General Motors' Fastlane blog -- success, or failure?
Demir Barlas wrote a breakdown on the FastLane Blog, General Motors'
online journal. Barlas gave positive marks to the blog itself, finding it easy to navigate and brimming with plenty of
articulate writers with diverse views. However, Barlas asserts, if GM is using the blog as a marketing tool, Fastlane Blog fails miserably. Barlas displays some of the comments by its readership, raw and unfiltered, much of it critical of the General. He then moves on to speculate if the blog is a 'failure of a success': that is, its relative merit depends on what the automaker intended to get out of it. If FastLane is meant to gather customer opinion and change business practice, then 'it is a failure.' But if it's a vehicle to hear from customers, then the blog is successful.
What's your opinion about Fastlane Blog and Barlas' article?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
glacia00 1:26PM (3/26/2006)
The blog is an outlet for the kind of feelings a lot of devoted American car buyers are now feeling. We went above and beyond for many years supporting American car makers.
We waited and hoped and laid down our money. We were hoping that US car companies could pull it together. But what we see is that they're not even trying to meet us half way. They're trying hard to pretend there isn't even a problem.
The execs at GM and other US car makers are simply putting their feet up on their desks and doing their time until the companies fail. Regardless of what ANY executive in ANY US automaker says he or she does not care. They are fat lazy and overpaid and I refuse to give one more dollar to them. I have done everything I can for 30 years and they are either unwilling or unable to fix the mess they created. I say let them fail.
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Michael Karesh 1:51PM (3/26/2006)
Just opening up a quasi-dialogue is bound to improve public perception, at least among those who go to the blog. It's always nice to get a real sense of the people running the company.
Unfortunately, where I'd say the blog is a failure is not the comments but the blog entries themselves. They're too full of positive spin and too lacking in the personalities of the executives who supposedly write them. As a result, I rarely visit that blog.
Granted, it would be difficult to make the blog anything but what it is. Executives cannot even mildly criticize their own products. But an open, honest assessment of other relevant issues would be nice to see.
The executive summary of my report to GM based on nearly two years spent inside its product development organization:
http://www.truedelta.com/execsum.php
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Jason Boston 2:50PM (3/26/2006)
I have an idea! All the bitchy anti-GM ranters we have to listen to can direct their emotional problems at the creator of those problems. I'm so tired of that law guy and the other Jason and the repeat team of Asian flag wavers. Talk about cars here, facts, thrills, the ride, the power, the look, something than this friggn xenophile warring. Please go away from here and get onto this GM site and get yourselves heard by someone who cares.
Sorry, I had to vent, thanks.
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Howard Kerr 4:26PM (3/26/2006)
A couple of months ago I read about Fastlane on another website and went and took a look. Like many of the other respondents, I thought it was a bunch of self-serving puffery. When you author a blog that is filled to overflowing with sunny outlooks, where EVERYTHING in your (the author's) universe is peachy keen, it puts the reliability of the author and his words in doubt. I can't help thinking that Mr. Lutz and Mr. Bush are two peas in a pod....NOTHING is ever as bad as everyone else seems to think, and IF something is going wrong....it's someone elses fault.
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Dave 4:28PM (3/26/2006)
No matter what the topic of the entry is, the comments always end up with people saying... I WANT A REAR WHEEL DRIVE CAR and I WANT A CAMARO.
Funny thing is, that just like the GTO, the people wanting it (middle age guys) will not actually buy it because they have a family and need the minivan.
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Nat 6:51PM (3/26/2006)
I think the anti-anti-gm-bashers are starting to get worse than those they are so annoyed by. Get a grip people.
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Rene Curry 8:26PM (3/26/2006)
I think it's a success...
Take value pricing for example. It is noted on Autoblog today that value pricing is starting to be a success for GM. Readers/writers said that all along. They blasted the Red Tag sale. Someone was listening, or at least the readers were on the right side.
Read the blog "All of your ideas". They note items like extended warranties, dealership experience, badging, the like. I want to think the readers help the boardroom put a few items higher on their "MUST DO" list.
Also, I would guess that they got many good ideas that were kept for themselves and not posted.
Sure the blog entries are slanted, but they have to be. Top executives are on the firing line just like politicians. However it is a good format to throw out a discussion item and see where it goes. Give them credit that they did not remove the negative posts. If they did it would discredit the blog. Same here.
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New Sweden 9:34PM (3/26/2006)
A SUCCESS! They were first among the vehicle producers to get out blogging. It was a brave decision to take. If they would stretch it even further they should allow the employees to have their bloggers corner as well and highlight and promote employee that do some good blogging as well. I see no problem in this. There's got to be faith and trust towards the employees that do want to make a change. The environment should be open and filled with respect. I understand that there are some concerns about employees that blog could hurt the brand but with a good written blogging policy and strategy it can only fall out good.
It's a good and inovative initiative from whoever made the decision for this to happen.
Cheers for Fastlane and jeers for the other brands who wasnt first on this.
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Count of Monte Christo 7:27AM (3/27/2006)
So the conclusion whether it's a success or failure is one's PERCEPTION?!! That's some milquetoast conclusion. You have to be kidding me.
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Dave Lawson 8:08AM (3/27/2006)
Anything that gets people talking about the company or product is good for the company. Strangely, even bad press is good press, to a certain point.
Someone said (and I paraphrase here) that they'd rather be thought of badly than not thought of at all. This applies here too.
Personally, I think GM has done a good thing with their blog. They have taken the high road and allowed the naysayers and the middle aged mini-van buyers who proclaim their earthly desire for one more round of Camaro's to have a place to talk about GM.
I'm willing to bet that no other OEM will take up the torch that GM has on this one. I say 'cheers' to GM and wish them the best. I'm not usually a huge GM supporter in terms of vehicles offered (yea...the Sky did change that) but I'll definitely give credit for GM having the guts to do what they've done. I'm only disappointed that they haven't got more airplay on this. Perhaps in time.....
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Craig Parslow 5:18PM (3/27/2006)
Ahem...Dave!!
Most of us "middle age drivers" are past the minivan stage in life. Either we are watching our own kids come over for a visit in their minivans, or we never had kids in the first place, but regardless, we have little or no mortgage left on our homes to pay off allowing us "middle aging drivers" to have some fun now! I don't want a Camaro, but my only hope is to see the new Challenger come out unaltered for 2009. If it does, I will most definitely order one to my liking. Going back to 1970, us middle agers made do with a bare-bones full size 4door sedan, or were still in school unable to afford one. This is a 'second time around' for the original muscle cars, and I'm not going to let my chance slide away this time to special order one brand new!!
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