wildcat

gorphil: Thank you for your review, and congratulations on the upcoming purchase of a new, 2010 Buick!

I went to see "Bruno" last night and one of the commercials shown prior to the movie was for Buick. It was basically the same as before, with the director and people brushing up against and showing the LaCrosse and Enclave, but it also had a few seconds of the Regal. (I don't think anyone in the theatre was paying attention except me LOL but I sure was proud when the big Buick tri-shield was on the screen at the end of the commercial. They also showed a commcercial for the Honda Insight and, again, it didn't seem like anyone was paying attention - the level of chatter didn't change during or after it.)

If he's got anything to do with marketing, he's got to be better than Mark LaNeve! And in my opinion Bob Lutz revitalized GM more than anybody else in the last 20 years (at least). I'm not saying that everything he did was fully successful. Some things weren't in his control, but maybe they will be now.

Is it possible that Lutz agreed to come back now that GME is (somewhat) out of the picture, if GM sells a huge portion of it?

Here's from today's "Detroit News." Maybe Lutz's first attempt could be to change PCS' perception of him LOL "Lutz vows to change attitudes about GM" David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau Washington -- General Motors Co.'s vice chairman Bob Lutz -- who canceled his retirement in order to stay on with the automaker -- says his job is to change people's minds. "My job is to integrate GM's marketing and communications activities to create messages that are clear enough and compelling enough to break down what I call the 'perception gap,' " Lutz told The Detroit News late today. "GM today has the best product portfolio in its history. It's the first time we can truly say 'Compare our new vehicles to those of any other large producer, regardless of national origin.' " Lutz has long been frustrated that the Detroit automaker doesn't get the credit it deserves. "We win award after award, receive accolade after accolade from the industry journalists. And yet, the perception among a disturbing percentage of Americans is that we are still the producers of less-than-excellent, undesirable vehicles. My job is to close the perception gap," Lutz said. Company officials have pointed to internal focus groups that show people have more favorable ratings of GM vehicles if they have no badge -- or if they have a Toyota Motor Corp. badge -- as evidence that perceptions lag the quality improvements of GM vehicles.

According to Financial Times, Buick is getting a shot in the arm with the new LaCrosse, a media blitz ("Take a look at us now" and "You've changed and I love it"), and, eventually, some smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles. Peter DeLorenzo of autoextremist.com, for one, says, "Buick can absolutely capture a younger, more contemporary audience. They'll do it by unleashing a series of sensational looking, eye-catching designs combined with edgy image advertising that will delete any previous hoary notions of Buick”. Buick haters (and we all can see you for who you are, despite your denials) needn't bother, but others can click here to read the entire story.

Is the sweepspear, only recently revived on the new LaCrosse, just going on that model? No sweepspear here. Is it possible this could be any other Buick vehicle other than the NG Enclave?

In mid-June, GM will change from its present TV message to promoting Buick, according to David Welch and David Kiley in Business Week. "The primary focus is on hooking younger buyers who have zero loyalty to GM vehicles. Buick, while popular in China, has come to be considered a fogy brand at home (average buyer age: 66). Americans love a makeover, so that is the theme Buick has latched on to. One ad has a plastic surgery spin with the catch line: 'Nip. Tuck. Weld.' To reel in younger buyers, ads for Buick's curvy new LaCrosse sedan will feature its array of Lexus-caliber gadgetry, including a hard drive for music, a system that alerts drivers if someone is in their blind spot, and a retractable rear sunshade. And where Buick used to advertise alongside televised golf games—watched mostly by middle-aged people—it will buy time during National Football League games, which skew younger. 'We need to be relevant, and we aren't today,' says [ Susan ]Docherty." Here is a link to the entire article.

I think this is one of the best columns Jerry Flint has ever written. See what you think. Click here.

Thank goodness! It seems more upscale, to me. And the color scheme is now silver, rather than "Enclave" brown. One more thing: the headline at the top reads "Everything You Thought About Buick Just Went Boom. Take a Look At Me Now."

That was easy! To me, Regal is a tired name. Use Invicta.

Thank you!

I just noticed on GM's media website, Corvette is listed separately and with its own logo script, as if GM considers it a brand with equal standing to Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, et al. Has it been that way for a while? See here.

Or make a small, separate "GM Performance" partnership, which could include Pontiacs (the GTO, G8, Trans Am) and Oldsmobile (a 4-4-2, a Toronado, etc.) or ??? Maybe not a big enough market. Scrap GMC Trucks, give Chevy or Caddy the "denalis" or whatevere someone feels is important and profitable, and call this company G-M-C Heritage.

CaddyXLR-V: It could, as long as that doesn't slice the pie into too thin pieces for each.

Wouldn't it be bad p.r. for GM to allow anyone to make it look bad; besides, certain GM management has done a bang-up job of it themselves already. Is it possible to make shuttered iconic GM divisions into limited-edition "satellite partners"? For example, GM's Pontiac "partnership," where GM still owns everything but licenses model names, architectures, etc. to some conglomeration of businessman / investors / dealers / fans? Just trying to suggest something.

There's a man who knows and understands Pontiac! (I don't care if he is presently 83, that's got nothing to do with it. He's still alive.)

Maybe I should have said GM, in large part, seems like a bunch of stumblebums at times. I know there are many sincere employees with the company, even at this late date. Camino LS6: What could, for instance, Pontiac + Saturn do "on their own" that GM wasn;'t able to do with, as you concede, much greater resources? Croc: Who would have the "upper hand" in a union of Pontiac + Saab? What would the model mix look like? Are you suggesting a mixture of the models as we know them now (G8, Solstice, etc) or completely new models?

I'm sure, but I worry that GM, on the whole, is such a group of stumblebums. Pontiac + Saturn + Saab might be a formidable competitor.

I'd rather GM keep Pontiac then let someone else have it. It should be a cherished GM icon, now and always. How do you like Croc's suggestion of pairing Pontiac with Saab? What to you would be a ideal model mix of that?

How do you feel about the suggestion that allowing anyone to buy Pontiac... or Saturn... or whatever... almost guarantees another competitor for GM? (Which it doesn't need.)

What, you say call it a new Buick "Wildcard"

You're right on both counts. Was it on a production Corvette or a non-production model? Anyway, I'm surprised that GM let Buick use Gran Sport and, of course, when I hear that name (or anything close), I think of the Wildcat GS, the Riviera GS, and the Skylark GS cars of the mid to late 1960s. They need something better than that. Or, as someone said earlier, just don't offer base or minimally-equipped Buicks and that way, GM won't need a name to signify the "upper" models. Disregarding any minor personal misgivings I have, the Insignia seems to have stirred the emotions and enthusiasm of many here, so it would probably be a "plus" for Buick as-is.

I don't even think it would have be a "GNX." I just think that GM has to hit a home run (with all of its remaining divisions) and if GM wanted to push a little pizzazz / performance / unexpected vitality to Buick, it should come up with a killer marketing campaign and show the picture of that black 4-door Insignia (the photo from GME - the one that's in the latest Opel Insignia posts) as the new Buick whatever. It looks hot just standing still. Personally, I don't care for the "Super" name, but I noticed that Corvette will use the words "Gran Sport." Ouch!

(Other than the most base economy cars), I think that's correct. That thought should warn GM that it MUST focus each of the remaining divisions to have their own, clear reason for being. I understand that Chevrolet is GM's volume leader and world brand, but its dealers must be fair and tempered; or Chevrolet will hog everything that Buick and Cadillac can and should be. I think there is room for all three, whether it's achieved by each through marketing (which doesn't seem to be GM's strong point) or using something from a brand's heritage (which is a unique selling point), or by taking a chance and finding a whole new plan for them.