Are Haters Going to Hate?
Strategic Vision’s Vehicle & Political Research Reveals
San Diego – Over the past six years Strategic Vision has collected self-identified political party choice on more than 170,000 new vehicle buyers which has shown how they have moved from being increasingly unhappy to outright hating the political candidates, even when they state that they are still a member of the same political party. There are more than enough examples in the news of hatred and even violence between those who support the different US Presidential candidates and the numbers confirm it. The two main presidential candidates were rated over the past 30-days as follows:
Based on the Edwards Commitment Scale™ by Strategic Vision where customers rate a product or experience as 7) I love it, 6) Delightful, 5) Excellent, 4) Satisfied, 3) Unsatisfied, 2) A failure and 1) I hate it; the scores are aggregated and then converted into a scale that ranges between 1000 (Perfect Love) to -1000 (Complete Hate). As can be seen in the table, automotive buyers hate both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton with vigor. The good news for Hillary Clinton is that Democrats do not hate her as much as Republicans hate Donald Trump. However, in most every product and category, it is extremely rare to see a score below 200 (for example, even those who purchase a Chevrolet Express Cargo Van love their vehicle enough to provide a Love score of 207!)
What is also amazing to see is the nearly complete hatred of Donald Trump by Democratic voters. They see Donald Trump not just as a complete failure as a potential candidate, but many respondents report that they hate him so much that they “must stop at nothing” to prevent him from getting into office.
In addition to this, we have continued to see a significant shift over the years from respondents who self-identify as Democrats and Republicans leaving their parties in droves with a corresponding doubling of respondents stating they are part of “None of the Above” suggesting that our political system has truly left the hearts and minds of the voters. Many respondents have stated, “[none of the parties] represent me anymore,” which could be considered strange since these are the candidates we elected in the Primaries. As some might suggest, “We have the candidates we deserve, not the candidates we need.”
So, what can we do? As Dr. Martin Luther King said in 1967, “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” The next four years, regardless of who wins the Presidency, has the opportunity to be filled with continued hate. If we wish to change the political and social environment of the future, we must give up on those things that inspire hate, and instead find a path to better understand and love each other more and fear each other less.
So, who are the Republican and Democrat new vehicle buyers today? On the exterior, Republicans are more often male, married, older, earn more annually, and are often Caucasian (94%). Democrats are more often college educated and ethnically diverse. (Those who are fed up with both parties are the youngest, more gender balanced, earn the least and are the most ethnically diverse.) Republicans also see themselves more often as secure and confident while Democrats see themselves as unique and individual. (The “No party affiliation” sees themselves as both Refined and Exciting.) Furthermore, the following list is from the study’s most recent results, showing the Top 5 more popular models by political party choice:
In addition, respondents shared their priorities in their vehicle choices:
Perhaps if we can come to an agreement that, in general, Democratic drivers have a greater priority for the environment while Republicans want something that will make America great, we could become a happier nation.
Strategic Vision is a research-based consultancy with over 37 years of experience in understanding the consumers’ and constituents’ decision-making systems for a variety of Fortune 100 clients, including most automotive manufacturers. Its unique expertise is in identifying consumers’ comprehensive motivational hierarchies, including the product attributes, personal benefits, value/emotions and images that drive perceptions and behaviors. The ValueCentered® psychology and research methods were defined by Dr. Darrel Edwards in 1968, and enhanced by co-founders J. Susan Johnson (1972) and Sharon Shedroff (1975). For further information, contact Alexander Edwards or Christopher Chaney at (858) 576-7141.