JCOM 2300: GM- Finally Learning a Lesson From 30 Years ago

GM, I don't know about those guys. I guess deep down inside I want them to succeed, but they make it really hard to like them. Their new PR campaign is to promote themselves as "the new GM" which is supposed to be a totally different company. I'm sure if we looked into it they have the same managers, the same factories, and the same workers. The only new thing is a new PR firm representing them. 

   For years GM has been so stubborn and unwilling to adapt to the automobile environment and most importantly to what customers want. When the Japanese car companies really hit their stride in the 80s GM, and the other big American car companies for that matter, didn't look at why people liked the Japanese cars. Their strategy centered around this us vs. them mentality they pushed the idea of being "UnAmerican" if you purchased a foreign car. It even went to the extent of creating different car lots at the factories in Michigan. Workers with American cars could park in the close convenient lot while those with a foreign car were banished to the non-American lot far away.

First, that is so lame, pretty childish really. People can buy foreign cars if they want and  there is probably a motive behind the whole thing. Take a few million of your billions do a little research and analysis and then compete with what they are doing. A little environmental analysis never hurt anyone. 

Back to the new campaign. The focus will be on the four remaining GM brands, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GM. Instead of the overall GM label each line will highlighted for its features. They want customer input as much as possible too. Before releasing a new model GM plans on testing it will customers to get some feedback on how it will be received, there also will be a website set up for people to post comments and suggestions. 

This strategy is obviously much better than whatever they were doing before but I can't get over how bugged I am that they are just deciding to listen to customers NOW. I know they can't go back and change what has happened but they have 30 or 40 years worth of mistakes. Asking your customers opinion isn't a bad idea but shouldn't you already have an idea what they want anyway? There should have been research, and questionnaires, some market analysis would have been nice too. As a consumer it is always nice when you don't have to tell companies what you want because they have been paying attention and already know. 

GM's strategy is better than what they were doing before no doubt, I just feel the lesson was learned a little too late.