For the fourth consecutive year, GMC has been awarded “Most Refined Brand” by Kelley Blue Book with its “Brand Image” award.
The award, based on consumer automotive perception data from Kelley Blue Book Strategic Insights’ Brand Watch study, combs over 12,000 new vehicle shoppers annually to identify important factors influencing their purchase decision. In the process, GMC continued to be lauded for its premium and refined branding.
“GMC’s ‘Professional Grade’ ideology has struck a resonant chord with consumers, and that’s reflected in car buyers visiting Kelley Blue Book’s website, KBB.com, naming GMC 2017’s Most Refined Brand,” says Jack Nerad, executive editorial director for Kelley Blue Book. “The extra attention to design and detail found across GMC’s lineup has clearly resonated with American consumers.”
Specifically, the Denali sub-brand was acknowledged as an ultimate expression of what the brand is capable of. Denali trims are available on every GMC vehicle from Terrain, to Acadia, to Sierra. Denali sells, too. The nameplate accounted for 25 percent of GMC sales in 2016 and outsold entire product lines from Land Rover, Jaguar and Porsche.
Comment
GMC is the perfect case study on image building.
GMC has gone from just a Chevy clone to a model that still is based on a Chevy but has done the right things to impress the public enough to spend much more money for them. That is not an easy thing to do today.
Now this was not easy. It has been nearly 20 years ago when the first Denali showed up in 1999 but they have built on that since and has taken hold of the division and made them one of the most profitable brands out.
If GMC were a company in the Fortune 500 apart from GM they would rank 150 on the list of profitable companies.
Cadillac need to follow this path. It does not take a lot of gimmicks but it does take image building by giving people products they think they are getting more for their money and often getting the best for their money.
Most Denali models are sold because how it reflects on the driver and how they can get the more exclusive things on their vehicle.
I just bought one myself and I did so because I got a good deal but I have learned that people make an issue when you say Denali in ways I did not expect. Most ask if I got a raise or did someone die. The truth is they gave it to me for the price of the SLT I was looking at but it was a better value with the extra items on it in my case.
I hope GM has learned a valuable lesson here and move to repeat it.
While mechanically my truck is the same the little details like real aluminum trim and padded dash, added leather and other appointments add to the experience and that is what people notice. That little detail can add to a lot of added money paid.