Chevrolet Looking To Change Its Marketing Mix Yet Again?
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Pay attention to automotive ads and you’ll see that there are national campaigns and others with a regional and local component. Chevrolet has been reevaluating the latter two with inspiration from unsung sales hero Buick, according to Chevrolet’s global chief Alan Batey.
Batey told Automotive News, “We want to have all of our advertising have a certain look and feel, so the Tier 2 [regional] spots sort of play off” Chevy’s national advertising. “What Buick has done this year is a good example, with an umbrella ad that is then pulled down into Tier 2 to focus on specific products. Going forward, I want to see that linkage between our Tier 1 and Tier 2 advertising.”
Tier 2 advertising works by which regional dealer groups pool money to buy ads, but Chevrolet’s Tier 2 marketing efforts as of late have not had that umbilical cord between Detroit and the different regions. In March 2012, Chevrolet launched the “Under the Blue Arch” campaign, which were influenced by quirky TV shows like “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation” (directed by Randall Einhorn, who had also directed several episodes of those shows). Alas, dealers never warmed up to those ideas, claiming they made salespeople “look silly or unprofessional.” Since the phase-out of the campaign earlier this year, Chevrolet’s Tier 2 marketing efforts have concentrated on the Silverado pickup, with 4G LTE WiFi connectivity ramping up for the end of the year.
But come 2015, Chevrolet’s Tier 2 ads will likely “continue to prominently display Chevy stores but incorporate more of the DNA of Chevy’s national advertising.”
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So far the advertising from Chevrolet has been very poor, poorly conceived and executed. In addition Chevrolet Division advertising touts deals that are never included in dealer advertising. Here in Michigan dealers use prices that are only available to GM employees in hopes of being able to lure the unsuspecting into a deal that is a lot more expensive. This of course leads to “buyer remorse” and dissatisfaction. The whole buying experience is one of sneaky and subversive attempts to convince an unsuspecting buyer that the most expensive deal is the best deal. So is this the way you build a carline’s image and reinforce customer loyalty? No! Much damage is being done by this conniving and “customer not first” method of doing business. Chevrolet needs executive management that is willing to take on the “schlockers” in the dealer groups and lead the way with honesty and bring integrity back into the business.