Hey, General Motors! Kudos!

April 4, 2006 By

Dang, seems like the whole world is talking about those damn Chevy ads. You know the ones that everyday people posted. The ones that made fun of Chevy's SUVs. The ones that derided a global macrobrand. The ones that supposedly have caused Chevy a whole bunch of bad PR.

It got me to think about Chevy all day long. I wasn't thinking about my Ford Focus and how it successfully went 25,000 miles (passed that point on Sunday without even a rattle). I wasn't thinking about the tax man. Or my next video I need to edit.

No, I was thinking about Chevy. And wondering what General Motors was thinking about this whole shindig. Did the bloggers get GM?

I was hoping to learn more, so I headed over to Bob Lutz' General Motors blog (he's an executive there). He hasn't reacted yet.

Bummer. But, maybe they (being GM's PR team) watched Shel and I debate with a CTO of a public company last week and decided they didn't any part of this.

So, I wonder what my reaction would be if my videos were taken and turned into an anti-Microsoft commercial?

I'd be happy!

Whoa?

Well, bloggers only make fun of companies and people that are doing interesting things. You don't see them picking on companies that don't have a big market position, do you?

The day that bloggers stop poking you with a big stick is the day that your brand and market position have become small and boring.

It's like the day when people start rooting for the Yankees. The day they come in last place five years in a row. Then I'll start feeling sorry for them and start rooting for them. And, even then, if they have the largest payroll in baseball I'll probably be rooting against them.

As a blogger I forget this all the time. Get too emotional when people attack me or my company.

It's the day they STOP attacking me and Microsoft that I'm not looking forward to.

Kudos to General Motors for trying an advertising campaign that was different. That broke through the clutter. That made people think and talk. That made people have a conversation with you (even if it is an unpleasant one).

Now, what'll be interesting to see is if GM continues the conversation or remains silent.

Filed Under: 1
← Older Comments
  • anon

    Is that the best flame you can give us?

    Robert: your employer’s, ie Microsoft’s, reliance on criminality to sustain its market position is no flame. It’s a fact and the activity is on the court record.

    My son can flame Microsoft better than you can!

    Sounds like a smart kid.

  • anon

    Is that the best flame you can give us?

    Robert: your employer’s, ie Microsoft’s, reliance on criminality to sustain its market position is no flame. It’s a fact and the activity is on the court record.

    My son can flame Microsoft better than you can!

    Sounds like a smart kid.

  • met

    Blogs can’t do anything if the product is not good enough.

    If SUVs are sooo bad like so many people are making it out to be. Why are people buying it? (Just like so many people are wondering why Windows is so successful – there is no lock-in for an automobile).
    So why are people buying it? Now that is something blogs can discuss and get feedback from its readers.

    And Robert it is not easy to get a best selling car to market in 2 years :) Its not that GM doesn’t have cars in the market…

    I have subscribed to FastLane but I don’t enjoy the conversations there. I don’t feel its a conversation (two-way). Maybe this will answer the chap who wonders why GM sales aren’t skyrocketing because of a blog.
    Also the turnaround time in the auto industry is larger than in the software industry.

  • met

    Blogs can’t do anything if the product is not good enough.

    If SUVs are sooo bad like so many people are making it out to be. Why are people buying it? (Just like so many people are wondering why Windows is so successful – there is no lock-in for an automobile).
    So why are people buying it? Now that is something blogs can discuss and get feedback from its readers.

    And Robert it is not easy to get a best selling car to market in 2 years :) Its not that GM doesn’t have cars in the market…

    I have subscribed to FastLane but I don’t enjoy the conversations there. I don’t feel its a conversation (two-way). Maybe this will answer the chap who wonders why GM sales aren’t skyrocketing because of a blog.
    Also the turnaround time in the auto industry is larger than in the software industry.

  • http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/ michael wiley

    Robert,

    Thanks for the kind words. I just wanted to let you know that Ed Peper, the GM of Chevy, posted on FastLane about the Tahoe contest.

    michael

  • http://fastlane.gmblogs.com michael wiley

    Robert,

    Thanks for the kind words. I just wanted to let you know that Ed Peper, the GM of Chevy, posted on FastLane about the Tahoe contest.

    michael

  • Pingback: Investor Relations Blog :: UPDATE: GM hits credibility high with “negative ads” :: April :: 2006

  • John Eversoll

    Hey G.M. I just want you to know that I am the

    origonal owner of a 1971 Chevelle SS the origonal motor

    with 266,500 miles. I have just had the motor rebuilt.

    and ma looking to drive it another 200,000. I just wish that G.M. had come out with a Chevelle SS like the GTO
    With the same body style. But more compact. That would be a seller! Keep up the great work guys!!

  • John Eversoll

    Hey G.M. I just want you to know that I am the

    origonal owner of a 1971 Chevelle SS the origonal motor

    with 266,500 miles. I have just had the motor rebuilt.

    and ma looking to drive it another 200,000. I just wish that G.M. had come out with a Chevelle SS like the GTO
    With the same body style. But more compact. That would be a seller! Keep up the great work guys!!

  • John Eversoll

    Ok, here is my 02.1/2 cents worth
    Chevy adds well, they could be a little bit better.
    But the one thing that we as drivers have to relise is that the 1.00 a gal is loong gone. If we were in Europe we would be paying 6.00 a gallon. I don’t mean to say just suck it up. ” no pun intended ” but the oil
    companies have us by the balls. If they wanted to raise it another dollar they could and we can only blame our selfs… We as drivers could do something to dtop the raise in prices. It would only take a week to get the oil companies to crumble and give us the discount that would stay. They would relise that as drivers we wont stand for the hikes in prices. But we have to act as a whole. and stay that way for just a week. Take a bus to work or car pool. The less gas that is bought by us for just a week will have a Snow ball effect on the Oil companies that will bring them to our understanding.
    I drive a 1971 Muscle car on a daily basis so I know what the mileage is. It hurts, but I am car pooling with a guy from work to help him with gas and me with the gas. It works out for the both of us. TRY IT!!!

    And while I am at it, MERRY CHRISTMAS

  • John Eversoll

    Ok, here is my 02.1/2 cents worth
    Chevy adds well, they could be a little bit better.
    But the one thing that we as drivers have to relise is that the 1.00 a gal is loong gone. If we were in Europe we would be paying 6.00 a gallon. I don’t mean to say just suck it up. ” no pun intended ” but the oil
    companies have us by the balls. If they wanted to raise it another dollar they could and we can only blame our selfs… We as drivers could do something to dtop the raise in prices. It would only take a week to get the oil companies to crumble and give us the discount that would stay. They would relise that as drivers we wont stand for the hikes in prices. But we have to act as a whole. and stay that way for just a week. Take a bus to work or car pool. The less gas that is bought by us for just a week will have a Snow ball effect on the Oil companies that will bring them to our understanding.
    I drive a 1971 Muscle car on a daily basis so I know what the mileage is. It hurts, but I am car pooling with a guy from work to help him with gas and me with the gas. It works out for the both of us. TRY IT!!!

    And while I am at it, MERRY CHRISTMAS

  • http://mazda-review.blogspot.com/ Montana

    The differences are beginning to emerge after the average desk body and a very harmonious, in our view, a modern silhouette touring: fast, with notes sportivnosti and at the same time vmestitelnogo and cozy…

  • http://mazda-review.blogspot.com Montana

    The differences are beginning to emerge after the average desk body and a very harmonious, in our view, a modern silhouette touring: fast, with notes sportivnosti and at the same time vmestitelnogo and cozy…

← Older Comments