When shopping for a new car, you are faced with a choice: Do you branch out to a different automaker or stick with a manufacturer that has proven itself to you in the past? This is where brand loyalty comes into play, and a new study shows that the trend is on the rise among drivers. Whether it's experience with great customer service, easy vehicle maintenance or other factors, the positive experiences are affecting how drivers go about shopping for their next car.
According to a recent study from Polk, brand loyalty among drivers through the first three months of 2013 has increased 2 percent from the same period last year. That brings the total amount of loyal consumers to 51.5 percent of all motorists.
Brands that boasted the highest increase in loyalty ratings included Porsche, which saw its owner loyalty rise 9.5 percent, and Cadillac, which grew 8.3 percent. Other automakers with impressive numbers are BMW, Toyota and Ford, which continued to have the best brand loyalty.
"In each case, strong-selling models fuel the loyalty to these brands," said Lonnie Miller, vice president of Polk's Loyalty Management. "We saw a majority of the contribution for brand loyalty coming from Cayenne owners for Porsche, CTS owners for Cadillac and Mazda3 owners for Mazda. There's something to be said for paying positive attention to the majority of your customer base while treating buyers professionally and continuing to meet or exceed their vehicle needs."