Is The Opel Adam Too Edgy For Buick?

26749 Views 171 Replies 79 Participants Last post by Z284ever, Jan 10, 2015

Z284ever

Discussion Starter · Jan 3, 2015

There are more than just passing rumors that the Opel Adam is coming here as a Buick. First, let me say that Opel is doing a great job at marketing and positioning the Adam. Far better than anything I've seen from GMNA in a long time, if ever.

Before we go any further, I'm going to ask you guys to click Opel's Adam site. and spend some time there and familiarize yourselves, that way we can all be on the same page.

http://www.opel.com/microsite/adam/#/home

Okay, see what I mean? How is Buick going to possibly market this car without having to neuter that marketing or radically change it's stodgy image? And if their goal is to tone the Adam down, well then, what's the point? I do think that GM needs the Adam in the US desperately.

The question is, does Buick have the stones to sell it here without watering it down?

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63GrandSport001

· #2 · Jan 3, 2015

This car will no doubt get younger people into the Buick dealerships and to buy these cars. However will younger people really want to be associated with a brand that still has an image of being for old people.... Buick IMHO would need to have an outrageous car and a masterful ad campaign in order to turn this image around IMHO.

note: younger is always a relative term, Buick has an average age of something like 60 so younger could be 59 for example.

Ed Arcuri

· #3 · Jan 3, 2015

The answer to your question is no.
As to the use of words like edgy and stodgy, that speaks more to subjective reference to Buick. That is to say, image.
There are still some people who buy cars on the bases of their wants and needs and the car's ability to satisfy those things and not on the basis of what the neighbor thinks.
The Adam can be sold to those who are looking for such a small vehicle with whatever clever marketing GM can muster. If FIAT can do it and BMW (Mini) can do it; GM can. The obsession with image is an obsession we need to abandon.
That's what I think.
Ed

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jzchev28

· #4 · Jan 3, 2015

I for one hope it comes sooner rather than later. I pray they don't water it down and don't believe that they will. They are shedding their old peoples car image and this can only help. Go Buick, but seriously let's get on the product ball shall we??

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steve333

· #5 · Jan 3, 2015

Buick could use a little edge. It would be a Mini fighter. They should also bring over the OPC hatch as a Buick Wildcat. Make the next Verano a version of the Astra sedan not the Chinese Excelle.
Buick Apollo (Adam)
Buick Encore
Buick Verano
Buick Wildcat
Buick Insignia (Regal)
Buick Encore
Buick LaCrosse
Buick Enclave

XSoroushush

· #6 · Jan 3, 2015

I think Opel Adam is a pretty appealing car. It can potentially be inviting as a buick unless it is just rebedged as a buick.
I am inclined to believe that buick is a more luxurious brand than Opel, so this car needs to be more opulent as a buick; a better interiour and a more luxurious exterior are the ways to go, then add a working marketing strategy to it, then not only do you have a successful seller, but a new segmet in which other brands will introduce cars to compete .

dslay04

· #7 · Jan 3, 2015

Bring over both the Adam and the Rocks.

sfbreh

· #8 · Jan 3, 2015

Is this too edgy for Buick?

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dslay04

· #9 · Jan 3, 2015

sfbreh said:
Is this too edgy for Buick?

I'd buy.

SKH

· #10 · Jan 3, 2015

sfbreh said:
Is this too edgy for Buick?

Perfect!

cbennie2

· #11 · Jan 3, 2015

I love this car and think it would work as a Buick. They would need to have a smart advertising campaign if they want it to sell in any volume...otherwise it will be like the regal.

wallus13

· #12 · Jan 3, 2015

Keep the edgyness and the marketing. I think they should market the car much more than the brand, sort of an opposite of Cadillac approach. People around my age generally do not want a Buick. Although I did sell my friend on a Regal GS.

Nordoff

· #13 · Jan 3, 2015

Two arguments....

One, This would be great for Buick. It could be the start of redoing the whole line which is nessary. Cars arn't good unless you can come up with a fair price that folks are willing to pay and you make a decient profit without putting money on the hood. Do it sorta like Mini, only order only with a non refundable deposit. Only kick ass cars should be available.

Bring it over as a Chevy. I envision Buick as a BMW fighter while Cadillac would be for the older better off folks who usually gravatate to MB. Why I think this would fit better as a Chevy is the simple reason of elevation of it's cars. Most folks buy CUVs, SUVs and Trucks. If Chevy doesn't do something with it's cars it will get further lost in the crowd and maybe even killed altogether when Chineese cars get here. They are comming guys, weather or not YOU are anyone here would buy one.

If done right this could be the sub ATS for Cadillac....I however think that would be a bad idea.

Better to get things ready and not think about importing this car till Gen two.

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XP300

· #14 · Jan 3, 2015

I don't know what Edgy is................... Is it only for someone in their 20's?

Currently, I'm living in a 55 and older community for the winter. I guess I'm a snowbird. But I see more than a few "seniors" driving what could be described as edgy cars. The 90+ year old living across the street, zooms her Yaris down the street as if the devil was chasing her.

Take the elderly woman from the "That's not a Buick" commercial and have her watching an Adam zooming down the street. She could be saying .... Now that's a Buick!

GM has taken too long to bring the Adam to the States. It would fill a product void and bring new people into GMC/Buick showrooms.

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sfdenny

· #15 · Jan 3, 2015

"The Opel Adam, now available at your Buick dealer. Imported for the fun of it."

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BlackGTP

· #16 · Jan 3, 2015

This is exactly what Buick needs to shed it's old image. I'd say go full on edgy for the marketing, make people stop and look in the same way Cadillac used Led Zep did all those years ago.

Old people will buy them as they typically look for a small, easy to get around in car. But with the edgy marketing Buick may attract a new crowd and change it's image.

rsbaker

· #17 · Jan 3, 2015 (Edited)

A safer bet as previous posts have suggested would indeed be the the Opel Astra and Astra OPC. With Buick's success with the Verano it only seems logical to bring the 3 door Astra over as Verano and the OPC Would make a perfect Verano GS. This would also seem to fit in with the successful "That doesn't look like a Buick" ad campaign. The Adam could still be a Buick I just think the Astra 3 door would easier to market because of its larger size and it relation to Verano sedan.

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mchicha

· #18 · Jan 3, 2015

63GrandSport001 said:
This car will no doubt get younger people into the Buick dealerships and to buy these cars. However will younger people really want to be associated with a brand that still has an image of being for old people.... Buick IMHO would need to have an outrageous car and a masterful ad campaign in order to turn this image around IMHO.

note: younger is always a relative term, Buick has an average age of something like 60 so younger could be 59 for example.

young people associate Toyota, Honda and Lexus with old people. The Generation that thinks buick is for old people is in their mid 40s.

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Tone

· #19 · Jan 3, 2015 (Edited)

Let's turn the question on its head: in this day and age, is there any room for a stodgy, conservative automotive brand? Consider demographics. While the poulation is aging, the trends toward longer life expectancy and fewer children mean that we are moving a way from a population pyramid and toward a distribution that looks more like a column with a rounded top. See more in this Economist piece

What this means is there isn't the huge youth market there once was. But, at the same time, older people are more active and less 'stodgy'. The senior that once bought Lincoln Town Cars is mostly dead. Today's senior is more likely to have seen Woodstock than WWII!

Like every brand, Buick will need to appeal to a broad range of ages to succeed. Its success will depend on psychographics more than demographics. The people buying stodgy cars aren't a particular age group. They are people who don't particularly care about cars beyond reliable transportation. And those people value price and reliability over all else -- not a great place for a brand like Buick.

If you look at the Mini and Fiat 500, what's interesting is they seem to appeal to a wide group of people who have in common a desire for a stylish, personalizable small car. Some are young, some are old but all are willing to pay a bit of a premium to get a fun looking and driving car.

That seems to be what the Adam is about as well. If that doesn't fit into where Buick is today, it better be where Buick is going.

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Shoot

· #20 · Jan 3, 2015

Don't make it a Buick. Period. Leave it as an Open Adam sold at select GM dealerships (doesn't even have to be Buick/GMC).

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