Car brands are love brands par excellence but still have some way to go in terms of brand empathy
EMPATHY VALUE INDEX™: AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR ANALYSIS
Antwerp - Brussels, 26 January 2023 - The Empathy Value Index 2023 (EVI) survey by The Oval Office shows that the automotive industry is the second worst scoring sector in terms of brand empathy. With a score of 29, the Belgian automotive industry achieves four points less than the national average of 33. Polestar (36), Volkswagen (35), Volvo and Toyota (34) receive higher scores from Belgian consumers. But car brands do remain love brands for their users. The car sector holds first place among users. Car owners score their brand well above average (55 vs. 33). Absolute outliers are Volvo, Toyota and Ford, which receive EVI scores of 70, 69 and 67 from their customers, respectively.
Key findings of the EVI survey for the automotive industry:
- Among the Belgian population, the automotive industry scores low on brand-empathy (29 vs. 33 Belgian average);
- Among users, on the other hand, the automotive industry occupies a first place (55 vs. 24 among non-users);
- Car brands that are committed to and claim sustainability score higher;
- The TOP 3 car brands with the highest EVI scores differ on both sides of the language border: in Flanders, it is Toyota (40), Polestar (37) and Audi (35); on the French-speaking side, it is Volkswagen (38), Volvo (34) and Polestar (33).
Car brands remain absolute experience brands
That users find brands more empathetic than non-users is logic itself. Brands you use as a consumer are emotionally closer to you compared to brands you don't use. Not only do you know them better, you also understand them better and notice them faster in general communication. Still, the uplift in car brands at 129%, is remarkable. In other words, users give a more than 2.4 times higher EVI score compared to non-users.
Bart De Leeuw - Strategy Director The Oval Office België: "The more strongly consumers interact and truly experience a brand, the more they appreciate its empathy. The high empathy scores car brands get from their customers are the strongest evidence of this."
Cars remain a man's business
The Empathy Value Index survey shows that - compared to the average Belgian - men score car brands higher in terms of empathy than women, 33 versus 26. Yet there are some exceptions here too. Women give two car brands a higher EVI score than men: Volkswagen (40 vs 32) and Volvo (36 vs 32).
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The most empathetic car brands for women are those that bet on the pillar 'MEAN IT'. Brands that are fully committed to authenticity, honesty and being purpose-driven. Volkswagen (40), Volvo (36), Toyota and Mercedes (32) are the most empathetic car brands for them. Men place slightly more importance on the 'GET IT' pillar. They prefer car brands that understand their needs and expectations. Audi (40), Polestar and BMW (39) and Nissan (38) are the most empathetic brands for them.
The younger, the more empathetic to car brands
Younger people also give car brands a higher EVI score. The target group 16 to 34-year-olds rate the automotive sector much more empathetic than the older target groups. According to this younger target group, the most empathetic brands are Volkswagen (46), Renault and Peugeot (43), Polestar, Audi and Mercedes (40).
Download HERE the Empathy Value Index - Automotive rapport.