Thread: Chevy Volt

If they sell them great, but it might also have an impact on the perception of the brand. If people's brand image of Chevy changes in a positive way even for non-Volt buyers, it might make a lot of sense to pump the Volt. GM needs to realize just how much damage it really has done to its brand image in the past 30 years.

Originally Posted by Roshi

Considering how long you have to drive that car to get your money back, they still have a longggg way to go

Yes, indeed and that is even WITH the tax credit....without the tax credit, this thing is what? DOUBLE the price of a Malibu or something like that? Think about how much gas you have to NOT burn to justify it in terms of dollar outlay....Gas would have to like triple....

Originally Posted by justoneman

Are you suggesting that the Volt is boosting GMs image?

Well, when GM was making the Hummer, it wouldn't make you associate GM with green technology. Its certainly a departure from that.

Not that they're still not selling an inordinate amount of SUVs, but still many would say that GM probably has an 'image' (and remember the image is the image and not the reality) of being a technological laggard of not being a brand of first choice. And by showing the Volt they can show that GM is at the cutting edge of where car technology is.....

Of course, those overheating batteries didn't help them.....

Originally Posted by justoneman

Is it my imagination or am I lately hearing and seeing a lot of Chevy volt commercials? When it was being introduced they did not advertise it so very much but now... It looks like GM is doubling down on it Good idea for GM?

There was congressional hearing about safety issues with the Volt last month and they also had to recall a bunch of them.

So they could be advertising them more to counter all of the bad publicity they have been getting in the press recently.

Originally Posted by justoneman

If you think a $40,000 econo box that spontaniously catches on fire is boosting GM's image its not saying much for GM.

You're confusing image and reality. They do focus groups on this stuff. People who are positively influenced by the Volt, aren't negatively affected by the performance issues, those people say, "well, they still have to work out the bugs in the 'new' technology" and they'll pass on the 40K price tag and go for the Malibu or the Cruze and now they have this 'Sonic' thing (which I don't know much about)

Right now GM has to do something because they're still sitting on some SERIOUS negative numbers, but in all sincerity they must be hoping the advertising is having an incidental affect because they really just don't have enough Volts to sell. Basically they're advertising something they really don't have any hope of selling to you.

Ultimately they'll find out if it worked, the old adage in advertising still applies, they know they're wasting half their advertising budget, they just don't know which half!