GM Inside News Forum - View Single Post - GM-Navistar truck pact expires without final deal

**nadepalma** · 08-20-2008, 02:16 PM

This is certainly news from a stategic perspective and may presents an opportunity for GM to eliminate an existing retail brand.

Many on GMI have said that GM has WAY too many brands and that some may need to be cut. GMC, in particular, is a bit of a redundant retail brand.

Keeping their medium duty truck operations in house, GM could almost kill two birds with one stone. GM could possibly stop selling GMC as a true retail, mass-market product - and simply use GMC as a professional, commerical grade operation.

That means, GM could stop selling Chevy variants of the Kodiak, etc - and merely rebadge all their bigger stuff as GMCs. It would also mean GMC would no longer sell rebadged stuff for the masses and focus only on the industrial market.

This would allow GM to "cut an extra division" without cutting it altogether and retaining the GMC name for what it claims to alredy be - "Professional Grade"

It would also allow GM to continue to consolidate and shift their brand strategy. We've already read rumors that Saturn showrooms may be consolidated with BPG showrooms. Some would say that FOUR BRANDS under one sales channel is a bit much and would present some overlap and image problems.

But if GMC will moved in a new direction - and the total number of locations selling GMC were reduced - then GM could end up ahead of the game and shift their retail strategy.

Just my two cents, but I think it makes sense.

08-20-2008, 02:16 PM	#2 (permalink)
nadepalma GMI Staff Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 6,688	Re: GM-Navistar truck pact expires without final deal This is certainly news from a stategic perspective and may presents an opportunity for GM to eliminate an existing retail brand. Many on GMI have said that GM has WAY too many brands and that some may need to be cut. GMC, in particular, is a bit of a redundant retail brand. Keeping their medium duty truck operations in house, GM could almost kill two birds with one stone. GM could possibly stop selling GMC as a true retail, mass-market product - and simply use GMC as a professional, commerical grade operation. That means, GM could stop selling Chevy variants of the Kodiak, etc - and merely rebadge all their bigger stuff as GMCs. It would also mean GMC would no longer sell rebadged stuff for the masses and focus only on the industrial market. This would allow GM to "cut an extra division" without cutting it altogether and retaining the GMC name for what it claims to alredy be - "Professional Grade" It would also allow GM to continue to consolidate and shift their brand strategy. We've already read rumors that Saturn showrooms may be consolidated with BPG showrooms. Some would say that FOUR BRANDS under one sales channel is a bit much and would present some overlap and image problems. But if GMC will moved in a new direction - and the total number of locations selling GMC were reduced - then GM could end up ahead of the game and shift their retail strategy. Just my two cents, but I think it makes sense. __________________ Email: nadepalma@gminsidenews.com "La vita è come un albero di Natale..c'è sempre qualcuno che ti rompe le palle!" "You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves" -Abraham Lincoln Last edited by nadepalma : 08-20-2008 at 02:24 PM.