The Reselling of General Motors

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GM wanted something that could be used consistently for years in the same way that BMW has used "Ultimate Driving Machine" for years. So Buick and agency Leo Burnett came up with "The New Class of World Class" and changed all of the creative work in 14 days, Docherty says. That theme also matched Lutz's strategy of comparing its models to top-rated imports sold by the likes of Honda (HMC), Toyota (TM), BMW (BMWA:GR), and Lexus.

Marketing Imagery

There is some risk, of course. GM has to be careful not to go too far and try to take every car to market the same way. Even if Chevy has an all-American theme or pushes a proposition of good value, "you wouldn't market a Camaro the same way you market a Malibu," says James N. Hall, principal of auto consulting firm 2953 Analytics.

That's why the imagery for each model is so important. In Buick's "Crosswalk" ad, a driver slowly rolls his Lacrosse into the crosswalk of a busy city street. A narrator says, "It's not the new Lexus. It's not the new BMW. It's not the new Audi." Fawning pedestrians start gathering around as a camera pans slowly around the car so viewers can see every angle.

Isdell says the ad is in the sweet spot of where GM should be because it showcases the car's style but also has the audacity to compare a Buick to top-of-the-line rivals. Changing perceptions won't "come from great jingles or women draping themselves over a car," he says. "It's the imagery of the car and the quality of the shoot."

The comparison strategy is showing some early results. According to car shopping site Edmunds.com, GM's four remaining brands are getting more looks from consumers. Since May of this year, when GM was on the edge of bankruptcy, the percentage of shoppers on the Edmunds Web site who looked at Buick models has risen from 1.1% to 2%. The percentage of shoppers considering GMC vehicles has risen from 2.7% to 4%, and Cadillac consideration has grown from 2.2% to 3.2%. Chevy has remained stagnant, at 12% to 13%, in those months.

Upgrades for Chevy Showrooms

Isdell maintains that he doesn't make strategic decisions for GM's marketing. He leaves that to Lutz, Docherty, and new GM-North America President Mark Reuss. But Isdell does discuss his ideas with Lutz and other executives. He tries to bring lessons from Coke to GM. At Coke, the company tried to stay on message with everything, right down to how the company's delivery trucks look. Similarly, GM is pushing its Chevrolet dealers to upgrade their showrooms. GM is rolling out a plan that will give a fresh, blue-and-white facade to the dealerships. The division wants nicer decor inside with a more comfortable waiting area and wireless Internet connections so people can work or surf the Web while waiting for repairs or maintenance work to be completed, says James Campbell, who was named Chevy general manager on Dec. 9.

Like so much of GM's fix-it plan, the spruce-up will take years to complete. Chevy launched the plan in October. Campbell says 155 dealers have started working on it. GM will offer them stipends for hitting sales targets and improving their showrooms in an effort to defray the costs. But it will still take years to get the work done at more than 3,000 dealers, he says. "It can't hurt," says Hall. "GM is finally in a position to ask its dealers to improve their showrooms."

While Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre isn't known for his patience (he fired CEO Frederick A."Fritz" Henderson after five months on the job), Isdell says the board knows it takes time to really get things turned around.

Even if the marketing is consistent, he says, GM needs time for its products to improve and for dealers to sharpen the retail experience. "The cars are better but there's still a way to go," he says. "Turnarounds really take 10 years."

Welch is BusinessWeek's Detroit bureau chief.

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