If Autoblog readers will permit a bit of shameless self-promotion, this writer has just penned a new editorial on a radical re-think for General Motors' rudderless Buick nameplate. Recent offerings like the Lucerne and LaCrosse have shown promise, but are unlikely to be enough to give the mainstay brand enough momentum to sway consumers from foreign marques. So what's the recipe for success? If GM is unable or unwilling to euthanize Buick, then its salvation may originate from an unlikely corner - senior citizens.
Buick has long been known as the traditional 'ride of choice' for middle-and-upper income pensioners who don't want the swish image of Cadillac. It's worked somewhat well in that capacity for decades, but the marketplace is changing, and Buick has become increasingly irrelevant. GM's upper management has continually made overtures at courting younger buyers who are more likely to buy a Japanese or European import, but even newer offerings appear unlikely to result in a lower average customer age. What's needed is a wholehearted embracing of the senior lifestyle, the world's first marque geared explicitly for elderly consumption. And seeing as how most regard the brand as the preserve of geriatrics, this author posits that it's time for The General to come clean with what consumers already know: Buick is for old folks. And far from there being anything wrong with that, there is a huge potential upside to seeking out the Denture Dollar.
Click on the link to peruse the Truth About Cars editorial, then drop back here to leave your feedback directly for the author and your fellow readers in 'Comments.' Is the "Pensioner's Best Friend" a viable brandspace, or is this author just out to lunch? Sound off!
[Source: TheTruthAboutCars.com]
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