Croc

THANK YOU!! also...any good sources for sales data? like YTD, performance so far of Milan and Mariner? Is Mariner Hybrid out yet? Sales of Montego vs Sable...... thanks thanks...

LoL, What's that Toyota fanboy doing posting on a GM message board? :lol:

No, Chery isn't going to be in the US for at least another year or two, if ever.

I am doing a marketing paper analysing the Mercury division of Ford, and I would appreciate it greatly if anyone could help me find some sources for this. the paper is due in a week, and the sooner I can find some info the better. The following are the assignment parameters...and I would appreciate any help/insight regarding these as well as information as to where I can find some good sources. Thanks!  Requirement: critique the marketing strategy for a brand or product of your choice, within the automotive product category.  The paper will have three sections. o Cover page – Provide your name, project name, and lab instructor name. At the bottom of the page, type the phrase “This paper is my (or “our” if there are two of you) own work” and sign it. o Section 1 - describe the marketing environment. This section will be 3 – 4 pages in length. Use primary and/or secondary sources to gather your information. The 3 C’s (company, competitors and context - includes macro-environmental factors) will be included here. Emphasize how one or two main competitors compete. o Section 2 - describe the marketing mix. This section will be 3 – 4 pages in length. Use primary and/or secondary sources to gather your information. Explain how this marketing mix helps the brand compete. o Section 3 - critique how the brand (or product) is being managed from a marketing perspective. Tell us what you like and what you don’t like. Offer recommendations if applicable. Share with us your reasoning for your judgments. This section will be about 5 pages. I pretty much copied everything and pasted it here...but yea if anyone has any advice/ideas on analyzing the Mercury brand I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks in advance!

What's terrible about it, Josh? Is it poorly designed or just the fact that people are not yet used to them? They really work well in suburban areas. I think most major arteries do best with signals.

I like J-Lo a lot...one of the few actresses/singers who actually have the talent IMO to back up the body and fame. "Enough" was a great movie.

I have heard anything from 2 weeks on/2 weeks off to 4 weeks on/2 weeks off. I think I am going with the latter because the timing will be convenient. So far I like it and zero negative side effects.

I didn't say Kappa was expensive to develop, but we are looking at 8 year product lifecycles to break even, unless more variants are made to spread out the costs...

During high-peak times, this is no different than metered onramps onto freeways.

But they are better than Bravada. It really is the nicest of the GMT-360s.

Either way it will be an incredible interior. It really has changed very little from the concept, and as long as they maintain the little chrome ring around the center stack it should look pretty money.

GM will not make a profit on the Solstice any time soon. Kappa is a platform that will most likely NOT create profit for the company. If they break even they will be in good shape. All of the markup on Solstice goes to the dealer, not GM.

...and in this case they are correct. I liked the succinct, thorough explanation enough that I quoted it because I knew I couldn't explain it better myself.

I love roundabouts. They are putting them all over Carmel, IN and they are GREAT! Only thing is that some people are too stupid to do them right, but whatever.

You are right...I thought it was flush on the original concept but upon closer inspection it is not. That said, the radio units would not need to have the shape changed, merely the trim piece surrounding the center stack would need to be contoured to provide a "flush" fit. It could be contoured to be flush against the radio and HVAC controls as well as the dash. But it wasn't in the concept. As for piano black, it was announced that will be a Saturn feature, not just for the SKY. Also, if they can do it to the SKY, they could use the same units in the AURA, could they not?

No, go ahead and write about it. And don't worry about offending anyone, I'll do it first: The LaCrosse is a piece of sh!t and the W-Body is cheap and ugly. The greenhouse is so stuck into the early-mid 1990s that it is like a car showing up to prom in a retro costume. The fake wood interior trim looks like it came from an aftermarket EXOTIC WOOD DASH kit. The headlights make it look crosseyed. Interior volumes were barely competitive in 1992 and are simply outclassed today. The engine is barely adequate. Features are severely lacking for a "luxury" car. This car is NOT an upscale version of an Impala, it is an upscale version of the 1996 Lumina. There. Now your turn.

From Wikipedia: Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECA_stack

I dunno...the DTS just looks awkward, and I think the Lucerne will be the breakout hit of the group.

OK...people buy Cadillac, Buick, SAAB, etc and not "GM" and it makes it good to separate that what with all the negative publicity recently with "GM" going bankrupt, not Caddy, SAAB, etc...I also think it will help them being located with import luxury. Finally, if people WANT the GM connection, they have no further to look than the little badge by the wheel wells to know that yes indeed, that Cadillac is from the same company as Chevrolet.

Right now I'm trying ECA stack for weight loss...so far it seems to be working

Cmon tmp...anything in California or from a Californian is "crackpot" to the rest of this country even though we have one of the lowest obesity rates and longest lifespans...

That's awesome...Tgive rocks

Hey BV...quit apologizing! That's step #1 mister!!

Hey now...I'm sure BV has started another thread for S&M so let's keep that there... :AH-HA_wink:

Dude why in the hell are you skipping school? That will f*ck up your future for sure. Everyone goes through adolescent bullsh!t and you are obviously no exception. Neither was I. Look. everything happens for a reason, but I am strongly suggesting you get some professional help. I don't know why you are taking things out on school, but that was a dumb decision and deep down I know you knew your parents would find out one day. On one level, I almost think you wanted them to find out so they would start giving a sh!t...but now they (or at least your mom) is giving too much of a sh!t. Don't tell her everything...but tell her about Bekah and the depression. You prolly need professional help at this point especially if all this is causing you to want to skip school and ruin your chances at college (and financial aid for said college). Trust me, college is a wonderful breakout experience and is a lot of fun. You would love it. Don't get all caught up in the short term...some things you really need to think long term views about. You're a good kid who has a lot going for him...don't fudge this up. And to anyone who will say "don't go get professional help because pills are evil" or whatever nonsense...that is up to a professional who went and got his or her degree to decide...not us. At the very least BV you should get a consultation. Yes, I've been in and out of therapy before and while I am not a fan of it for the most part, it has done wonders for some people. What you need is to find your niche of friends and make sure that niche supports you. I'm not talking about common interest. Frankly, I have found my best friends have a lot of different interests, but the one thing we have in common is mutual respect and compassion...our interests may be as varied as anything but they are complementary. I believe that once you get into a rut and hang out with people who all think the same thing you stop growing as a person. All of my friends challenge me to be better in some way, and god knows I challenge them to be the best they can be as well. Find your niche. Frankly, it took college for me to really find out who my real friends were from HS as well as making new ones here at USC. Try really hard, and talk to your teachers as hard as it may be. Never underestimate the power of a sob story, and if you can cry on cue that's always a plus. Talk to them, and ask if there is anything you can do to make things up...cry...shed tears...literally...and apologize for skipping class. Assure it's nothing personal and that you have been going through hard times. Have you had any family problems? Whatever you can use to your advantage tell your teachers (as long as it wouldn't provoke them to call CPS or anything that would fudge things up more). Basically you want them to pity you and give you a chance to make things up or basically not be flunking everything. You might not get them all to do it, but I'm sure some of them will go for it. Again, you seem like a good kid with a lot going for you. I'm sure some of your teachers feel the same and are frankly baffled by everything. Also...your judgment call...but throwing around the phrase "I just don't know how to cope" and "I realize I've been running from my problems" can do wonders...and judgment call here...but maybe mention drugs and alcohol? Again...sympathy. You are working/playing for sympathy. Good luck fill us in as an update... and happy 1234!