More different

Continuing our discussion (here and here) with Seth Godin on his new book, All Marketers are Liars...

Seth, you talk about how Ford makes Jaguar, Volvo and Range Rover, and they even share parts with cars branded with the Ford name. But most people believe (or make themselves believe) the story that they are exotic cars. Car brands are usually brilliant at aligning with a customer lifestyle or worldview. So what do you think about the new GM badge that will go on the sidepanel of everything from Cadillacs, Saabs and Hummers to Chevys and Pontiacs? Seems like they're taking away the story for high-end buyers.

Seth replies...

GM should have a big DON'T sign on everything they do as a message for the rest of us. What a ridiculous idea (I hadn't heard it before).

I got a very, very angry note the other day because someone read in the  description of my book that the VW Touareg is made on the same assembly line as the Porsche Cayenne. People get upset when you tell them that they are believing a lie. But hey, someone has to do it.

If I ran GM, I'd figure out how to make the cars MORE different. Why doesn't the Saab have Swedish words on the non-essential controls? Why doesn't the Cadillac come with a better version of Onstar? Dollar for dollar, consumers spend more money on ridiculous stories for cars than anything else we buy. GM needs to learn before it's too late that they are NOT in the assembly line business. They are in the business of telling stories.

Comments

[peter]

Advice and comments welcome. I believe that our marketing language needs to change. Our simple price based call to action lacks a voice distinctive and unique and as a result plays little on the minds of our customers. Do you think that a bold approach is better or is this irresponsible?

[Scott Miller]

Jennifer, I 100% agree with Seth on this point. The car companies have been terrible at differentiating their nameplates, with too much overlap between them. With GM, for example, their used to be distinct ladder of brands (nameplates), moving up from the base Chevy to the Cadillac. Each step on the ladder represented a unique set of vehicles and features, and a unique point of prestige. GM motto when they started was: "A car for every purse and purpose."

What happened in the 50's and 60', though, is that the division lines blurred, and each wanted features and car types that were in divisions above and below them on the ladder, to expand the market of their own nameplate. And this has dramatically hurt GM. But, less so that might have been, because GM's competitors have fallen victim to the same lack of differentiation between divisions.

I'm seeing that Toyota and Lexus are now starting to cross over into each others territory a little, and this will prove to be a blunder in the long run. Brands are strongest when they are clearly focused, distinct, and offer a unique benefit that cannot be had elsewhere (such as features, looks, prestige, etc.).