Buick sheds its image as a brand for the elderly
New products help automaker reduce average buyer age by 6 yearsBY MELISSA BURDEN / THE DETROIT NEWS
General Motors Co.'s Buick brand did something over the past five years that no other automaker did in the
U.S.: It lowered the average age of its customer.
In an industry that from 2007 to 2011 saw its average customer age grow by three years to 51, Buick's
average customer's age fell from 62 to 59, according to market researcher R.L. Polk. & Co.
"They've changed their product portfolio, they're discounting the Lucerne — and the Regal has done quite
well and they're targeting it toward a younger customer," said Tom Libby, a senior automotive analyst for
Polk. Still, Buick has the second-highest average customer age, behind Lincoln. "Also the Verano was just
introduced and is targeted toward a younger customer," Libby noted.
Buick no longer wants to be known for gray-haired drivers in mundane sedans. The brand's own marketing
research shows an even more dramatic fall than Polk's numbers — from age 65 to 59 over five years. And
that age continues to fall.
Buick executives and analysts say the brand is reaching younger and new-to-GM customers through the
compact Verano sedan that launched in December (the average customer age is 57, but is trending down)
and the Regal, including its GS performance model. A Regal GS customer on average is 43 years old,
according to Buick.
More new products are on the way that could help drive that average age even lower. A turbo Verano with
an optional manual transmission will be available for the 2013 model year, and Buick's all-new 2013 Encore
crossover hits dealer lots early next year. Libby said Buick will win customers with the Encore, as the
compact crossover segment "tends to appeal to a younger demographic in general."
But more importantly, some at Buick and GM say, is that 41 percent of Buick buyers are new to the brand.
Chris Dawkins, 31, of Southfield is young and new to Buick.
"I don't look at Buick as an older person's brand any longer," said Dawkins, who last week leased a whitediamond
2012 Regal GS for four years, trading in a 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T.
Dawkins, a human resources manager, husband and father of two, said he loves the Regal GS for its
European looks and its manual transmission. "The Regal just caught my attention," he said. "The regular
version Regal is pretty nice, but when I saw the GS, it really drew me in."
Source: GM
