Mazda3, MINI Cooper and Hyundai Santa Fe Have the Right DNA to Be Named Leaders in Strategic Vision's Most Delightful Vehicles of 2007

Business Wire, Jan 8, 2008

SAN DIEGO -- "Driver's desires, needs and attribute priorities are called the customer's vehicle DNA," according to Alexander Edwards, Strategic Vision President of Automotive. "When you understand the emotional payoff delivered by each vehicle attribute measured against the customer's vehicle DNA, you can truly know what sets leaders apart from the rest. These vehicles are Customer Delight leaders and build brand equity, increase customer advocacy and indicate future loyalty and retention."

The Mazda3 was announced as the leader in the small car segment over strong competitors such as Toyota Yaris and Corolla as well as the Honda Fit and Civic (2006 Delight leader). The Mazda3 DNA includes leverageable attributes such as strong maneuverability and handling that speaks to the desires and priorities of smaller car buyers, creating a sportier, more energetic and fun vehicle over what the competition has to offer. The MINI Cooper's DNA confirmed its performance lead for its sixth straight leadership position, while the Hyundai Santa Fe lead is created by strong exterior styling cues combined with roomy and comfortable second row seating that equated to overall thoughtfulness. "The customer perception of thoughtfulness comes from those cues that suggest the manufacturer was thinking about the customers individually," says Dr Darrel Edwards, CEO of Strategic Vision and creator of the metrics used for thoughtfulness. "Thoughtfulness is always a keystone component of the truly Delightful."

Customer Delight, Strategic Vision's most stringent measure of product quality, captures the customer's emotional response to each vehicle attribute from areas of power and performance to interior design. This in-depth examination looks at the vehicle attributes in many of their modes to the specificity of the A/C vent performance to the difference between the function and style design of headlights. For a vehicle to be a Delight leader, it must deliver against the highest standards and vehicle priorities that customer's hold.

There are other vehicles such as the Lexus RX400H, Lincoln MKX and Saturn Outlook and Ford Expedition EL that have all broken the code of the customers' vehicle DNA and have delivered the product that meets the customers' needs. The criteria are no respecter of class - just performance. All of these vehicles clearly lead on the strongest factors for their respective segments, are clearly ahead of the nearest competition, and have important strengths that set them apart from others in their segments. Leaders demonstrate foundational strengths that create a sense of security for the drivers and add substantial leverage in performance, design, innovation and thoughtfulness over their competition.

One aspect that is important across all segments in creating Delight is the impression of reliability. "Reliability is a crucial factor in building a sense of emotional Security, which is the foundation of any ownership experience. Owners must know from the very beginning that they can rely upon the vehicle in order to trust that it will be there and be safe for them and their passengers," says Alexander Edwards. The impression of reliability is influenced by any element of the vehicle that is either visible to - or interacting with - owners and passengers alike. There are many possibilities for enhancing overall Delight by increasing the sense of reliability created by a vehicle: ranging from exterior cues of quality (i.e., fit of body panels, paint work, etc.), to interior touch-points such as the parking brake release, turn signal indicator, or gauges and their character.

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Strategic Vision is part of StrategicVision Worldwide, a research-based consultancy with thirty-five years of experience in understanding the consumers' and constituents' decision-making systems for a variety of clients, including most automotive manufacturers, American Airlines, Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola. Its unique expertise is in identifying individuals', groups' and societies' comprehensive motivational hierarchies, including the descriptive attributes, personal consequences associated with experiences, the values and emotions that establish priorities and set motivation, and the deep-seated personal images that reveal meaning - all of which shape perceptions and cause behavior. The ValueCentered[R] psychology and research methods were defined by Dr. Darrel Edwards in 1968. Strategic Vision was established in 1972 and incorporated in 1989.

For further information, contact Alexander Edwards, President Automotive; Sharon Shedroff, President of Consumer Insights and Communication; Susan Johnson, President of Strategic Vision; or Dr. Darrel Edwards, CEO at (858) 576-7141; or visit www.strategicvision.com.