GM: We're sorry, we screwed the pooch before, we know it.

MikeMike

Lifer
Feb 6, 2000
45,885
66
91
http://gmfactsandfiction.com/w...ss-an-final-120408.pdf

the letter^

an article about it.

Dear Customer, G.M. Says, We've Improved
New York Times May 29, 2003
By DANNY HAKIM

DETROIT, May 28 - General Motors is ready to try the redemption card.

After lagging in quality rankings for years and long making cars that all looked alike, the company is preparing a provocative corporate image campaign that says it has turned over a new leaf and wants another chance.

Are you Honda-Toyota-Volkswagen drivers ready to oblige?

Redemption chic, of course, is in full bloom, with everyone from the Dixie Chicks to wayward college coaches to Winona Ryder trying it on. Now comes G.M., the largest auto maker in the world, though one whose United States market share has been dwindling for decades.

"The longest road in the world," reads the text of the first ad from the campaign, "is the road to redemption."

The ad, which will make its debut in magazines next month, is intended to be the first in a series. The text appears over a darkly clouded sky. Below, a road twists off toward a burst of sunlight poking through clouds.

On the facing page there is more text, interspersed with a few pictures of some of G.M.'s more exotic vehicles.

"Thirty years ago, G.M. quality was the best in the world," the ad says. "Twenty years ago, it wasn't." The last decade has seen "our long journey back," with much time spent "breaking out of our own bureaucratic gridlock" while learning "some humbling lessons." As the company has been duly chastened, things have turned around, readers are told.

"With quality at the core of our values, we're building the best cars and trucks in our history."

Could this be a made-for-TV movie or what!

The ads are by the General Motors corporate agency, the Troy, Mich., office of McCann-Erickson Worldwide Advertising, part of the McCann-Erickson World Group division of the Interpublic Group of Companies. The campaign will tackle different topics, like G.M.'s gains in short- and long-term quality rankings and its engine and environmental performance. (The environmental ads will surely be read with interest by groups like the Sierra Club, which is planning a campaign of its own against G.M.'s Hummer brand.)

"The message is simple," said Gary Cowger, the president of G.M.'s North American operations and the primary architect of the strategy. "We may not have done everything right in the past, but we've learned from it."

"There still is an important group of consumers who have stopped listening to us," he added.

John Middlebrook, G.M.'s vice president for marketing and advertising, said, "We're dealing with close to half of the market that doesn't consider us, or put us in the reject pile." He described the campaign as "5 percent mea culpa, 95 percent what's good about G.M."

Mr. Cowger said he was inspired by General Electric's "We bring good things to life" campaigns. He said G.M.'s new effort would take a very different tack from normal "call to action" advertising. G.M.'s current campaign, for example, focuses on getting people into showrooms right away by enticing them with big discounts.

"This is more relaxed," Mr. Cowger said, adding that it was a way to reintroduce buyers to the company.


So will it work?

"I have serious doubts," said Peter DeLorenzo, a Detroit advertising veteran who consults for DaimlerChrysler. "On the one hand, it's commendable they're admitting that in the past they built poor-quality vehicles."

"But I don't think it'll fly," he said, because the campaign is undercut by G.M.'s huge push to offer discounts.

"Now they're turning around and saying, well, we made mistakes, but you need to look at our products because we're making them better," he said.

José Rosa, a former G.M. marketer who is now a professor at Case Western Reserve University, said, "It's an interesting play. Let's be up front and honest."

"They're saying they've seen the light," he added. "But what also has to be offered, you have to have cool cars. You have to have cars that when people go in, they say, yes, this reflects me."

Clive Chajet, founder of the Chajet Consultancy, a corporate identity specialist, was also skeptical. G.M., he said, "must have felt or known that the image of General Motors was dreadful in order to take such a step."

He also was doubtful about the focus on G.M. as a corporation, because it is not itself a brand (like Ford or G.E.) and has little resonance with consumers.

"If they wanted to leverage the General Motors corporate image for the benefit of the brands, they should say only the most positive statements about it instead of digging up negatives," he said.

G.M. has made considerable strides in improving manufacturing efficiencies and quality rankings. In J. D. Power's most recent initial quality survey, the company ranked below Toyota, Porsche, BMW and Honda but ahead of everyone else, including the Ford Motor Company, DaimlerChrysler, Nissan and Volkswagen. The company's Cadillac division even ranked as the second-best brand in the industry, behind Lexus - though its Hummer brand came in dead last.

For many noncustomers, though, G.M. cars and trucks still leave much to be desired. David De Wald, a 34-year-old health and wellness program manager at Electronic Arts in northern California, is a car enthusiast, but he sticks to European cars and even stopped buying Saabs when G.M. bought the company.

Why?

Because they just don't seem as imbued with quality, he said.

"A perfect example is the Escalade," he said. The Cadillac Escalade is a sport utility vehicle that has been popular with athletes and rappers. "It's selling well and basically on the merits of it as a status symbol. But I don't know how anyone could sit behind the wheel of an Escalade and then behind a BMW X5, or the Porsche Cayenne, or even the new Range Rover, and think the Escalade is worth $50,000."

So GM admits to the U.S. that they have screwed the pooch in the past, they promise to do things better and talk about their current top of the line product... Interesting
 

Martin

Lifer
Jan 15, 2000
29,178
1
81
Well, you know your company is on the ropes when reality catches up with its marketing department.

Now we need to find out which idiot execs will lose their jobs as part of the bailout.
 

MikeMike

Lifer
Feb 6, 2000
45,885
66
91
Originally posted by: Martin
Well, you know your company is on the ropes when reality catches up with its marketing department.

Now we need to find out which idiot execs will lose their jobs as part of the bailout.

Wagoner and Nardelli if Chrys survives. Lutz hasnt been with the company that long, and just got the product he wanted into the pipeline of production
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
It's like they've given up. Man, you never admit you suck THAT MUCH. Just makes me not even want to look at them now, like a filthy whore wife who has been sleeping around with ALL of the neighbors. One was bad, but all of them? Just go away!
 

frostedflakes

Diamond Member
Mar 1, 2005
7,925
1
81
I don't know, I think it's very humble of them. They need more than a good ad campaign to pull themselves out of this slump, though.
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
Originally posted by: frostedflakes
I don't know, I think it's very humble of them. They need more than a good ad campaign to pull themselves out of this slump, though.
You know what a good ad campaign would be a youtube vid of their management in a death match in an arena.

 

frostedflakes

Diamond Member
Mar 1, 2005
7,925
1
81
Originally posted by: Skoorb
Originally posted by: frostedflakes
I don't know, I think it's very humble of them. They need more than a good ad campaign to pull themselves out of this slump, though.
You know what a good ad campaign would be a youtube vid of their management in a death match in an arena.
Yeah, I'd watch that. FUND IT! :p
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
Originally posted by: boomerang
Dear Customer, G.M. Says, We've Improved
New York Times May 29, 2003
lol, I thought it was just a repost of that one they just made apologizing for betrayal. I didn't read this one, obviously :D

 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
73,774
6,514
126
A superior idea hit America in 1957 or so, the VW Beetle, designed in 1937 or so. American car makers have been fucking the American people for 50 years. I won't miss them at all.
 

RocksteadyDotNet

Diamond Member
Jul 29, 2008
3,152
1
0
Originally posted by: Skoorb
It's like they've given up. Man, you never admit you suck THAT MUCH. Just makes me not even want to look at them now, like a filthy whore wife who has been sleeping around with ALL of the neighbors. One was bad, but all of them? Just go away!

Wat.
 

WHAMPOM

Diamond Member
Feb 28, 2006
7,628
183
106
Someone tell me why why we need to give mouth to mouth to these can't adapt to change dinosaur car companies instead of a featured museum display? Too big to fail just means bound to fail.
 

SagaLore

Elite Member
Dec 18, 2001
24,036
21
81
Originally posted by: Martin
Well, you know your company is on the ropes when reality catches up with its marketing department.

Yea but read what they're really saying:

"Thirty years ago, G.M. quality was the best in the world," the ad says. "Twenty years ago, it wasn't." The last decade has seen "our long journey back," with much time spent "breaking out of our own bureaucratic gridlock" while learning "some humbling lessons." As the company has been duly chastened, things have turned around, readers are told.

"With quality at the core of our values, we're building the best cars and trucks in our history."

They're admitting that their cars weren't so good 2 decades ago, but are saying that this past decade was good. :confused:
 

smashp

Platinum Member
Aug 30, 2003
2,443
0
0
Originally posted by: OokiiNeko
Look up the top ten selling cars in Europe. GM and Ford are doing fine there.

Why they don`t bring those cars here will require a tinfoil hat to understand.

:)

I`ll take one of these.

Or one of these.

Nice econobox.

Nice mini-van.

The next Miata?

Yea, I can see where GM has absolutely nothing to offer the American market that has already been developed.

:(

Why isnt that Insignia Model been ported to an American Model? That is a slick car.you know, GM and Ford are Still trying to shove big SUV's or crossovers down our F-ing throats. They just can Let go off the massive profits these cars used to produce. But if you look at their lineups in Europe, there are tons of models of Cars and next to no SUV models.



 

5150Joker

Diamond Member
Feb 6, 2002
5,549
0
71
www.techinferno.com

Ktulu

Diamond Member
Dec 16, 2000
4,354
0
0
Originally posted by: 5150Joker
Originally posted by: OokiiNeko
Look up the top ten selling cars in Europe. GM and Ford are doing fine there.

Why they don`t bring those cars here will require a tinfoil hat to understand.

:)

I`ll take one of these.

Or one of these.

Nice econobox.

Nice mini-van.

The next Miata?

Yea, I can see where GM has absolutely nothing to offer the American market that has already been developed.

:(


I bet none of those cars were designed by Americans.


Boy did you lose that bet.


Vicki Vlachakis - Designed the Solstice/Sky/Opel GT

OokiiNeko- The Next Miata?????????????? This is already HERE. It's called the Saturn Sky, or haven't you been paying any attention.

Also, the Astra has been over here for about a year or so, but has sold poorly. Kind of ironic considering that many people swore they would buy one if GM brought it over. I guess you can blame marketing. But shouldn't a car this awesome looking sell on it's own?
 

miketheidiot

Lifer
Sep 3, 2004
11,060
1
0
Originally posted by: SagaLore
Originally posted by: Martin
Well, you know your company is on the ropes when reality catches up with its marketing department.

Yea but read what they're really saying:

"Thirty years ago, G.M. quality was the best in the world," the ad says. "Twenty years ago, it wasn't." The last decade has seen "our long journey back," with much time spent "breaking out of our own bureaucratic gridlock" while learning "some humbling lessons." As the company has been duly chastened, things have turned around, readers are told.

"With quality at the core of our values, we're building the best cars and trucks in our history."

They're admitting that their cars weren't so good 2 decades ago, but are saying that this past decade was good. :confused:

going back a decade might be a bit far, but gm/ford qualiyu has been close to/equal to anyone else the last fdew years, and certainly far better than some automakers (VW)
 

Robor

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
16,979
0
76
Originally posted by: smashp
Originally posted by: OokiiNeko
Look up the top ten selling cars in Europe. GM and Ford are doing fine there.

Why they don`t bring those cars here will require a tinfoil hat to understand.

:)

I`ll take one of these.

Or one of these.

Nice econobox.

Nice mini-van.

The next Miata?

Yea, I can see where GM has absolutely nothing to offer the American market that has already been developed.

:(

Why isnt that Insignia Model been ported to an American Model? That is a slick car.you know, GM and Ford are Still trying to shove big SUV's or crossovers down our F-ing throats. They just can Let go off the massive profits these cars used to produce. But if you look at their lineups in Europe, there are tons of models of Cars and next to no SUV models.

That 5 door wagon (Sports Tourer) looks sweet! :thumbsup:
 

Squisher

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
21,204
66
91
Originally posted by: OokiiNeko
Look up the top ten selling cars in Europe. GM and Ford are doing fine there.

Why they don`t bring those cars here will require a tinfoil hat to understand.

:)

I`ll take one of these.

Or one of these.

Nice econobox.

Nice mini-van.

The next Miata?

Yea, I can see where GM has absolutely nothing to offer the American market that has already been developed.

:(

There might be issues with crash test standards and emission standards. Some vehicles are very portable and can be sold anywhere, others have to be redesigned to meet the standards, and yet others are not worth trying to modify with so much redesign required as to make whatever good points they have are then lost along with the cost to do the redesign.
 

Robor

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
16,979
0
76
Originally posted by: Aharami
Originally posted by: AstroManLuca
It would have been nice if GM and Ford had brought over their European-market 5-door "superminis" earlier, like the Opel Agila or the Ford Fiesta.

Look at this thing!: http://www.zcars.com.au/images/ford-fiesta-s12.jpg

I only wish it had been available earlier.

nice looking car there.

Sure is... If it's a quality car it would compete with the Fit which Honda is having trouble keeping on lots in my area.
 

Robor

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
16,979
0
76
Originally posted by: miketheidiot
Originally posted by: SagaLore
They're admitting that their cars weren't so good 2 decades ago, but are saying that this past decade was good. :confused:

going back a decade might be a bit far, but gm/ford qualiyu has been close to/equal to anyone else the last fdew years, and certainly far better than some automakers (VW)

I can't imagine a mainstream automaker worse than VW in quality and cost of ownership. Sadly I speak from experience.