Automotive News - June 9, 2008 - (Page 28)

28 • JUNE 9, 2008 Automotive News • 35 with Honda • 25 with Toyota Greg Sorensen, left, of Southern Oregon Subaru in Medford, Ore" receives a 25-year award for Subaru from Tornohiko Ikeda, CEO of Subaru of America. Dave Edwards, right, of Dave Edwards Toyota in Spartanburg, S.C.. receives a 25-year award for Toyota from Joe Alonso, Southeast Toyota Distributors' district sales manager. Robert Garff, left, owner of Ken Garff Automotive Group, received a 3S·year award for Honda from American Honda Motor Co. At right is Wayne Petersen, general manager of Ken Garff Honda Downtown. Both the dealership and the parent company are in Salt Lake City. • 25 with Cadillac Michael Uffner of Delaware Cadillac in Wilmington, Del., received a 25-year award for Cadillac from General Motors. Milestones Dealer anniversary awanls We invite news items and top-quality photographs for the dealers section. Please include your telephone number or e-mail address. years (one-column photos) should include only two people posed shoulder to shoulder. Photos for 50 or more years (twocolumn photos) should have no more than six people. Please include names (left to right), titles, dealership name and city, franchise(s) held and franchise for which award is given. We do not run items for anniversaries of fewer than 25 years. Photos for 25-45 You may send a photo electronically in jpg format and at high resolution (300 dpi). E.mail items to: autonews@Craln.com Or send them to: Dealers Section Automotive News U55 Gratiot Ave. Detroit, MI 48207·2997 • Don Marshall of Marshall Pontiac· Buick-GMC Truck in Clinton, Ind., received a 25-year award for Pontiac and Buick from General Motors. • Lawrence Durocher of Durocher Lincoln·Mercury in Plattsburgh, N.Y., received a 25-year award for UncolnMercuI)' from Ford Motor Co. SUVS GM plans aggressive ad push for hybrids dies." They both premiered during the Super Bowl pregame show in FebrualY. "Riddles" plays off the fact that Green Car Journal named the Tahoe Two Mode hybrid Green Car of the Year even though it's a truck. "Boxes" is set outdoors with kids in cardboard boxes pretending to be in cars. They see a huge box that is not constraining. "The message is that you can have the economy of a mid-sized sedan but the capability of a fuJl~sized utili~ ty," Butler says. The spot highlights how the Tahoe hybrid gets 21 mpg in the city, matching the Toyota Cam· ry's fuel economy. Customers seeking fuel efficiency will have to pay a premium for a Two Mode Chevrolet Tahoe. The tOlH'nd LT starts at $40,460 and the hybrid at $50,490. Tahoe hybrid vs. Camry Chevrolet advertising for the Tahoe Two Mode hybrid compares the large 5UV's city mileage with that of the Toyota Camry mid-sized sedan. CITY MPG HWY. MPG Unimpressed Some outsiders aren't impressed. "They have an incredible opportu· nity with these products, and yet I see the same kind of messaging. I could almost just replace it with 'more cargo room' and it would fit," says Gary Topolewski, a partner in the creative shop Topolewski LLC in suburban Detroit. "It is a fantastic product, and the marketing should live up to the product. But the marketing is lagging be· hind the product." Besides several print ads in magazines such as The New Yorker and Runner's World, Chevrolet has a large digital presence touting the Tahoe. On April 22, Earth Day, Chevrolet had banner ads for the Tahoe hybrid on such major Internet portals as Yahoo and MSN. Consumers could click on the banner and be taken to www.chevy.com for more Tahoe hybrid information. Chevrolet generated more than 100,000 hits to its site. Next up: product placements. This Chevrolet Tahoe 2wd hybrid Chevrolet Tahoe gasoline 2wd Toyota Camry 4-cyllnder Toyota Camry V-6 21 14 21 19 22 20 31 28 month, the Discovery Channel will launch a channel called Planet Green. One of the programs will fo~ cus on rebuilding Greensburg, Kan., which was wiped out by a tornado in May 2007. The rebuilding effort uses environmentally friendly guidelines. "We're helping rebuild by loaning the town a couple of Tahoe hybrids and some £85 vehicles" that run on a gasoline~ethanol blend, Butler says. GMC is taking a slightiy different tack. "GMC's positioning is engineering excellence and professional grade, so we tend to focus more on the technical angle," says Steve Rosenblum, GMC marketing director. "Our strategy is to come out with a large aware· ness bang and then back off to follow up with the nontraditional media." GMC launched the Yukon hybrid ad campaign during the Super Bowl and followed with ads during the Academy Awards broadcast in late February. "Totally different places, but very high-proftle media," Rosenblum says. Engineering marvels GMC's showcase 60~second com~ mercial is called "Why Push?" As an animated man pushes a boulder, the spot talks about why people try new things. In May, GMC added a new 30·sec· ond spot called "Bridge," which will run all year. It highlights how engineering marvels were developed and then segues into GM's creation of the Yukon and Two Mode technology. "You might see us, down the road, go after a Honda Accord, but we chose to show that we get 50 percent better city mileage than a ftdl~sized SUV in our messaging now," Rosen· blum says. One topic GM is not talking about is the price premium a customer will pay to get Toyota CamI)'-like fuel economy. The top-end, four-wheel-drive Tahoe LT starts at $40,460. The hybrid starts at $50,490. The Yukon starts at $36,245 and the top-end, allwheel~drive Yukon Denali at $50,380. The hybrid starts at $50,945. Ali prices include shipping. Butler says the pricing premium will shrink over time. "To be able to bring it to market at the price we have is a miracle in and of itself," he says. Wes Brown, a partner at lcelogy, a consumer research and trend consulting firm in Los Angeles, says GM also is missing a marketing opportu· nitywith the vehicles' styling. "Most people want their neighbor to know they paid $55,000 for their Tahoe and not $35,000," Brown says. "A sticker saying Hybrid on the side just won't do." GM acknowledges it has been criticized for not creating enough aware· ness around the Two Mode SUVs, says Rosenblrnn, GMC's marketing director. But he insists the "first of any product" always takes time to build awareness. GM is focusing its marketing on a targeted audience. "This is not a mass market vehicle. We're not tlYing to sell 100,000 of them," Rosenblum says. "It's going to take a little time." But Topolewski argues that GM should sell it as if it is a mass market vehjcle. "If you're going to do something, do it to the masses because it washes over the entire brand," he says. "They're great products. It's a huge story for GM, and they should push it."~ http://www.forceevents.com http://www.chevy.com http://www.forceevents.com

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Automotive News - June 9, 2008 Hummer Bummer: A death sentence? New F-150, Ram in peril as big pickups collapse Japanese can add small cars faster than Detroit 3 Battery shortage hurts hybrid sales 2 key overseas staffers move to Automotive News in the U.S. Toyota may add Camry to Indiana truck plant Mazda extends warranty on RX-8 rotary engine CAW to consider strike against GM Porsche's new 911 GM plans big ad push for its big hybrid SUVs Chrysler cuts fees to outside service firms 5% Toyota considering 'Made in U.S.A.' Prius Congress, Bush square off over rollover suits GM finance whiz changed the industry GM's big SUVs may get lighter Harbour Report: Chrysler, Toyota most efficient Spring intros can be dicey Ford spends big on MKS ad launch Media buyer for GM cuts 25 jobs Sources: GM poised to buy Cobasys GM dealer program rebounds Mazda updates the RX-8 New Maxima is a tad smaller — but more buff Congress must balance safety, mpg concerns Is the gas crisis real or just temporary? What about poor driving? There's no substitute for safe driving Lack of regulation foils safety laws Sticker law cleaned up a pricing mess Lithia to sell outlets, delay used-car stores Nielsen likes to step off the beaten path GM union local strives to pull parts jobs in-house JCI will open Ga. plant to supply Kia Dealers: Be open about credit problems Finance venture has $1 billion Picture this Personnel Dealers BMW purchasing chief 'looking for waste' Nissan Mexicana gets new chief Ford Flex output begins Hyundai Genesis: $33,000 Ford buys more from minorities Audi's U.S. chief: Brand can handle high gas prices May in Detroit: Scary, not merry Infiniti FX starts at $41,765 Lincoln: 8,600 MKS orders Plastics supplier sees growth Jenkins gets Aston Martin post Smith is CEO of Jaguar, Land Rover Kremlin watching, Chrysler style Toyota breathing down GM's neck on monthly U.S. sales PR chief Steve Harris: At GM through '08 Small-car surge is a replay of 1979 Auto execs would benefit from some store experience Mini's mixed results: Sales soar, quality stumbles Nice car — so what's the ppmpg? Volt's good PR got struck by lightning

Automotive News - June 9, 2008

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