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Originally Posted by RickFLM4
... and in doing so communicate their brand and products have been crap... "Sorry if you bought one previously, but this time we really, really mean it when we say we are better."
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This is no secret that they have been crap. Mary Barra knows that and took ownership.
Business Insider
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DeBord: You famously said at one point you’re not going to build any more crappy cars at GM. How are you going to execute on those goals?
Barra: It starts with the core business, and it starts with having the right product portfolio that’s customer driven, that has the right safety, the right fuel efficiency, the right performance. With every car we’re going to put into the market, we want to lead the segment, win the segment. We also want to grow GM Financial, which not only is good from a business perspective but we also strongly believe it facilitates the core business of selling more cars and trucks. We also believe that there’s growth in China over the next 10 to 15 years, going from the 24-million mark [for new vehicles sold annually] to 34 or 35 million.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RickFLM4
Obviously they don't want to cannibalize Caddy sales, but that is the brand that could get away with this marketing approach. Comparing a Caddy to a premium luxury brand in this way makes some sense. A Chevy, not so much.
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I would argue that this marketing approach makes more sense for Chevy than it would for Cadillac, or even Buick. Hyundai and Kia have been doing it for a few years now (read: Genesys and K900, respectively). While they are at higher price points than the Malibu, they are still markedly lower than the 5, 6 and 7 series they are competing against for market share.
It makes sense for Chevy in the same way it makes sense for Hyundai and Kia. This strategy is presenting the impression or feel of luxury without the price for those with less buying power. All the while, Cadillac is not faux luxury. It's a direct competitor in the luxury brand space. This marketing strategy would be more embarrassing for Cadillac, as you put it, to admit they were never a player until now.
Actors or not, people will believe what they want to believe from these commercials. For Chevy to do this with their marketing of the Malibu is brilliant. What used to be a cheap, working mans brand has now become a high value proposition at a mass-appealing price point. At the very least, it's not a bunch of giant hamsters in Kias blasting Black-Eyed Peas.