Canadian Automobile Consumer marketing and segmentation study for ecoENERGY Efficiency for Vehicles, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)

Within NRCan, the Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) promotes energy conservation and is committed to undertaking initiatives designed to reduce fuel use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada in support of NRCan’s Strategic Objective 2: Environmental Responsibility and Activity 2: Clean Energy. The OEE’s Transportation and Alternative Fuels Division (TAF) delivers the ecoENERGY Efficiency for Vehicles program, which includes the provision of fuel consumption information to inform Canadian car buyers. This information enables Canadians to make fuel-efficient buying choices. To guide its marketing efforts, in 2005 TAF conducted a market segmentation study that identified target market segments. The program needs to update that research to ensure its marketing efforts are targeting relevant and substantial market segments. Through this contract, the Department is seeking the services of an organization experienced in gathering and in possession of existing qualitative and quantitative marketing research covering the auto industry and car buyers in order to identify market segments. (Specifically: vehicle acquisition and usage, vehicle purchasing process, purchase needs, attitudes towards fuel efficiency, demographics, etc.) The information will be used by the program to guide its marketing efforts in promoting fuel-efficiency to Canadian motorists. Through this contract, no new public opinion (survey, focus group) research is being sanctioned.