Warc, 8 May 2014
BEVERLY HILLS: Chevrolet, the automotive brand owned by
General Motors, is emphasising values like authenticity and inclusiveness as it
seeks to drive sales.
Tim Mahoney, the brand's global cmo and global leader for
General Motors' marketing operations, discussed this issue while speaking at
the 4A's recent Transformation 2014 conference, held in Beverly Hills.
"We've really strived for authenticity in our
storytelling, because people can see through things when they're not
authentic," he said.
In demonstration of this principle in action, one of the
brand's recent TV spots, which debuted during the broadcast of the 2014 Winter
Olympics, featured real shoppers.
This commercial also represented a diverse range of families
and lifestyles, rather than relying on the conventions of the automotive
category. Mahoney was confident about making such a move, however.
"It wasn't that risky. We're going to market in a very
authentic way," he said. (For more, including how Chevrolet sourced
user-generated content from around the world, read Warc's exclusive report:
Chevrolet develops a more inclusive global brand image.)
Chevrolet's new positioning is encapsulated by a fresh
tagline that demonstrates its inclusive credentials: "The New Us - A Whole
New Lineup for a Whole New World"
This shift was not welcomed by all consumers - as was
similarly experienced by Cheerios, the cereal brand made by General Mills, when
it depicted a multicultural family in a TV spot.
However, Mahoney suggested the wider response to Chevrolet's
efforts have been positive, which has yielded an equally positive impact on its
brand.
"I got a lot of letters," Mahoney said, "but
at the same time, I also got a lot of support from various groups saying that
it is making them think differently about Chevrolet than they had in years.
"At the end of the day, it's about changing people's
perceptions a little bit."
Data sourced from Warc
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