2008 BRAND IMAGE AWARDS DINNER TO HONOR TOP NEW AUTO BRANDS

IRVINE, Calif., February 19, 2008 – Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com), the leading provider of new- and used-vehicle information, today announces the 2008 Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Awards will be held in New York City, March 19, during the New York International Auto Show Media Preview Days.  This gala awards dinner for automotive manufacturer executives and top journalists will take place at Providence Restaurant (www.providencenyc.com) in Manhattan. 

About Kelley Blue Book’s 2008 Brand Image Awards:

Kelley Blue Book’s 2008 Brand Image Awards are based on consumer automotive perception data from Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research’s Brand Watch study.  Brand Watch is an online brand perception tracking study tapping into 3,000 in-market new-vehicle shoppers per quarter on kbb.com.  The highly comprehensive Brand Watch report provides a detailed look at in-market new-vehicle shoppers’ perceptions of brands, and important factors driving their purchase decisions while they are in the midst of the shopping process.  The results of an entire year of Brand Watch research, including the opinions of more than 12,000 in-market new-vehicle shoppers, are what determine the 2008 Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Awards winners. 

Seventeen awards will be handed out to automotive brands in the following categories:

About Providence Restaurant, Location of Kelley Blue Book’s 2008 Brand Image Awards Event:

Kelley Blue Book’s 2008 Brand Image Awards event will be held at Providence Restaurant located in the heart of Manhattan, a “landmark space with a rock star past.”  Formerly the Manhattan Baptist Church in the 1920s-60s, the space later became the world-famous Media Sound Studios, where influential albums from the likes of The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, John Lennon, Aerosmith, and more were recorded throughout the 1970s-80s.  In the 1990s, the space transformed again into Le Bar Bat, a staple on the Manhattan nightlife scene.  Today, Providence Restaurant tastefully bridges old and new, with its cathedral ceiling still in-tact, interpretations of classic album covers from the music recorded there adorning the walls, and serving Coastal European fare with an American twist.  Visit www.providencenyc.com/history.html to learn more about the rich history of Providence, including a selection of landmark albums produced there.