The Rebirth of Buick.........

dtownfb

It seems to me that Buick spends an awful of money on marketing and every other year it seems like another tag line. When sales are one sixth of their peak (941k peak versus 137k in 2008), you'd think someone would get the message that people are simply not interested in the brand anymore. :sick:

Buick to get a new tag line, ad campaign to change perception

Jamie LaReau
Automotive News
January 12, 2009 - 5:08 pm ET

DETROIT -- Buick will get a new advertising campaign for the brand and the new LaCrosse sedan this summer. The campaign will have a different tag line, too, from Buick's current "Drive Beautiful."

Buick chief Susan Docherty said General Motors realizes the brand suffers from a consumer perception that its vehicles are for elderly, conservative buyers.
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That perception has contributed to a sharp sales slide for Buick from its glory years. In 1984, Buick's U.S. sales peaked at 941,661 units, more than six times as many as last year's 137,197.

"The first thing we've got to do is change people's perception about Buick," Docherty, vice president of the Buick-Pontiac-GMC channel, said in an Automotive News interview here at the auto show. "In fairness, that's the first job."

GM showed the new LaCrosse at the auto show. Buick now has the Enclave crossover and Lucerne sedan and will have the new LaCrosse in showrooms this summer. While there's potential for more Buick vehicles, Docherty said, the brand is not prepared to do that now.

"The job my team's got to do is not worry about expanding Buick's portfolio," she said. "They need to worry right now, with the entries we've got, about changing the perception of Buick."

Enclave's lessons

To do that, Buick will draw on what it learned from the Enclave -- which had a 50 percent conquest rate, meaning half of the people coming to the brand were new to it, Docherty said. Through December, Enclave sales rose 52.7 percent to 44,706 units.

The Enclave's new consumers demand technology, Docherty said. That's why amenities such as a navigation system, side blind-spot alert system and Bluetooth connectivity will be key to Buick's advertising message, she said.

Docherty declined to be more specific other than to say previous ads emphasized comfort and quiet. She told her marketing team: "It's OK for our cars to be library quiet, but it's not OK for our advertising to be library quiet."

So will we see more bold, almost Cadillac-like, rock 'n' roll advertising? Not quite, Docherty said.

"You'll see a renaissance in our messaging for Buick, but we can't be Cadillac and we shouldn't be," Docherty said.

Focus on trucks

In the meantime, Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealers have a specific local marketing advertising assignment this year.

"The very first priority for our dealers is to continue our focus on full-sized trucks," Docherty said. "Our (GMC) Sierra is our bread and butter."

The second priority, Docherty said, is that dealers should focus on increasing passenger-car sales, such as the Pontiac Vibe, G3, G5 and G6. Those four vehicles each get more than 30 mpg, with prices starting at less than $20,000, she said.

"So we've asked them to group those four Pontiacs together 'four over 30, under 20,' " Docherty said.

The final priority for dealers is to maintain crossover momentum. Said Docherty: "We can be very efficient with our dollars, and they can drive traffic with those three categories."

nippononly

Buick's current tag line is "Drive Beautiful"? Never heard it before in my life.

I think a brand that sells less than 150K vehicles per year TOTAL, ought to be worried about a conquest rate as low as 50%, when it's buyers' average age is 55. If the average age is 55, 1/3 of all the buyers are probably buying their last new car ever. So they need a conquest rate up close to 70% just to maintain a sales level.

hpmctorque

"General Motors is still more than a year away from launching the Chevrolet Cruze sedan in North America but instead of speeding up its arrival the carmaker is working on a new Buick sedan based on the Cruze platform. Fears of GM’s cash problems haven’t managed to deter work on the new Buick compact sedan, which like the Cruze may be offered as a global model.

Built around GM’s FWD Delta II platform, the Buick compact sedan also shares much in common with the next-generation Opel Astra, which means there’s a chance it could be produced at Russelsheim plant in Germany.

U.S. versions are likely to be built at GM’s Lordstown plant in Ohio alongside the Cruze. The new model will almost certainly be offered in China as well. Engine options should mirror that of the Cruze, which means a range of compact four-cylinder units in both naturally-aspirated and turbocharged forms, with both petrol and diesel options.

The other benefit of the Delta II platform is the possibility of a plug-in hybrid version using Volt technology, although GM is more likely to use other brands such as Cadillac to expand its plug-in hybrid range.

Don’t hold your breath for the new sedan as it isn’t expected to be launched until sometime in 2012."

nippononly

hpmctorque

I'm not defending the move, but how does GM's strategy in this case differ from, say, Toyota's Camry/Lexus ES350 strategy? Since the latter works well, why couldn't the former, if there's sufficient differentiation between the Chevy and the Buick?

I think the lesson learned concerning rebadging is that it's risky and it frequently fails, but done right it can succeed in the marketplace. For proof, look no further than Chrysler Corp. in the '80s and early '90s, where the K-car platform saved the company. All those iterations off of the K-platform, from sedans to convertibles to minivans, gave Chrysler time to develop the cab-forward line for the '93 model year, and the cloud car intermediates and Neon after that. The Neon platform was later used for the PT Cruiser. You may not like these cars, for they had numerous faults, but they're examples of where rebadging worked reasonably well. Wouldn't you agree that the outcome lies in the execution?

andre1969

I think IF there's a strong enough differentiation between the Chevy and Buick versions, then it would be okay for two versions of the Cruze. Plus, if Buick/Pontiac/GMC dealers are going to stay in business, it'll give them a small car to sell.

By biggest beef is just the timing. This is a car that GM needs to have out, like, yesterday! Not several years from now!

Also, I know my thinking is outdated these days, but I still think a Buick should be a fairly large, upscale car. I think the Cruze's wheelbase is around 106" though, so at least it's not a tiny car. It's not like they're trying to rebadge an Aveo.

lemko

Yeah! A Buick should NOT be a cruddy Vega clone like a Skyhawk!

nippononly

if there's sufficient differentiation between the Chevy and the Buick?

That's a crucial if, and it's not exactly GM's strong suit, is it? Look no further than the Lambda quadruplets for the latest example of GM's attempt to do this. You be the judge. Personally, I would say there is nowhere near enough differentiation to have four versions.

Now, is the Buick substantially different from the other three? I know there are those that would say it is. Me, I don't really think so, but maybe there is as much difference as there is between a Camry V-6 XLE and an ES350. Maybe.

Toyota's long-term planning includes the next-gen ES350 (due in the next two years, I believe) no longer being related to the Camry, and I think that's a very good idea.

If I were in charge of Buick, I would ask to borrow the CTS platform, then shorten it to create a small Buick that is unique to the brand. Either that or borrow something wholesale from China.

cooterbfd

".....Either that or borrow something wholesale from China."

Could that not be what this is, only both the Chinese and N.A. versions hit the showroom on the same day?

BTW, I saw a new Camry and ES 350 side by side at a red light today. Aside from the cosmetics (different taillights, added trim on the Lexus, and Badging) They looked IDENTICAL.

berri

I'm not sure what a rebadged small car is going to do for Buick? The small Mercedes hasn't knocked anyones socks off the sales charts. I'm not sure the small BMW 1 series is a home run either. Lexus isn't out with a small compact. I'm thinking that a Chevy Cruze Buick will just reinforce people's opinion that Buick isn't changing from the 80's.

cooterbfd

".....Lexus isn't out with a small compact. I'm thinking that a Chevy Cruze Buick will just reinforce people's opinion that Buick isn't changing from the 80's."

Lexus does have their IS, which is Corolla based. The C class and 3 series would be comparable in size to the Cruze, if it is comparable in size to the Cobalt.

Now, I'm not saying I'd agree with a Cruze based Buick myself, and unless it has a based price of $22-23K it may step on the Cruze itself, and where does that price the Lacrosse?? (I don't even want to go there)

Problem is, the BPG group will want a small (relatively), inexpensive car to sell at it's dealerships too. Pontiac makes the perfect sense for it, but it would be cheaper to make it the Buick, as it would be sold in China in pretty much the same form.

dieselone

Lexus does have their IS, which is Corolla based.

Based on what!. The IS and Corolla have about as much in common as a Malibu and CTS, probably less since you can get the same v6 both the Malibu and CTS. What do the IS and Corolla have in common? The IS is RWD/AWD with a longer wheelbase and wider track and v6 engines only. The Corolla is FWD and only has 4cyl engines.

anythngbutgm

Lexus does have their IS, which is Corolla based.

Nope

anythngbutgm

link title

Just when it seemed the automotive world was in such upheaval that nothing more shocking could happen, Jaguar and Buick have tied for the top spot in the 2009 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study.

Kudos.

lemko

First time I saw an ES350, I thought it WAS a Camry until I saw the tipsy "L". Still not convinced, I thought, "Who's this knucklehead trying to fool people into thinking his Camry is a Lexus?" I think the Toyota Avalon is a much nicer car than the ES350.

lemko

Actually, the IS is based on a JDM car called the Toyota Altezza.

hpmctorque

Yes, really, as the link in message 167 shows. Congratulations, Buick and Jaguar, another brand plagued with dependability issues just a few years ago.

For many years, Americans bemoaned the fact that domestic cars weren't as dependable as the import brands. Now Detroit, and Buick especially, is delivering on dependability. Will this buy market share for the domestics? I sure hope so, because, quite aside from any sentimental or patriotic attachment one may have for the Detroit 3, your tax dollars and mine are on the line for the domestics to pull through this sales slump. How else will the government loans ever be repaid.

I think it's fair that, since the domestic brands lost market share when quality was lousy, if consumers are objective, some will trade their imports for Detroit 3 cars.

Of course, dependability is only one of several factors that consumers consider. The marketplace is the final arbiter of who wins and who loses. That said, though, I hope the latest dependability news helps overcome the negative perceptions that prevent many people from even considering domestic cars.

lokki

Buick's problem isn't reliability...... it really is perceptional.

Several years back I tried to persuade my 70 year old mother to buy a Buick. Good car and comfortable, reliable, powerful. All the things she wanted...AND there was a Buick dealer who'd been there 50 years just a few miles away.

No doing. Buick's were 'old people's cars' and she might be 70, but she wasn't THAT old. She bought an Avalon.

I also don't believe that a small car would serve Buick well. Either a "Cimmaron" or a stripper would hurt the near-luxury image that Buick needs.

I see a TV Ad for Buick that starts out with a view through a car passenger door window showing a harried looking mom in a beat up mini van shouting over her shoulder at a couple of screaming kids.

A power window rolls up and the screaming is replaced by quiet, beautiful music.
We pan the camera to show a well-dressed and elegant woman in her early 40's
smiling gently and then pulling away from the traffic signal. The camera lingers on the Buick name on the trunk of the car. As the gentle classical music continues, a voice-over says: "Buick. Because you're earned it".

That approach, I think, would help differentiate Buick as 'successful people's' cars to aspire to after the kids are gone......

hpmctorque

You make some good points in terms of perceptions, but perceptions can and do change. I think the lag time for perceptual change is a big challenge for Buick and the other domestic automakers. Can they hold out until perception catches up with reality? The next several weeks and months will likely give us the answer.

Insofar as the smaller Cruze based Buick is concerned, this isn't such a small car in today's and tomorrow's world. Not when Chevy will introduce the Spark. The Aveo and Spark are both smaller than the Cobalt, and, from what I've read, the Cruze is somewhat larger than the Civic and slightly larger than the Cobalt.

To succeed, the Buick version of the Cruze will have to look and feel more upscale than the Chevy Cruze, outside and inside, and have one or two unique features. I don't know whether Buick will pull it off, but I think it could be done.

lemko

Wow! I like that commercial idea!

I don't see Buick as an "old person's car." A see Buick as a "smart person's car!"

I'm 43 and don't feel old at all behind the wheel of my Buicks.

hpmctorque

Positive differentiaters for the Cruze-based Buick should include luxury and performance, in my opinion. If the powertrains are identical, it'll be difficult to justify spending more than for a Buick. One way to do this would be to aim this Buick at Mercedes C-Class intenders with a budget that falls about mid way between the Chevy Cruze and the C-Class. In other words, C-Class luxury, with superior performance to the Chevy Cruze.

Why not aim it at BMW or Lexus? BMWs are too far from Buick. It would be too much of a leap. In terms of Lexus, to attract younger buyers I think that the smallest Buick needs to be more performance oriented, in appearance and driving dynamics, than the ES350. It has to move away from the current Buick image, and maybe be more like the spiritual successor of the Buick Century of the mid-'50s. In fact, they could make references to that desirable and successful model in their advertising. VW references it's old Beetle in its current ads.

nippononly

so many brands crowding this marketplace, the question really becomes what is going to bring people to check Buick out. They are just like many other brands on the fringe, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Kia, Isuzu before it did its final slide into permanent darkness, Mercury, in that there are so few buyers annually now that no-one is even noticing they are there. Then Buick specifically has the added disadvantage of the stigma of GM.

Some of the small brands have very devoted followings so that even sales are low they are consistent, Subaru is an example of that. Kia seems content to flood the rental fleets every time sales drop, and Buick will often do the same, although GM is moving away from that. That is not the path to long-term sales success anyway.

Lemko's girlfriend's Lacrosse was the reliability leader in its segment in the JDP 3-year survey, by the way. Kudos! :-)

stever

We pan the camera to show a well-dressed and elegant woman in her early 40's smiling gently and then pulling away from the traffic signal.

As the shot pans away, make sure the camera lands on the mpg read-out showing 30mpg. That's what I was getting on the rental LaCrosse I had last year. People just don't know that Buicks get pretty dang good mileage. I was impressed.

lemko

We've had absolutely no trouble with the LaCrosse - and it's one of the dreaded "first year" GM models at that!

The stigma of GM? To me that's a flawless diamond-studded solid 24K gold advantage!!! :shades:

lemko

Oh oh! The secret's out!!! We get fantastic fuel economy with both the 2005 LaCrosse and the 1988 Park Avenue.

From what I've seen, dealers still want insane prices for used Park Avenues. I've been searching Auto Trader, Vehix, etc. and there are some places asking huge prices for 100K+ mile Park Aves. Wassupwitdat? :confuse:

nippononly

The stigma of GM? To me that's a flawless diamond-studded solid 24K gold advantage!!!

Yes, I know, but YOU must know by now that there are a LOT of people with the opposite opinion, right? Bear in mind that Buick is playing in and around the entry-lux area of the market, which is an area where people have a LOT of choices.

grbeck

Buick has scored pretty well on these surveys for years now - as it should, given the age of the drivetrains and platforms it uses for its most popular cars, and the age of its buyers, who tend to drive their cars rather gently - so I don't believe a perception of unreliability is holding down Buick's sales.

I'd say it's more the product itself. It just doesn't appeal to buyers of other vehicles, many of which are also reliable.

I saw the new LaCrosse at the Philadelphia Auto Show, and while it is based on a solid platform (updated Epsilon), I thought the sweepspear effect on the side sheetmetal was placed too high, which made the car look too stubby. And the portholes should be on the OUTSIDE of the hood crease, so that people can see them when looking at the side of the car.

Overall, it looked like a solid effort, and will appeal to current Buick buyers, but I prefer the new Taurus. And I'm not sure whether it will get new buyers to consider Buick. There is a lot of competition out there.

If Buick does bring out a smaller car based on the Cruze, PLEASE don't call it the Skyhawk... :P

lemko

Buick has scored pretty well on these surveys for years now - as it should, given the age of the drivetrains and platforms it uses for its most popular cars

If it ain't broke, don't fix it! That 3.8 V-6 is a gem!

...and the age of its buyers, who tend to drive their cars rather gently...

Girlfriend drives her LaCrosse like a NYC cab driver. Buick should use her as their spokesmodel. Any car that can hold up to her driving style has to be pretty awesome. Heck, my '88 Park Ave takes the daily brunt of Philly driving for me and I'm no doddering old geezer with the cruise set at 20. I can drive that Park Ave quite aggressively.

If Buick does bring out a smaller car based on the Cruze, PLEASE don't call it the Skyhawk

I agree. The best name would be the Special for a small Buick.

nippononly

I can drive that Park Ave quite aggressively.

No way, NOBODY can drive a Park Avenue aggressively, it's not capable of it, unless you mean tailgating, which I am confident you don't. It has no handling to speak of, and I have driven PAs on more than one occasion.

Great highway cars, I might add. Good for renting for a long trip when you have three or four people coming along to split the expense.

hpmctorque

"... I thought the sweepspear effect on the side sheetmetal was placed too high, which made the car look too stubby. And the portholes should be on the OUTSIDE of the hood crease, so that people can see them when looking at the side of the car..."

Hmmm, I was quite impressed with the styling of the 2010 LaCrosse that was on display at the Washington Auto Show. However, as I respect your views, I'm going to evaluate the styling cues you mentioned more critically the next time I see this car. My main disappointment with it was the weight, 4,000+- 4,200+, depending on whether it's FWD or AWD. All things considered, though, I prefer this new LaCrosse over the Acura TL (my wife's current ride) and Toyota Avalon.

dieselone

If it ain't broke, don't fix it! That 3.8 V-6 is a gem!

I guess if you say it's white, I'd have to say it's black, cause IMO the 3800 is way past it's freshness date. What's weird is the 3800 in the Buick's can achieve impressive mileage, but in my wife's 07 GP even with the gingerly way she drive's it's never topped 25mpg even if it's all highway. I've logged many miles on late model Park Ave's and could get close to 30mpg out of it. I guess anything will get good mileage if it's geared tall enough.

My reasons for not liking the 3800 are: it sounds crude, it feels crude, and it's doesn't have much power for it's displacement. Sure it produces enough torque just off idle to be quick to about 30mph, but from then on it's mediocre at best. So it's peppy around town, but annoyingly under powered on the highway, but with all the racket it makes over 3,000rpm, I guess one might think it sounds powerful.

cooterbfd

".....No way, NOBODY can drive a Park Avenue aggressively, it's not capable of it, "

Wait a minute......Mine (an Ultra) goes good. One morning, at 4am (on my way home from work!!!) I was at a light w/ a Mustang GT. I wasn't planning on dragging him, but he goaded me w/ the way he took off, so I punched it.... and caught up w/ him. Had the road not gone from 2 lanes to one, and I not backed off, I'm sure there would have come a point where my engine "ran out of breath", as the 3800's do, and he would've pulled away, but up to 80, he couldn't shake me.

nippononly

So performance consists only of straight-line acceleration, eh? We will have to agree to disagree on that one. ;-)

In straight-line acceleration, of course, the PA would fall second to a great many different, fairly boring, V-6 family cruisers......now I'm not speaking of the Ultra, because didn't that one have a supercharger or something? Don't know the 1/4-miles for that one. ;-)

grbeck

Any car that can survive daily use in Philadelphia earns my respect.

grbeck

hpmctorque,

Styling is a personal thing, although the new LaCrosse is better looking than the new Acura TL (what WAS Honda thinking)?!

I still prefer the new Taurus...although I don't think the LaCrosse is ugly. It just doesn't "wow" me. The new Taurus does in real life...especially compared to the current one. THAT is a car that makes me want to switch brands, along with the new Fusion.

I even stopped at the Ford dealer last night to pick up a brochure on the new Fusion and Mustang. I have to say, the size and style of the new Fusion look pretty attractive right now, especially as the Accord keeps getting bigger.

lemko

Whoever designed the new TL should go back to drawing Pokemon characters.

imidazol97

>survive daily use in Philadelphia

Fire trucks seem to pose a big threat to cars.

imidazol97

In another discussion a poster asks about their 185K mi 1996 Toyota because it has an oil leak. The responder suggests they should buy a new Toyota because they're on sale for 2009s now.

Would that happen to a Buick? Nah. It's just well-broken in. Fix the oil leak and drive it.

I couldn't believe the WunderKar brand that should go 500,000 miles with only oil changes would be worn out at 185,000 miles. My times have changed.

lemko

Travel Roosevelt Blvd. and you're likely to see more wrecks on an average day than during a typical NASCAR race. The median is often littered with several wrecks. My girlfriend's brother-in-law from Connecticut managed to overturn his Subaru Forester on the Boulevard a couple years ago.

dtownfb

I was driving Roosevelt yesterday. You need to come out to York County and get some fresh air and less traffic. :shades:

cooterbfd

I will cede handling to you, although it's a MUCH tighter car than my '88 Regal was or '65 Wildcat is.

hpmctorque

The '10 Fusion would be high on my list, as it has the handling and steering attributes that I value, and is also very competitive in other areas.

I looked at the Taurus, but not real closely, since, as I recall, it was on a stand at the auto show. I'll look at it more carefully when I see one. It's easy for me to believe that the '10 Taurus is very nice, however. I'm disappointed, though, that roomy as it is, the 500/Taurus hasn't offered six-passenger seating as a choice, as the Impala, Avalon, and the '09 LaCrosse and/or Lucerne, do. I don't know if it's available for '10 in the Taurus or LaCrosse. It wouldn't be a deal breaker for me, since I rarely need six-passenger seating these days, but I think large cars like the Taurus, which will replace the Crown Vic for many, should at least offer this choice.

tjc78

the 500/Taurus hasn't offered six-passenger seating as a choice, as the Impala, Avalon, and the '09 LaCrosse and/or Lucerne, do

Avalon hasn't offered 6 pass since '04.

hpmctorque

Yeah, I didn't know whether I was on solid ground when I included Avalon, but I didn't want to interrupt my email to look it up. Thanks for that update.

I know there's no longer a high demand for six-passenger seating in a sedan, but as long as there's some demand from people who prefer sedans to minivans and SUVs, it would give the Taurus a competitive advantage over the Avalon. As it is, I prefer the Taurus to the Avalon, and think it's a better value proposition.

Regarding the Taurus vs. LaCrosse, I'll have to see some 2010s on the road, and read some reviews, before deciding which of these two I prefer. At the moment they both seem competitive and appealing.

dbostondriver

The Chinese are buying Buicks left and right. They actually rebage a Cobalt as a Buick and make loads of money over there. They sell a hatch-back and a Park Avenue over there and the Chinese cant get enough of them.
Buick is to China what Mercedes is to US. An OK car with great brand name.

What I want to know is what is happening to Saturn. Everywhere you go you here that Saturn is dead, yet you see commercials for them everywhere. They did not make a Sky coupe but they made a Solstice coupe. Is anyone buying them?

tjc78

Regarding the Taurus vs. LaCrosse, I'll have to see some 2010s on the road, and read some reviews, before deciding which of these two I prefer

From what I can see the Taurus will beat out the the Lacrosse in terms of space. however the Lacrosse may end up being the better driver.

As for six passenger cars, I see a day where they are no longer. The only few left are "long in the tooth" as far as designs go and it just doesn't seem to be very popular. Back in '03 when I purchased my first Avalon the dealer mentioned that she never ordered Avalons in six pass configuration.

bvdj84

On the road down to Florida yesterday, I saw a black Buick Lecerne, tinted windows, black rims with a silver lip. It was very tastefully done. I truly liked the way it looked. The black really transforms the car into a more contemporary car. They didn't go overboard on it. It looked like something the factory would have made. That is key, if you do upgrade cosmetically, to make it look like its pulled together. I thought it was a hot looking car. It didn't look odd, like some Caddy DTS with 22's on it. lol.

berri

Unless Ford significantly changed the new Taurus chassis, I expect the LaCrosse will have noticeably better front seat foot and legroom. IMO the current Taurus is not a particularly friendly 6 footer car due to the somewhat cramped driver's footwell and spacing. Makes a good cab though with all the room they put in the backseat instead of the front.

nippononly

So THIS is the new "baby Buick"? Not sure the traditional Buick crowd is going to like this thing too much, is it part of the "rebirth"?

http://www.autonews.com/article/20090323/ANA03/903200261/1131
(registration link)

March 23, 2009 - 12:01 am ET

This small Buick sedan, based on General Motors' re-engineered front-drive Delta architecture, is heading for China -- and might appear on U.S. roads in 2011. It's the size of the upcoming Chevrolet Cruze, which will replace the Chevy Cobalt. One distinctive feature is the large grille, similar to those on other Buicks.

cooterbfd

We've been discussing the merits of this little guy being built as a Buick. With Pontiac going "niche", I suppose the PBG group would need a compact car, but can they price it accordingly? I don't know. I suppose this is possible:

Chevy Cruze, priced between $13-17K (not including an SS model)
Buick "Special" (for lack of a better name) between $18-22.5K
Cadillac BLS $24-27K

Now, this would give all 3 groups a compact car, 3 distinct price ranges, and I suppose different engines (say the Chevy gets a 2.2 ecotec that puts out 190 hp, the 2.0 turbo in the Buick, tuned down to say 220 hp, and maybe a small V-6 in the Caddy).