How to sell the 355 platform

[tama z71]

Will 2006 be the year of the 355?
Two trucks need to outpace one in 2006
A Tama Article

The difference may only be less than 5700 units, but the pressure for sales will continue to mount on GM in 2006.

Chevy Colorado - 128,359
GMC Canyon - 34,845
Toyota Tacoma - 168,831

Despite having twice the models, twice the dealer network and the hugely successful employee pricing program, sluggish year-end sales put GM behind Toyota in the 2005 midsize truck market.

A total loss? Probably not. GM managed to climb from the number three spot with the 355 twins to outsell the Ford Ranger for the first time, and locked up a solid second place in terms of sales. But GM can no longer be happy with "just an improvement". If they are as serious about regaining power as they say they are, GM must take the mentality that second place is just the first place loser.

With the new year but 2 months young, the 2006 models have already been locked in, making any significant changes impossible until the '07s are rolled out. That doesnt mean the General need sit on it's hands for another 11 months, though. In the meantime, GM can make a few small adjustments that will bode well for sales in 2006.

Marketing

Updating the trucks will have to wait. Updating the image will not.

In this arena more than any, GM perenially gets shamed by the PR juggernaut that is Toyota. To answer the challenge, GM need only adopt Toyota's new method of advertising to Generation-Y. Such ads as "Meteor Proof" and "Adrenalitis" speak in an overstated tone of sarcasm and humor that defines the generation molded by the humor of Jon Stewart and The Daily Show. Take this method and throw it back in their faces. Show a twenty-something guy with a lab coat and jeans mention and question Toyota's claim of "meteor proof." Chip a golf ball at a Tacoma, and on impact, blow the thing up with an explosion so profound that it could be taken only as comedic genius. Fight explosions with explosions. Or something like that.

Also, attack the competition. Call out the Tacoma's poorer gas mileage. Attack it's "too big for parking lots and gas consumption" size. Play up GM's technological advantage with its "state of the art" inline 5. Toyota may very well have the edge in any one of these areas. If GM can advertise to the contrary, then people will believe the Colorados to be superior in all areas. People believe what people see, and no advertising group makes that more true than Toyotas PR department.

Creative Advertising

I have sitting in my garage a one-off pickup truck. It runs on tapwater, generates 400 horsepower, can tow a small house and has an interior that catches Lexus with their pants down. Next to it is a 2004 GMC Canyon. It gets 25 mpg highway, has enough power to two tow full-size atv's and a bedfull of cargo, and has a 4wd system that will get me out of mud, sand and knee-deep jello.

No one in the world has ever heard about the super truck. No one has ever heard of the Canyon, one that is identical to the 34,845 of them that sold last year, either. Why not? I wont advertise my truck, and GM won't advertise theirs.

The lack of exposure is just painful. Throw in some TV spots, and hit especially hard on Comedy Central during Daily Show and Colbert Report hours. Grab ads on sites for EXPN and Outdoor Life Network, and make the truck visible to the 20-somethings who will be buying it. Sponsor a year long wakeboard tour, and put the Colorado on a floating display in the middle of the lake. Vortec engines are used in all wake and ski boats, giving the Chevy automatic recognition.

One untapped market is mountainboarding. The sport is rugged, raw and an off-roaders wet dream. To be the first sponsor around and create a loyal relationship with a major manufacturer (www.mbs.com), as well as establish your own perennial tour, opens you up to a whole new customer base. Canyon doesnt fit the Professional Grade mantra. This is a prime target.

If the automotive market has tought us anything, is that perception is 90 percent of reality and one hundred times more important. GM needs to improve 355's image as much as the product itself.

2007 holds tangible changes, but we cannot wait that long. It's time for GM to take the mask off its PR department and let them get creative, and it needs to be done now.

as an aside, is it legal to post one's own work in here?

[plane]

Right on! - Great thread, great post.
The twins are far better than most people realize.

[ocmdog]

Really nice post.

The GMT-355s are so understaetd/under-advertised it's not funny.

Everything you posted is true.

[RWD60]

very good points... the main group the 355's should be goin for is the 18-25 crowd, especially the guys... most older guys have the cash and needs or at least wants to get the GMT-900's, so get us younger guys interested. the tacoma commericials are some of the best car commercials for my demographic i've seen lately... everyone knows it's "false advertising" but it's funny and makes you wonder just how tough the truck really is. other than a slight lack of power (at least on paper), which can be fixed with a turbo and/or sticking the 5.3L V-8 in there, the 355 twins are pretty much the best vehicle GM has for attracing young guys right now... and probably will remain so until the Camaro is reborn. so market these things, and not just during rebate adds.

[Quickening]

FIx the interior and I wouldn't mind having a Canyon. Both of them look very nice and agressive on the outside..its just the interior

[mjd1001]

I wish GM would give me my "compact" pickup back. It's not just GM, it is the Tacoma, and other so called "compacts" that have become midsizied.

If I wanted a truck that weighs almost 4,000 lbs, I'd just buy a full size.

[ChevroletRevived]

Nice article, tama. Alot like the ones I usually do...you really drive home the points of perception, advertising, creativity and exposing the competition. Nice article!

[mrfunji]

BTW, the 355 twins have been on the market for going on 3 years now and have not had 1 single recall.

[ChevroletRevived]

Hmm, that's interesting. I didn't know that..

[monza164]

Does anybody know why they didn't design these truck to fit a 6cly.? I mean the 4.2 I6 was out long before the trucks hit the road. And how much longer can an extra cylinder be? The inline 5 makes, what 2 lb-ft of torque. It's embarising when honda makes more torque in their pick-up. And they talk about squeezing a 5.3 v8 in there (that's GM's solution to everything). I feel like i'm taking crazy pills.

[ponchoman49]

I would buy one of these 355's right now if the interior were nicer with a bit more padded surfaces and nicer seat material, a V6 option of maybe the 3500 or 3900 and rear disk brakes. I rented an 05 4 door with 4WD and liked the truck overall but really wished for the above items. It garnered many admiring glances and got pretty good mileage with the 5 cylinder engine. But low end power was lacking, the engine was throbby at idle and sounded weird. Make those changes GM and I will buy one.

[TahoeMikeZ71]

I like the size of the Chevy Colorado/Canyon, and I think the Colorado has a good look to it on the outside.

[greg_mgoblue]

I now have 81K on my 04 Canyon to those of you who want a six I wonder just how many have actually driven the I-5? This truck delivers the goods and still gets me 20-22 MPG can the Tacoma or Frontier? Their MPG is not much better than the GMC Sierra I traded in. However next year at trade in time I will look at the new Sierra if the interior is not upgraded and storage space is not increased. Note to GM this is unacceptable and has got to be fixed!

[Butz]

Give 'em a better interior and more power and they'll sell!

[ChevroletRevived]

I agree...the 355's interior needs an update. Other then the interior though, it seems to be on par with the competition.