While we love the looks of the GMC Granite Concept that made its debut at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, we’re squarely set against the boxy compact slotting under GM’s “Professional Grade” brand. After all, there’s nothing “Professional Grade” about the Granite – it’s GM’s most “unprofessional grade” car to date. But if GM decides to produce the Granite, it could take a cutting-edge marketing approach, which would forego television advertising.

According to Automotive News, Buick-GMC advertising director Steve Rosenblum said that the next step for GMC could be a four-passenger vehicle that slots below the Terrain. If you ask us, the Granite fits that description perfectly. Moreover, Resenblum put forth the notion that a Granite-like vehicle would be heavily marketed advertised to buyers under the age of 35 and that the ad campaign for the vehicle could be entirely Internet-based.

What kind of web-based ads are we talking about? Rosenblum prefaced an example with the following statistic: by 2011, two-thirds of cell phone users under the age of 40 will own a smartphone. As such, Rosenblum spoke of developing a smartphone app that would lead consumers to a social networking site, where interested individuals would interact with designers.

That sounds very interesting, creative, and cutting edge. As far as we know, it will be the first automotive marketing campaign to utilize the power of social media, web 2.0, and the current explosion in the popularity of smartphones (there’s a buzz word-filled sentence!).

As for the “Professional Grade” tagline? Rosenblum said that GMC could exclude it from Granite marketing altogether.

Make of that what you will, but we think that the Granite would be better off as a Chevy. Agree? Let us know in the comments!

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]

2010 GMC Granite Concept