I’m still amazed – and grateful – that we continue to have real-time examples of businesses poorly executing their brand story. GM’s brand woes continue to fill the print and online space. They are trying hard to convince consumers to give them a second (or is it third or fourth…) chance at becoming their car brand. In the words of Susan Docherty, VP of Buick and GMC, “We need (Buick) to be relevant and we aren’t today.” Docherty is referring to today’s consumer – younger, more discerning, with higher expectations – that has zero loyalty to GM’s brands.

Great quote. Unfortunately you don’t change perceptions or capture these consumers overnight. The rule about brands is that if you nurture them, they will flourish and grow. If you neglect them, they whither and die. With most GM brands, it’s been a long-term case of neglect that only needed the recent financial credit crisis to push them over the edge. While the products had turned around, the brands had lost their relevancy.

What is GM to do? Well, first I would suggest ditching the advertising that talks about how we didn’t listen to our customers in the past and now we will (really?); and that the New GM will be stronger, better, more fuel efficient (really?), innovative, etc., etc. I’d call it greenwashing if we were talking about eco or sustainable products. I need a new term here – carwashing? I digress.

Instead of buzz words and 30-second sound bits, GM needs to focus on clearly defining and articulating the story of the remaining brands in the portfolio. Each brand should have a story that is authentic, memorable and meaningful to today’s consumer. Each should be clearly distinct from each other. And once the story has been penned, tell it over and over again – a thousand times.

Tell it with conviction and follow through with your products and service. Tell it with empathy and do the little things to make someone’s day. Tell with humor to show you are one of us. Tell it like you want your customers to tell it.

So, what’s your story?

This entry was posted by Will Burke on Monday, June 8th, 2009 at 5:51 pm and is filed under Branding, Change the Conversation, Consumer. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.