Marketing Forecast from Ad-ology

Market research firm Morpace recently examined factors that consumers consider most influential when choosing an automotive dealership. In the wake of nearly 2,300 Chrysler and GM dealership closures over the past year, Morpace found that consumer loyalty to brand name dealers is an insignificant factor in choosing a dealership. Of the 1,000 people surveyed, 74% considered “best deal offerings” when choosing to buy from a dealer. Other top considerations were “prior positive experience” and “referral from family or friends.” In general, consumers may not mourn the loss of particular dealers so long as they still can find what they want at a low price.

PPG Industries has been tracking and reporting on popular automotive colors since 1990. For the past 10 years, silver has been favored over other colors by consumers who are in the market for new cars. This year’s survey shows that shades of silver remain more popular than ever.

Ad-ology Research recently updated their Industry Marketing Insights report for Auto Parts Stores. The following are the predicted Top 3 Opportunities/Challenges from the report for this industry for the upcoming 12 months:

* Auto parts sales were driven by applications parts, which increased 10% in dollar volume for the January through April 2010 time period compared to the same period in 2009.
* While sales of mobile electronics were down for the total 12 months prior to April 2010, sales jumped back up January through April 2010. Leading sales were vehicle music players/receivers.
* Some aftermarket retailers are looking to expand their online offerings, as research shows that online average tickets are notably larger than those in-store.

Highly touted electric cars will be rolling off the assembly lines later this year. And while consumers are intrigued by this new automotive category and have incentive to buy, thanks to a sizeable tax credit, they also have questions. The findings of a recent Consumer Electronics Association survey show that auto makers are likely to engage in educational ad campaigns to boost sales.

Auto parts retailers are benefiting from consumers now making good on their intentions to keep their aging vehicles on the road longer, after deferring repairs for the last two years. According to automotive aftermarket research by The NPD Group, auto parts retailers experienced a seven percent growth in dollar sales for year-to-date April 2010 versus a year ago. The top five hard parts categories, based on unit volume percent change for year ending April 2010, are suspension, application electrical, climate control, brakes, and driveline.

With summer’s warm weather, more motorcyclists are hitting the roads than ever before. According to a recent survey by the Motorcycle Industry Council, the number of motorcycles owned and used in America grew 19% since 2003; an estimated 25 million people rode in 2009. Baby boomers make up 44% of all riders, but also make up a large portion of motorcycle accidents. Riders are encouraged to take a refresher course with a qualified instructor before venturing out, as nearly half of rider fatalities are caused by driver error.