Comments on: GM Cuts Advertising Spend. Again.

By: Jeff Puthuff

Jeff Puthuff — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:42:17 +0000

If it’s the digital-media budget they’re cutting, the useless TV/radio ads will continue, for now. We’ll see fewer banners, inline ads, no more “Burn Notice” win-a-Saab tie-ins, etc.

Doesn’t GM know that advertising doesn’t sell anything? It only alerts people to the fact that something exists. As for the (many) people who have Tivo or similar, GM is advertising for naught.

By: joeaverage

joeaverage — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:10:19 +0000

Car commercials are one big reason I have just about quit commercial radio to and from work. I’m tired of being yelled at by the announcer. If I listen to the stereo at all it will be a recorded disc or podcast or NPR.

Can’t stand the NASCAR marketting and lack of right turns so they don’t get me there.

Lastly we don’t watch network TV much (or only on DVR) so they don’t get much of our attention there either.

The comments about products on rollback trucks (break downs) and the success/failure of vehicles owned by people close to me go much, much further with me.

By: highrpm

highrpm — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:02:26 +0000

Two commercial types that are a waste of money:

SUV/CUV going offroad. Who does that, really?
The sports sedan hustling through curves. I never feel a connection since I would spend most of my time in traffic anyway. Also, at least here in Michigan anyway, nobody is hustling their car since gas hit $4 a gallon.

I can see a Vette or Porsche in the curves scenario since these are often treated as toy cars. But an Altima or Kia? Come on now. They are more likely to be automatics, stuck in traffic, with a fresh cup of coffee in the center stack.

By: Kendahl

Kendahl — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:38:04 +0000

All that GM (and the other manufacturers) need is a small number of good commercials. Most are irritating to the point where, if I buy the car, it’s in spite of the commercial, not because of it. At our house, car commercials prompt a mad dash for the remote to mute the G.. d… screeching. Local dealers’ commercials are even more obnoxious.

I will pay attention to something that is tasteful, low-key, and actually says something about the car. Porsche had a couple of good ones on the Speed Channel several years ago. One featured a 911 C4 hustling down a winding road in a heavy rain. The message was control and safety in bad weather. The other showed an old guy, who had just awakened from a 20 year “nap”, going for a drive in his 550 and meeting a young guy in a Boxster. Each was impressed with the other’s car. Here, the intent was to connect the new model to the old.

By: NickR

NickR — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:37:16 +0000

Yes, please, get rid of Nascar. A bunch of cars looking as though they were squeezed out of the same supposity machine, with a few decals to make it seem as though they resemble a production car.
If they were closely related to a production car, even if just in appearance, I might be somewhat interested.

By: highrpm

highrpm — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:10:33 +0000

I forgot to mention NASCAR. That seems like a complete waste of advertising dollars for GM. Those cars are not representative of anything.

By: psarhjinian

psarhjinian — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:44:05 +0000

“Their overriding challenge is: How do you manage eight different brands?”

Easy, by having more than forty percent marketshare.

By: 66Nova

66Nova — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:33:03 +0000

They’ve spent a ton of money on ads and what good has it done? Why should they continue to spend when there’s no ROI?

Same with NASCAR–they’ve spent a ton o’bucks with no corresponding benefit. If what you’ve been doing doesn’t work, try something else.

By: Kevin Kluttz

Kevin Kluttz — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:19:14 +0000

I think the best advertisement for GM is the DTS or the Malibu being loaded onto the rollback. That happens AS OFTEN as every commercial break.

By: highrpm

highrpm — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:41:56 +0000

I always wondered why GM needed to have an advertisement at EVERY commercial break during one of these big TV events? Esepcially if they ran the same commercial. Ridiculous.

Word of mouth will save these guys, or not.

By: Casual Observer

Casual Observer — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:21:39 +0000

The best advertisement is a GM car on the road, with a passing motorist exclaiming, “What is that? I want one of those!”

Make better cars. Use your imagination. If your cars talk the talk and walk the walk, you don’t need to advertise. You aren’t like Hyundai – everyone knows the names Chevy, Buick, Cadillac. Like the line from the movie: “If you build it, he will come.”