Booming Audio, Gripping Tires

Bose is the leading car audio brand and Michelin top of the heap for tires in terms of consumer recognition and reputation, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2003 Automotive Component Branding Study(SM).

The study measures the relative strength of select car audio and tire brands using a brand power score that incorporates consumer awareness, familiarity and impression.

The Bose brand, which has high awareness among consumer of all ages and both sexes, is associated with superior sound quality by two-thirds of consumers who are aware of the brand. Michelin, which is viewed most favourably by consumers in the 38-56 age group, is recognized for high quality, reliability/durability, safety and superior handling.

Bose is followed by Sony, Dolby, Alpine and Blaupunkt, which are strong in both brand awareness and impression. Others with low awareness but good ratings are Mark Levinson, Nakamichi and Bang & Olufsen. Bose and Sony also rate in the top 5 among the increasingly important youth market (under 26 tears) but here they are joined by Pioneer, Kenwood and Infinity.

Among tire brands, Goodyear and Pirelli are second and third respectively, a long way clear of fourth place. Goodyear is most associated with reliability/durability and for being widely available, while consumers view Pirelli as a prestigious, high quality brand.

Firestone suffered from tire recalls in 2001 but continues to recover, with the proportion associating them with poor reputation down from 68% last year to 45%. However the brand still faces problems - 20% of consumers who have owned Firestone tires in the past say they will not repurchase or recommend them to others.

According to Melissa Sauter, Director of automotive component branding research at J.D. Power, 'Aligning with brands like Bose and Michelin, which are both well-known and have a favorable impression among consumers, can help establish or improve an automaker's image and solidify their position in the market'.

The Automotive Component Branding Study is based on a web-based survey of 9,329 consumers and assesses brand awareness, impression and image for 54 car audio, tire and other automotive-related brands.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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