The influence of company identity on the perception of vehicle sounds

In order to determine how the interior of a car should sound, automotive manufacturers often rely on obtaining data
from individual evaluations of vehicle sounds. Company identity could play a role in these appraisals, particularly
when individuals are comparing cars from opposite ends of the performance spectrum. This research addressed the
question: does company identity influence the evaluation of automotive sounds belonging to cars of a similar
performance level and from the same market segment? Participants listened to car sounds from two competing
manufacturers, together with control sounds. Before listening to each sound, participants were presented with the correct company identity for that sound, the incorrect identity or were given no information about the identity of the sound. The results showed that company identity did not influence appraisals of high performance cars belonging to
different manufacturers. These results have positive implications for methodologies employed to capture the
perceptions of individuals.