One badge to rule them all: Chevy to unify model names globally
General Motors has proven it should be taken seriously in its efforts to harmonize its many global outposts into a single, coherent unit. The Opel-ifying of Saturn is the most obvious example, but Chevy, which is enjoying increased popularity in Europe, wants in on the globalization action, too. AutoWeek reports that GM's everyman brand wants to commonize its nameplates globally over the next couple of years. Right now the brand sells same models in various regions under different monikers. Our Chevy Aveo, for instance, is called the Kalos in Europe and the Lova in China. When Chevy introduces a brand new small car around the end of the decade, it will be known as the Aveo everywhere it's sold.
GM also plans to unify the marketing strategies and retail systems that sells Chevy brand vehicles worldwide. When the new Aveo was introduced around the world in 2006, for instance, it was accompanied in India by the slogan "An Indian Revolution", an obvious play on Chevy's own tagline here in the States, "An American Revolution". In the future, a global marketing council for Chevy with reps from each of the four biggest regions will decide on a unified brand message.
[Source: Autoweek via Winding Road]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
phil 6:16PM (3/22/2007)
In China: "A Cultural Revolution"
In Russia: "A Bolshevik Revolution"
...
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Nick 6:28PM (3/22/2007)
The French Revolution?
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SherbornSean 6:54PM (3/22/2007)
Is someone going to trot out the BS story about how the Nova sold poorly in Spain because it means it doesn't go?
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3cubedminus3squared 6:57PM (3/22/2007)
Sherborn, I was actually waiting for the one where someone says 'how is it an American Revolution if its a Daewoo?' But yours reminded me of a joke I heard on the Spanish radio a long time ago.
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Aaron 7:03PM (3/22/2007)
Sherborn, seems like YOU are the moron to bring it up this time.
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Stéphane Dumas 8:07PM (3/22/2007)
#3 seems then the Nova did well in others parts of Latin America, however for the Nova "doesn't go", it seem to be a urban legend http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/nova.asp
How about "A Worldwide Revolution"?
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Ben 8:05PM (3/22/2007)
What about cars that have names that don't make sense in the market they are being sold? Buick Lacrosse is the Allure in Canada because Lacrosse is a slang term for masturbation, for example....
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AAM 4:17AM (3/23/2007)
I'm glad 1 American car company is at least trying to get it together, finally.
Now what the heck is "Aveo" supposed to mean micro car?
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Lithous 10:13PM (3/22/2007)
"I was actually waiting for the one where someone says 'how is it an American Revolution if its a Daewoo?'"
http://people.csail.mit.edu/sfelshin/saintonge/frhist.html
So does that mean if us Americans had French troops fighting on our side that it shouldn't be called the "American Revolution"?
But you're pretty funny Mr. 3cubedminus3squaredminus18.
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Gerry 6:24PM (3/23/2007)
A NEW NAME FOR GM considering:
1. Aveo, 99% Korean, built by Daewoo
2. Metro, compliments of Suzuki
3. Prism, essentially a California-built Toyota Corolla
4. Tracker, another gift from Suzuki
5. Chevy Luv? Hello Isuzu
6. Seniors Avalanche & HHR, greetings from Mexico
7. Equinox, good for delivering Chinese food
8. Monte Carlo & Impala, OH CANADA!
9. Caddys with French cuisine, LA TRANSMISSION
10. Corvette, 20% of it is not even US or Canadian
11. GTO, shrimp on the barbi from Austrailia
12. Vibe, did I mean Matrix?
13. Vue, with a heart from Honda
Sounds like the Walmart of the Automotive World!
How does one put a name to a mongrel??????????
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Greg 4:34AM (7/19/2007)
Gerry , I completely get what you are saying. It's sad but true.................
3cubedminus3squared 10:52PM (3/22/2007)
Lithous, that was sarcasm. The way I see cars is, if it has a Chevy badge its a Chevy, therefore American. If it has a Toyota badge, its Japanese.
Besides this has nothing to do with any war at all.
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Lithous 11:24PM (3/22/2007)
"Lithous, that was sarcasm."
The problem is guys like Gerry above really believes (actually probably not but acts like it) that it is so bad for GM to sell an Aveo. Personally, I would not buy it but since profit king Toyota doesn't make the Yaris here nor Honda which doesn't make the Fit here (both in the same class) then one should assume there is a reason why they all aren't.
Out of 13 vehicles a guy/gal/other like Gerry brings up 5 aren't made anymore (Metro,Tracker,Luv,Prism,GTO) and one has a 4 cylinder engine option which isn't a Honda (VUE). But if people like him are going to go back years to vehicles not produced anymore then maybe we should compare all U.S. vehicles GM sold and where they were built over the last hundred years.
But he/she/it/other is right, since the Corvette isn't 100% American it would preferable to just axe the thousands of jobs that make up the nearly 80% of the parts in America. That would be smart. BTW, that is sarcasm too.
With all the dumb people out there sometimes I am a little quick to jump on comments that are what I am used to hearing on autoblog and other forums which aren't sarcastic but just being stupid so I like to clarify things sometimes.
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Elliott 8:42AM (3/23/2007)
Well... taking Gerry seriously for a moment, it has been suggested before that GM could change it's name from General Motors to Global Motors. Personally, I kind of like the idea and thought it was clever when BP did something similar to become Beyond Petroleum.
As far as unifying the chevy names, my only question is why now, why not 20 years ago?
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UpIrons 8:54AM (3/23/2007)
Wow, how much are these marketing people getting paid to come up with "An Indian Revolution" and such?
I think I like it better when they have to do their research to ensure that things like the "Burrito" don't happen (since I can't use the Nova story).
Explanation: Taco Bell Burrito doesn't sell well in Mexico because it literally means "small donkey".
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derrrrrrrr 9:38AM (3/23/2007)
"American Revolution" is a tag line used to get people buying the brand. Toyota uses a similar method by getting people to believe its an American brand...even though its not. Oh, and just because Toyota has a few factories here doesn't make it American.
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Jason 10:09AM (3/23/2007)
I cannot believe Chevy wants to be a global brand with the pieces of crap it makes. I like to see the Opel-ization of Saturn. The look of that Golden Bowtie across the world as a representation of America? It's like our current president serving as a representative of the American public.
Just my $0.02
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Fred 11:00AM (3/23/2007)
Aveo is already being used in some European markets like the Balkans, Eastern Europe and Ireland
http://www.chevrolet-hr.com/models/aveo_4d/index.htm
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Mr. Oak 10:43AM (3/23/2007)
Jason: Situation with the current President is a sad reality.
On the global Chevy thing? I'm all for it, as long as GM continues down the current path towards "WORLD CLASS" cars.
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