Welcome to the Polk Knowledge Center

Here you will find an evolving collection of reports and insightful analysis about the automotive industry. Put our knowledge to work for you -- explore the resources below to see how Polk can help you address your business challenges.

Analysis & Reports

POLK VIEWS ::

How Did the Toyota Recalls Affect Customer Loyalty :: Analysis of the impact of recent Toyota vehicle recalls on owner loyalty.

The Future of European Retail Networks :: Analysis of the future trends for European retail networks.

Asia Pacific Region Propels Growth of Hybrid Market :: Analysis of global hybrid sales trends and market share.

State of the U.S. Light Vehicle Market – December 2009 :: Commentary on U.S. light vehicle sales trends and forecasts.

Where Are All the Saturn Owners Going? :: Analysis of loyalty and defection rates of Saturn owners over time; predictions of brands they will buy.

Will Super Small Cars Generate Super Big Sales? :: Analysis of the minicar segment including sales projections in China, Western Europe and the U.S.

Who Will Buy Tomorrow's Electric Vehicles? :: Analysis of the electric vehicle market, future buyer profiles and launch considerations.

What Do U.S. Car Buyers Think about the Challenges Facing the Auto Industry? :: Consumer sentiment about industry challenges.

Compacts in Quebec – Small Cars with Big Popularity :: Analysis of compact vehicle market in Quebec.

Is the U.S. Auto Market Ready for Indian Vehicles? :: Analysis of potential success of two new Indian vehicles entering the U.S. auto market.

Consumer Perceptions of "Cash for Clunkers" :: Consumer views about Cash for Clunkers and their likelihood to participate.

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Case Studies

How Beldare Motors (VW Taiwan) Partnered with Polk to Optimize its Dealer Network :: How Beldare Motors determined the optimal number and location of dealerships to meet customers' sales and service needs.

How Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. Proved Performance in a Cluttered Media Marketplace :: How a U.S. media organization helped its customer effectively reach its target and measure results.

How Uni-Select® Helps its Customers Save Time and Money through Effective Inventory Management :: How Uni-Select built an effective online inventory management tool using Polk's vehicle registration data.

How Volkswagen Group UK Builds Aftersales Profitability :: How PolkConnect helped VW UK increase ROI, leads, response rates and profitability of aftersales operations.

How Price Toyota Acquires and Retains Customers through Targeted Direct Marketing :: How a dealership used Polk Garage Predictor™ and Purchase Predictor™ to increase ROI and vehicle sales.

How MileOne Sells Smart with Polk Lead Scoring :: How Polk Lead Scoring helped a dealer group improve online lead conversions and decrease sales costs by 11%.

Market Studies

Consumer Sentiment During Challenging Times :: Consumer insights into the U.S. auto industry, economy, vehicle ownership and purchase plans; part of series on industry challenges.

The Impact of Declining New Vehicle Sales on the Aftermarket Business
:: Analysis of impact of lower vehicle sales on aftermarket by sales channel and category; part of series on industry challenges.

The Impact of Possible Model and Brand Terminations on Customer Loyalty :: Analysis of how vehicle model terminations affect loyalty; part of series on industry challenges.

Consumer Expectations for Internet Lead Marketing :: Insights into different types of Internet leads; how to improve online lead management.

White Papers

Managing Customer Loyalty in the Auto Industry :: What automakers can do to improve owner loyalty and loyalty's relationship to financial results.

Mining a Hidden Asset to Increase Brand Loyalty and Sales :: Using repair order data to build sales and service loyalty.

What is the Best Way to Calculate Transactional Loyalty? :: Comparison of household and disposal methods of calculating loyalty.

Correlating Vehicle Sales and Owner Loyalty :: Analysis of correlation between vehicle sales and owner loyalty trends.

Effective Qualification: Prioritizing Automotive Prospects with Lead Scoring :: How Polk Lead Scoring addresses common challenges of qualifying Internet leads.

Analysis & Reports (con'td)

POLK VIEWS ::

The Future of the U.S. Commercial Vehicle Market :: Commercial vehicle forecasts through 2013 based on both VIO and registrations.

More Consumers Choose Used Vehicles in Weak Economy :: Analysis of used vehicle sales trends and the changing ratio of used-to-new vehicle sales.

The Changing U.S. Motorcycle Market :: Analysis of sales trends in used and new on-road motorcycle markets.

The State of the U.S. Hybrid Sector :: Analysis of 2007-2008 U.S. hybrid retail sales trends.

Asian-Americans and the U.S. Auto Market :: Market share by brand for Asian-Americans; considerations for marketing to this multicultural group.

Hispanics and the U.S. Auto Market :: Market share by brand for Hispanics; considerations for marketing to this multicultural group.

All Used Vehicle Buyers Are Not Alike :: Profiles of four distinct segments of used vehicle buyers.

Short-Term Slump, Year-Over-Year Gains for Global Hybrid Market :: Analysis of global 2007-2008 hybrid sales trends with focus on strong hybrid growth markets.

Planning Beyond a Billion :: Implications for aftermarket business in emerging markets as global vehicle volumes approach 1 billion.

OTHER REPORTS ::

April 2010 Commercial Vehicle Market Intelligence Report :: The performance of April 2010 New Registrations show signs of encouragement.

March 2010 Commercial Vehicle Report :: Commercial New Registrations for GVW 3-8 vehicles for the first quarter of the 2010 Calendar Year were down 8.0%.

December 2009 Commercial Vehicle Report :: New Commercial Registrations for GVW 3-8 vehicles for the 2009 Calendar Year were down 36.8%.

September 2009 Commercial Vehicle Report :: Commercial vehicle registrations were down 38.5 percent for the first nine months of 2009.

June 2009 Commercial Vehicle Report :: Commercial vehicle registrations were down 40 percent for the first six months of 2009.

March 2009 Commercial Vehicle Report :: Commercial vehicle registrations were down 40 percent in the first quarter of 2009.

December 2008 Commercial Vehicle Report :: Quarterly U.S. commercial vehicle report shows low volumes for 2008.

The Chinese Commercial Vehicle Market (Review of First Half of 2008) :: Continued growth in Chinese commercial vehicle market in first half of 2008.

September 2008 Commercial Vehicle Report :: Quarterly U.S. commercial vehicle report shows declining registrations.