Ask the Best and Brightest: How to Sell the New GM?

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Advertising Age asked the same question of a brace of marketing experts, with predictably hilarious results. Early on, one Mad Man suggests revamping GM by introducing “a promotion that would transform General Motors into America’s first truly owner-owned company: The government issues anyone who purchases a new GM vehicle in the next 12 months 1,000 shares in General Motors stock. Then GM shareholders become people who are motivated to make both better products and a better company.” Seriously. As if the cure for GM’s woes were for marketing to wag the entire bankrupt dog. Anyway, check out the whole thing for a wild assortment of interesting ideas and pure, unadulterated crazy. Then riddle me this: how does GM take advantage of its new structure and piles of tax money while minimizing bailout backlash? Or does it? Can a government-owned firm be popular with the public under any circumstances?

As one adman puts it, “A near-bankrupt client, a low chance of success, crushing global scrutiny with hands-on government oversight every step of the way? Of course we’d do it. That much fun should be illegal.” So catch the feeling, bask in the alleged dawn of GM’s new day (if only for a moment), and tell us how you’d convince America that GM can once more become a source of national pride.


Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • VerbalKint VerbalKint on Jun 02, 2009

    "Your New GM dealer now accepts food stamps!" "ACORN certified previously owned vehicles you can buy with confidence!" "Buy from us and list us as a dependent on your 1040 form!" "Don't worry about your warranty repairs-- your neighbor's paying for it!" "New green airbags no longer use explosive chemicals-- only hot air!"

  • TaxedAndConfused TaxedAndConfused on Jun 02, 2009

    Get Batman in - again - worked for British Leyland, well for a while before the inevitable. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6E_l4nAi8U Failing that go for BOGOF - Buy One Get One Free. Would help reduce the inventory as well. *Edit - During the early 90s a local Ford dealer near my parents did this - free Fiesta with every Scorpio sold. The Fester was worth less than the immediate depreciation on the Scropio.

  • Campisi Campisi on Jun 02, 2009

    I actually liked the commercial. It was polished, straightforward, and wasn't rife with bald eagles and flags. That said, can someone please tell me why they think that GMC makes sense to keep? It was always explained to me that GMC was the preferred badge for commercial customers buying trucks. I would imagine that GMC will be adjusted to be the truck brand for GM, or perhaps a commercial-oriented brand.

  • Kurt. Kurt. on Jun 02, 2009

    @noreserve: GMC makes sense because pickups are a small portion of it's profits. GMC makes trucks. Real trucks. Trucks that haul boxes of products. Boxes of fruit and veggies, boxes of meat. Boxes of car, boat, plane, and train parts. Pickups are an afterthought. That is why they are just badge engineered Chevy's. +1 to what Stein X Leikanger said. If I were CEO of GM, all car platform teams would be assembled like Corvette. When you buy a GM car, you'd be assured it was at least equal in quality to the Corvette. The 'vette is a good car; well designed and built. Performance per dollar, it blows every other sports car off the map! It isn't the fastest, or best handling, or cheapest, or has the best interior but dollar for dollar, it ranks right up there with the worlds best. Every car, in every segment should have that goal.

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