Strong OE brand loyalty for Indian tyre customers

ERJ staff report (DS)

Singapore -- The latest J D Power survey says that brand loyalty for tyres is strong in the Indian region.

The study finds that more than 80 percent of highly satisfied original equipment tyre owners (with satisfaction scores averaging above 874 on a 1,000-point scale) say they "definitely will" repurchase their original tyre brand when it comes time to purchase replacement tyres. In contrast, only one-third of dissatisfied customers (with satisfaction scores averaging below 733) say the same. Furthermore, customers who are highly satisfied are more than twice as likely as highly dissatisfied customers to recommend their original equipment tyre brand.

MRF ranks highest among original equipment tyre brands with an overall score of 810 and performs particularly well in all four factors that drive satisfaction. Following MRF in the rankings is Apollo Tyres, which achieves a score of 804 and improves by two rank positions from 2009.

The study finds that more than 57 percent of new-vehicle owners cite the tyre brand as the most important factor influencing their replacement tyre purchase decision.

"Tyre customers in India are brand conscious and have increasingly higher expectations of tyre performance due to improvements in technology, such as self-sealing tyres," said Mohit Arora, executive director at J.D. Power Asia Pacific, Singapore.

Overall, 13 percent of new-vehicle owners in India indicate having replaced their tyres within the first two years of vehicle ownership, primarily due to the tyres becoming worn out or damaged due to road hazards. Among owners of models in the utility vehicle segment, tyre replacement rates are considerably higher. More than one in five owners of utility vehicles indicate having replaced their tyres within the first two years of ownership. On average, utility vehicles are driven 35 percent more kilometers than vehicles in other model segments.

"Utility vehicles tend to be driven for long distances, and in many instances, on unpaved roads, more frequently than vehicles in other segments," said Arora. "As a result, owners of utility vehicles tend to have low satisfaction levels with the traction and handling of their tyres. As this vehicle segment continues to grow, it is particularly important for tyre manufacturers to focus on improving product quality."

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Press release from J D Power