Thirty-three winners were honored for automotive loyalty and conquest efforts during the IHS Automotive Loyalty Awards this evening in Detroit. The awards were presented during the Automotive News World Congress held in conjunction with the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).Winners were named in eight featured categories during the event, based on IHS Automotive analysis of new vehicle registrations during the 2014 model year. Ford Motor Company took top honors for Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer, and the Ford brand also was recognized as the winner for Overall Loyalty to Make. IHS Automotive also recognized brands for ethnic loyalty to make among various audiences; most improved loyalty; and two awards recognizing conquest in the auto industry – the highest percentage of conquest registrations and most improved conquest percentage of registrations. In addition, 25 segment-level loyalty winners were announced, many of which are repeat winners from previous years.
“This year’s winners have demonstrated superior performance in their ability to retain their customers among their models and brands,” said Edouard Tavernier, senior vice president at Southfield, Mich.-based IHS Automotive, part of IHS, Inc. (NYSE: IHS). “As the overall market growth flattens, the competition for buyers returning to market has never been greater. Manufacturers will need to continue to launch great new products to retain their customers, while driving aggressive conquest programs in order to be successful at growing their market share.”
Loyalty is determined when a household that owns a new vehicle returns to market and purchases or leases another new vehicle of the same make, model or manufacturer. The IHS Automotive Loyalty Awards are presented annually to OEMs and brands that demonstrate a manufacturer’s ability to retain owners over repeat buying cycles. They are the only fact-based awards of their kind in the industry.
IHS Automotive analyzes loyalty throughout the year and regularly works with its customers to effectively manage owner loyalty and conquest efforts through in-depth research and analysis of automotive shopping behaviors, related market influencers and conquest and retention strategies. This year’s awards are based on an analysis of nearly 16.5 million new vehicle registrations during the 2014 model year, which ran from Oct. 1, 2013 through Sept. 30, 2014.
“We are pleased to recognize those OEMs that have put a concerted effort in maximizing customer loyalty,” said Michael Gingell, vice president, global market analysis solutions and corporate development, IHS Automotive. “Going forward, successful OEMs will excel at keeping their customer base through a greater understanding of their customers’ experiences-- as well as the impact these experiences has on the consumers’ next vehicle purchase decision.”
A complete list of the IHS Automotive 2014 Loyalty Award Winners by category is as follows:
Manufacturer and Make Loyalty Awards:
Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer -- Ford Motor Company*
Overall Loyalty to Make -- Ford*
Most Improved Loyalty to Make -- Maserati
African American Market Loyalty to Make -- Ford*
Asian Market Loyalty to Make -- Toyota*
Hispanic Market Loyalty to Make -- Toyota*
Conquest Awards:
Highest Conquest Percent of Registrations -- Maserati
Most Improved Conquest Percent of Registrations -- Lexus
Segment Model Loyalty Awards:
Non-Luxury Compact SUV -- Kia Soul
Non-Luxury Traditional Compact Car -- Nissan Leaf
Non-Luxury Traditional Mid-Size Car -- Honda Accord*
Non-Luxury Full-Size Half-Ton Pickup -- Chevy Silverado
Non-Luxury Mid-Size CUV -- Buick Enclave
Non-Luxury Mid-Size SUV -- Jeep Grand Cherokee*
Non-Luxury Traditional Sub-Compact Car -- Mitsubishi Mirage
Luxury Traditional Compact Car -- Lincoln MKZ
Luxury Mid-Size CUV -- Lexus RX*
Non-Luxury Mid-Size Van -- Chrysler Town & Country*
Luxury Traditional Mid-Size Car -- Mercedes-Benz E-Class*
Non-Luxury Traditional Full-Size Car -- Toyota Avalon*
Non-Luxury Mid-Size Pickup -- Toyota Tacoma*
Luxury Compact CUV -- Mercedes-Benz GLK
Non-Luxury Sport Mid-Size Car -- Dodge Challenger*
Non-Luxury Full-Size SUV -- Chevrolet Suburban
Luxury Sport Car -- Chevrolet Corvette
Non-Luxury Sport Car -- Volkswagen Eos
Luxury Full-Size SUV -- Land Rover Range Rover*
Luxury Traditional Full-Size Car -- Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Luxury Traditional Sub-Compact Car -- Lexus CT200h*
Non-Luxury Compact SUV -- Jeep Wrangler*
Luxury Mid-Size SUV Mercedes-Benz G-Class*
Luxury Prestige Full-Size Car -- Bentley Continental
Luxury Exotic Car -- Maserati GranTurismo
Award Notes: Vehicle segment winners are listed based on segment share of the market from highest to lowest. Repeat winners from 2013 are noted with an asterisk.