Automotive News - May 19, 2008 - (Page 8)

8 • MAY 19, 2008 advertising OUR DEALERS ARE GROWING Lexus shows how it sweats details Mark Rechtin mrechtin@crain.com AND SO CAN YOU! “With Zimmerman as a partner we have grown to be the # 1 GM Dealer in Albany, NY.“ Kara DePaula DePaula Chevrolet LOS ANGELES — Lexus commercials have long been paeans to perfectionism. But a new round of advertising offers examples of the painstaking attention to detail Toyota says it gives its luxury brand. The campaign, scheduled to debut Friday, May 23, will feature four TV commercials plus brochures and kiosks at Lexus dealerships. The campaign will run through late June. One commercial demonstrates that Lexus’ engine plant has the same clean room-type standards as a paint shop. Another commercial, for the Lexus’ new TV commercials reveal behind-the-scenes labors. RX 350 crossover, shows the laborious inspection process vehicles undergo. Some features of the campaign will be part of interactive kiosks at dealerships. One example: a demonstration that distinguishes between 15 shades of red paint. Salespeople have been trained to make a kiosk tour part of the sales presentation. Lexus says the campaign is aimed at conquesting owners of rival luxury vehicles who may be disenchanted with their own cars’ quality. “We went to the assembly plants and had this list of all these great stories we wanted to talk about,” said Dave Nordstrom, Lexus Division vice president of marketing. “There are so many great things we are doing behind the scenes.” He would not say how much Lexus will spend on the campaign. Some creative elements are vague. One commercial attempts to describe how each Lexus vehicle uses the same sheet of wood for all its interior pieces. But it is shot in such a way that the spot could be for a shipping company instead of an automaker. Another commercial could be for a medical instruments company. The commercial about CT scanning equipment does not reveal until the end that Lexus uses the technology in producing engines. Nordstrom describes the marketing as an extension of the recent “Nothing else feels like a Lexus” campaign. The commercials are tentatively tagged, “Beyond the pursuit.” c Industry slows tide of state CO2 rules Harry Stoffer hstoffer@crain.com Game of the states 13 states have legal limits on vehicle greenhouse gases. A dozen other states are looking at similar limits. If a federal ban on enforcing those limits is lifted, industry leaders say they would face a crazy quilt of compliance and marketing demands. RESULTS! • KEYES AUTO GROUP • IRA MOTOR GROUP • TOM WOOD AUTOMOTIVE • CHECKERED FLAG • AUTONATION • DIEHL MOTOR COMPANY • CORAL SPRINGS AUTOMALL • RUSTY ECK FORD • AUTOLAND • HENDRICK CARY AUTOMALL • PATRICK AUTO GROUP • HUBLER AUTOMOTIVE • PLEASANTON AUTOMALL • DEPAULA CHEVROLET • WALLACE NISSAN OF KINGSPORT • SUPERIOR CHEVROLET Dealers Prove Our Advertising Gets GET A COMPLETE MARKETING PROGRAM! Guerrilla TV Marketing Radio Print Hispanic Direct Mail Web Design In the past three weeks, lawmakers in Florida and Arizona have voted against adopting California-style greenhouse gas rules for cars and trucks. In Minnesota, a bill to impose such rules appeared dead in the state Legislature late last week. Utah and Montana also have backed off their plans to impose rules. Automakers and their allies are claiming victories in their steppedup efforts to convince states that a tough national fuel economy standard is better than state-by-state regulation. The rules are aimed mainly at carbon dioxide, a byproduct of burning fuel. Environmental groups disagree with the automakers’ analysis, but the state actions signal that tough battles remain to be fought over what has become the biggest and most contentious public policy issue facing the industry. Dan Becker, a longtime advocate of higher fuel economy standards and state greenhouse gas rules, said industry claims of victory are premature. In Florida, he said, lawmakers merely want a say before rules are imposed. Becker said Florida lawmakers objected to Gov. Charlie Crist’s effort to enact the rules without their approval. Becker, a consultant to environmental groups, predicted that Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano’s veto late last week of a bill to derail rules there won’t be overridden by the Legislature. He claimed the industry made headway in Minnesota only by “scurrilously lying” about the effects of state rules on ethanol use. KEY ■ Adopted ■ Adoption is actively being debated ■ Adoption was planned and then stopped ■ At least some discussion has been reported ■ No action taken Source: Automotive News, Clean Cars Campaign, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, National Automotive Dealers Association Becker predicted that courts or the next president will allow states to begin enforcing rules. By that time, he said, nearly half of the United States will be subject to California-style rules. California’s standard effectively requires vehicles to average more than 40 mpg by 2020. A new federal law requires an average of at least 35 mpg by then. The Bush administration has blocked all state rules. But last week, Dave McCurdy, president of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, hinted at a possible compromise. McCurdy said the early days of the next administration will provide a window of opportunity for a comprehensive solution. Such a compromise could allow California to continue its traditional role as a laboratory for emissions controls, said McCurdy, whose group represents the Detroit 3, Toyota and six other automakers. But Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board, told reporters she would not support a California-only plan. Nichols appeared on a panel with McCurdy at an SAE International conference in Washington last week. Said Nichols: “We do not want to negotiate away other states’ rights.” c Focus will follow Fiesta as a global vehicle Amy Wilson awilson@crain.com Internet Website Optimization In-Store CALL OR E-MAIL THE AGENCY THAT WILL WORK FOR YOU 24/7 (SERIOUSLY) 1-888-878-ZADV zauto@zadv.com or visit www.zadv.com DETROIT — The next-generation Ford Focus will be the second global vehicle Ford Motor Co. sells in the United States. Mark Fields, Ford president of the Americas, confirmed to Automotive News that the compact Focus will follow the subcompact Ford Fiesta in the automaker’s global product rollout. The Fiesta, shown as the Verve concept at the 2008 Detroit auto show, will go on sale in 2010. Fields would not say how long it will be before the Focus follows. But industry forecast- ers expect Ford to begin assembling the next-generation Focus in the United States in late 2010 or early 2011. The next Focus will be among a global family of compact, or C-segment, cars and crossovers Ford is developing in Europe. Fields wouldn’t talk about C-segment derivatives planned for North America. But he acknowledged that the U.S. market is in line to get multiple body styles within segments, as has happened in Japan and Europe. The United States is expected to get versions of two European vehicles, Ford may sell a version of the C-Max crossover, above, in the United States. the C-Max and Kuga crossovers, early next decade. Ford now sells the CMax in Europe and will start selling the Kuga there in June. Both are based on the platform used for the current European Focus. The current U.S. Focus is based on an older platform. Product introductions and redesigns also will be better matched as Ford continues developing global vehicles, Fields said. “We really have to have the right cadence (and) marry up the cadence of freshenings between Europe, AsiaPacific and North America,” he said. “Leveraging scale by using common suppliers, you can’t have one part of the world freshening a vehicle and assuming a year later another part of the world will do that.” c http://www.zadv.com http://www.zadv.com

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Automotive News - May 19, 2008 Ford eyes smaller F-150 cousin Sonic: Mercedes tries to 'extort' store upgrades Chrysler seeks 25% slash in parts prices Dealership managers pushed Chrysler's latest incentive Crain names 4 new VPs Automotive News staffers win Wheel Awards GM will keep cutting sales to fleets GM studies the future of full-sized trucks American Axle plans to expand in Asia At Lexus, the sales laggards are cars VW positions Tiguan as 'GTI' of small SUVs Tata enters race for 100-mpg car Harley Earl was the daddy of auto design Focus will follow Fiesta as a global vehicle Lexus shows how it sweats details Industry slows tide of state CO2 rules Chevy tweaks Cobalt to add fuel economy Be careful; don't do anything dumb Looking ahead to different industry They thought they knew everything Cerberus doesn't belong in autos Dealers as scapegoats Smart, steady growth works best for suppliers Farley's smart to value Ford's heritage Absurd logic in the U.S., cowardice in Germany BMW, Daimler keep a wary eye on U.S. economy James Franey Dealers' approach can lessen pain of staff cuts GM plans to distinguish Opel with image makeover Make or buy? Software can estimate costs for company Honda, Toyota see robots in their futures Bosch aims to lead in hybrids technology King of hearts Clarke aims to get GM back on track in N.A. Fields navigates Ford through 'white water' LaSorda steers Chrysler's global ventures Toyota's Lentz: A crash course in hard times Truck sales fall 13% in April Modine sells Thermacore unit Alcoa to close Mexico plant Toyoda Gosei expands in Mexico Hayes Lemmerz plans to close Georgia factory Japan's sales slide 2% in 1st quarter; output climbs Dealers Hyundai let U.S. direct Sonata freshening After .com and .edu, is it time for .car? Panoramic sunroof of Lincoln MKS boosts Inalfa sales Chrysler hedged gas price bet Smart phones help dealerships retain customers CAW completes pacts with GM, Chrysler early GM, UAW resolve 2 disputes New media buyer for Chrysler Visteon names Stebbins CEO Convertible registrations drop Ferrari: From denial to debut Buildings Porsches in U.S.? Depends whom you ask Toyota will go slow in Tupelo Ghosn is glum on prices, U.S. sales prospects Pischetsrieder has earned a celebratory cigar NHTSA spins VINs, averts meltdown F_RD GU_S WI_ BUI-_KS 50 PEOPLE FOR 50 YEARS Yutaka Katayama Clarence Talley Jim Morton Pete Brock Marvin Runyon Yoshikazu Hanawa Bill Bruce Shin Maki Jack Collins Mitsuya "Scape" Goto Bob Link Soichi Kawazoe Jerry Hirshberg Takashi Ishihara Roy Rogers John Parker Bob Thomas Teruo Uchino Morrie Sage Bob Thomas Nobe Wakatsuki Earl Hesterberg Carlos Ghosn Lee Clow Jerry Benefield Yutaka Kume Doug Betts Tim McCarthy Jed Connelly Atsushi Nakatsuji Dave Hubbard Joe Opre Patrick Pelata Yoshiyuki Kimura Diane Allen Mad Mike Taylor Chuck King Larry Dominique Mark Igo Mitsuhiko Yamashita Shiro Nakamura Tom Mignanelli Dick Roberts William Cushing Emil Hassan Chester Luby Jane Nakagawa Louis Schweitzer MR. K Ray Lemke Richard McCutcheon

Automotive News - May 19, 2008

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