Filed under: Coupes, Marketing/Advertising, Pontiac
Pontiac G5 Coupe advertising online only
Pontiac is trying a new tactic to get the word out about its new G5 Coupe. Every single ad dollar earmarked for promoting the car will be spent on online. Pontiac's marketing director Mark-Hans Richer calls it "a radical experiment". While online-only advertising may not raise Pontiac's brand awareness among consumers like a traditional TV spot, it does allow the brand to target the youth male audience at which the G5 Coupe is aimed more effectively. Plus, it's a lot cheaper than buying a primetime TV spot and producing a commercial. The online ad campaigh will run through at least the end of the year, and while it's too early to judge its success, Automotive News reports that the G5 Coupe has already exceeded its sales goal for August by 185 percent. That number could also be attributed to how much Pontiac dealers were starved for a small car after the Sunfire was discontinued.
[Source: Automotive News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Keith 7:21PM (8/28/2006)
Probably not a bad idea.
Imagine how much Internet add space a 30 second commercial during '24' or the like would buy you.
Good luck Pontiac...and lets see some RWD cars!
Reply
Paul 7:24PM (8/28/2006)
I think it's a great idea. It seems like 2 out of every 3 TV ads I see is for a car...they all kinda blend together and none of them really sticks out. Online is way more appropriate for this car, and more budget-friendly as well.
Reply
Lee Gibson 7:35PM (8/28/2006)
So...the G5? That's a Cobalt, but with a different nameplate on it? And their biggest concern is how to spend their advertising budget?
Righto.
Reply
laserwizard 8:01PM (8/28/2006)
Pontiac exceeded its sales projections by 185% in August. Guess Pontiac is now playing the George W. Bush style of low expectations making mediocrity look less, well, mediocre! Bravo!
Sadly, there are idiots out there who will buy this vehicle - not much better than the Sunfire when it was really a Chevrolet Monza.
But, then again, like my sales manager used to say, there is an ass for every seat! (the thought of the ass that would find a Pontiac appealing will give me nightmares)
Reply
Wildcat0695 8:11PM (8/28/2006)
No thanks, I'll just opt for the real Cobalt, not some rebadged thingamajiggy.
Reply
dave 8:36PM (8/28/2006)
lazerwizard, don't you get tired of being an idiot? we all know by now what a moron you can be so wander off into the sunset and shut up. you have no clue or credibility, as every chance you get you try to slam gm. grow up, or better yet, get on your 1950's peddle car and peddle down the dan ryan expressway during rush hour.
Reply
Michael Karesh 8:52PM (8/28/2006)
I'm waiting for sales figures before taking the time to enter this one into my database. Anyone out there interested in how the G5's price compares?
If I get requests or they manage to sell 1500 per month, I'll add it.
http://www.truedelta.com
Reply
Michael Karesh 8:53PM (8/28/2006)
The minimal ad support only confirms the rationale for this car: Give Buick-Pontiac dealers a small car in case people come in looking for one, but limit public exposure so it cannot further degrade the image of the Pontiac brand.
Reply
Jiminy Cricket 9:09PM (8/28/2006)
Online advertising is easily tracked which is a good way to show return for advertising dollars spent. I just hope they don't use those annoying javascript ads on every website. They would do better to use Google AdWords or sponsor a forum or something low key. Also some kind of theme web advertising like Chevy is currently doing with the Avalanche.
I always found that web advertising is best suited with some kind of corresponding magazine ad, but they may not have the budget to do this. It will be interesting to see the results.
Reply
Poe 10:04PM (8/28/2006)
"Sadly, there are idiots out there who will buy this vehicle - not much better than the Sunfire when it was really a Chevrolet Monza."
Um... that would be the Pontiac SunBIRD, not Sunfire. If' you're going to make pointless insults, at least get your facts straight.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Monza
Reply
epp_b 10:12PM (8/28/2006)
["So...the G5? That's a Cobalt, but with a different nameplate on it? And their biggest concern is how to spend their advertising budget?"]
Actually, it's the Cobalt SS (non-supercharged) with a different name plate.
Reply
Jay 11:19PM (8/28/2006)
I'm not a fan of rebadging efforts (who is?), but I must say it's a better-looking car than the Cobalt. If I was in the market, I'd take this over the Cobalt because of that and the fact you won't see yourself coming and going.
Reply
gkz 11:29PM (8/28/2006)
dave, i'd say you're the idiot. to defend gm for rebadging a crappy little cobalt is assinine.
being a blanket apologist for gm is no better than hating them for no reason.
platform sharing is fine, slapping on a new grill and light clusters and claiming a new model is an inexcusable chickensh!t thing for ANY car company to do... chickensh!t just like your post, which didn't contain a single word or phrase relevant to the topic at hand
Reply
Whoopaw 11:36PM (8/28/2006)
Go LOOK at one of these. I did. It was unintentional.
We were turning around in the Pontiac/Buick lot,
and I saw one of these( this was about 3 weeks ago).
I was amazed at the workmanship, because, it appear as if the car had been wrecked, and fixed haphazzardly!
The hood was misaligned, and had a big gap on one side, and tight fit on the passenger side!
Worst quality on any new car I had ever seen!
Go look!
You may get lucky, and find one where the panels, hood, fit close engouhg you have to look from 6 feet away to find flaws, vs our 12 feet(did not even get out fo the car, and could see major flaws. wish I had the camera that day, to post it on the net!).
I have seen Chinense cars on the net with better fitting panels/hoods.
Reply
Bill 2:06AM (8/29/2006)
Hey dave, at least lazerwizard's 1950's pedal car is more reliable than this Pontiac rebadged Cobalt
Reply
Miyoshi 3:29AM (8/29/2006)
Dood, that so looks like a Cobalt.
Pontiac, stop trying to fake the funk and go back to the Sunfire roots. Be your own person and stop trying to act like Chevy all the time.
Reply
Corey W. 4:35AM (8/29/2006)
"But, then again, like my sales manager used to say, there is an ass for every seat! (the thought of the ass that would find a Pontiac appealing will give me nightmares)"
LOL!! It's so desperate and lame when you have to add on or explain the quote.
Here's one for you... To each his own!!
"Go LOOK at one of these. I did. It was unintentional.
We were turning around in the Pontiac/Buick lot..."
Yes and you were also at the house when JonBenet was killed, right!! Next time take some pictures, you sound like every other tired GM basher.
Not defending GM on this level of badge engineering, but the G5 was a quick fix for Pontiac lack of a small car. A completed redesigned G5 will be released, but with GM trying to do so much at the same time, who knows when that will happen.
Reply
Jack of Shadows 6:24AM (8/29/2006)
Rebadging cars, hmmmmmmmmmm. Since I'm an old man, I can remember going to Canada and seeing Plymouths with Dodge rear ends and Dodges with Plymouth rearends.
The Ford in Canada was sold as the Meteor.
It's been going on a long time, kids.
When "you're" 65, you've seeen it all.
Reply
Richard Warren 7:22AM (8/29/2006)
Well, know what's funny?
Pontiac in July was GM's second highest sales division.
Above the much loved:
Saturn 64,691 year to date
Saab 17,928 year to date
Or even Cadillac 85,208
For a total of 167,867
Pontiac came in at 198,686 Hmmmmm, 3 to one.
#14 "it appear as if the car had been wrecked, and fixed haphazzardly!" Ever consider a poorly done dealer performed transportation claim?
#18 Yep, age does that, rebadging has been going on for a long long time.
Reply
Josiah 8:34AM (8/29/2006)
Dear GM,
Welcome to teh Interweb!
I'm happy Pontiac is finally living in the future (albeit 1999)
Reply