The Quisenblog

Last month, I offered some free marketing advice to G.M. and Chairman Bob Lutz regarding the company’s Buick brand. Sorry to say they didn’t bother to take us up on it. Instead, they’re trying this:

DETROIT — Buick will launch a new advertising tag line Monday: “The new class of world class.”

Bob Lutz, General Motor Co.’s vice chairman for marketing, revealed the new line to Automotive News at a media event here today. The tag line will be used in new advertising for the Buick LaCrosse sedan.

The current tag line, “Take a look at me now,” was first used in June.

After he took over GM’s advertising and marketing in July, Lutz set out to rework Buick advertising. He said he wanted commercials that properly project the design and features of the brand’s new products.

Buick’s lead ad agency, Leo Burnett, did the new spots for the LaCrosse. A batch of Buick commercials that Lutz rejected had been outsourced to the firm of Gary Topolewski, a former Burnett creative director.

Lutz calls the new Buick advertising “aggressive stuff.”

Meanwhile, GM has launched a billboard campaign in Los Angeles for the LaCrosse that pokes fun at Lexus.

The series of billboards, with a photo of the LaCrosse, say: “Another thing for Lexus to relentlessly pursue,” “EX your Lexus” and “Goodbye, road rage. Hello, road envy.”

(Courtesy of Automotive News)

I don’t know about you, but this is like watching a train wreck in slow motion.

Posted by Mickey

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Mickey Media Automotive News, Bob Lutz, Buick Lacrosse, Gary Topolewski, General Motors, Leo Burnett, marketing advice, tag line

Here’s some free marketing advice for Chairman Lutz and the Powers that Be at General Motors:

You know those folks you have heading up your Buick division? Fire them. Now.

With GM freshly out from under its onerous bankruptcy filing and an anxious public waiting to see if this “new” GM will be competitive in the world market, its first major move is a bit of a head-scratcher. Seems the Buick division is betting its future on the fact that it can appeal to a younger audience. (Granted, Buick’s definition of “younger” isn’t the same as yours or mine. They’re looking for folks younger than 55.)

This summer, the marque is launching a boldly redesigned 2010 LaCrosse passenger sedan that so far has gotten pretty good reviews. But is it enough to draw Generation Jones to the brand?

And what, exactly, are the brand geniuses behind Buick going to do to appeal to cutting edge boomers? Changing the media they use to reach them. That’s it, I’m not kidding.

Guys, marketing these days requires more than finessing your media mix. Moving your ad spending from “Matlock” to “Two-and-a-half Men” isn’t exactly going to redefine the brand.

You can change your product. You can change your media. You can change your messaging. But the bottom line is: your brand isn’t what you say it is; it’s what it is in the minds of your audience. Baggage included. I don’t care how cool your car looks. If I see it as my parents’ brand, I’m not going to buy it.

The thing is, you guys have tried this same tactic before—remember Oldsmobile? “Not your father’s Oldsmobile?” How’d that work out for ya?

It was George Santayana who first said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Any more free advice for GM & Buick? Find a market that is totally underserved right now. A group that just isn’t that happy with the other choices that are out there. Find out what their lives are like, what’s missing, and what you can add to it to help them achieve something. Forget demographics, go for shared interests. Maybe it’s around a shared passion or a shared cause. Look for something that can help you build a community of users. Maybe it’s nurses. Or lumberjacks. Or single moms. Or kayakers. Or Def Leppard fans. Or “Big Love” loyalists. Or penguin huggers.

Or try something really bold, like free maintenance and repairs for ten years, or a free computer every three years you own the car.

The main advice is don’t be afraid to polarize. Buick represents only a little over one percent of the domestic auto market, and just three percent of GM’s output. It is already a niche brand. Swing for the fences, you can’t bunt a homerun.

And, if you insist on just targeting younger buyers, I’ll throw in a free tagline: “Hey, buy a Buick, Yo.”

Posted by Mickey

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Mickey Media Buick Lacrosse, General Motors, marketing advice, Oldsmobile Cutlass