The Langston Co.

Musk yesterday: "If there are no trade barriers established, they will pretty much demolish most other car companies in the world." That seems a bit rash. But I also think we see Amara's law playing out in the EV markets: we overestimate short-term impacts and underestimate long-term impact. (...) brand awareness of Chinese car companies in the United States is extremely low and their reliability, durability and safety is middling, so they have a long way to go to win U.S. market share, said Spencer Imel, a partner at consumer insights firm The Langston Co. "They enjoy high demand in China with innovation such as in-car technology and battery swapping," Imel said. "That, we believe, will be an important ingredient and a differentiator in their future growth overseas." Excellent reporting by Abhirup Roy.

🎸 Are you picking up guitar playing as your new hobby in 2024? What matters most to you in selecting your new guitar: brand, functionality, or aesthetic? In our latest research, we found that most guitar players prioritize brand over functionality or aesthetic when picking out their guitars. While functionality certainly has its place, consumers are willing to invest in the brands they find most trusted. In fact, we found that 49% of consumers were willing to pay $500 more for a guitar from Taylor Guitars than from Ibanez. Check out The Langston Co.'s freshly published report on consumer behaviors in the guitar market to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gQ8NthyT

With the release of Spotify's Wrapped this week, we thought it was a perfect time to tease some insights from our upcoming audio case study! Despite the growth in podcasts over recent years, music remains the most commonly streamed content, by a wide margin, both in terms of audience participation and hours of engagement per day. However, 1 in 3 music streamers do not currently pay to stream, significantly higher than the 1 in 5 podcast listeners who do not pay, indicating an opportunity to motivate purchase conversion. Stay tuned for more insights and their strategic implications from Langston soon! #consumerinsights #spotifywrapped #spotify #podcasts

🌏 While consumers in China, the US, and Germany have some similar preferences in an electric vehicle, like long-term reliability and safety, they also differ in key areas. Langston's EV Feature Deep Dive report uncovers the needs, motivations, and preferences of consumers in all three markets, along with brand performance on the aspects that matter most. Check out the insights and their strategic implications here: https://lnkd.in/g_utVnkg #consumerinsights #electricvehicles #ev #tesla #mercedes

Today's news of Tesla missing sales projections is another troubling sign for the brand. Even with significant price cuts, reports indicate that sales of both Model S and X dropped year-over-year. As the recent wave of Langston's Electric Vehicle Brand Health Tracker noted, deals and discounts are seemingly impacting consumer perceptions of the brand and therefore may not be a sustainable long-term strategy without impacting Tesla's brand identity. Read more about today's news: https://lnkd.in/g9gyeTgF Check out Langston's EV BHT here: https://lnkd.in/gCAV6sb5

📉 Tesla's drop in premium associations, both in the United States and Germany, could be cause for concern, especially as EV competition heats up. While the brand is still near the top of competitors in absolute scores, the year-over-year declines indicate that consumer sentiment is shifting in the wrong direction. The automaker has slashed prices on many models, and while these moves have successfully driven sales growth, they seem to be affecting consumer perceptions of Tesla. This dynamic is more dramatic in Germany than the United States, where the brand has a smaller footprint and is facing increased competition from Chinese competitors. Check our new report to see Tesla's full brand health performance: https://lnkd.in/gCAV6sb5 #brandhealth #electricvehicles #ev #bht #consumerinsights

🚗 ⚡ I was (unfortunately) not shocked to find that rates of intention to buy an electric vehicle are much lower in the United States than Germany and have stayed constant over the past two years of Langston's Electric Vehicle Brand Health Tracker. However, while analyzing our new wave of data I was surprised to find that consumers in both markets have consistent appeal drivers (helping the environment) and barriers (price perceptions). Check out The Langston Co.'s freshly published report on consumer perceptions of EV brands and the overall market to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gD5VNUR8 #electricvehicle #ev #consumerinsights #brandhealth

❄ Need a break from the heat? Although the weather doesn't suggest it, opening day for Colorado's ski resorts aren't that far away, which means another wave of Langston's Ski Resort & Pass annual report is around the corner! For our fellow skiers and snowboarders: what's one question you have always wondered about resorts, passes, or consumers in this space? Drop it in the comments below! Take a look at Denver Post's article on resorts' opening days here: https://lnkd.in/gnjfiRG8. #skiindustry #consumerinsights #ski #skiresort #research