When it comes to cars in the next decade or two, the brand is dead—long-live the brand.
Just ask the nearly 12,000 consumers surveyed around the world by IBM’s Institute for Business Value. When quizzed about their vehicle preferences when using e-hailing, ride-sharing or, someday, autonomous vehicle services, almost one-in-two respondents (48 percent) said brand wasn’t a deciding factor.
More consumers, when queried for the institute’s Automotive 2030 report, said they’d prioritize price, convenience and data security over the typical considerations of high-performance features or premium detailing. And these shifting priorities were consistently evident whether consumers were considering how they’re utilizing e-hailing apps or which smart vehicles to purchase someday.
“How are car companies going to keep loyalty to their brands when the traditional things that drivers have looked for—how a car looks, how it handles, the horsepower—are no longer of interest if you’re not driving?” said Benjamin T. Stanley, an author of the 2030 study, Racing Toward a Digital Future.
