Tag Archives | marketing

Does the 2014 Corvette “Stingray” Foretell Additional Corvette-Branded Models?

By on February 22, 2013 in Editorials

While attending the launch event for the 2014 Corvette Stingray last month, I was struck by a thought that just wouldn’t leave my head.  Were GM executives being honest when they said that they only applied the Stingray name to the car at the eleventh hour, only after it was clear that the car raised the bar in terms of design and performance?  Could there be another reason that it’s no longer just a “Corvette,” but now a “Corvette Stingray” or even just “Stingray?”  Well, here’s my crazy idea.  Grab your tinfoil hat. Continue Reading →

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GM Defines Chevy Spark’s Competition In a Surprising Way

By on April 27, 2012 in Editorials

Looking over the photos in GM’s media website this afternoon, an infographic caught my eye.  (Actually, two infographics caught my eye, but this is the more interesting of the two.  I’ll mention the other one at the end).  In the particular item I’m focusing my attention on, GM defines the competition for its upcoming Chevrolet Spark minicar.  It’s an interesting choice for comparison, and seemingly one out of left field.  Read on for the punchline.

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Toyota Sees a Future With Prius as #1 Seller

By on January 4, 2011 in News

By Chris Haak

Toyota’s sales chief, Bob Carter, told analysts today on a conference call that by the end of the decade – that is, by 2020 – he expects that we will see the Prius nameplate in the US.  Currently, the number-one selling vehicle is the Ford F-Series pickup line (both F-150 and Super Duty combined), which sold 473,461 units through the first eleven months of 2010.  The top-selling car, Toyota’s Camry, sold 296,581 units during the same period, and Toyota sold 125,289 Priora.

Helping to boost Prius sales, aside from a sales guy’s optimism, will be an MPV with more room for passengers and cargo (making its debut in Detroit next week), the Prius PHEV (plug-in hybrid) making its production debut next year, and an “additional concept” that will debut in Detroit next week as well.

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Chevy Runs Deep—Maybe Too Deep

By on October 27, 2010 in Editorials

By Charles Krome

While I’m not sure how many people realize this, the FOX network will be hosting a double dose of history in the making tonight: Not only are the Texas Rangers slated to play their very first World Series game, but Chevrolet is debuting its first significant TV spots since Joel Ewanick enlisted with the General as its vice president for U.S. marketing.

The World Series is, of course, an ideal launching pad for Chevy’s new pitch to reach customers, as baseball—along with hotdogs and apple pie—has a strong association with Chevrolet. Well, at least in the minds of folks who were alive in the 1970s to remember that classic bit of marketing. The thing is, many of the division’s potential customers weren’t, and therein lies a possible problem for Chevrolet’s new “Chevy Runs Deep” campaign.

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Brand Awareness? It’s Elementary: Part II

By on October 21, 2010 in Features

By Charles Krome

(This column is dedicated to Ms. P. and her amazing class of fifth-grade students. Thanks!)

As I mentioned in my last piece, I recently had an opportunity to visit two local elementary-school classes to find out what tomorrow’s vehicle buyers think of today’s cars and trucks. My methodology was simple: I passed out a one-question survey asking “What is your favorite car?” and then left it to the students to fill in their answers as they saw fit. I reported on the results from my third graders last time, and here are the statistics from the fifth graders.

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Brand Awareness? It’s Elementary: Part I

By on October 19, 2010 in Features

By Charles Krome

(This column is dedicated to Ms. Y and her wonderful third-grade class. Thanks!)

Your intrepid correspondent was out in the field yesterday, conducting some hard-hitting research on a topic that’s near and dear to the imaginary hearts of automakers everywhere: Brand awareness among elementary school students.

Here’s the deal: Two of my kids’ teachers were kind enough to let me stop by for a visit, during which I passed out a single, one-question survey asking “What is your favorite car?” The students then filled in the blanks, and the results were no less than fascinating. Here are the answers and number of “votes” per each answer for the third graders; I’ll post the results for the fifth graders in the near future.

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Deconstruction Zone: Nissan Juke “Donut Action”

By on October 7, 2010 in Editorials

By Charles Krome

With the 2011 Nissan JUKE nearly ready to hit the street, Nissan has unveiled a new television commercial that aims to show customers exactly what they’re getting in this odd-looking vehicle. The answer? If you never actually looked at the JUKE itself, you might think the vehicle was a coming Miata fighter.

First off, the ad is titled “Donut Action,” which could describe the plot—a young exec gets a call in his JUKE and has to rush off to get “donuts” for a morning meeting—but it could also be a subtle nod to one of the country’s most popular winter-time driving activities for the younger crowd: Doing doughnuts in snow-covered parking lots.

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2012 Ford Focus to Get Its Rally On

By on October 4, 2010 in News

By Charles Krome

After striking online gold with its comprehensive “Fiesta Movement” marketing campaign, Ford is taking things to ye olde next level for the launch of the 2012 Focus. That’s the word this morning from Dearborn, Mich., where Ford brought in the media—including yours truly—for the launch of its “Focus Rally: America” effort.

The short story here is that Ford has teamed up with the creators of The Amazing Race reality show to essentially put together an online, automotive version that will run on Hulu.com beginning early next year. The event will feature six two-person teams, with each duo in their own Focus, as they drive across the U.S. and compete to finish a variety of sure-to-be-wacky challenges on the way. (Those interested in getting some seat time in the promotion can head over to www.FocusRally.com for info on casting.)

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Deconstruction Zone: Nissan Leaf Polar Bear Commercial

By on September 14, 2010 in Editorials

By Charles Krome

It’s obvious you’re in for a maudlin minute or so as soon as you hear the tinkling piano and see the melting ice drip-dropping on your screen—you know, sort of like tears. Then, after a quick shot of dirty ice falling from a calving glacier, you finally get to see the star of the show: A sad-looking polar bear alone on a shrinking ice floe, paws crossed beneath his chin like a six-year-old who’s been sent for a “timeout” for reasons he doesn’t understand.

I really feel kind of sorry for the bear, too: Not only does he have to deal with a shrinking habitat, but he’s also been stuck into one of the cheesiest commercials currently on the air today, the new spot for the Nissan Leaf.

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To Infinity and Beyond?: Tim Allen to Voice Chevy Cruze Spots

By on September 7, 2010 in News

By Charles Krome

Chevrolet is one of those brands that’s known nearly as much for its advertising as it is for the actual products that bear its name. Not only do its hits—like “Baseball, hotdogs, etc., etc.” or “Like a Rock”—have a tendency to become part of popular culture, but its misses get a surprisingly amount of coverage, too. Just witness the kerfuffle over the division’s move to drop the term “Chevy” from its marketing efforts and put the focus on “Chevrolet” proper.

This attention has been concentrated even further recently, since Chevrolet, as the General’s high-volume brand, bears the brunt of the responsibility for turning around General Motors as a whole. Buick, GMC and Cadillac no doubt sell some nice vehicles, but the Chevrolet Silverado alone moved more than 34,000 units in August, a number that topped total GMC sales by more than 15,000 vehicles. Looked at another way, the big pickup outsold Cadillac and Buick combined by roughly 4,000 units.

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