Unfortunately, many people are very wrong on the quality issue.  Check out this release from JD power on vehicle dependability, and look at the brands that are above average.  Lexus tops the list, but Mercury, Cadillac, Buick and Lincoln are all in the top 10, and all are above Honda. Ford is just above average.  I’ll admit that Chrysler still has issues, but compare that to Volkswagen or Volvo which seem to hold high esteem in many people’s mind.  What has gone wrong is at the root of branding.

Brands aren’t the most recent message a consumer absorbs about a product.  It’s the collective experiences a consumer has with a brand over.  If I say a word like newspaper, you’ll bring up not only the definition, but all of the parts of the experience.  You may remember stories, ads, a product that you can take with you to the restroom, or even delivering them.  You might also think of outdated media, bias, clippings you’ve made, obituaries or other personal encounters.  It makes what we define as a newspaper have a rich context, and it isn’t just shaped by the billboard you see on your way home.

The hard part is that negative experiences can be hard to erase.  This New York Times article references quality problems encountered with Oldsmobile in the 70′s. The companies have moved a long way since then, and Oldsmobile doesn’t even exist as a brand.  The attribution of poor quality is made to “American automakers” more than a specific car, era, or brand.  Even thought this attribution is logically no longer relevant, it still shapes the authors opinions, as I’m sure it does for many consumers.  I’ll personally admit that I haven’t owned an American car since the 1995 Dodge Neon that I bought just before finishing college.  That car self destructed well before 100,000 miles, and jaded my own opinion of the domestics.

This should be a reminder to all brand owners.  Even a momentary slip on your brand’s promise can cause you to lose a customer forever.  It’s hard to get consumers to resample a product after a dissatisfactory experience.  It might even be harder than acquiring a new customer.