Mercedes-Benz Named Luxury Brand of the Year for 2012

NEW YORK — After three years of turmoil and consumer skepticism, the automotive industry is beginning to rebound. With new car sales finally on the rise, two manufacturers – Mercedes-Benz and Honda – reign supreme in successfully harnessing their equity and leading their industries as Brands of the Year. In fact, Mercedes-Benz is enjoying this achievement for the second year in a row, according to the 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend^® (EQ)study, a yearly brand health assessment from Harris Interactive, one of the world’s leading custom and multi-client market research firms.

Mercedes-Benz Retains Title as Lead Luxury Auto Brand

In a segment where luxury is synonymous with superb quality and craftsmanship, the Mercedes-Benz brand resonates more strongly with consumers than any other luxury automotive brand included in the Harris Poll EquiTrend study. Mercedes-Benz’s strong performance in EQ has earned it the Luxury Automotive Brand of the Year accolade for the second year running.
“Mercedes-Benz and Lexus have been battling over this top ranking for the last eight years,” says Mike Chadsey, Senior Consultant for Harris Interactive’s Customer Relationship Consulting team. “Mercedes has ranked at the top for two years in a row and four of the last eight years, while Lexus has made it to the top spot three times. BMW is also usually within the top three, with especially strong scores over the last three years. Quality and Purchase Consideration both play important roles in these annual rankings,” says Chadsey.