GM Marketing Idiots
It should be old news to anyone who pays attention that GM is planning to layoff 25,000 employees and start closing US plants. Is it a sign of bad marketing decisions that the TV airwaves are flooded with GM ads promoting the “everyone in the US gets the employee discount” message? I know they’re trying to drive sales, but all I can think of is, “I guess those laid-off employees still have access to one employee benefit.” I’ve been a Marketing Manager and a Corporate Communications Director in my dirty past, and I believe that this ad campaign has missed the mark and only exacerbated a bad situation. Who approved this campaign?
July 9th, 2005 15:44
I meant to add this a while back - they pay for the savings by discounting the employees, hence “employee discount”. I hafta say, though, when a GM factory worker makes more than a doctor something screwy is going on.
July 11th, 2005 10:11
I won’t argue that when unions get corrupt, there are definitely going to be problems, like the ones you mention with the out-of-whack wages. Here in MA, there was a recently uncovered scam where Dock Worker’s sons were being put on the payroll when they were kids so that by the time they turned 18 and could start working with the Union, they’d already be on the high end of the pay scale. This does nothing to engender sympathy and support for unions.
What bothered me about the marketing campaign for GM was the timing. It was just a horrible theme considering the news was awash in stories of the layoffs. But I guess I’m in the minority, because the campaign has been a huge success for them. They’re extending the discounts and raking up huge sales numbers:
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/050703/auto_sales.html?.v=2
“…Pay for the savings by doscounting the employees.” Me likey.