Advertising That Makes Sense

As I sit here watching Texas Tech and Boston College dual it out, I am inundated with ads by Chevrolet. The Hummer ads are entertaining, of course. But what really strikes me as odd is how Chevrolet calls themselves the longest lasting trucks on the road. I have a Blazer. I rue the day I bought it. The thousands I spent on it has been met in repairs alone. And so the story goes. Most people with whom I speak about Chevrolet have the same impression. And most feel that Toyota actually makes the most durable and longest lasting truck.

So who owns the position of "durable" or "longest lasting?" Is it the company that says it, or the company that has others saying it? The answer is obvious -- don't beat yourself up thinking that this is a trick question.

Volvo began their company based on the concept of durability. After their PR campaign was in full swing, they noticed that people really latched on to the safety of their product. Wisely, they shifted their advertising to match the position which the consumers had given them.

What this means is that one may help create a positioning for their brand in the mind of the consumer. But ultimately, the consumer is God over the position. And the wise company follows their direction. Changing a position in the mind of the consumer is nearly impossible, unless it is done over a very, very long period of time.

Mr. Goodwrench is still just GM trying to act kind about fixing their broken vehicles. I was well entertained by Stephen Colbert's commercials. They made me happy. And Mr. Goodwrench was certainly happy the day that my fuel pump and water pump went. And as I sat, stuck in Denver (with the water pump) and later in Albuquerque (with the fuel pump), I did not feel reassured by those glitzy, glamorous, high budget prime time commercials and their suave taglines. "The longest lasting, most dependable trucks on the road." Are they?

Chevrolet's sales figures have shown clearly that we, the consumers, do not agree with them whatsoever. It's time to go back to the drawing board. And I'm going back to the dealer. A Toyota dealer.