Comments on: GM to cut Super Bowl advertising

By: tzu13

tzu13 — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:33:15 +0000

Ditto on the Superbowl would be an excellent place to plug the Volt comment. Maybe that will be one of the “provided vehicles”?

By: beatusmongous

beatusmongous — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:29:47 +0000

RaineMan, you’ve seen a Flex ad? I haven’t, and I’m in the broadcasting business. You’re right, though, a lot of ads are looking for gimmicks rather than focusing on the product, which is what is more important. But TV advertising is still the most effective form of advertising, as nearly 85% of people who buy a product report that they were persuaded by the TV spot more than anything.

Patriot, I really don’t think the target audience for fuel efficient vehicles is as heavy in the Super Bowl as it is in other programs, such as Heroes and other prime time shows. Also, places like CNN and MSNBC would be a good target for the “fuel efficient” message. They would get a better response for their advertising dollars in those types of places, as opposed to Super Bowl. Not that Super Bowl isn’t a bad place to spend money, but the advertisers have to realize that as popular as it is, most people are having parties and drinking during the Super Bowl. That’s not a very responsive audience for “fuel efficiency”…

By: Patriot

Patriot — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:45:49 +0000

Not good. They should at least run one ad that promotes the most fuel efficient vehicles in their lineup, and then another ad that shows what’s coming down the pipe.

The super bowl would be a GREAT time for them to start the showboating of the Volt, since the production images have been officially released.

They don’t have to spend an arm and a leg, just enough to let people know they’re still alive.

By: howsmydriving

howsmydriving — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:14:05 +0000

There’s a connection here to Janet Jackson, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.

By: inspire

inspire — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:18:45 +0000

I think they used the Mellencamp song last year to promote sales. Guess they not going to use that this time around.

I think it’s better to use the funds elsewhere. (Agree with Z06ified).

Limited budget for advertising — better off spending on R&D or more ads elsewhere.

By: RaineMan

RaineMan — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:13:18 +0000

Does anyone actually sell cars with the TV ads anymore?

The current adds I remember most are for the Civic Si, CTS, and the Flex. But they are so abstract and overly artistic that it doesn’t do a very good job of showing the car itself… or telling anyone about its key features, performance, or economy.

By: Z06ified

Z06ified — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:34:37 +0000

Smart move. GM could get much better bang for its advertising dollars by using that money for more conventional advertising, rather than 30 seconds of fame in a Super Bowl commercial.

While I like seeing GM super bowl commercials, and all car commercials for that matter, it is not necessarily money well spent.