Honda and Volkswagen Hit Top of Teens' 'Wish List' Says New Research by NFO WorldGroup; Ford and Chevrolet Losing Ground With Girls

GREENWICH, Conn.--July 31, 2003--NFO WorldGroup-- -- Teens React to Recent Auto Manufacturer Marketing Campaigns, Concluding that Some Brands Haven't "Like" Got a Clue

Not since the Olsen Twins got their driver's licenses have teenagers and automobiles been burning such hot rubber. From the launch of the new car models to hip ad campaigns geared towards the Gen Y set, the automotive industry is aggressively competing for shares of this market. But what brands are really winning over teens?

According to a recent study by NFO Automotive, a division of NFO WorldGroup, one of the world's leading providers of research-based marketing information and counsel, Honda and Volkswagen are capturing the largest percentages of the teen market with teens putting the two manufacturers on the top of their wish list. Surprisingly, some brands that have been trying hardest to capitalize on this market are at the bottom of the scale and so are some teens' reactions to their recent marketing campaigns.

Part of the study, which looks at teens' first car purchase intentions as well as perceptions about brands, indexed teens' responses toward brands against 2002 light vehicle sales, resulting in an index ranking. Honda and Volkswagen which took the top two slots each score in the HIGH (over 120) category, meaning that their teen share has overtaken last year's overall market share. Honda scored a 217 and Volkswagen a 200. Pontiac was in third place with a score of 167. Hence, so far this year, these brands have the highest recognition and appeal to the teen market.

Domestic brands such as Ford and Chevrolet also score high in terms of purchase intentions but these numbers are weak in comparison to their overall market share, landing them in the AVERAGE category (80-100). Ford's teen score of 94 indicates that 17% of teens express interest in buying this brand's models, but this number is slightly less than its 2002 market share of 18%. Chevrolet ranked similarly. Brands that fell into the WEAK category include Toyota, Jeep and Nissan scoring below 80. These brands are traditionally associated as teen-oriented and recently have been putting more efforts behind marketing to this demographic.

"If manufacturers want to attract younger buyers, they need to thoroughly understand what values underpin the teen lifestyle. Honda and Volkswagen have clearly gelled with the teen psyche and are punching above their weight in the market, but others, such as the down-to-earth domestic brands, may be trying too hard or not trying hard enough," said Andy Turton, President of NFO Automotive. "Fitting with and relating to teens can help to increase sales, but manufacturers need to remember that subtlety speaks volumes to this very aware audience."

The index scores also echo teens' perceptions about brand advertising. Teens indicated that they enjoy Ford, Chevrolet, Hummer and Volkswagen ads, but notably absent from this list are Toyota, which has one of the strongest youth drives in the market; Mazda with its performance campaign; and Kia/Hyundai with its affordability orientation.

Teens also ranked Honda and Volkswagen high on their list when asked to match a brand with their personality. Chevrolet and Ford ranked higher with males followed by Hummer. BMW and Volkswagen ranked higher with females. Honda also ranked in the top five, weighing in slightly higher with girls. Mitsubishi and Toyota were mentioned near the bottom along with Jeep and Dodge. Other aspirational brands that made the list are Ferrari and Jaguar with four percent of teens expressing purchase interest.

The nationwide study was conducted in June 2003 and is based on responses from 672 teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19. The study is equally weighted between boys and girls.

About NFO WorldGroup

NFO WorldGroup is one of the world's leading providers of research-based marketing information and counsel. "Marketing minds specializing in research(TM)," NFO has facilitated Fortune 500 clients' business decisions for more than 50 years by providing in-depth knowledge and understanding of consumers and brands through research. Their services include comprehensive counsel on market evaluation, product development, brand management, customer satisfaction, pricing, distribution and advertising effectiveness. NFO is a worldwide leader in Internet-based research and maintains one of the world's largest Interactive panel communities. NFO is one of the TNS group of companies (LSE: TNN). Visit NFO WorldGroup on the Web (www.nfow.com).