Kelley Blue Book announces winners of 2009 Brand Image Awards

Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com), the leading provider of new and used car information, today announces the winners of the 2009 Brand Image Awards. The Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Awards recognize automakers’ outstanding achievements in creating and maintaining brand attributes that capture the attention and enthusiasm of the new-vehicle buying public.

The 2009 Brand Image Awards, presented to the top brands in 10 categories, are based on consumer automotive perception data from Kelley Blue Book Market Research’s Brand Watch study. Brand Watch is an online brand perception tracking study tapping into 12,000+ in-market new-vehicle shoppers annually on Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com. The highly comprehensive Brand Watch report provides a detailed look at in-market new-vehicle shoppers’ perceptions of brands, and important factors driving their purchase decisions while they are in the midst of the shopping process. The results of an entire year of Brand Watch research and consumer opinions determine the 2009 Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Award winners.

"The phrase ‘perception is reality’ can ring truer than many think when it comes to the opinions of new-carshoppers," said Rick Wainschel, senior vice president of marketing and analytics for Kelley Blue Book and kbb.com.

"The winners of the annual Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Awards showcase the strengths of various automotive brands in the minds of consumers, providing great insight for all auto manufacturers, marketers and agencies on what is clearly resonating with the car-buying public today."

[B][U]KELLEY BLUE BOOK'S 2009 BRAND IMAGE AWARD WINNERS[/B][/U]

[I]Best Value Brand[/I]: [B]Toyota[/B]
[I]Coolest Brand[/I]: [B]BMW[/B]
[I]Most Family-Friendly Brand[/I]: [B]Toyota[/B]
[I]Most Rugged Truck Brand[/I]: [B]Ford[/B]
[I]Best Performance Brand[/I]: [B]BMW[/B]
[I]Best Comfort Brand[/I]: [B]Cadillac[/B]
[I]Best Exterior Design Brand – Luxury[/I]: [B]BMW[/B]
[I]Best Exterior Design Brand – Non-Luxury[/I]: [B]Nissan[/B]
[I]Best Interior Design Brand[/I]: [B]Cadillac[/B]
[I]Best Prestige Brand[/I]: [B]Mercedes-Benz[/B]

"The winners of this year’s Brand Image Awards exemplify automotive brands that are on the right track, making a great impression with consumers not just on a specific model level, but across the entire brand lineup," said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book and kbb.com. "For
2009, brands that won in multiple award categories, such as BMW, Cadillac and Toyota, are the leaders in strong, positive consumer perception."

[B]Best Exterior Design Brand – Non-Luxury: Nissan[/B]
From the iconic Z sports car to the standout Murano crossover and even the Quest minivan, Nissan designs and builds some of the most recognizable vehicles on the road. And underneath all that boldly styled sheetmetal are vehicles that consistently demonstrate above-average athleticism, which only serves to deepen their attractiveness.

Credits: JRC