BIGresearch: Bankruptcy or Fear of May Be Hurting Chrysler and GM

Consumers Less Likely to Consider Chevrolet or Dodge for New Car Purchases

COLUMBUS, OH -- (MARKET WIRE) – 5/13/09 – It’s not bad enough that the economy is struggling. It seems that bankruptcy or talk of bankruptcy is proving to be a double whammy for GM (aside from GMC) and Chrysler brands. According to BIGresearch’s Consumer Intentions and Actions (CIA) Survey of over 8,600 consumers, Chevrolet, Dodge and ill-fated Pontiac all took a hit in Consumer Equity Share among consumers planning to buy a new vehicle. (Consumer Equity Share is calculated by subtracting the average percentage of those considering a brand 1^st choice or 2^nd choice from the current percentage of ownership of the same brand.)

Chevrolet lost over five and a half points in Consumer Equity Share over last year and Dodge dropped into the negative. Given the reports of Pontiac’s demise, it’s no surprise that their equity share is down as well.

Bottom 5 Automakers Ranked by NEGATIVE Consumer Equity Share 

               April 09    April 08
Chevrolet      -7.67       -1.80
Pontiac       -4.34       -0.08
Mercury        -1.65       -1.60
Dodge          -1.58       +0.15
Mitsubishi     -1.42       +0.15

Source: BIGresearch CIA-Apr 09 & APR 08

On the other hand, Ford showed a positive Consumer Equity Share for April and edged out the competition for the top spot among consumers considering a new vehicle in the next six months. Automakers such as GMC, Nissan and Honda all showed positive Consumer Equity Shares as well. For complete complimentary list: http://info.bigresearch.com.

Top 5 Automakers Ranked by POSITIVE Consumer Equity Share

               April 09    April 08
Ford           +4.63       -2.02
GMC            +3.62       +1.94
Mercedes-Benz  +2.68       -0.08
Nissan         +2.61       +0.85
BMW            +1.69       +0.40 

Source: BIGresearch CIA-Apr 09 & APR 08 

“The uncertain futures for Chrysler and GM appear to have affected those consumers planning to buy a new car with consideration down for these automakers’ nameplates,” said Pam Goodfellow, Senior Analyst, BIGresearch. “Ford, however, has accepted no government money, didn’t go bankrupt and seems to be a more solid choice for consumers as their consumer equity share has increased year-over-year.”

About BIGresearch
BIGresearch is a consumer intelligence firm providing analysis of behavior in areas of products and services, retail, financial services, automotive and media. BIGresearch conducts the monthly Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey (CIA) of 8,000+ respondents and the semi-annual Simultaneous Media Survey (SIMM) of 15,000+ respondents. More information is available at http://www.bigresearch.com

Contact:
Chrissy Wissinger
BIGresearch
(614) 846-0146
chrissy@bigresearch.com