Dissing the competition and the death spiral of a brand

American auto makers are in a desperate search for brand identity.  Their husky cars and trucks and slothful, gluttonous corporate ways have fallen out of favor with the public. The writing’s been on the wall for a while.  

The car marketers’ woeful answer: dig in your heels, aim low, and take petty swipes at the competition.  It’s a little like watching John McCain’s campaign turn negative a few weeks before the election.  It was painful to see a guy with big ideas go down that road.

One recent GM ad featuring Howie Long spends an eternity talking about Honda products. By the end of the spot, I’m thoroughly convinced GM will never know how to make a decent machine with a small, efficient engine.  If a brand is all about spurring an emotional response in the consumer, GM moved this consumer to go out and buy a Honda lawnmower.

Compare and contrast GM’s highway-to-hell marketing effort with the new Toyota peace-love-and-understanding Harmony ad for the Prius.  If there were any people still out there skeptical about buying a small, light, battery-operated, Japanese car, Toyota does one heck of a job erasing any trepidation.  How?  Toyota doesn’t waste time telling you what their product is not. They tell you what their product is--roomy and powerful, fuel-efficient, eco-friendly, and smart.  Bonus: they make you smile in the process.

Maybe a Prius would look good next to that Honda lawnmower in the garage. Thanks for the idea GM!