More GM Marketing News
In business it is typically understood that when profits drop, marketing allotments are one of the first things to follow. So, the recent news that GM is ramping their marketing budget back up to pre-deficit numbers must be a good thing! This year GM will see a rise in their marketing budget of 5%. That number is also, surely, a testament to the faith that the company has in their new head of marketing, Joel Ewanick. Ewanick has been with GM right around 3 months now, and in that time has begun to make large strides forward. The first major sign of his progress was the recent Corvette ZR1 national ad campaign which began, but that is just the beginning. This year will also mark the beginning of a new, full-scale, Camaro marketing campaign. This campaign presents faith in both Ewanick and the Camaro, and is a positive sign for GM moving forward. Ewanick has also announced that GM, and specifically the Chevrolet brand, will be returning to the Super Bowl. Last year, during their financial troubles, GM sat out the Super Bowl marketing blitz completely. The return this year presents more positive news for the company's economic outlook. Rounding out Ewanick's big moves is his new Cadillac marketing scheme which will begin this year. Cadillac is being given a new brand slogan, and with this new slogan will come a national marketing campaign as well. The slogan, "The new standard for the world" is catchy, but a little long-winded. I am no marketing genius, mind you, but I can't help but wonder if simply "The new standard" isn't a catchier slogan. It seems to me that adding the "for the world" at the end of it creates a little redundancy. Of course, the second part may be included to highlight Cadillac's high-end performance battle with companies like BMW and Mercedes. Their CTS-V, which puts of 556 HP stock and provides an incredible combination of luxury and performance, and definitely put a little fear in the eyes of BMW and MB as it outperforms equivalent priced vehicles from those competitors line-ups (see BMW M3, 5 Series, and MB S-Class). All in all, this set of news coming from GM and their new head of marketing is incredibly positive and points towards fairer pastures ahead. Here's to you, Mr. Ewanick, and the bright future you bring.
GM’s New On*Star Smartphone App
GM has officially announced their future iPhone and Android Smartphone On*Star App and has released a video providing details in to its workings. It seems like a fantastic function that any GM owner will enjoy coupling with their vehicle, as it allows (and is not limited to) such features as remote start, door locks, and vehicle monitoring. The App provides distance beyond what the remote key-fobs give, as it can be utilized anywhere you have phone service. I can see this being incredibly handy when leaving work, a mall, or a sporting event on a hot day as it allows you to start the vehicle (and consequently the A/C) from far enough away for the vehicle to be cool inside by the time you reach it. The monitoring of fuel levels, tire pressure, and other basic vehicle statistics via the phone is also fairly incredible. While it doesn't seem like an absolute necessity, it is a very nice touch. I see no reason why somebody, with the capability to, wouldn't utilize it to some manner. The video below is short but sweet, and provides some solid information and insight in to the phone application's function. It's a smart move by GM in the proper technological step, and I imagine we'll be seeing other, more "luxurious", brands begin implementing similar systems in the near future.
GM and Google together?
This news is really exciting: Apparently, GM is attempting to create a partnership with Google to use their Android Mobile OS and create a vehicle sync system with new GMs. This move would be a direct attack on Ford's collaboration with Microsoft for their vehicle SYNC system. SYNC has had mixed reviews thus far when discussing its software, but the general consensus is that in theory it's a fantastic vehicle feature. Looking at Google's track record though, I'd be inclined to believe that they could create something much more useful and efficient than SYNC. Of course, by going to Google and creating a collaboration there, GM's OnStar would almost immediately be rendered obsolete (especially their GPS system as the Android OS does GPS very very well). Is this a good thing? OnStar has had its ups and downs, but in all is considered a pretty reliable service. I think Google could out-do it though, as they do seem to be right there with Apple in terms of usability and brilliance. Here's to hoping this comes to fruition and we see some fancy, high-tech, new features hitting the GM fleet some time soon. GM and Android: very cool.
