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Automotive News & Views The Rebirth of Buick.........
421 messages, Last post on Nov 27, 2009 at 3:10 PM
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| Speaking of Lexus - I've seen somebody do something AWFUL to a GS - the owner put a HUGE wing on the back, a tacky ground effects kit, and blingy wheels on it! It was an abomination! | |
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Replying to: lemko (Jan 10, 2009 8:54 am) |
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It seems to me that Buick spends an awful of money on marketing and every other year it seems like another tag line. When sales are one sixth of their peak (941k peak versus 137k in 2008), you'd think someone would get the message that people are simply not interested in the brand anymore.  Buick to get a new tag line, ad campaign to change perception Jamie LaReau Automotive News January 12, 2009 - 5:08 pm ET DETROIT -- Buick will get a new advertising campaign for the brand and the new LaCrosse sedan this summer. The campaign will have a different tag line, too, from Buick's current "Drive Beautiful." Buick chief Susan Docherty said General Motors realizes the brand suffers from a consumer perception that its vehicles are for elderly, conservative buyers. Subscribe to Automotive News That perception has contributed to a sharp sales slide for Buick from its glory years. In 1984, Buick's U.S. sales peaked at 941,661 units, more than six times as many as last year's 137,197. "The first thing we've got to do is change people's perception about Buick," Docherty, vice president of the Buick-Pontiac-GMC channel, said in an Automotive News interview here at the auto show. "In fairness, that's the first job." GM showed the new LaCrosse at the auto show. Buick now has the Enclave crossover and Lucerne sedan and will have the new LaCrosse in showrooms this summer. While there's potential for more Buick vehicles, Docherty said, the brand is not prepared to do that now. "The job my team's got to do is not worry about expanding Buick's portfolio," she said. "They need to worry right now, with the entries we've got, about changing the perception of Buick." Enclave's lessons To do that, Buick will draw on what it learned from the Enclave -- which had a 50 percent conquest rate, meaning half of the people coming to the brand were new to it, Docherty said. Through December, Enclave sales rose 52.7 percent to 44,706 units. The Enclave's new consumers demand technology, Docherty said. That's why amenities such as a navigation system, side blind-spot alert system and Bluetooth connectivity will be key to Buick's advertising message, she said. Docherty declined to be more specific other than to say previous ads emphasized comfort and quiet. She told her marketing team: "It's OK for our cars to be library quiet, but it's not OK for our advertising to be library quiet." So will we see more bold, almost Cadillac-like, rock 'n' roll advertising? Not quite, Docherty said. "You'll see a renaissance in our messaging for Buick, but we can't be Cadillac and we shouldn't be," Docherty said. Focus on trucks In the meantime, Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealers have a specific local marketing advertising assignment this year. "The very first priority for our dealers is to continue our focus on full-sized trucks," Docherty said. "Our (GMC) Sierra is our bread and butter." The second priority, Docherty said, is that dealers should focus on increasing passenger-car sales, such as the Pontiac Vibe, G3, G5 and G6. Those four vehicles each get more than 30 mpg, with prices starting at less than $20,000, she said. "So we've asked them to group those four Pontiacs together 'four over 30, under 20,' " Docherty said. The final priority for dealers is to maintain crossover momentum. Said Docherty: "We can be very efficient with our dollars, and they can drive traffic with those three categories." |
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Buick's current tag line is "Drive Beautiful"? Never heard it before in my life. I think a brand that sells less than 150K vehicles per year TOTAL, ought to be worried about a conquest rate as low as 50%, when it's buyers' average age is 55. If the average age is 55, 1/3 of all the buyers are probably buying their last new car ever. So they need a conquest rate up close to 70% just to maintain a sales level. |
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"General Motors is still more than a year away from launching the Chevrolet Cruze sedan in North America but instead of speeding up its arrival the carmaker is working on a new Buick sedan based on the Cruze platform. Fears of GM’s cash problems haven’t managed to deter work on the new Buick compact sedan, which like the Cruze may be offered as a global model. Built around GM’s FWD Delta II platform, the Buick compact sedan also shares much in common with the next-generation Opel Astra, which means there’s a chance it could be produced at Russelsheim plant in Germany. U.S. versions are likely to be built at GM’s Lordstown plant in Ohio alongside the Cruze. The new model will almost certainly be offered in China as well. Engine options should mirror that of the Cruze, which means a range of compact four-cylinder units in both naturally-aspirated and turbocharged forms, with both petrol and diesel options. The other benefit of the Delta II platform is the possibility of a plug-in hybrid version using Volt technology, although GM is more likely to use other brands such as Cadillac to expand its plug-in hybrid range. Don’t hold your breath for the new sedan as it isn’t expected to be launched until sometime in 2012." |
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I'm not defending the move, but how does GM's strategy in this case differ from, say, Toyota's Camry/Lexus ES350 strategy? Since the latter works well, why couldn't the former, if there's sufficient differentiation between the Chevy and the Buick? I think the lesson learned concerning rebadging is that it's risky and it frequently fails, but done right it can succeed in the marketplace. For proof, look no further than Chrysler Corp. in the '80s and early '90s, where the K-car platform saved the company. All those iterations off of the K-platform, from sedans to convertibles to minivans, gave Chrysler time to develop the cab-forward line for the '93 model year, and the cloud car intermediates and Neon after that. The Neon platform was later used for the PT Cruiser. You may not like these cars, for they had numerous faults, but they're examples of where rebadging worked reasonably well. Wouldn't you agree that the outcome lies in the execution? |
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Replying to: hpmctorque (Mar 17, 2009 7:53 am) By biggest beef is just the timing. This is a car that GM needs to have out, like, yesterday! Not several years from now! Also, I know my thinking is outdated these days, but I still think a Buick should be a fairly large, upscale car. I think the Cruze's wheelbase is around 106" though, so at least it's not a tiny car. It's not like they're trying to rebadge an Aveo.
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Replying to: andre1969 (Mar 17, 2009 8:08 am) |
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Replying to: hpmctorque (Mar 17, 2009 7:53 am) That's a crucial if, and it's not exactly GM's strong suit, is it? Look no further than the Lambda quadruplets for the latest example of GM's attempt to do this. You be the judge. Personally, I would say there is nowhere near enough differentiation to have four versions. Now, is the Buick substantially different from the other three? I know there are those that would say it is. Me, I don't really think so, but maybe there is as much difference as there is between a Camry V-6 XLE and an ES350. Maybe. Toyota's long-term planning includes the next-gen ES350 (due in the next two years, I believe) no longer being related to the Camry, and I think that's a very good idea. If I were in charge of Buick, I would ask to borrow the CTS platform, then shorten it to create a small Buick that is unique to the brand. Either that or borrow something wholesale from China.
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