During GM’s 2nd Annual Global Business Conference that happened yesterday, a plan was outlined for the company’s operations in Europe regarding how to effectively position both the Chevrolet and Opel brands in a way so that the hailed marquees would not intervene with each other. In addition, GM looks to hopefully regain the lost market share Opel has suffered over the past five years or so — namely in it’s home country of Germany.
The presentation called for moving Opel upmarket, while calling for Chevrolet to stick with being an entry level brand for European buyers. In doing so, GM hopes that Opel will be able to more effectively compete with Volkswagen in the German market, and will rely on the brand’s German heritage in the marketing process.
“Where we lost most of our market share in the five years leading up to the bankruptcy is in Germany, so we need to revitalize that brand,” GM CEO Dan Akerson said. “We’ve done it with Buick in North America. We need to grow market share with Opel by only a couple of percent because I believe we’re on the cusp.”
Opel and sister brand Vauxhall observed a 2 percent rise in sales through the first half of 2011.
Comments
I like more the Chevrolet Brand than the Opel brand…..I think this is a bad idea for European Chevrolet users…..
The question is what is Opel, and who is there competition… If it Volkswagon great, but really they need to align themselves with their customer base even more than with there competition. I would say upscale somewhere between Volkswagon and Audi but create niche vehicles that create unique appeal all wheel drve (subaruesque)…