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Old 10-14-2008, 09:33 AM   #12 (permalink)
XCR440SP
3.0 Liter SIDI V6
 
Join Date: May 2003
Drives: 1991 LX 5.0L, 2006 Fusion SEL Steeda, 2007 Five Hu
Posts: 631
Re: Ford of Europe designing future Mercury model

Quote:
Originally Posted by nadepalma View Post
Its funny you bring this up and point out "what's in a name"

But the point was made. Even after 2 or 3 years of the "new, relaunched Saturn" the image that people have of the car - whether it's their market position or the types of cars they sell - has remained intact. After hundreds of millions in advertising and over $3 billion in launching a slate of new products for Saturn, people still don't understand what the new products or values of Saturn are - and that's not just sad its depressing.

But the larger point is made: If someone who knows a few things about cars doesn't know or understand Saturns new direction - if these points in the repositioning or product image haven't been established - then how can the wider car buying public truly "GET" what the new Saturn is about?
Problem is Saturn marketed themselves as the little dent resistant car company for years and their new ad campaign has no stand out message to change that image. I always think of Saturn as the offical car for geeks and hippies. The new models don't fit that, but the old ones did. Many don't like to admit that, but if you think about it you know that its true. I know I couldn't drive a Sky due to the Saturn name, but I'd kill for a Solstice. Now if it were an Olds Sky, I could be sold one (but would still lean toward the Pontiac) and if it were an Opel, no question asked, I'd have no preconcieved ideas that would stop me from buying and I'd probably take it over the Pontiac.

Last edited by XCR440SP : 10-14-2008 at 09:37 AM.
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