Pontiac puts its faith in the internet
Pontiac has been revamping its brand, cutting the ass-ugly (Aztek, Montana) and adding the badass (G8, Solstice GXP). There's a strong desire to shift the median buyer age down. The effort's already underway, and has seen some success thus far, but Pontiac wants the coveted younger buyer. In the interest of getting the Pontiac name in front of their intended buyer, the division is actually cutting back on traditional advertising efforts. Huh? Well, how many 20-somethings do you know who watch Dateline? Right.
Think of it as a one-two punch from Pontiac. The first part is creating compelling product, which we've all been watching intently. The line's been purged of bad ideas, and a strong styling direction has taken hold. Excitement surrounds the launch of the G8 sedan, and the G6 has made us forget all about vehicles like the Sunfire. Okay, the G5 isn't helping matters, but the rest of the lineup is eye-catching and well turned out. Some brand watchers knock Pontiac for not retaining owners over the last ten years, but the brand has undergone some considerable change. We'd expect that buyers turned on by the Trans Sport aren't the same people that get excited by the impending awesomeness that is the G8.
[Source: Advertising Age]
Traditional broadcast media isn't being totally avoided, but Pontiac wants to be part of the content if it's going to be on TV. Witness the tie-in with Jimmy Kimmel, where musical guests are part of a Pontiac-branded showcase. Pontiac also has an ongoing relationship with the NCAA, and they've spread their partnership with college sports across game broadcasts, as well as integrating into the online aspect of those properties. There's an increasing push to an online presence for Pontiac, which is a shrewd move considering how integral the internets are to younger people.
It's really just advertising in a new and emergent medium. Buying banner ads is one thing, but Pontiac's taking an active part in Second Life, as well as a tie in with Halo 3. During the Halo promotion, traffic to Pontiac.com increased twenty percent, indicating that while the advertising budget is down this year, the money is being effectively spent. Now that the model line has generated buzz with impending arrival of what could be a bargain priced Euro-stomper, we'll have to see if it's all enough to turn a decade-long sales slide around.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Darrell 10:13AM (11/16/2007)
That Dateline line isn't necessarily true. There's "To Catch a Predator," which is has college following. Lol, but I went to the auto show here in Orlando and checked out the G6 GXP and it looks worlds better in person than in print, especially in black
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Slade 10:20AM (11/16/2007)
Now if they made the hard top version of the Solstice I'd be a happy camper. Because that had some really nice lines. GM get a move on. The world is passing you by.
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nissanfreak87 10:27AM (11/16/2007)
I'd never buy a car because of an ad on the internet, no internet ad has made me the least bit interested in a product. Why? because they're annoying, TV spots on popular shows are the way to advertise, not on websites.
but I am interested in buying a Pontiac because they're coming out with awesome cars.
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AdamVIP 10:37AM (11/16/2007)
The people on this site arnt easily swayed by simple ads. We are the type to look at all the numbers and swoon the car with the best stats.
I own a solstice GXP. I love it. I think the styling is great, the power is great and it throws responsibility out the window. I dont need cargo room
nissanfreak87 10:45AM (11/16/2007)
screw practicality! Sports Cars rule!
rndmnme 10:26AM (11/16/2007)
Now if they can just get rid of Bucky the Beaver. I have seen that car in person. I think it's an abomination that's worse than the Aztek, because it's a decent car for the numbers, completely ruined by the looks. At least the Aztek was unappealing overall, looks aside.
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Bling Boy 10:29AM (11/16/2007)
Pontiac needs a new styling direction in my view...That "Bird look" , associated with the G6 and the Grand Prix are sooo 1990s...And GM should cut back on the rental fleet sales to car rental companies..This should sure-up the resale values on those babies...
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Ryan J. 10:34AM (11/16/2007)
This article is TEXTBOOK of what lured me back to Pontiac. The cars they are coming out with a freekin' sweet! This led me to check out the trendy new website as well as hit the showroom floor. My new loaded Torrent GXP is rolling down the assembly line this week; I CAN'T WAIT to get it in a few weeks! 0-60 in 6.9 seconds, AWD, 264 HP, 3500 lbs. towing, racy exterior / interior... YUM!
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Andrew 1:49PM (11/16/2007)
That's a very nice vehicle Ryan. I'm an engineering student at that factory and we were all blown away by how nice it is. From the interior to the exterior to the performance, it's very sweet. We're commited to quality at our plant so be sure to let us know if you find something wrong with your new ride.
big L 1:00PM (11/16/2007)
"impending awesomeness"??? Re-write!!!
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Bob-omb 10:39AM (11/16/2007)
"and the G6 has made us forget all about vehicles like the Sunfire."
What a joke. My 90's Cavalier had less problems in its 130,000 miles than our G6 has had in 30,000. Pontiac has to change a hell of a lot more than its advertising.
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VP 10:42AM (11/16/2007)
55,000 miles so far on my G6. Not a single problem yet.
Jon 10:55AM (11/16/2007)
The two words that have me interested in buying a new Poncho......G 8
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rndmnme 11:46AM (11/16/2007)
I wasn't aware G and 8 were words so much as they were letters and numbers.
Now, if you say it like this....
Geeee (RRR) Eight, you might have something there.
Jon 1:24PM (11/16/2007)
touche'
Frank 11:09AM (11/16/2007)
Wow that thing is bad ass.. I would buy one of those in a heartbeat
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RicardoHead 11:06AM (11/16/2007)
I always thought it was hilariously stupid how GM and Ford would advertise a lot on networks that continually ran anti-GM/Ford elements in their news or magazine shows. They'd spend billions each year when they could just pull the ads and let the network-wankers starve.
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Willem B 11:13AM (11/16/2007)
I happen to love my sunfire...
200k miles no problems... just add oil, gas, and tires, and brake pads...
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the marais 11:14AM (11/16/2007)
Pontiac needs to ditch the G5, overhaul the G6, and merge the Torrent onto the Vue platform pronto -- those cars are dragging down the brand image.
Unfortunately, if the G6 is going to ride the FWD/AWD Epsilon II platform of the Vectra/Malibu/Aura, it may still be several years before it gets revamped completely.
However, if the G6 will share some sub-CTS global RWD platform, things could be much more interesting.
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Jeff 1:30PM (11/16/2007)
Torrent is already discontinued for next year. The G5 will be switching to the RWD compact Alpha platform unless CAFE stops it.