Quote:
Originally Posted by Chaz_23
I understand it perfectly. You surely meant to say that people switching to Toyota is a perfect example of the opposite of loyalty. I was addressing your point: "The majority of buyers have switched to Toyota to give them a try... Toyota has some but still not comparable to GM, Ford or Chrysler." I'm saying that Toyota has plenty of brand loyalty plus plenty of new customers (switching away from the bog 3) with a good chance of becoming loyal.
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You must have not gotten the meaning of that sentence. Honda still has a higher amount of loyal customers than any other import brand. Toyota happens to be at the right place at the right time with their products, people were fed up with US automakers from past experience. In some cases loyal customers. When a buyer switches over to another brand it doesn't make them a loyal buyer, not until they purchase their second vehicle. I won't comment on Toyota quality, but their past few cars I've driven for a few days were far from "fun". It had a load of annoying sounds, different feeling and not your typical functions you are used to finding. Yes people may switch, but they can easily come back if Toyota fails the first impression. Take a Camry and then an Aura or Malibu, in no time you will have the people saying the GM products are superior. But at the time they made the switch those products either didn't exist or were not known.
Usually when a buyer switches is due to a poor past experience and will likely change again at the slightest problem while switching. If GM wants to attract new buyers, it needs higher quality and better product perception, which it is getting with new products. Customers that have switched can easily come back (especially if they used to be loyal).
However when it comes to products like the Volt, there is no need for brand loyalty, since it is something that is dramatically different than what the rest of the market offers. You may often hear people say they will never purchase a GM car, but will say that they want a Volt. You will also rarely hear them say Chevy Volt. Brand loyalty depends on offerings as well as the customers.