Taking its “May The Best Car Win” Program to the next level, GM is launching two experimental marketing programs for its core Chevrolet brand.
Auto Show Test Drives
The first program takes advantage of GM’s presence at some 30 auto shows around the U.S., and will coincide with the annual events. It will allow show attendees to test drive GM vehicles against those of competitors.
According to Steve Tihanyl, GM general director for marketing services, alliances, and branded entertainment, “What we are trying to do is leverage the period of the auto show to create this experience.” In fact, “One thing we know about auto shows is a lot of people who come will be in market in zero to 12 months.”
Keep reading after the jump!
Test Drive Studio
The Test Drive Studio is a new program that GM has been considering for some time. Beginning in four markets this spring, the studios are semi-permanent or permanent brick-and-mortar facilities with minimal branding.
“It’s a concept I discussed 10 years ago; now we are making it come to life,” says Tihanyl. The studios will showcase Chevrolet’s “heart of the market” products for “modern families” such as the Malibu, Traverse, and Equinox, along with competitors in respective segments.
The pilot studios will be located in Miami, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Locations of subsequent studios will be based on ZIP code targets for Chevy products. As Chevrolet is still working out the location details, we know that they will be located in either industrial or high-traffic retail areas.
“It’s a non-threatening environment,” says Tihanyl. “It’s not pressure -filled; you can drive all the right competitive products against the [Chevys]. If you take Malibu as an example, we will also have vehicles like Camry, Accord, Ford Fusion, or Taurus, so you get a really good cluster of vehicles to experience at your own pace.”
In that regard, the goal seems to be a completely different experience than what a traditional dealership may offer, with salespeople not watching a customer’s every step. What’s more, the studio will not look like a dealership nor will it carry the Chevrolet brand.
Marketing The Studio
To market the studio, GM’s bow tie brand will invest in a broad digital advertising play and track shoppers.”So, hypothetically, if you are on Edmunds.com and shopping a Camry, we are going to offer up an opportunity to come to the Test Drive Studio in that market to compare everything you have in your shopping set right now. Our feeling is you may have not had the Malibu in your consideration set, but if you try it, you will,” said Tinahyl.
The GM Authority Take
It’s official: Chevy is on a roll! Between the upcoming Cruze, Volt and redesigned Malibu, to the sales success of its launch vehicles and the upcoming marketing initiatives, there’s no denying that – when it comes to Chevrolet – things are abrewin’.
More specifically, both the Test Drive Studio as well as the Auto Show test drive initiatives – are excellent ways to market and get people behind the wheel of Chevrolets. The current mind set within GM seems to be that if people experience Chevy vehicles, then they’ll add them to their shortlist of possible candidates.
The Test Drive Studio approach seems to be a very effective program that will save people time in the car buying/shopping process: not having to go to multiple dealers to test drive cars will be a huge time saver! All in all, we like the “put your product where your mouth is” mindset that takes GM’s “May The Best Car Win” program one step further. The only question now is, when will Buick, GMC, and Cadillac get the same type of treatment? Keep it up, Chevy!
[Source: Marketing Daily]
Comments
Check out our new website at http://www.testdrivestudio.com to register for V.I.P. status and be among the first to schedule your test drive when we open in your neighborhood.
A little bit of information about Test Drive Studio…
At Test Drive Studio, you can test drive and compare Chevy, Ford, Honda, and Toyota. All in one place. No cost, no hassle, no pressure.
The process will be simple — sign in, tell us a little about yourself, pick the cars you want to drive and schedule a time that’s convenient for you. When you arrive, you’ll be greeted by our friendly, knowledgeable staff who’s only interest is to help you compare and learn about the cars you drive. No dealer or salesperson will ever be present, so you’ll never be asked to buy anything – ever.
Take your time and enjoy the drive – on your own or with a companion. Then, when you’re done, continue your research in our convenient lounge and share your experience with family and friends.
Stay in touch with us by following us on http://www.twitter.com/testdrivestudio or becoming a Facebook Fan at http://www.facebook.com/testdrivestudio
I wonder whether the above comment was left by a robot, since Test Drive Studio could’ve really spruced up their explanation of what they are for the General Motors fans who frequent GM Authority. Looks like this was just a run-of-the-mill copy-and-paste effort, in which case – this is not the right way to engage your audience!
Alex: We will be honest — it was a copy and paste effort. Unfortunately, we can’t reveal a lot just yet as we still are finalizing some things. The cat, however, is out of the bag on Test Drive Studio so we are trying to make the community aware of where we plan to keep them up-to-date on Test Drive Studio.
Hope to hear from you on the Facebook Fanpage!
http://www.facebook.com/testdrivestudio
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