Is GM taking too much of a PR hit for the domestics?

[regfootball]

Is GM taking too much ill will from the markets and press and too much criticism? GM's every move is bloodied and they can't seem to do anything right in many's eyes. Yet Ford and Chrysler seem to be doing things and FOrd in particular seems to be sliding under the radar lately.

Is GM taking too much of a hit? Are GM's issues WAYYYYY overblown?

[PurdueGuy]

A) GM is larger than the other two, which makes it more of a target.

B) GM has probably shown more evidence of turnaround & chance of success than the other two, which probably also makes it a target.

Is it fair? Probably not. At least it should help GM from getting too complacent (hopefully).

[hyperv6]

The same goes for Politics and Hollywood as the press only targets the ones on top.

You never read any trash on Don Knotts did you?

[SoCalCTS]

I am pretty sure that Ford is taking the most bad press. You NEVER hear a positive Ford story. GM still is getting great press for the Malibu, Volt and flex fuel vehicles.

[CARBIZ]

The CAW is putting the Oshawa headquarters under an embargo; literally surrounding the main building with their own vehicles to block personnel from entering. This is in response to GM's announcement they are closing the truck plant next year. This is attracting a lot of bad press, which is what the CAW wants.

The total irony is lost on those idiots. Bring more pressure on GM, and they have more reason to shut the rest of the plant down, too. Gad, these guys just don't get it. The $C has been at par for a year now. Canada has lost its productivity edge over American plants, let alone those in Mexico.

Meanwhile, over in Oakville on the west side of Toronto, Ford has quietly gone about expanding its hiring there to build a new cross-over.

The way the media is spinning this, of course, is that GM is collapsing, not adjusting to the new market. Any dolt can see that GM has no choice but to close the Oshawa plant now that the total truck market (not just GM's) is in free-fall.

[ZL-1]

Financially, the issues are not overblown. GM is vulnerable. Product-wise, there is an issue of perception that crosses American Society and in that regard maybe GM does take a disproportionate part of the responsibility.

What I do think is that GM is failing to do effective PR, to actually reach to people, and that's the issue. Mpore than just product it's the perception battle that will have to be won, and soon. Whenever I go to the US to see family that lives there I barely see anything GM-related on TV, or everywhere else for that matter. The last non-TV GM thing I remember seeing was a silver G6 sedan on display at a shopping mall. Not enough IMHO.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Is GM taking too much ill will from the markets and press and too much criticism? GM's every move is bloodied and they can't seem to do anything right in many's eyes. Yet Ford and Chrysler seem to be doing things and FOrd in particular seems to be sliding under the radar lately.

Is GM taking too much of a hit? Are GM's issues WAYYYYY overblown?

Chrysler was doomed/is doomed a long time ago. they'll never be the automaker that they once were and if they ever are they'll be sold.

Ford was, for all intents and purposes, destroyed last year and continues to bleed.

GM is the only american manufacturer left with the presence and might to really compete with the asians. And as I've said before, the media tirade won't stop until that is no longer the case. Give it another year or so and GM will be in ruins as well and the drumbeat will stop. that's why everyone makes such a fuss about Toyota surpassing GM in global sales, because in media speak that's a big "Job well done!" speech.

What I do think is that GM is failing to do effective PR, to actually reach to people, and that's the issue.

I agree 100%. Just like all of the bad times, GM is doing nothing to reverse the perception. They just sit there and take it.

Mpore than just product it's the perception battle that will have to be won, and soon. Whenever I go to the US to see family that lives there I barely see anything GM-related on TV, or everywhere else for that matter. The last non-TV GM thing I remember seeing was a silver G6 sedan on display at a shopping mall. Not enough IMHO.

I agree.

Edited June 9, 2008 by FUTURE_OF_GM

[FAPTurbo]

The Volt was getting quite a bit of press... but then Lutz's musing that Global Warming is a 'crock of $h!' got even more. Essentially, that was one step forward, two steps back in the public's, and media's eyes.

[Chicagoland]

Most stories I see say "Detroit 3 can't this" and "can't that". OTOH there are still a lot of people who really think GM is "all of Detroit".

[gmcbob]

In the presses defense, I have seen more and more interjection lately that GM's new products are good - I have noticed that the Malibu, CTS and Enclave are talked up a lot in stories on MSNBC and the WSJ specifically - no kidding. It may seem like they get a pretty bad rap, which they generally do, but I think there has been a little more positive interjection here and there lately.

I'm starting to see more Malibus around Houston, which is kind of nice - because this is straight up Camry Land here - I can hold my breath easily between Camry sightings - it's almost tiring actually. Amazing how Toyota has so many people bamboozled.

An example of a positive GM article

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1212876660...hs&ru=yahoo

Edited June 10, 2008 by gmcbob

[mustang84]

I am pretty sure that Ford is taking the most bad press. You NEVER hear a positive Ford story. GM still is getting great press for the Malibu, Volt and flex fuel vehicles.

Huh?

Ford has been getting as much, if not more, good press as GM lately. Ford hasn't been saddled with striking unions putting a halt to its hottest products, they aren't indecisive about their RWD/V8 plans like GM has been, and the press has been praising them the most for their quality gains.

GM's starting to get great press with the Volt and new vehicles like the Malibu, but they seem more vulnerable than Ford right now when it comes to the unions and finances. GM has much more to tackle on its plate than a smaller company like Ford with fewer brands. If you haven't seen a single positive Ford story, you must not be looking very hard because they have been rolling in for a while now.

With that said, GM gets more press because it's the largest, most visible force within the American auto industry. GM has the chance to make a real turnaround as long as they stay on their toes and make the right decisions. Blatant rebadges like the G5 and starving Pontiac are not the right decisions. I feel like if GM had their own Mulally, someone with clear focus on what needs to be done, they will come out of this a shining star.

[Duncan]

Chrysler was doomed/is doomed a long time ago. they'll never be the automaker that they once were and if they ever are they'll be sold.

Ford was, for all intents and purposes, destroyed last year and continues to bleed.

I don't have a subscription, so I only got the outline, but Automotive News has an article about just how hard it's going to be (read: already is) for Ford and Chrysler to move the new 2009 F-150 and Ram. The bulk of the market has, shall we say, basically disappeared overnight for these two former cash cows. Sure, they'll get fleet sales from businesses that legitimately need big trucks, but what they'll miss is the easy profit from loaded Laramie SLT or King Ranch versions sold to Jim and Jane Consumer.

GM is the only american manufacturer left with the presence and might to really compete with the asians. And as I've said before, the media tirade won't stop until that is no longer the case. Give it another year or so and GM will be in ruins as well and the drumbeat will stop. that's why everyone makes such a fuss about Toyota surpassing GM in global sales, because in media speak that's a big "Job well done!" speech.

I agree 100%. Just like all of the bad times, GM is doing nothing to reverse the perception. They just sit there and take it.

I agree.

I don't think GM will be in ruins - they've still got too much resiliency for that. However, I'd be surprised if the newly combined "PBG" dealer group didn't lose at least one of those brands by 2015. I hate to say it, but I think GM's traditional model is beginning to break apart under the strain of a vastly changed American market. (Hell, it was becoming unsustainable by the late 1970s already, so is it a shock to find it less workable now?)