March 30, 2005Does G.M. stand for Generic Motors?
Filed Under: Consumer Central , New Marketing
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"How Can General Motors Remake Itself?" asks Stuart Elliot from the New York Times today. I'm glad he asked (me)...my response, caveated by Stuart's warning that free advice is sometimes worth what it cost:
The most important step General Motors can take is "to reverse-engineer its marketing strategy," said Joseph Jaffe, president of Jaffe, a new-marketing consulting company in Westport, Conn., "from a top-down approach to a bottom-up approach."
"General Motors has forgotten who drives its cars," he added. "It all starts with one consumer, and you build from there."
To accomplish that, G.M. must accelerate a shift from its traditional "mass-market, one-size-fits-all approach," Mr. Jaffe said, as epitomized by broad-based television commercials and print advertisements, and more ardently embrace unconventional tactics. Among them, he listed producing video games that double as advertising; running ads in video games; inviting consumers to create their own ads, on Web sites; and making use of branded entertainment, embedding ads in television programs and movies.
...what are your thoughts?
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Comments
I think it's all just a big load of crap. You are still not addressing the wants and needs of the GM consumers. It appears to me that someone has read one too many marketing trends articles and has gotten himself lost in the sheep dip. Yes, the 30 second spot is struggling for its last breath. And absolutely, we should embrace whatever creative new technologies are out there. BUT not at the expense of the consumer. Baaaaaaa!!!!!
Posted by: Michael O'Connell
Michael - my bad for just cutting and pasting my quote in the blurb. Even putting it in the main body/text of the article doesn't necessarily provide the correct context.
That being said, you'll note the second line/paragraph which I think states your exact point: it all starts with one consumer.
I don't (never have; never will) advocating adopting new technologies or approaches for the sake of it. They need to be strategic, they need to be relevant and most importantly they need to help solve a consumer problem or meet a consumer's unmet need.
I think there are several new marketing approaches which WOULD show consumers that GM is a little more consumer-centric insofar that they would embrace the ability for consumers to respond, interact and participate...and hopefully GM would then listen and respond in kind.
Thanks again for your comments...and keep them coming. And by the way, love the concept of "sheep dip" which I suspect would not go well with celery.
jJ
Posted by: jJ
