In what's sure to be no surprise to our
Checkered
Flag fans, once again, Toyota is topping the brand world with
Honda, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, and Porsche running not far
behind.
Toyota Tops Among Automakers in
New Global Brand Survey
by Paul A.
Eisenstein on Oct.11, 2011
Despite its problems, Toyota remains
the top automotive marque in an annual brand
study.What is a brand name
worth? Lots, according to just about any study you can
imagine, at least a well-respected name like Coca-Cola, IBM - or
Toyota.
Despite the problems the Japanese maker has
had in recent years, it remains the highest-ranked of all automotive
brands according to the Interbrands' Best Global Brand 2011
Report. The annual study analyzes how individual marques do
according to factors such as financial performance, the influence the
brand has on consumers' choices - and the ability of a brand to continue
supporting its parent company.
By those measures,
the list was topped by Coca-Cola for the 12th year in a row.
But, significantly, seven of the 10 best brands play in the technology
sector - including IBM, Microsoft and Google. And number eight
Apple was the top riser in the study, climbing into the Top 10 for the
first time with a rise of 58% according to Interbrands'
metrics.
"Uncertainty is the new status quo, so
today's brands need to be quick and nimble," remarked Jez Frampton,
Interbrand's Global Chief Executive Officer. "Consistency, relevance and
commitment are imperative if a brand is to keep pace in our rapidly
changing world."
While some might question the
conclusions of the study, it finds that automakers, on the whole,
improved their lot in 2011, due to what a summary suggested was,
"remarkable growth in the auto industry, driven primarily by an economic
recovery in classic European markets, a resurgence of the US automotive
industry and high demand for cars in China."
Toyota
ranked tops among auto brands, at 11th, despite a variety of problems
such as its quality control issues and the Japanese earthquake that
slashed its production for much of this year, according to
Interbrands. Nonetheless, it had ranked eighth the prior year,
suggesting those problems did take their
toll.
Another Japanese brand on the Top 100 list was
Nissan - which returned for the first time since 2007. The
study found it was able to demonstrate itself "during a difficult time,"
namely the March 11 disaster and aftermath, by getting its production
back up to normal faster than key competitors.
After
taking some hits during the global economic meltdown, the Interbrands
study also found luxury on the rise - good news not only for the likes
number 18 Louis Vuitton and 39th-ranked Gucci, but also for automakers
like Mercedes-Benz, which followed on Toyota's heels, at
12th.
Meanwhile, little Ferrari showed the power of
more than just its V-12 engines by slipping into 99th - though that was
down eight slots compared to Interbrands' 2010
Report.
Other automakers on the list included
15th-ranked BMW, Honda, which climbed one spot to 19, Volkswagen, which
jumped six positions to 47th, Audi, at 59 and Hyundai at 61, and Porsche
at 72.
Despite their nascent turnarounds, neither
General Motors nor Chrysler were on the list, perhaps reflecting the
damage to their brands from their 2009 bankruptcies. The only
domestic Detroit marque to make it was Ford, which maintained its
position at the Top 100 midpoint, ranked 50th for 2011.
End of article.
Wow!
It's pretty impressive to think that your
Checkered
Flag new or pre-owned vehicle is nearly as popular as
Coca-Cola.
If you're interested in picking
up one of these impressive brand vehicles, call any
Virginia Beach new and
used car Checkered Flag store, including
Checkered
Flag Toyota, at (757)490-1111.
