LGBT Automotive Buyers Reflect Future Success of Vehicle Sales

SAN DIEGO--August 22, 2011: The best predictors of the future success of a vehicle concept, feature or design are the opinions and priorities of early adopters, called Innovators by Strategic Vision. Innovators have both predicted and helped create the success of many products from the Walkman to the iPod, to the redesign of the boring, yet functional top-loading washing machine into a front-loading, stylish appliance.

“The Nissan JUKE looks cool, feels very solid when your hands are on the wheel, and has great amount of pep. I respect their brand for its styling overall.”

In order to predict how a new product will perform, it is critical to know the opinions and thoughts of Innovators, as they typically set trends, rather than simply relying on the general population. Strategic Vision leads in understanding consumer evaluations of innovative products and how leading-edge Innovators set trends. They have discovered groups of the population that are often the first to purchase products that have a high likelihood of becoming a future trend. The LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community represents one group of Innovators: the type of consumer who supports the automotive community's needs when introducing a feature or product not typically seen on or associated with a new vehicle.

As noted in the table below, the new 2011 Nissan Juke has successfully captured a section of the LGBT population with exceptional delivery of technical innovations and exterior styling. In addition to providing insight on new products, Innovators -- like the LGBT community -- can also help further understanding of redesigned products. The newly designed 2011 Volkswagen Jetta Sedan, for example, has been embraced by the LGBT buyer at higher rates than the mass market, yet has also shown to be successful in the total industry, selling more vehicles since the new design release than ever before.

*Top vehicles purchased by LGBT**
	(i.e. 3.6% of the LGBT Buyers purchased a Honda Civic, which is a 21% increase from the non-LGBT segment)

		Percent	Index to Industry
	Honda Civic Sdn	3.6%	121
	Toyota Prius	3.5%	162
	Hyundai Sonata	3.0%	121
	Volkswagen Jetta Sdn	2.8%	171
	Hyundai Elantra	2.5%	156
	Chevrolet Traverse	2.3%	235
	Honda Fit	2.0%	235
	Kia Forte Sedan	2.0%	388
	BMW 3 Series Sdn	1.6%	162
	Nissan Juke	1.4%	281
	Mini Cooper	1.3%	288
	Honda CR-Z	0.8%	380
	Scion xB	0.6%	248
	Lexus IS250/350 Convertible	0.4%	391
*(Based on an algorithm of both market share and comparative share increase over the population)

The LGBT community's interest in such products is due to an above industry average attraction to unique aspects associated with newly released products (Index: 130) and an aversion to products that look too much like all the other vehicles on the road (Index: 150). If a newly released product succeeds in capturing the attention of the LGBT buyer, then the manufacturers of that product know that they have succeeded in creating a vehicle that is both innovative and unique. Specific aspects that the LGBT buyer looks for in a new vehicle are exterior and interior styling (Index: 130), from the appearance of the tires, all the way to the placement of controls and instruments inside the vehicle; technical innovations such as interior accessories (Index: 137) and audio / video systems (Index: 148); and environmental friendliness (Index: 131). One LGBT Nissan Juke owner states, "The Nissan JUKE looks cool, feels very solid when your hands are on the wheel, and has great amount of pep. I respect their brand for its styling overall."

The LGBT community has such an interest in newly released products that a 30% increase is seen above industry average of vehicles purchased on impulse after having seen one that caught their attention (Index: 130). In an industry where products are constantly being updated, changed and improved, the new and unique only remain so for a certain period of time until the next new and improved idea is released.

There is also an emotional factor to the process of purchasing and owning a new vehicle that Strategic Vision comprehensively measures and integrates with other aspects of the vehicle. Feelings that support one's self-esteem (e.g., a sense of success, excitement and prestige) are 20% higher for the LGBT community compared to the industry (Index: 124). BMW, Honda, Subaru and Nissan in particular have succeeded in creating vehicles that receive a 60% or greater rating on the emotional delivery associated with their vehicles within this segment.

Discovering consumer reactions to new concepts, features and products in the early stages of release can save time, labor and perhaps most importantly, money. The trick is in knowing where to look to find such answers quickly in order to make decisions on the future of that product. The LGBT consumer is one of the first to own and drive new, innovative vehicles with new features and unique concepts, and therefore is a group to follow after the release of such products.

If your product has caught the attention of the LGBT customer, it is likely the product has executed new features and unique styling that will also catch the attention of other leading innovators and eventually the total population of new vehicle buyers. Innovators are among those who trust a specific brand and who look for signs that the execution of new concepts and features have been done exceedingly well. The results for new releases such as the Nissan Juke as well as the newly redesigned Hyundai Sonata and Volkswagen Jetta (both having their best sales year ever) show an even greater increase in LGBT sales in proportion to the industry, reflecting how the LGBT consumer is sensitive to those product and emotional cues that lead to successful products.

Strategic Vision has a syndicated automotive buyer study that collects over 300,000 responses annually, using over 1,500 comprehensive data points, to include over 9,700 self-identified LGBT respondents, 8,000 African Americans and 38,800 social network users, to indicate a few. Since its foundation in 1972 and incorporation in 1989, Strategic Vision--led by company founders Darrel Edwards, Ph.D., J. Susan Johnson, Sharon Shedroff, with Alexander Edwards, Christopher Chaney and Molly Sirota--has studied consumer and constituent decision-making for a wide variety of clients, including most auto manufacturers, Coca-Cola, American Airlines, Procter & Gamble, the White House, 10 Downing Street, and many advertising agencies. Its unique expertise is identifying consumers' motivational hierarchies, including the values, emotions and images that shape perceptions and behavior. The firm's in-depth Discovery Interviews and ValueCentered Surveys provide comprehensive, integrated and actionable outcomes, linking behavior to attributes to consequences to values and emotions to images.