GM and their brilliant strategic branding idea for Chevy

If this were not June, I would have thought this was an April Fool's Day joke. It's perfect for it.

In case you didn’t hear, General Motors Co. had circulated a memo which directed employees to refer to the brand as Chevrolet, not Chevy. HUH???? Whaaaaaaaat?

Obviously, temporary insanity overcame the corporate, anal-retentive types trying to justify their jobs and getting carried away with branding. Or over thinking the branding. This is more like blanding. Let’s get so systematic with what we do, folks. The rest of the world be damned! We love ourselves! People will automatically stop referring to their vehicles as Chevrolets, not Chevys. The dealerships do, we internals do, so why not? Can’t you just see the normally sterile and monochromatic gears turning inside those heads?

The new debate will go something like this: “you a Ford or Chevrolet guy?” I don’t think so. I’ve had a Chevy Nova and a Chevy Silverado, and I don’t think I ever referred to either as Chevrolet. Always Chevy. Would you say you have a Chevrolet Camaro or a Chevy Camaro? I thought so. By the way, my white 72, 4-door Chevy Nova was a great Cheech & Chong type of car.

Anyway, here’s a good link with a little more about the idiocy at Breaking Media.

And here’s another link with a little more behind the possibility of the thought process and their recent agency hires at Agency Spy. The agencies are very good. They’re the best, especially Goodby. I think it was strictly an internal thing.  This article also mentions Chevy’s market in Mexico.

This brings up another point; what about the US Hispanic branding and market share? Did anyone consider these numbers? Did anyone consider any numbers? Can you say pendejos?

I think consumers everywhere acknowledge Chevrolet and loyal Chevy drivers respect Chevrolet, if not GM. The message here is that Chevy drivers have pumped millions of dollars into GM with their loyalty to Chevy and to think that their minds are going to be changed with a little internal memo is a bit condescending.

Didn’t GM get some bail-out money? Did they hire more pin heads to think stuff like this up?

What do you think?

Comments

[Jim Windham]

I'm sticking with my "Chevy" truck.

[Eva Voorhees]

Thanks for sharing this...makes me embarrassed to be in the biz (or should I say business).

[Joe Ray]

I think everybody who's heard this asks the what and why about it. Unfortunately, a lot of branding turns into blanding. In this case, it's quickly summed up in this equation: GM + Chevrolet + No Chevy = WTF?

Also known as the pendejo factor.

[carlos]

I believe around the world they are known as Chevrolet....

[Web Service wsdl]

I believe i should embrace my chevy!!..
Thanks for the post....

[maternity clothing]

Chevy or chevrolet??? Well, I must say that all over the world this car brand is called as chevrolet and not otherwise.

[PADI IDC]

I am a chevy/ chevrolet lover and its no big deal for me on how people call it... :)

[offshore lead generation]

I still love chevy or chevrolet... Whatever you call it. It does not matter to me at all... :)

[Tummy tuck]

Lol! I love chevrolet and I do not care how people call it. What is important to me that this car rocks and I love it...