Carguide Blog

GM has been gearing up to boost consumer confidence in the past few years with its campaign slogan “May the Best Car Win” as the car guide for new consumers in the family car market. The ad was very effective in that it extends the 60-day satisfaction guarantee.  Its ad campaign also dare to challenge Toyota’s bread and butter Camry at point blank.  The Toyota Camry has an already established reputation of being a reliable and economic car.  But the Chevy Malibu’s reputation is also getting up there, just not way up there yet.  So what are the selling points for the Malibu to dare take on this challenge?

Let’s us run a few numbers.  First off from the ad campaign by GM.

As you can see the selling points for the Chevy Malibu LTZ are pretty weak (Onstar and more Onstar…) to go against an already established player.  When it comes to powertrain warranty, 60k miles and 100k miles are basically the same due to the advance in manufacturing technology, the engine and transmission can go up to 180k miles without any problems (provided that you do regular maintenance such as oil change).

Now let’s look at the additional data that I’ve gathered.

Camry wins in this table because of two major items: the V6 engine and lower MSRP price than Chevy Malibu.

Let’s look at the Pros and Cons:

I would say a tie here .

Verdict

And the winner is………………Toyota Camry LE as the car guide for consumers.  Chevy Malibu is still catching up to the Toyota Camry.  To take on this challenge would require the Chevy Malibu to develop a reliable and dependable reputation, and we all know too well that reputation takes time to build.  The Chevy Malibu’s image just got changed a few years ago to being a better car, it has the potential to become Chevy’s bread and butter.  My first impression of the Chevy Malibu last year’s design was “Wow”, and so did my friend who saw it with me.  At first glance, I thought it was some sort of  a cross between the Honda Accord and Camry.  I always had an image of the Chevy Malibu of being a car for people in their 50’s, but the new design really washed that image off my head. Take the poll on the right sidebar for yourself, and see the results (sorry poll program is broken).

All and all, the Chevy Malibu has the potential to become a great family car.   With a few more years of driving experience and refinement, the Chevy Malibu may have a good shot of taking on the Camry Le or Honda Accord.

Here is a press release from GM:

“May the Best Car Win” Winning with Consumers; GM Extends 60-Day Satisfaction Guarantee

GM’s “May the Best Car Win” marketing campaign is boosting consumer opinion and consideration of its cars and trucks. The ads scored in the top quartile for all automotive advertising in the last three years in terms of consumer opinion, consideration and relevancy, according to GM’s internal testing data.

“The campaign is getting the word out about how good GM’s new products are,” Jay Spenchian, executive director, Marketing Strategy, said Thursday during a media update on the marketing campaign.   “We’ve seen positive coverage and increased awareness of launch products like the Buick LaCrosse and GMC Terrain.”

Spenchian also said GM’s successful 60-Day Satisfaction Guarantee, which is part of the campaign, will be extended through January 4.  “More than 99 percent of buyers who choose to take the Satisfaction Guarantee are keeping their vehicle,” he said.

The next phase of the campaign will launch in December with head-to-head ads in magazines, newspaper and web sites.

Ryndee Carney
GM Communications
Tel: 313-667-7627
Mobile: 313-549-1524
ryndee.carney@gm.com

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