Brand Perception of Ford Soars, while Toyota’s Sours
January 6, 2011 Leave a comment
Ford is on fire…a good fire, not the Pinto “my car is on fire” sort.
Perception of the automaker is rising fast among car owners. Consumer Reports just released their 2011 Car Brand Perception Survey, which places Ford and Toyota in a dead heat for title of ‘most loved car brand’. Toyota and Ford had total scores of 147 points and 144 points, respectively; a margin that the magazine calls a “statistical dead heat”. (See all survey scores below)
The Detroit-based automaker would have led the survey if not for Toyota’s sizeable lead in the green category…but car buyers seem to be growing less concerned with how environmentally friendly their vehicles are. According to the magazine, “Ford excels in the factors that consumers say matter most: safety, quality and value”.
Many would claim that this closing of the quality gap is due largely to Toyota’s safety recalls in 2010. Certainly the grueling recalls damaged the Toyota image. However, Ford’s improving perception isn’t just a story of taking advantage of Toyota’s slip ups. Ford’s ascent is a result of doing many things right.
- Turning down TARP funds
- Putting focus on the core Ford brand (getting rid of Jaguar, Volvo, Land Rover, Mercury)
- Creating a more appealing product
- One Ford Plan that have led to cost savings
- Innovative marketing
- Consistency
This is a case of the sum is greater than the parts.
Over the past two years, Ford’s overall score in the survey has jumped 35 points, while Toyota’s score has fallen by 46 points. Only a couple years ago, Toyota’s score was at 193. That means Ford’s current score of 144, though an impressive improvement, still has plenty of room to get better.
