Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[REPORT: Cadillac quietly unveils new, old-look logo]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/13/report-cadillac-quietly-unveils-new-old-look-logo/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/13/report-cadillac-quietly-unveils-new-old-look-logo/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/13/report-cadillac-quietly-unveils-new-old-look-logo/#commentsFiled under: , ,



As with its model line, Cadillac has performed surgery on its logo. The previous logo, at right, was a sleek bit of matte color and metal unveiled in 1999 as a result of Cadillac wanting a new icon to represent its "art & science" campaign. The aim was "to combine suggestions of high technology and elegance through faceted shapes-inspired by the stealth fighter and by gemstones." Sure.

The new logo cranks up the texture effect on the wreath, adds texture inside the crest, and plays up the embossing and light effects of the crest edge. It's new, but it's got a shiny bit of retro about it that we don't mind.

Cadillac doesn't appear to have said anything about it, and while it appears on the 60-day Guarantee site we can't tell if it's made it onto Caddy's official plot of the interwebs. The real test, though, will be how it looks when it makes it onto the cars. Thanks for the tip, Scott!

[Source: Under Consideration]

Continue reading REPORT: Cadillac quietly unveils new, old-look logo

REPORT: Cadillac quietly unveils new, old-look logo originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brandingcadillaccadillac logoCadillacLogodesigngeneral motorsGeneralMotorsgmlogoTue, 13 Oct 2009 08:58:00 EST<![CDATA[REPORT: The Blake Project offers $100k worth of free brand consultancy to GM]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/28/the-blake-project-offers-100k-worth-of-free-brand-consultancy-t/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/28/the-blake-project-offers-100k-worth-of-free-brand-consultancy-t/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/28/the-blake-project-offers-100k-worth-of-free-brand-consultancy-t/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



General Motors is probably swimming in ideas and getting another thousand offers every day on how to turn the company around - there are fifteen pages of responses on the Tell Fritz site alone, and those are just the questions the GM CEO has answered. Add the company's recent advertising issues to that, and the internal suggestion box is most likely brimming as well.

Enter The Blake Project, a brand consultancy firm that is offering GM $100,000 worth of time for free. That won't include economy travel expenses, but will include a day with the firm's three-man team of Jack Trout, Brad VanAudken, and Mark Ritson, to "share insights, ideas and expertise."

What might those insights and ideas be? Some of them were looked at in a piece called "New Brand Strategies for GM." The first task given is to define the brands, e.g., Chevrolet should stand for something like "Good value, variety and heritage," instead of "big, small, expensive, cheap, truck, van or sports car." Buick should "stop making cheap Buicks," and Cadillac "can never be a prestige car. The fancy imports dominate that category." Is that glimpse worth setting aside a day of GM's time? If anyone at the General thinks so, click the link below...

[Source: Branding Strategy Insider]

REPORT: The Blake Project offers $100k worth of free brand consultancy to GM originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advertisingbrandingbuickcadillacchevroletconsultinggeneral motorsGeneralMotorsgmgmcmarketingTue, 28 Jul 2009 14:29:00 EST<![CDATA[REPORT: Saab, USA snag 500,000 players with <i>Burn Notice</i> online game]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/21/report-saab-usa-networks-snag-500-000-to-play-burn-notice-on/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/21/report-saab-usa-networks-snag-500-000-to-play-burn-notice-on/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/21/report-saab-usa-networks-snag-500-000-to-play-burn-notice-on/#commentsFiled under: , ,



GM has been heavy in the entertainment sponsorship game, with a variety of scripted programs, award shows, and movies at some point being tied to GM product. Bumblebee has undoubtedly paid dividends for the new Camaro, and now the spy drama "Burn Notice," on USA Network, has done something of the same for Saab.

An online game called "Covert Ops" was created that mirrored the show's plot line, featuring the main character, Michael Westen, driving around Miami in a Saab 9-3 droptop. Over the course of eight weeks, the game got more and more popular, with a final tally of 50,000 registered users and 500,000 unique visitors having tooled around in the virtual car by the time it was all was said done.

With those kinds of numbers, that means Saab was exposed to nearly 25 times the number of people who actually bought Saabs all of last year. GM hasn't said whether it will continue Saab promotion on the show, but for the moment you can still get your game on.

[Source: Ad Age]

REPORT: Saab, USA snag 500,000 players with Burn Notice online game originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 Mar 2009 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advertisingbrandingburn noticeBurnNoticecable televisionCableTelevisionlifestylemarketingsaabsaab 9-3saab 9-3 convertibleSaab9-3Saab9-3Convertibletelevisionusa networkUsaNetworkSat, 21 Mar 2009 11:04:00 EST<![CDATA[Tata Nano may be branded a Fiat in overseas markets]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/24/tata-nano-may-be-branded-a-fiat-in-overseas-markets/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/24/tata-nano-may-be-branded-a-fiat-in-overseas-markets/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/24/tata-nano-may-be-branded-a-fiat-in-overseas-markets/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Click above to view more images of the Tata Nano

Fiat and Tata already have a joint venture to distribute commercial vehicles. If they can do the big stuff, why not the little stuff? Tata and Fiat are looking at an agreement to sell the Tata Nano outside of India in markets where Fiat has a strong presence.

If the deal goes through, and once the car is upgraded to meet Western standards, Tata can take advantage of the Fiat name, marketing, and dealer network. Fiat would probably have a big seller on its hands -- and a slice of every one -- since the car is still expected to maintain a healthy price advantage even after it gets beefed up.

The Tata, however, is not expected to come to the U.S. as a Fiat. Ratan Tata said, ""We have held talks about the Nano being marketed in markets where Fiat has already a strong presence." Frankly, America isn't one of those places yet. With Tata making such a big splash over here with Jaguar, they probably wouldn't need Fiat to help the brand. Still, the thought of a Fiat 500 and a Nano snuggling in the corner of a dealership would be too cute to miss. Thanks for the tip, Yash!

Gallery: Tata Nano


[Source: Economic Times via The Earth Times]



Tata Nano may be branded a Fiat in overseas markets originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brandingfiatjoint ventureJointVenturemarketingnanopartnershippartnershipsratan tataRatanTatatatatata nanotata nano europeTataNanoTataNanoEuropeThu, 24 Jul 2008 13:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Hyundai pushing dealers upmarket abroad]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/22/hyundai-pushing-dealers-upmarket-abroad/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/22/hyundai-pushing-dealers-upmarket-abroad/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/22/hyundai-pushing-dealers-upmarket-abroad/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Hyundai is shaking its money makers, spending €60 million to upgrade its dealer network in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Each of 2,500 dealers will spend at least €24,000 on improving their facilities, with matching funds coming from both distributors and the parent company.

The plan is called Mission Q, and it has several objectives: upgrade the dealer experience, increase customer loyalty, and move the brand away from being considered solely for value or low cost. Hyundai wants "people to think of Hyundai as a market leader in quality, SUVs, family cars and because of our sports sponsorships, and then later come to the price discussion."

In addition to the new furniture and paint, Hyundai has created a brand academy at its European headquarters to train distributors and dealer staff. As it moves up the brand ladder, cars from China and India will be arriving to take Hyundai's place in price-first considerations. And that means that Honda, Nissan, and Toyota should probably start getting ready for another guest at the table.

[Source: Automotive News, sub req'd]

Hyundai pushing dealers upmarket abroad originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brandbrandingdealerdealersdealershipdealershipseuropehyundaihyundai dealershyundai europehyundai mission qHyundaiDealersHyundaiEuropeHyundaiMissionQmission qMissionQTue, 22 Jul 2008 10:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Kelley Blue Book hands out 2008 Brand Image Awards]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/21/kelley-blue-book-hands-out-2008-brand-image-awards/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/21/kelley-blue-book-hands-out-2008-brand-image-awards/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/21/kelley-blue-book-hands-out-2008-brand-image-awards/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Automakers work very hard at the branding process, which takes years and years of effort to achieve. For instance, when a consumer hears Porsche, he or she likely sthink of sports cars and iconic design principles -- despite the fact that the German brand sells plenty of SUVs, too. And when a brand starts to get a negative image, it can take years to overcome that bad stigma -- just ask Ford. So, with all of this in mind, Kelley Blue Book has announced the winners of its 2008 Brand Image Awards, which are based on consumer perception studies of which KBB keeps track.

The big winners this year are Toyota for "Best Overall Interior Design", BMW for "Best Overall Exterior Design" and Mercedes-Benz for "Best Overall Prestige Brand". We would have expected Audi to do well in the interior design category, but these awards are not based on reality, but perception instead. For a complete run-down of the awards, we've included the press release after the break.

[Source: Kelley Blue Book]

Continue reading Kelley Blue Book hands out 2008 Brand Image Awards

Kelley Blue Book hands out 2008 Brand Image Awards originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>best exteriorbest interiorbest-exteriorbest-interiorBestExteriorBestInteriorbrandbrand imagebrand-imageBrandImagebrandingkbbkelley blue bookkelley-blue-bookKelleyBlueBookFri, 21 Mar 2008 16:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Ford committed to Mercury brand, not to new Mercury products]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Not long ago here on Autoblog we wondered, what exactly is the point of the Mercury brand? As it turns out, dealers have nearly the same question, and they aren't getting any clear, compelling answers. At the Chicago Auto Show, Ford's Group Vice President Jim Farley said "Its role is changing, but we're not going to compromise Mercury." Around the Detroit Auto Show, CEO Alan Mulally said Ford remains committed to Mercury. Of course, Mulally also said Jaguar was part of The Way Forward -- no one knew that he meant it was the way forward for Tata.

There is only one problem with Ford's statements of support: there's no new product in the Mercury pipeline (the upcoming hybrid Milan doesn't count as a new piece of original product), and no one at Ford is giving any indication of when there will be. A huge amount of elbow grease is being expended to polish the Ford brand, and after that, Lincoln is taking up all the space on a second stage. It's clear that Ford would rather sell Lincolns than Mercurys. Last year, Mercury sales dropped almost 7 percent, while Lincoln sales rose more than 9 percent. Still, Lincoln sold 37,000 fewer cars than Mercury.

But all of this, understandably, has dealers wondering what's really going to happen with Mercury. People who buy Mercurys want Mercurys, with its "independent-minded" image and greater percentage of female buyers "very loyal to the brand." Ford can't afford to shed Mercury sales while it works to shepherd Lincoln to the top of the heap. Yet until Ford reveals what it's going to do with the house of the Grand Marquis -- indeed, that it's going to do anything at all -- then one can only assume that brand interest will suffer... and with it, sales.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Ford committed to Mercury brand, not to new Mercury products originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brandingfordlincolnmercuryMon, 11 Feb 2008 19:37:00 EST<![CDATA[Ron Paul racing for NASCAR vote?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/03/ron-paul-racing-for-nascar-vote/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/03/ron-paul-racing-for-nascar-vote/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/03/ron-paul-racing-for-nascar-vote/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



The stupendous amounts of money being spent on the presidential race have got supporters of non-front-running candidates coming up with novel ways to keep up the fight. Aficionados of Republican candidate Ron Paul have created Ron Paul Racing, a web site gathering pledges to brand a NASCAR car during this year's Daytona 500.

This line says it all: "RonPaulRacing.com will reach millions of new supporters as the RON PAUL car shoots down the front straight at 200 MPH screaming 'FREEDOM.'" The site isn't accepting donations now, merely pledges for donations. As of this writing they've collected more than $10,000, but they're looking for more, "all the way to the millions."

The site is apparently in talks with teams about branding. The '08 car belongs to Aric Almirola, but we imagine that's simply a placeholder and they don't really plan on working with the guy who ended last season with an average finishing spot of 34.5. That wouldn't send the right message, would it? If you're so inclined, head over to Ron Paul Racing and let them know you're a fan of freedom. Oh, and the site's musical accompaniment is Sammy Hagar's "I Can't Drive 55." If nothing else, we support that (where legal, of course). Thanks for the tip, scanner scott!

[Source: Ron Paul Racing]

Ron Paul racing for NASCAR vote? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 03 Feb 2008 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advertisingbrandingnascarpoliticsron paulron paul racingRonPaulRonPaulRacingSun, 03 Feb 2008 10:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Size matters when it comes to pickup logos]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/24/size-matters-when-it-comes-to-pickup-logos/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/24/size-matters-when-it-comes-to-pickup-logos/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/24/size-matters-when-it-comes-to-pickup-logos/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Some crowds are worried about speed, some about interior volume, some about the number of cupholders. The pickup truck crowd has a tendency to be concerned with size, so the automakers give them what they want. And in this case, it's bigger and bigger logos. Kicking Tires took the real estate measurements of the logos on half-ton pickups at the Detroit Auto Show (and a Hummer, just for good... measure), and ranked them from smallest to the most grandiose. The logo on the new Dodge Ram is 250% larger than before, and it only came in fifth. Click the link to find out who's got the biggest, and let the bragging begin.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

Size matters when it comes to pickup logos originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Jan 2008 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brandingdetroit auto showDetroitAutoShowlogosnaiaspickup trucksPickupTrucksThu, 24 Jan 2008 19:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Sticking to its consonants: Lincoln to continue alphabet soup]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/10/sticking-to-its-consonants-lincoln-to-continue-alphabet-soup/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/10/sticking-to-its-consonants-lincoln-to-continue-alphabet-soup/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/10/sticking-to-its-consonants-lincoln-to-continue-alphabet-soup/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,



When the new Lincoln MKS arrives next summer, it will join the MKZ and MKX. And then those three will be joined by another MK-something, perhaps a large Lincoln crossover based on the Ford Flex, to arrive in 2009. More than once we have written MKZ when we were referring to the MKS. More than one Ford rep said MK-Consonant when he meant the other MK-Consonant. More than once we have tried to figure out why Lincoln came up with -- and continues -- this type of nomenclature.

But it isn't going to stop, so we've just got to mind our letters. Mulally, he who brought back "Taurus," opined that "consistency of purpose is important." And Lincoln says this kind of naming system is what other premium automakers do. The difference is, usually those numbers actually mean something. All right, so 'Mark X' could mean crossover -- but then what's the larger crossover going to be called? Mark XL? And what is a 'Mark Z?' And why isn't that beastly truck a MKLT, instead of Mark LT? And does this mean you could order an ATMKSAWDPDQ?

The new names have only been in use for two years, so perhaps they simply need a bit more time to take hold. But we remember the last time Ford tried this kind of alpha/numeric thing State-side, and we're still trying to figure out the riddle of 'Merkur XR4Ti'...

[Source: Auto News, sub req'd]

Sticking to its consonants: Lincoln to continue alphabet soup originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Dec 2007 11:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brandinglincolnlincoln brandinglincoln vehicle namesLincolnBrandingLincolnVehicleNamesMon, 10 Dec 2007 11:26:00 EST<![CDATA[Ferrari and Acer team up on PDA]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/08/ferrari-and-acer-team-up-on-pda/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/08/ferrari-and-acer-team-up-on-pda/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/08/ferrari-and-acer-team-up-on-pda/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

A Ferrari PDA. Joy of joys. People still use these things? If you must have one more thing strapped to your belt or stuffed in your pocket, might as well get the one with the Prancing Horse. That way, when everyone else pulls out their toys and starts twiddling as a way to avoid human interaction, you'll have something red, black and flashy.

The Acer 500 is the fruition of an ongoing relationship between the computer maker and the Italian exotic car firm. Launching soon in Europe, the PDA will be equipped with Bluetooth, GPS and an SD card reader. Of less note are the USB 1.1 port and behind-the-curve OS, Windows Mobile 5. We doubt there's been any cranking up of bus speeds inside the unit, but at least this one won't be as costly to fix when you crack it up.

[Source: Caradisiac]

Ferrari and Acer team up on PDA originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Jun 2007 09:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acerbrandingferrarigadgetpdaFri, 08 Jun 2007 09:07:00 EST<![CDATA[Ferrari Gives Dany Bahar Wings]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/07/ferrari-gives-dany-bahar-wings/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/07/ferrari-gives-dany-bahar-wings/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/07/ferrari-gives-dany-bahar-wings/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

As if Ferrari needed any help promoting its brand, they've gone and hired Dany Bahar. During his tenure at Red Bull, the intrepid Turk transformed the energy drink company from a simple sponsor into team owners, first acquiring Red Bull Racing from Ford when Jaguar's F1 team went bust, then going in on an unprecedented second team - Scuderia Toro Rosso - and even spearheading Toyota's entry into NASCAR in a team owned by... you guessed it, Red Bull. Bahar also orchestrated the deal that brought Ferrari power to Red Bull last season and to STR for 2007.

Bahar left Red Bull way back in February, and it didn't take long before the rumors of his defection to Maranello started flying around like a club-going teenager jacked up on taurine. Although the speculation initially indicated that Bahar would assume a role at the Scuderia, Ferrari announced that he'd be put in charge of a new department that will operate alongside the racing team and road-car divisions, and report directly to the CEO.

With the construction of the Ferrari World theme park already under way, the company's merchandizing efforts already seem to be at full tilt. It'll be interesting, therefore, to see what new direction Bahar takes the brand.

[Source: Italiaspeed]

Ferrari Gives Dany Bahar Wings originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 May 2007 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baharbrandingbulldanydepartmentdivisionferrariglobalmarketingredrossotoroMon, 07 May 2007 11:04:00 EST<![CDATA[McLaren joins the branding race with new recruit]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/02/26/mclaren-joins-the-branding-race-with-new-recruit/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/02/26/mclaren-joins-the-branding-race-with-new-recruit/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/02/26/mclaren-joins-the-branding-race-with-new-recruit/#commentsFiled under: , ,

McLaren is always chasing after Ferrari. They've chased after them on the track for decades, and sometimes they catch up. They've chased them on the road, trouncing the F40 with the McLaren F1 supercar, but missing the mark somewhat with the SLR. But in the modern era where racing is only half of competition, McLaren is after Maranello on another front: branding.

Marketing is one area where, even more so than on the circuit, Ferrari has got the rest of the field beat. But McLaren is getting serious about that front of the competition, too. To that end, McLaren is retaining the services of John Allert, a leading marketing consultant and former CEO of Interbrand. Are McLaren-branded laptops and theme parks far behind? Too soon to tell, but expect to see the name - and maybe a recognizable logo - showing up more prominently in the near future.

Does all this sound completely frivolous, bearing no effect on actual racing? Not so fast. With the stands at nearly every grand prix painted with fans wearing red, Ferrari acquires for themselves something of a home-field advantage at every race, all the while raking in serious profits that can go back into the development of new technologies to edge out the competition on the track. It's a winning formula for Ferrari, and in F1, nobody retains that kind of exclusive for long.

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

McLaren joins the branding race with new recruit originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Feb 2007 20:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>allertbrandingconsultantf1johnmarketingmclarenmercedesMon, 26 Feb 2007 20:44:00 EST<![CDATA[Wall Street Journal weighs in on alphanumeric naming]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/21/wall-street-journal-weighs-in-on-alphanumeric-naming/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/21/wall-street-journal-weighs-in-on-alphanumeric-naming/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/21/wall-street-journal-weighs-in-on-alphanumeric-naming/#commentsFiled under: ,

The Wall Street Journal has finally picked up on the increasingly popular (and entropic) automotive trend that is alphanumeric naming. Writer Gina Chon is less than complementary about the whole business of going from actual word-based name to strings of numbers and letters, going to great lengths to catalog the legal mess that has ensued between manufacturers (Lincoln MKX vs Acura MDX, etc.), as well as the confusion that the practice has been causing consumers.

Most of this isn't news, but interestingly, Chon speaks with a brand consultant who points out that car companies are avoiding certain letters due to undesirable associations. Namely, O, P, U and Y, with B, F and N not far behind. The article also nicely sums up the clinic process as it applies to automotive monikers.

Further ranting on the subject can be read here.

[Source: Wall Street Journal via Arizona Republic; TheTruthAboutCars.com; Surfnetkids.com]

Wall Street Journal weighs in on alphanumeric naming originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Apr 2006 15:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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