Women's Economic Club Poll Shows Professional Women Favor Music and Humor in Auto Ads

DETROIT, Jan. 13, 2005 -- There's good news for Mazda and its advertising agency: Professional women in the Motor City love its "zoom, zoom, zoom" television ads, according to a recent instapoll of members of the Women's Economic Club (WEC). Cadillac's ads also drew strong praise for doing "a great job in showcasing and making an old brand new."

The bad news is that only 14 percent of the 264 women who responded to the poll acknowledge that TV advertising is a major influence when it comes to buying a new car.

The results of the poll, which were tallied by event sponsor Deloitte, were announced at the WEC's annual automotive breakfast today by Kay Benesh, partner, Audit and Enterprise Risk Services, Deloitte.

"Although the participants had a variety of opinions on most ads, there were some major themes that had a greater impact in the ads they found appealing," said Benesh. "Some examples include the use of music and humor, as well as ads that portrayed elegance and sophistication."

Held in partnership with the Adcraft Club of Detroit, the auto show breakfast also featured fresh data from R.L. Polk regarding gender-related vehicle segment purchasing trends, and a panel discussion, led by New York Times columnist Stuart Elliott.

WEC President and CEO Terry Barclay said the purpose of the annual event, held during press week of the North American International Auto Show, is to provide the auto industry fresh information about the wants and needs of women, who make or influence 80 percent of new vehicle purchases. "In North America, that's $336 billion worth of purchasing power in the hands of women," said Barclay.

Of over 1,800 WEC members, 267 -- including three men -- responded to the instapoll. Asked whether they would consider buying a hybrid vehicle, 60 percent said they would, a few mentioning that their consideration would be dependent on a lower price tag.

The most women reported being influenced by consumer research reports (36 percent) and word of mouth (38 percent) in their purchasing decision, with the fewest identifying the internet (12 percent) and TV advertising (14 percent) as the most influential source. Others said that employer loyalty, hands-on personal experiences and test drives, and print ads had a significant influence on their decisions.

When asked what motivates them to keep buying or leasing from the same automotive company, almost half (46 percent) chose the overall experience at the dealership and with the service staff, while only 15 percent said they were motivated primarily by incentives that are too good to ignore. The way a car makes the driver feel about herself/himself received relatively few votes overall (11 percent) and only 6 percent of respondents cited a connection to the auto industry (via dealerships or OEMs) as reasons that factor into their loyalty.

About a third of the respondents didn't answer a question asking which ads they found appealing or indicated "no", said they didn't pay attention to the ads, didn't watch much television or weren't influenced by ads. Main themes that emerged were:

   * Ads that emphasize functionality and features, (i.e., are truly
     informative)

   * Ads that are entertaining/funny and have a good soundtrack (good music
     was mentioned repeatedly)

   * Ads that portray a sense of sophistication and elegance and show people
     who are positive, successful, etc.

Mitsubishi's "fun" ads and Cadillac ads also drew strong approval, Cadillac admirers mentioning the un-Cadillac-like music.

The Lexus Holiday ad showing a man presenting a new car with a big bow on it to a woman drew applause as well as criticism (by members who didn't like the idea of someone else picking out their car without consultation in what appeared to be a "surprise.")

Asked whether they found any automotive ads distasteful, almost half of the respondents didn't answer or answered "no." Some clear themes emerged:

  * Ads that portray macho and reckless behavior, show men as the clear
    decision makers or show "women in bikinis"

  * Truck ads in general were disliked, mainly because it seemed clear to
    women that they are NOT the target audience

  * Ads that try to use sex to sell cars or are demeaning to men or women.

Women generally seemed unimpressed by dealer ads and ads that provide little actual information about the vehicle from a practical standpoint.

About the Women's Economic Club

WEC is a one-of-a-kind organization in the U.S. and one of the largest and most prestigious business forums in the Midwest. It has more than 1,800 members, including professionals from large and small businesses, government and non-profit organizations.