For the 19th year in a row, Jeep was voted America’s number one most patriotic brand, according to Brand Keys’ annual report. Ahead of our nation’s most patriotic day of the year, CivicScience analyzed data tracking Jeep favorability to reveal some interesting insights (although nothing that sheds a ray of understanding on the company’s mysterious marketing campaign).
Gen Z loves Jeep.
Among the Gen Pop 18 or older, 41% reported loving or liking Jeep cars. Gen Z (those between 18 and 24) over-indexes in love of the Jeep brand (50%). Maybe it’s the “Jeep wave” and sense of community, or the off-road lifestyle the brand markets. In most cases, as age increases, so does neutrality, therefore favorability naturally decreases. There is something about the brand that Gen Z likes.
A handful of age proxies exist in relation to Jeep favorability. For example, homeownership is much less likely among those in the 18- to 24-year-old age bracket (the most Jeep-loving age group). Therefore it makes sense that renters and those still living with parents report greater favorability towards Jeep. The same goes for parental status: non-parents report greater favorability, likely related to the probability of 18- to 24-year-olds having kids.
Predictably, Jeep favorables are big on travel.
Given the years of marketing from Jeep, taking trips or going on adventures for fun is a must for many Jeep lovers. They say it’s a passion or important to them at a much higher rate than folks who don’t care for Jeep.
Jeep people prefer specialty auto body shops when compared to non-Jeep lovers.
Jeep favorables are more likely than non-Jeep favorables to say they fix their car themselves or have a specialty shop they use for repairs. They are also predominantly 1- to 2-car owners, whereas people who don’t like Jeep show a much greater likelihood to own 4 or more cars.
They under-index in likelihood to buy a new car in the next three months.
Among Jeep favorables, likelihood to buy or lease a used car in the next 90 days matches the likelihood of the Gen Pop 18+ to buy a used car in the same time frame. Likelihood to invest in a new car is under that of the Gen Pop. What’s interesting here is that people who dislike Jeep over-index in their likelihood to purchase a new car in the next 90 days. Attribute it to Jeep lovers being Jeep owners and very satisfied with the vehicle they drive, or Jeep favorables, on average, not having the funds to shell out on a 2021 model.
Competition for Jeep is revving up.
Ford recently entered the game with the rebooted Ford Bronco, a model designed to make passersby do a double take wondering if they just saw a new Jeep or a Land Rover out on the road. There is a surprising amount of overlap between favorables of both makes: 64% of Jeep fans say they also like Ford. But the love isn’t reciprocated quite as much from Ford favorables.
Ford is certainly trying to appeal to a unique audience of off-road enthusiasts with its update to the Bronco. Its status as fourth most patriotic brand in America also makes it an attractive option for Jeep lovers. If only there were more Jeep fans in the market for a new car.
