Lawrence Gee | Marketing, Internet, Creativity, Strategy

Know Who You Are

I came across an article today on Saturn’s woes in car sales even though its latest offerings were critically a success.  The article claimed that the manufacturer pulled ads promoting Saturn’s performance and handling since it didn’t seem to resonate with its buyers. 

Much like other struggling car manufacturers, Saturn is having difficulty reinventing itself.  This should not be surprising.  It’s quite difficult to change an imagery so ingrained in the consumer mindset.  Cars, especially, have such a heritage and devotion that you immediately invoke specific meaning when you mention a brand.  BMW = Performance, German Engineering; Toyota = Reliability; Kia = Cheap.

Think about another failed automaker, Volkswagen, who has had its own share of problems reinventing themselves.  They were seen as young, funky,and affordable.  Basically a low-cost European alternative to the Japanese sedans that was more affordable than a BMW or Audi.  VW tried to reach an older, more affluent, audience over the past several years, offering higher quality cars.  The problem was that they also moved up the price point where they alienated their core consumers.  If you notice their advertising today, they too have gone back to basics emphasizing the youth, fun, and affordability of their cars.  Probably a better bet to regain their core customers and play on the strengths of the brand.   

Bottom line is that Saturn also has to figure out who they really are.  They are better served building on their core essense rather than doing a 180.  Yes it’s ok to shift towards a different demographic or segment but it can’t be as drastic as Saturn has done over the past year.  Building a better product was a first step and Saturn did get into my consideration set, but I would never have purchased one no matter how great the product was.  Saturn would be better off being more like VW and being an alternative to the traditional sedan.  In the past, they were known as the car that used plastic side panels instead of metal.  Why not build on the alternative materials branding and become the eco-friendly option for both materials and fuels? Just a thought, but something that sounds more viable than becoming the next BMW.

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