranking.