Autoblog

REPORT: One week after announcing GM departure, Mark LaNeve surfaces at Allstate

Chris Shunk — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Marketing/Advertising, GM

When word got out that Mark LaNeve (right) was leaving General Motors effective October 15, we weren't at all sure where the soon-to-be-former exec was heading. The Wall Street Journal has finally let the cat out of the bag, reporting that LaNeve is leaving the auto business for a marketing gig at Allstate. LaNeve will sign on as the overseer of all marketing initiatives including brand stewardship, strategy and advertising, reporting only to CEO Thomas Wilson.

LaNeve leaves GM after five years as vice president of marketing and advertising. LaNeve was usurped by the General's own Bob Lutz, who semi-retired in April only to come back a couple months later to help strengthen the company's marketing and advertising initiatives. He is is being replaced as vice-president of U.S. sales by former Buick-GMC boss Susan Docherty.

While his new post at Allstate may not be as glamorous a job as being a VP at a major automaker, the insurer has recently made some hefty profits. The WSJ says Allstate raked in big bucks in the second quarter, after earlier getting hit hard by the economic downturn. In other words, LaNeve's company car perks might not be as generous, but he appears to be in Good Hands.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal | Image: Bill Pugliano/Getty]

REPORT: One week after announcing GM departure, Mark LaNeve surfaces at Allstate originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BREAKING: Mark LaNeve leaving GM effective October 15

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, GM

Mark LaNeve, General Motors' head of U.S. sales, is reportedly set to leave the company on October 15th. LaNeve had been appointed GM North America vice president of marketing and advertising back in September of 2004 after starting his career as the brand manager for the now-defunct Pontiac Bonneville.

A quick glance at our monthly By the Numbers series of posts will show that GM's sales figures here in the States have been in a downward spiral for a good long time, so perhaps the company decided some fresh blood was needed.

At this point, GM has not yet announced a replacement for LaNeve, though Jim Bunnell, executive director of sales operations, will reportedly continue to lead the automaker's dealership consolidation plans. It's also not clear if The General will look outside its own operations or attempt to recruit from within for his replacement.

In an email sent to GM employees, company head Fritz Henderson had this to say regarding LaNeve's departure:

Mark has contributed significantly to GM in several key positions, including transforming the Cadillac brand and leading the vehicle sales, service and marketing organization during one of the most challenging periods in GM's history. Please join me in thanking Mark for his dedication and wishing him and his family well. A replacement for Mark will be named at a later date.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd | Photo: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images]

BREAKING: Mark LaNeve leaving GM effective October 15 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bob Lutz unhappy with new Buick campaign?

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Buick, GM, Lexus

Buick LaCrosse "Photo Shoot" ad - Click the image above to view the video after the jump

Looks like there could be too many cooks in the Buick PR kitchen, and the soup is looking worried. For the new GM to get on its feet, Buick has to find its feet. To do that, Buick has created a number of ad campaigns meant to showcase its new product and bring new, younger buyers to the brand. One of the commercials in the campaign is called "Photo Shoot," and according to a report, the recently empowered VP of marketing, Bob Lutz, isn't particularly pleased with the spot.

Both Lutz and GM CEO Fritz Henderson don't believe the commercial positions Buick as a luxury brand that competes with Lexus. They have told GM's ad agency, Leo Burnett, that it needs to do better. However -- and here's where it gets convoluted -- the ad was created by an independent shop that Leo Burnett was told to hire to do the work. Mark LaNeve, GM's head of marketing, allegedly instructed Burnett to hire Gary Topolewski, a former creative director at Burnett who worked with LaNeve on Cadillac's Break Through ad campaign, and who now runs another ad agency.

The other character in the middle of all of this is Buick VP Susan Docherty, who defended the commercial. She said it fulfills its role of promoting a revamped Buick brand, adding that she looks "forward to working with Bob and sharing spots two through six with him." Follow the jump to watch the commercial, and you can decide if it makes you put the word "Buick" in the same sentence with "Lexus."

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Continue reading Bob Lutz unhappy with new Buick campaign?

Bob Lutz unhappy with new Buick campaign? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM marketing boss Mark LaNeve apparently unaware that diesel is now cheaper than gas

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Diesel

Over the last several years, we've heard a lot of excuses from many auto executives as to why their companies aren't offering diesel engines in their American market cars. Yesterday, General Motors' Mark LaNeve, the company's vice president of sales and marketing, made an appearance on C-SPAN's Washington Journal. The final question of the segment came from a viewer wondering why GM has failed to offer U.S. consumers the chance to buy some of the high-mileage diesel cars it offers in Europe.

It would appear that LaNeve might have done better to take a pass on the question. Instead of talking about the cost of making those diesels meet U.S. emissions regulations or the difficulty in helping Americans overcome the misconceptions about the fuel, he claimed that no one has successfully cracked the diesel passenger nut in the U.S. (which based on VW's May sales appears to be wrong). More startlingly, LaNeve went on to claim that diesel is $1.25 a gallon more expensive than gasoline. According to the Energy Information Agency, the national average for diesel this week is $2.35 / gallon while regular gas is $2.52 or $0.17 more than diesel. Admittedly, the fact that diesel is now cheaper than 87 octane gas is a recent development (a trend that nobody is sure how long it will last), but - going on national television and quoting outdated fuel prices as a reason for your bankrupt company's business decisions... well, that doesn't strike us as a terribly hot idea.

You can hear the question and response at 20:30 into the video replay over at C-SPAN.

[Source: C-SPAN]

GM marketing boss Mark LaNeve apparently unaware that diesel is now cheaper than gas originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM could renew Total Confidence program in May

Dan Roth — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:57:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, GM, Earnings/Financials

A bit of positive news about General Motors: April sales were up 15% compared to March. GM Sales and Marketing Vice President Mark LaNeve notes that April is typically worse for sales than March and credits GM's Total Confidence program for the reversal.

Since Hyundai rolled out its Assurance gambit, GM and Ford Motor Company has hopped into the game with similar programs. GM's Total Confidence will foot the bill for nine monthly payments of $500 or less, and also helps buyers who might be upside down when it comes time to trade. Needing to close every single sale it can, GM is reportedly looking at extending the Total Confidence program beyond its original wrap-up at the end of April. It also doesn't hurt that GM's product lineup is stronger than it has been in years, and if it can build momentum, May might see a similar upward tilt in sales.

[Source: Automotive News - subs. req.]

GM could renew Total Confidence program in May originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: GM shrinking to four brands; Pontiac to four models

Chris Tutor — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 07:58:00 EST

Filed under: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn

In an interview Sunday with Automotive News (sub. req'd), Troy Clarke, GM's North American president, said that General Motors will be able to make good on its promise to Congress to drastically cut costs. Clarke said that GM will now focus its "product and marketing resources" on Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC. That would leave Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and HUMMER in automotive limbo. As part of that same plan presented to lawmakers, GM said it would sell or close Saturn. And since no one has yet stepped forward with cash, the future is not at all certain for the unique brand despite what GM's marketing VP Mark LaNeve says.

In a separate interview, Bob Lutz told AN that Pontiac will also have to get by with only four models: the G8, G5, Vibe and Solstice. Or five models if you count the Solstice coupe separately as Lutz does. Shrinking the brand would complete yet another promise GM made to Congress to make Pontiac a niche brand.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Official: GM shrinking to four brands; Pontiac to four models originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM to delay dealer incentive payments

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:31:00 EST

Filed under: GM, Earnings/Financials

From November 28 to December 11, GM is holding back incentive payments to dealers, including dealer cash and customer cash. Why? in the words of Mark LaNeve, GM's VP of North American sales, because "Anytime you can delay any kind of a payment, it helps cash flow" And cash is probably the most important four-letter word in any GM dictionary.

The withheld payments don't cover all the monies that GM sends to dealers, just various incentives. According to Automotive News' numbers, the two weeks of extra cash could let GM hold on to an extra $300 million. If GM needs $14 billion per month to operate, $300 million would extend the lifeline by... almost another day. Payments after December 11 would resume on a weekly basis, but with the new two-week delay, something like an employee paycheck. GM discussed the plan with the National Dealer Council beforehand and, unsurprisingly, the council understood. Follow the jump to read LaNeve's letter to dealers.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Continue reading GM to delay dealer incentive payments

GM to delay dealer incentive payments originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LaNeve says that Chevy ads must change

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 15:49:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet

"Like a Rock" might now refer to how quickly Chevy drops its long-time advertising agency if it doesn't get with the program. According to Advertising Age, GM marketing chief Mark LaNeve sent a stern message to Campbell-Ewald, the agency responsible for the bulk of Chevy's ads since 1922. LaNeve's message? Chevrolet is a "smart choice" and shoppers need to know it. With stagnant sales and a $756 million ad budget, the company needs results and LeNeve apparently thinks this is the way to get them: open a can of whoop-ass under business partners that may be getting complacent.

LaNeve has a good point. The quality of American cars has increased greatly in recent times, but prices have remained fairly steady. He thinks car buyers need to be told that choosing a Chevy is a "smart choice" because you're not paying a premium for buying Japanese.

Reshaping attitudes can be difficult, however. Many people still believe American cars are inherently inferior than their Japanese competition. Whether through personal experience or second-hand information, some buyers feel Japanese, and increasingly Korean cars, are somehow better. We're not sure how much one ad agency can do to fix that, but simple grids with features and prices won't cut it anymore. Maybe a move like parking Accords and Camrys in Chevy dealerships will help, but only if the dealers can get people to try them out. And if the product is truly competitive.

[Source: Advertising Age]

LaNeve says that Chevy ads must change originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Jun 2007 15:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Making it official: Saturn Astra confirmed by GM

Alex Nunez — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 07:53:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Hatchback, Saturn

At a GM function Autoblog attended Wednesday night, Mark LaNeve, in his remarks to the assembled media, mentioned the Astra by name when responding to a question about Saturn. That was the first time we'd heard anyone from GM refer to the forthcoming Ion replacement by its Opel moniker in a Saturn context, and given LaNeve's stature, we took notice. We caught up with him later on and asked if "Saturn Astra" was indeed the official name, and he responded that it was being "heavily considered."

Well, he certainly wasn't kidding, as Thursday brought the official announcement that the new hatch will retain the Astra branding. When you consider that the name was kept for both the Holden and Vauxhall versions, this isn't really a big surprise. With the Ion being the the stylistic horror show that it was (this writer maintains that the Dodge Caliber looks like a Lamborghini Miura by comparison), saddling its replacement with the old name would have been the marketing equivalent of draping an albatross around its neck right out of the gate.

More commentary, plus GM's official announcement after the jump. Read on!

[Source: GM]

Continue reading Making it official: Saturn Astra confirmed by GM

Making it official: Saturn Astra confirmed by GM originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Dec 2006 07:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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General Motors planning to keep Saab, Hummer

Chris Paukert — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 13:06:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Marketing/Advertising, Hummer, Saab, Earnings/Financials

Mark LaNeve is out to put the kybosh on any notion that General Motors has designs on folding Saab and/or Hummer in its bid for solvency. The automaker's head of North American sales and marketing noted in a conference call that the two brands are "intrinsically woven" into GM's global outlook.

While Hummer has been experiencing growth and turning a profit, the General's Swedish outpost has been awash in red ink for many years. With a lack of fresh product and a clear brand identity, Saab has been on the 'Will-They/Won't-They' Ferris wheel of brand consolidation speculation for as long as the discussion of portfolio tightening has been taking place.

[Source: News.com.au]

General Motors planning to keep Saab, Hummer originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Mar 2006 13:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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