GM Tries "If You Find a Better Car, Then Give Ours Back"
September 10, 2009

General Motors will launch a marketing campaign it calls "May the Best Car Win" that offers buyers of Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC vehicles a 60-day money-back guarantee.

The promotion will kick off with an advertising blitz on Sunday during morning news shows and NFL football games. The ads will feature GM's chairman Edward Whitacre.

Though GM has not provided advanced viewing of the advertisements, there's a hint of deja vu from Chrysler's first emergence from bankruptcy when then-Chairman Lee Iacocca challenged American consumers to buy Chrysler cars with the tag line: "If you find a better car, buy it."

Satisfaction Guaranteed

Indeed, GM must pull out all of the stops to bolster its badly battered sales, market share and image after its trip to bankruptcy court and its unpopular bailout by the government.

"We think if consumers give us a fair chance and look at the facts on the things that matter most to them, like design, fuel economy, warranty and safety, our vehicles are the best choices -- that's what makes an offer like this possible," GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, who is now in charge of marketing and communications, said in a statement."The Cadillac SRX and CTS Wagon, the Buick LaCrosse, the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain, for instance, are all outstanding new products. This new marketing effort should help us communicate these facts to consumers."

Indeed, the new promotion gives the appearance of the kind of bold move GM must make, but in reality, GM's risk is small, said Edmunds.com CEO Jeremy Anwyl. "Most GM car buyers during this program are probably convinced of their purchase and the number of people that might return a vehicle will be very small."

GM is not the first automaker to offer a return-if-not-satisfied promotion. However, this offer provides a lengthier try-out period and on a wider array of models than past programs.

GM's own Oldsmobile division offered a 30-day return program in 1990. Volkswagen offered something similar at the same time but only on its Passat. GM's Vauxhall brand in the U.K. also has done it. And GM's Saturn division, now being sold, offered a 30-day swap for another Saturn model.

Under GM's Satisfaction Guarantee offer, customers may return their vehicles to the dealer between 31 and 60 days of purchase for a refund of the purchase price of the vehicle. The offer covers all 2009 and 2010 Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC vehciles. It runs from September 14 through November 30. Other rules include no more than 4,000 miles on the returned car and no being behind in car payments.

Posted by Michelle Krebs at 11:57 AM under Featured , GM , News | Comments (7) | digg this | Seed Newsvine

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