40% Also Express Interest in Alternate Ways to Buy Cars
[Birmingham, MI] – Most Michiganders believe that the recent sale of Chrysler will allow the company’s performance to improve or remain the same, according to survey results announced today by Brogan & Partners, a Birmingham-based marketing firm that conducted the statewide Brogan Survey.
Optimists about the Chrysler sale outweigh pessimists two to one, with 33.3% saying the company should perform better versus 17.8% saying it will perform worse. 39.5% felt it would make no difference.
The 600-person telephone poll also provided some insights into Michiganders’ automobile purchasing preferences as well. When asked if they would consider purchasing an exclusive Big Three automobile design from Target or Meijer, 40% would be willing to buy it. More than half of the 25-34 year olds surveyed liked the idea.
Loyalty to American-made products remain high in Michigan, with 80% saying it was important that their automobile be made in the United States. Respondents under the age of 35, however, were significantly less likely to feel that this was “very important” compared to older respondents.
Finally, when asked about if they enjoy negotiating the price of a car or prefer a fixed price, the results were split virtually evenly, with 50.2% preferring a fixed price and 47.8% indicating they enjoy negotiating. Women were slightly more likely than men to prefer to negotiate.
“While the sale of Chrysler may have many Michiganders wondering what’s going to happen, it seems like there’s some optimism, which is good,” said Marcie Brogan, chief executive officer at Brogan & Partners. “The poll shows a 40% interest in buying a car through a retailer like Target or Meijer. As the American car industry reinvents and reinvigorates itself, this should be a sign that a big portion of the public in its home state is willing to consider a change in purchase habits–especially younger buyers.”
The Brogan Survey is a 600-sample, random digit dial Michigan general population survey, stratified by geography, ethnicity and gender. The live telephone survey was conducted from May 18-22, 2007 and has margin of error of +/- 4.0% with a confidence level of 95%. Questions in The Brogan Survey were not commissioned by any candidate, organization or company. The survey was conducted by Brogan & Partners research affiliate The Glengariff Group, Inc., of Chicago.
Brogan & Partners Convergence Marketing, established in 1984, specializes in advertising, PRIZM®-based media, public relations, digital and diversity marketing. The firm has offices in Detroit metro and Raleigh, service offices in Washington D.C. and Florida and an affiliate in Chicago.
