2. July 4th SUV sales may be more blue than red or white
The red, white and blue-themed auto sales events this
Fourth of July weekend promoting Ford Explorers, Chevy Tahoes and a buy-American mindset may find themselves oddly misplaced as interest in SUVs hits an all-time low. A strong majority of American consumers do not see the
purchase of an SUV as patriotic. Nearly 90 percent of shoppers in the
market to buy or lease a new vehicle do not believe that SUV drivers should be
described as patriotic, according to the New-Vehicle Buyer Attitude Study from Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research, Irvine, Calif. Compared with attitudes of the new-vehicle-shopping
group last year, the percentage of those who described SUV drivers as patriots
dropped 12 points to a paltry 11 percent, the lowest level in the study's
history.
Similarly, the number of vehicle shoppers considering an SUV has fallen to
34 percent, also the lowest level recorded. The only
segment among sport utilities to see any growth in interest is small SUVs.
Interest in purchasing a mid-size or full-size SUV decreased, and luxury SUVs
remained flat.
Last year, the study showed that shoppers' top reason for not
considering an SUV was that it was not the type of vehicle they were interested
in. This year, the No. 1 reason for not considering an SUV is the escalation of
gas prices. The percentage of those citing fuel prices as a major reason to
reject SUVs was up eight points from last year to 61 percent. This concern over
fuel prices also has broadened to an unease over SUVs' effect on the country's
dependence on foreign oil. In fact, 37 percent said
that U.S. dependence on foreign oil is a major reason they are not considering
an SUV.
Related articles: automotive, environmental
Related suppliers: automotive, environmental | |
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3. Dollar menus a welcome change from Happy Meals for parents on a budget
It appears that today's kids are no
longer won over by a toy nestled between their chicken nuggets and fries or by the kids' menu. Though kids' meals with toys and kids' menus at fast-food restaurants continue to
be the most popular options for children younger than 13, both offerings have
experienced sharp declines, according to Consumer Reports on Eating Share Trends, a study by The NPD Group, a Port Washington, N.Y., research company. In 2008, among kids under 13, orders for kids' meals that included a toy
were down 11 percent, and orders from kids' menus were down 4 percent,
compared to combo meals, which were down 2 percent, and 99-cent value menus, which were up 9 percent.
"Just as adults have moved to greater use of deals and value menus, there
continues to be a shift in the way kids are ordering at restaurants or, in many
cases, how their parents are ordering for them," says Bonnie Riggs, restaurant
industry analyst at NPD. "What has gained in popularity is the use of
value menus for kids' meals and snacks."
Riggs also says that there is more to the shift away
from kids' meals and menus than the economy and saving money. "Kids today want more choices and sophisticated fare."
Contributing to the decline in the number of kids' meals with toys and kids'
menu items ordered is that fewer kids are eating out. Both quick-service restaurants and full-service
restaurants experienced traffic losses. In both cases, losses were heaviest
with kids under six years old.
Related articles: children, fast food, food chains/supermarkets, foods/nutrition,
Related suppliers: children, fast food, food chains/supermarkets, foods/nutrition,
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4. Gathering Web-user feedback? Choose your method wisely.
The July Quirk's features a focus on Internet and online research. From our archives, here is an excerpt from a past article by Tema Frank that explores the drawbacks and advantages of several methods used to glean feedback from users and gauge a Web site's effectiveness. Here, Frank takes a closer look at unsolicited customer feedback.
Almost everybody gets some feedback on their site. From family and friends to site visitors who feel strongly enough that they'll take the time to send you an e-mail or fill in a comment form, people will give you their opinions. If you have a call center, you can also learn a lot about peoples' reactions to your site from analyzing the help requests that relate to the Web site.
Since you get it, use it. You may get some gems from this sort of feedback. The big mistake site owners often make, though, is assuming that what they hear from such channels is typical, and that they thus know all they need to know about what people think of their site. Wrong! The people who take the time to comment are not typical of the general public. They are a vocal minority who tend to perceive things in more extreme terms than most, and who have enough time on their hands that they consider it worth the time to comment.
Advantages of unsolicited customer feedback
- Minimal cost.
- Real users.
- Chance to repair relationship with dissatisfied customers who take the time to comment.
Drawbacks of unsolicited customer feedback
- Biased sample.
- Miss many issues.
- Analysis can be costly in large organizations.
- You must respond quickly and well or your lack of correct response will make matters worse.
- Often you will not learn exactly where the problem occurred. The comments are frequently too vague to be useful.
Unsolicited customer feedback is useful when making minor adjustments to the site as you go along, and as part of the input for redesign. If tracked, it also helps ensure a good linkage between customer service staff and site promises.
"What works when?," Quirk's Marketing Research Review, January 2006 |
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5. Enter to win: Quirk's monthly contest
This month's prize is a free copy of Morae market research software - a $1,495 value - from TechSmith.
Record, observe and analyze:
> Focus groups & in-depth interviews
> Field studies & ethnography
> Paper prototypes
> Software & Web site usability
To learn more about Morae for market research and focus groups visit www.morae.com.
To enter, please send your contact information to contest@quirks.com with "Morae Contest" in the subject line. The deadline to enter is August 1, 2009. The winner will be announced in the October issue of Quirk's.
Congratulations to May's contest winner, Julie Landers of Texas Instruments, Education Technology, Dallas.
To become a future contest sponsor contact Evan Tweed at 651-379-6200. |
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6. Upcoming research events
REVELATION WEBINAR
July 14
12 p.m. EDT
SHOPPER INSIGHTS IN ACTION
July 14-17
The Hilton Chicago in Chicago
IMODERATE WEBINAR
July 17
12 p.m. MDT
2009 SALFORD DATA MINING CONFERENCE
August 23-25
San Diego
For more information and listings visit our online calendar. |
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