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Students tell GM: advertise on MySpace, Facebook

04/03/2006, 2:34 PM

By admin

General Motors turned to 32 college students to come up with the best campaign to promote the new Chevy Aveo, which debuts this summer for just $9,890 — the cheapest new car in America. The students had just one hour to come up with an idea, and 5 minutes to present it, according to the Detroit News. All of the student groups raved about Facebook.com and MySpace.com — two wildly popular online community sites that, incidentally, have recently been trying to decide how best to implement advertising to target youths. One group recommended a contest where teens would create videos to promote the Aveo, and the winners would get a free car. Another recommendation was an Aveo Web site with a customizing area where potential buyers could modify and personalize their dream Aveo, and then send a link to the car to a friend. Will this sort of “grapevine” marketing work to lure in young customers?

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04/03, 2:45 PM

posted by:

Anonymous

yeah GM! way to make the cheapest car in America… That’ll help your image

04/03, 2:49 PM

posted by:

Jerry Mahoney

What a pile of crap. Myspace and others are just pure filth.

04/03, 3:07 PM

posted by:

JW

Its a good idea…but an Aveo!!!!?

04/03, 3:10 PM

posted by:

87 635CSI

I am baffled at companies targetting people who do not have the funds to purchase the product. the Scion, poised as a “Youth” machine, is consistently bought by peope well above the target demographic. Hello.. how about targetting advertising to people who actually have the finances to purchase said vehicle.

Teens? This is a joke right? This demographic should be concerned with financing college educations or trade schools, not financing a new vehicle.

I know.. I know.. grab them young and make them customers for life:

Here’s a clue: build “gotta have it cars” that appeal across the board. Build “aspirational cars” that are out of reach until one has attained a certain amount of disposable income. keep the nameplates around for more than 10 years so the
“teen” can purchase a used version of the aspirational vehicle and then graduate to a new one should their financial education make them make such a decision.

04/03, 3:16 PM

posted by:

Nick

I think Chevy should be marketing this car towards older people looking to either buy a cheap second (or third) car for themselves (or spouse) or, buy a cheap car for their kids (i.e. the college kids Chevy is targeting).

So, yeah, the cars might end up in college kids hands, but I think they need to actually market to the people who are going to be paying for these.

As a side note, my Sister has an Aveo, having seen that and the new one, I’d say it’s A LOT better this time around, though still nothing I’d trade in my Mazda3 for.

04/03, 3:31 PM

posted by:

Ahk-Med

New vehicles should be for the wealthy old people only, the poor and young should drive old used vehicles.

Can you belive those young people?! First comic books, then Rock N’ Roll, video games, and now they “hang out” on that “pile of crap” Myspace? To top it all off someone (GM) made a new car they can afford, even if none of them dirty little brats are interested in it.

We’ve got to keep them kids down.

04/03, 3:33 PM

posted by:

Jason

What is the point of marketing to kids with no money?

I don’t understand why car manufacturers want to have a low median buyer age; when in the US, people don’t enter the work force as early as other countries because we have higher educational level.

I agree this encourages kids to drop out of school earlier and enter the low income work force.

cheap cars == poorer people.
cheap cars != younger people.
younger people != money.

04/03, 4:00 PM

posted by:

Anonymous

The video idea could work, if they get some really funny entries…

As far as the customizer-website-thingy… bah… been there… it’s stupid.

04/03, 7:47 PM

posted by:

JW

The aveo may be cheap, but some people cant afford nicer cars…whether they be young or not. And theres a lot of older people on myspace too…not just little kids. A lot of young people cant afford 25,000 dollar cars neither. But I still wouldnt drive an aveo or any car in its class.

04/03, 9:21 PM

posted by:

Hal Gailey

The Aveo was originally a Korean car. They did well changing it around for the american market. As long as they finally have A/C standard…

THis is a good marketing idea. It will offer a lot of exposure for little investment. They should probably also focus more on engineering and the like over their silly corporate agendas. Give the builders and thinkers free rein.

I like that GM is finally getting it out that for every car niche for which you may look to a japanese maker first an american company makes something perfectly competitive.

04/04, 8:54 AM

posted by:

Chrono Tron - 100%

Myspace helps school expel Student

A 16 year old student was expelled from Wilson High school in western New York for allegedly threatening to burn down his principal’s house in a message he had posted on Myspace. He will remain suspended for the rest of the year. More than 135 st…

04/04, 9:21 AM

posted by:

Joe

No. 8 said “Make cars that people yearn for… Not cars that people are just going to buy because they are broke… ”

you think people yearn for a camery? or 4 door civic? or any of toyotas sedans? No they dont. They just want a car that is of high quality and conservative enough in design where they feel normal driving it.

Numbers say Toyota is best seller in the US, and companies should look at numbers not on ideals. Very few people buy a car they “yearn” for because either its too expensive, or its just impracticle.

04/04, 10:32 AM

posted by:

Chris G

How about a good CPO car that costs the same. I guess kind of like 87 635CSI was saying.

04/04, 11:38 AM

posted by:

JW

I yearn to buy anything Not toyota…they are too bland, and my family would go crazy if i even considered looking at a toyota. so Dodge all the way…I like the attention…besides the prius is not “normal” looking.

04/04, 12:21 PM

posted by:

Sampson

Well Joe (#13),

Toyota’s are bought because they have a reputation of being quality cars that last a long time with little maintenance and hold their value fairly well… Society definately does not correlate any of those attributes with GM. Besides just because Toyota is the top selling car at the moment because of its reputation for reliability does not mean that everyone has to follow their footsteps… Yes reliability is very important, but GM could take it a step further if they had the right people on board… “Quality cars that people yearn for”, that should be their design credo…

04/04, 10:22 PM

posted by:

manny

no, this should be their design credo…
‘build more high-quality cars that people actually want to buy or youre fired.’
thats motivation… and its what gm needs badly…

07/13, 4:44 PM

posted by:

demaine

If you make a 350hp car with space in it that looks tight that does not cost nothing but 16,698 then someone will buy it soon as it hit the lots.Also it has to has to use up less gas maybe 80mpg then really people will buy it soon as it hit the lots. P.S. I’m only 12.

07/13, 4:47 PM

posted by:

demaine

also i think the aveo looks like a malibu and
if it doesn’t save gas ain’t nobody going to buy it.