GM Initiates the "Arlington Project"

[Variance]

GM Initiates the "Arlington Project"

Mark LaNeve, GM's head guy in sales and marketing, discusses a new GM marketing initive dubbed the "Arlington Project". The project seeks to reach target markets that are more in tune with local media outlets rather than national ones that have panned GM. GM seeks to extol the virtues of their products in these markets and become more aggresive in doing so.

Read "New GM project targets U.S. cities" @ The Detroit News

[CARBIZ]

Yeah, we've been talking about this at our dealer, too. We are going to skip the mass media (waste of time) and focus on ethnic group events, local flyers, direct sponsorship of events, etc. Better bang for the buck.

Sellings cars is all about people anyway. Always has been. I've even streered quite a few people to C&G when they've expressed concern about GM's bankruptcy, etc. The local media here is pretty much hostile to GM, so our dealership has decided to not advertise there any more. We won't even allow the Wheels section of the Toronto Star in our waiting area any more! LOL

[Newbiewar]

Yeah, we've been talking about this at our dealer, too.  We are going to skip the mass media (waste of time) and focus on ethnic group events, local flyers, direct sponsorship of events, etc.  Better bang for the buck.

  Sellings cars is all about people anyway. Always has been.  I've even streered quite a few people to C&G when they've expressed concern about GM's bankruptcy, etc.  The local media here is pretty much hostile to GM, so our dealership has decided to not advertise there any more.  We won't even allow the Wheels section of the Toronto Star in our waiting area any more!  LOL

we focus on the largest growing comunity... hispanics...

heck everyone at the dealership is bilingual, and i'm getting there...

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

It's sad that the media is SOOO biased now that they are actually essentially REFUSING GM ad dollars.

This is a start I guess.... Nice to see GM at least doing something after 2-3 years of just sitting back and letting the media destoy them.

This ties in to A LOT of what I've talked about by saying the GM MUST inform the consumer and TELL them how to perceive the company... It's essentially the same thinking as having a mission statement. INFORM the consumer!

*Good to see GM cutting the fleet sale tally too!*

[sciguy_0504]

I highly doubt many media outlets are outright refusing to run GM advertisements. That would be a huge loss of money on their part. Perhaps are few are but not many, I am sure. This is a good change on GM's party, anyway. Skip past the middleman and go directly to the consumers, sort of. Like Carbiz said, better bang for your buck and it feels more personal. Sponsor a little league team with advertisements in the outfield or on the announcements between batters/innings instead of getting in the large local newspaper or on tv/radio.

[pow]

I highly doubt many media outlets are outright refusing to run GM advertisements.  That would be a huge loss of money on their part.  Perhaps are few are but not many, I am sure.  This is a good change on GM's party, anyway.  Skip past the middleman and go directly to the consumers, sort of.  Like Carbiz said, better bang for your buck and it feels more personal.  Sponsor a little league team with advertisements in the outfield or on the announcements between batters/innings instead of getting in the large local newspaper or on tv/radio.

That's what Toyota has been doing around here. They sponsored our school swim team dinner banquet at their vintage car museum, gave out scholarships, and sponsored another school's pool construction. Hell, there's an IS350 on display right in front of Trump's golf course here.