Is GM's New Ad Campaign Driving More Interest?

September 28, 2009

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. — With General Motors two weeks into its new advertising campaign, is the initiative actually driving showroom traffic and brand consideration?

According to Edmunds.com the answer is mostly yes.
The company discovered that brand interest in GM is now up 10 percent since the campaign kicked off. In fact, Edmunds.com found that two GM brands are outshining the field.

"Based on Edmunds.com data, the GM program is drawing more shoppers to GM vehicles than before — on some brands and models more than others — and is turning some shoppers into buyers in varying degrees depending on the brand and model," said senior analyst Michelle Krebs on AutoObserver.com.

So, which of GM's brands are grabbing the most spotlight under the campaign?

According to Edmunds.com, Cadillacs and GMCs are leading the way in two key areas — consideration and purchase intent.

To see what kind of results the ad initiative has driven, the site reviewed two types of consumers — those considering and those seriously shopping.

Based on those measurements, GMC received 24 percent consideration and 35 percent purchase intent, while Cadillac garnered 11 percent and 26 percent, respectively.

However, not to be forgotten, Chevy picked up 11 percent consideration and 26 percent purchase intent. Furthermore, while Buick hasn't acquired any consideration, its purchase intent came in at 19 percent.

Breaking the analysis down a bit further, Krebs noted that the Chevy Malibu has gained the most activity since the campaign's introduction, in addition to being "cross-shopped far more often" than import competitors such as the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima and Hyundai Sonata.

Other models capturing renewed interest include the Chevrolet Camaro and Tahoe, along with the GMC Yukon, Acadia and Sierra 1500.

"This program's message is a statement that GM has confidence in its products," said Jeremy Anwyl, chief executive officer for Edmunds.com.

"The company has come a long way in product development, but he brand has to overcome the negative perceptions in order to win more customers," he stated.

GM's new ad initiative will run Sept. 14 through Nov. 30.

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