Johnson Controls conducts consumer study in SUV segment / Spotlight on the driver

BURSCHEID (Germany) 12. 6. 2003 (ots/PROTEXT) - Productsolutions for the automotive interior must not only fulfillautomakers' requirements, but must also dovetail with consumers'needs and desires. That's why Johnson Controls, one of theworld's leading suppliers of automotive interior systems,regularly conducts consumer research in which drivers are giventhe opportunity to evaluate vehicle interiors. The ConsumerResearch Department recently invited about 100 test persons toparticipate in just such a Car Interior Clinic at an independenttest studio in Monheim, Germany. The study featured three modelsin the SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) segment: the BMW X5, VWTouareg and Volvo XC90.

Just a month ago, the company carried out a similar consumerstudy of vehicles in the lower-midsize segment, in cooperationwith the independent market research institute, GfK(Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung), based in Nuremberg. Thistime, the weeklong Car Interior Clinic will spotlight the SUVsegment.

Car Interior Clinic as consumer research tool

At a Car Interior Clinic, half of the respondentsquantitatively evaluate the interiors of the vehicles on displayin Monheim. They do this with the aid of a detailedquestionnaire and rating system. The respondents in the secondgroup are interviewed on the pros and cons of each vehicleinterior by a trained psychologist applying the methods of depthpsychology. This procedure forms the qualitative component ofthe Car Interior Clinic. During such clinics the respondents donot test drive the vehicles. "The car's body and handling whiledriving are not decisive aspects for us. We are much moreinterested in the driver's perception of the car's interior",says Silke Jagla, Consumer Research Manager at Johnson Controls.The interviewers ask the respondents for their overallimpression of the vehicle interior, but also pose specificquestions about individual components, for example whether seatadjustment is user- friendly or the cockpit controls are withineasy reach.

Strict criteria for choice of interview partners

The market research institute recruits respondents either pertelephone or direct approach - at a supermarket parking lot forexample. Interview partners are chosen for the study based onstrict criteria: The person must own and drive a model belongingto the segment under examination and must have purchased the carnew no more than four years ago. "The respondent should be theperson who made the decision to buy the car", explains SilkeJagla. People who work in the automotive industry, in marketingor in the media are disqualified from participating in theinterviews, as their responses could skew the results.

Consumer research from day one

For Johnson Controls, it is crucial that consumer researchaccompany the entire product development cycle. Directlyfollowing the market observation that ushers in every newconcept, the consumer research department steps in to activelysound out the wishes and visions of consumers in the relevanttarget groups. This enables Johnson Controls to carefully tailorits products to the exact needs and desires of the consumer. Thecompany's designers, engineers and marketing specialists use theresults of the Car Interior Clinic in both product developmentand marketing. "With the help of market research, we are able toidentify current opinions and trends within specific segments ofthe automobile market at an early stage, reflect these in theproducts we develop, and thus offer automakers valuable supportin their decision-making process", says Silke Jagla.

Johnson Controls, Inc. is a global market leader inautomotive systems and facility management and control. In theautomotive market, it is a leading supplier of seating andinterior systems and batteries. For non-residential facilities,Johnson Controls provides building control components and systemsand facility management services. Johnson Controls (New YorkStock Exchange: JCI), founded in 1885, has its headquarters inMilwaukee, Wisconsin. The European headquarters is in Burscheid,Germany. Its sales for 2002 totaled 20.1 billion US-Dollars, theAutomotive Systems Group alone accounting for 15 billion US-Dollars of this figure. In the current "Industry Week" businessmagazine rankings, Johnson Controls has been listed as one ofthe top 100 best run companies in the world for the fifth timein succession.

ots Original Text Service: Johnson Controls GmbH Internet:http://www.presseportal.de

Further information is available from: Johnson Controls GmbHEuropean Headquarters Astrid Schafmeister Industriestr. 20-3051399 Burscheid Germany Tel.: +49 2174 65-3189 Fax: +49 2174 65-3219

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