How To Make A Horrible Month Look Peachy, GM Edition

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Have a quick look at this screenshot. Scan it as quickly as you scan other news from China. Now picture scanning it under as much time pressure an average news editor is under. That’s what this is for, it is GM China’s site for journalists. Wouldn’t you think that GM China’s January sales were absolutely marvelous?

Well, it’s not true. GM China has seen better months than this horrible January which in all likelihood will bring double-digit declines to China’s car industry. Is GM China simply saying: Ouch, better luck in February? No, it has the urge to spin:

Shanghai – General Motors sales in China in the first month of 2012 were up 25.3 percent from December 2011, giving GM its second-best January ever in China.

Well, it just so happened that GM’s best January ever had been January 2011, and second best means in this case that year-on-year, GM China sales are down 8 percent. Which was buried in the body of the release, likely banking on rampant attention deficit.

Will they ever stop playing people for fools? Apparently not.

What’s wrong with telling it as it is? Does every month have to be a record?

Here is the TTAC-recommended format:

Jan ’12Jan ’11 ChangeShanghai GM


124,073131,944-6.0%Buick


71,05670,4410.9%Chevrolet


54,39967,711-19.7%Cadillac


2,9872,53018.1%SAIC-GM-Wuling


119,948132,658-9.6%Wuling


106,573123,920-14.0%FAW-GM


2,4333,334-27.0%GM China total


246,654268,071-8.0%

P.S.: If the columns don’t add up sometimes, don’t blame me.

P.P.S.: GM, when you say “Wuling sales of 106,573 units in China …” without giving a percentage of growth or a prior year number, the trained journalist will know you are fibbing …

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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8 of 19 comments
  • Geozinger Geozinger on Feb 08, 2012

    So where's the untruth in the picture posted? Reading that first paragraph as displayed on this post it notes both numbers. I've never heard of a PR guy opening with bad news.

    • See 3 previous
    • Pch101 Pch101 on Feb 08, 2012
      @Bertel Schmitt "Does anyone else do that, in any business?" Not really, no. It is typical in these sort of automotive press releases to compare the most recent month with the same month of the year prior, and with this current year YTD with last year YTD. That is in large part because automotive sales are seasonal, which makes comparisons to the previous month somewhat irrelevant. In other words, one would typically expect a press release about January 2012 to make comparisons to January 2011. Comparing it to December 2011 in the headline is a red flag that somebody didn't want to focus on the most important content. For what it's worth, I usually read GM's monthly US press release, and the spin is noteworthy. The efforts that they make to cherry pick data are fairly obvious. The GM culture of being the biggest still seems to matter a great deal, at least to those in the PR department. I would say that isn't a good thing.
  • Jpcavanaugh Jpcavanaugh on Feb 08, 2012

    But never fear. GM is making plans to have the best profit margins in the industry. They are benchmarking BMW and Hyundai. They are not benchmarking the cars, just the profit margins. However, this will not be so easily accomplished when the company is losing ground every month. Apparently even in China.

  • RobertR RobertR on Feb 08, 2012

    This post is a perfect example of what was missing in Mr. Kreindler's post from a few weeks ago. 1) Pointing out the noteworthy facts that are otherwise missed by mainstream press. 2) New, interesting, worthwhile analysis. 3) A proposed change to improve the system. http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/01/toyota-prius-v-outsells-volt-in-just-10-weeks/ Well done, Mr. Schmitt.

  • SCE to AUX SCE to AUX on Feb 08, 2012

    Their release reads just like political spin. 'Tis the season, here in the US, anyway.

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