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Club News => AMCCA Members Chat Room => Topic started by: cpu on June 10, 2010, 11:42:12 PM

Title: Report: General Motors wants to snuff out "Chevy" nickname
Post by: cpu on June 10, 2010, 11:42:12 PM

Folks, there are bad ideas, and there ones that are legendary in their badness. Unfortunately for General Motors, it would appear that the automaker may very well be lobbying for its own wing in the Dumb Idea Hall of Fame. The New York Times reports that a memo distributed to workers at the company's headquarters earlier this week instructs them to cease referring to the Chevrolet brand by its long-standing nickname, Chevy. Going forward, only Chevrolet is to be used. The reasoning? So-called branding consistency. If you're thinking, "That's insane," well, we don't blame you.

It gets better.

The Times further points out that the memo, signed by Chevy marketing vice president Jim Campbell (you see what we did there) and Alan Batey, VP of Chevy sales and service (there we go again), uses Coke – Coke – as an example of what GM is trying to achieve with this approach. It would seem that the powers-that-be at the RenCen are oblivious to the irony that Coke is, of course, shorthand for the company's formal name, Coca-Cola.

In a nutshell, we feel that the Coke comparison GM uses in the memo is ultimately rather apt, given that the idea of memory-holing "Chevy" as part of some absurd branding exercise seems destined to be a failure on the level of New Coke. GM's got its work cut out for itself, regardless. As of right now, Chevrolet.com has 5,480 "Chevy" mentions on it according to Google. GM.com? 1,730 more. That Chevy is inextricably tied to Chevrolet is a reality GM's marketers are apparently divorced from.

We can't be the only ones who think this is perhaps the very worst in a long history of horrible ideas.......... :fingers:

Title: Report: General Motors wants to snuff out "Chevy" nickname
Post by: sms777 on June 11, 2010, 12:27:48 AM

Welcome to the 21st century of madness. There goes the old slogan " Chevy"... can't afFord it.... Ford it. :rol:

What next.... Dodge against Mopar? That would make me throw up all over a Pontiac badge.   :lol:

Title: Report: General Motors wants to snuff out "Chevy" nickname
Post by: bonnevista on June 11, 2010, 12:28:13 AM

I could almost understand this idea if they were talking about Cadillac and not refering to it as 'Caddy', in an attempt to keep it sounding more classy, but Chevy is the 'every man' brand.  It's Americana, Chevy just rolls off the tongue.

It's a good thing they put these geniuses in charge, or who knows what would have happened!
(http://www.splashedpaint.com/AMCC/Gifs/LogicLoses.gif)

Title: Report: General Motors wants to snuff out "Chevy" nickname
Post by: GAS455 on June 11, 2010, 09:46:23 PM

GM are a pack of idiots!!!

Title: Report: General Motors wants to snuff out "Chevy" nickname
Post by: 69DirtyRat on June 11, 2010, 10:31:41 PM

Again I'm sure its some marketing genius that GM paid millions of $ to come up with that idea! That rings a bell.....Just like Channel 9 when some smart marketing idiot told the ch9 excecutives that losing the 9 balls would be a good thing!!!! After spending ALOT of money changing it, nobody liked it! (Geez they could have given those dollars to me to tell them that!) SO we spent ALOT of $ to change it back! and nobody has had a pay rise since because they spent the money on 'Balls":smile:

Title: Report: General Motors wants to snuff out "Chevy" nickname
Post by: Steve on June 11, 2010, 10:54:43 PM

do you think maybe Chevrolet is backpedaling a little bit ????


http://detnews.com/article/20100610/AUTO01/6100449/1148/rss25

 Last Updated: June 10. 2010 1:00AM
General Motors: 'Poorly worded' Chevy memo not meant for fans
New York Times News Service and Detroit News staff reports

General Motors today backtracked from a memo discouraging the use of “Chevy” to describe its Chevrolet brand.

On Tuesday, GM sent a memo to Chevrolet employees at its headquarters, promoting the importance of "consistency" for the brand, which was the nation's best-selling line of cars and trucks for more than half a century after World War II.

But in a statement issued today, General Motors said " 'Chevy' will continue to reflect the enthusiasm of customers and fans.""Today's emotional debate over a poorly worded memo on our use of the Chevrolet brand is a good reminder of how passionately people feel about Chevrolet. It is a passion we share and one we do not take for granted," it said.

"We love Chevy. In no way are we discouraging customers or fans from using the name. We deeply appreciate the emotional connections that millions of people have for Chevrolet and its products."

But the automaker noted that "in global markets, we are establishing a significant presence for Chevrolet, and need to move toward a consistent brand name for advertising and marketing purposes. The memo in question was one step in that process."

In Tuesday's memo, the automaker asked that "whether you're talking to a dealer, reviewing dealer advertising, or speaking with friends and family, that you communicate our brand as Chevrolet moving forward." It was signed by Alan Batey, vice president for Chevrolet sales and service, and Jim Campbell, the GM division's vice president for marketing.

Chevrolet said that "when you look at the most recognized brands throughout the world, such as Coke or Apple for instance, one of the things they all focus on is the consistency of their branding.

"Why is this consistency so important? The more consistent a brand becomes, the more prominent and recognizable it is with the consumer."

Although the memo cites Coke, it does not note that Coke is shorthand for Coca-Cola -- or that Apple is not commonly used in reference to its products, which are known simply as iPads, iPhones and MacBooks.

One expert on branding said GM's effort ran counter to a trend in which corporate names had become more casual. The consultant, Paul Worthington, head of strategy for Wolff Olins, amarketing and branding firm, noted that FedEx had replaced Federal Express, KFC had supplanted Kentucky Fried Chicken and "even RadioShack has evolved into the Shack."

Regardless, if Chevrolet plans to puts the Chevy genie back in the bottle, the task could prove harder than climbing out of bankruptcy.

If taken to its logical conclusion, Chevrolet would presumably need to ask Jeff Gordon, the four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion who currently races a Chevrolet Impala, to change the website address -- jeffgordonchevy.com -- for his dealership in Wilmington, N.C.

And what about rolling back the popular culture references to Chevy? Elton John, Bob Seger, Motley Crue and the Beastie Boys have all sung about Chevy, and hip-hop artists rap about "Chevy Ridin' High" or "Ridin' in My Chevy."

Worthington, the branding expert, said Chevrolet seemed unclear what the brand stood for. But ultimately, he said, consumers "will call you whatever they want to call you."

But not Chevrolet staff members. A postscript to the memo says a sort of cuss jar -- a plastic "Chevy" can -- has been situated in the hallway.

"Every time someone uses 'Chevy' rather than Chevrolet," the note said, the employee is expected to put a quarter in the can.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20100610/AUTO01/6100449/1148/rss25#ixzz0qY4p64wq

Title: Report: General Motors wants to snuff out "Chevy" nickname
Post by: heven67 on June 15, 2010, 01:36:48 PM

Its not in my vocabulary anyway!

Title: Report: General Motors wants to snuff out "Chevy" nickname
Post by: ozpont on June 15, 2010, 08:00:58 PM

" Its not in my vocabulary anyway!"

[/b]

.. umm.. straining on words with more then 4 letters again..?? .. Henry was smart way back.. started with any colour as long as it was black.. and kept the name simple for the target markets virtues.. ...:coffee: :gotya:

.. back then.. the "T" model... then even the kids... Edsel 1, then Henry 2, then Edsel 2.... what's going to happen after the 5th generation..... Ford Historians will have to use Two Hands... for counting as well....!:rol:

Title: Report: General Motors wants to snuff out "Chevy" nickname
Post by: chrisevo on June 15, 2010, 10:51:23 PM

I'm with you Hev!!!

Title: Report: General Motors wants to snuff out "Chevy" nickname
Post by: cpu on June 16, 2010, 03:28:22 AM

Quote from: heven67 link=topic=3350.msg20271#msg20271

Its not in my vocabulary anyway!

:ban:

Quote from: chrisevo link=topic=3350.msg20280#msg20280

I'm with you Hev!!!

and :ban: too

:smile:

Title: Report: General Motors wants to snuff out "Chevy" nickname
Post by: heven67 on June 16, 2010, 10:56:42 AM

Quote from: ozpont link=topic=3350.msg20276#msg20276

" Its not in my vocabulary anyway!"

[/b]

.. umm.. straining on words with more then 4 letters again..?? .. Henry was smart way back.. started with any colour as long as it was black.. and kept the name simple for the target markets virtues.. ...:coffee: :gotya:

.. back then.. the "T" model... then even the kids... Edsel 1, then Henry 2, then Edsel 2.... what's going to happen after the 5th generation..... Ford Historians will have to use Two Hands... for counting as well....!:rol:

:sorry:.........."No Prizes for second"