I officially call for a gallery of "10 (or more) Reasons Buick is a Lost Cause as a Brand."
That is, why no amount of creative marketing or product massaging can budge the overwhelming public opinion of Buicks as cars for people who'd be dead if it was the 19th century.
I've been referring to Twitter as the CB radio of this generation for some time now. Can't you just see trying to explain Twitter to kids 20 years from now? Its like when your parents tell ya "well you could get driver in the immediate area, and on your channel to give you traffic updates, as well a smokey reports. Plus you could keep in touch with people in other cars who were going the same place as you..."
Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet promoted this comment
superbadd75, now I remember why I left... was starred
superbadd75, now I remember why I left... was unstarred
Um. Just a thought, but, if GM gave two shits about what a bunch of self-important media nobodies thought about their product lineup, and cared in the slightest about a website dedicated to massaging one's own ego, don't you think they would have, I don't know, not cancelled the G8?
That's received a thousand times more bad press than a few twats, or twits, or tweets, or whatever you call them.
I'm sure it feels nice to massage your ego some more and believe you had some influence, but let's face it, it's far more likely someone actually just realized what a bad business move it was.
Rather than using twitter to make judgment calls, I think the decision should go like this:
The Head of Design Review: Okay kid, show me what you got.
Young Product Designer: Well sir, see this old Saturn Vue?
The Head of Design Review: Uh Yeah…
Young Product Designer: Well, we thought if you...
The Head of Design Review: Dammit,...this better not be some of that badge engineering crap....I’m just warning you
Young Product Designer: Uh… Well sir…. Well, we thought if you just take some Buick badges here and stick them here where the old Saturn Vue badges go....
The Head of Design Review: You’re fired!!!
Head Product Designer: Sir,... hold on now...I think the kid is on to something here.
The Head of Design Review: Well then you’re fired too...anybody else think this is a good idea?
Other Product Designers in Unison: No we…. uh… uh…. told them not to do that.
I’m pretty sure this would eliminate badge engineering.
It seems utterly befitting that one stupid trend kills another. Now maybe someone will put out a bland Autotuned song about how much they despise Twitter.
@maximum-sienna: I think Face Book may be the gateway site... but I try to avoid all that stuff. My sister offered me some MySpace a while back, I tried it for a while and had a good time but realized that it was no way to live my life. So I went cold turkey and I've been clean for almost 8 months now.
@TimTim: I do Facebook once or twice a day. It expands my horizons, calms me down. I'd never try Twitter or any of that hard shit, though, man. And MySpace is always cut with nasty shit.
@skulldriveshaft picasaweb and youtube: Jalopnik is supposedly just the gateway drug, supposedly nonaddictive, supposedly harmless, supposedly widely accepted. But I need my fix, man.
I was going to call this thing something less catchy but similarly uncomplimentary... Something like the Special Urban Commuter Crossover Utility Bus. You know, it plugs in and steals all your energy while you're sleeping... Fortunately, those in larger social circles than I coined 'Vue-ick' and now we no longer need to fear the SUCCUBus.
Ok. I hate twitter. Mostly for a lack of understanding it. I see no purpose in it, social, scientific or otherwise. Then this comes along, effectively (however inelegantly) chopping off the head of what was sure to be a cross-eyed, fire-choking dragon at birth (though unfortunately not before). So does that mean that pitfall of a fashion statement (statement nearly literally) has saved the day?
No, my friends. It shows that GM execs are too busy following up on Twitter to actually look at the proposals they are confronted with at the beginning. Are the captains of industries so tasteless and/or oblivious to such things that it takes a form of social uprising to show them what was visible from the start? Or is it because marketing is the million pound gorilla in the corner, a behemoth pulling its weight around to exert its opinion, thereby forcing everyone else to do as it says, only to be noticed by following the pulse of the exact consumers that it flings its dire excrement upon?
I understand the need to follow up on society. That's how the right products make it to us consumers. What I don't understand is how it takes a system of coffee twitting, breakfast tweeting, shit twatting and look-at-me tweataratting to see that while everyone is entitled to their opinion, it shouldn't take a gazillion voices twasterblabbling to wake the fuck up.
Yep, I still hate twitter, or rather, what it stands for. I should go facebook about it or something, as everyone should know this...
Edit: and yes it took me quite a while to write this comment, hence the appearance that I am re-stating what so many others have stated. That makes me feel good, as I see I am not alone in this.
@oyumurtaci: It's funny to look at companies like BMW and Porsche who seemingly never listen to anyone but their products are dearly coveted. No substitute for strong and decisive leadership.
@Comrade Clockwork: I beg to differ. BMW leadership stuck with Bangle for long enough to attract more criticism than they should have been subjected to. However amazing their machines may be, they are losing their 'back to basics' ideology, as proven by the abomination that is the Crossover SUV car wagon hatchliftback thing, despite its surprising merits. And that is exactly the problem, what should be merits on all of the lineup are wasted on such niche products, however fashionable they may be. At the end of the day, more 3 series will be sold than the I-will-eat-you-alive-while-turning-a-cor....
Porsche has stuck to their basic ideology enough to create a consumer base comprised of Porsche-ists. And they listen to them. While Porsche leadership manages to get away with interesting projects (such as the boxster/cayman) quite successfully, They are already targeting a willing market, and even providing feedback in the form of products (remember that time with the 911 and the bumpy road and understeer?).
It is because they have listened for so long, maintained there executive appeal, driving dynamics and interesting innovations (which is what buyers want), that they appear to be not listening. Others have been turning their deaf ear for so long, they have forgotten how to hear.
But I disagree with you here. The bangle 7-series was their best selling ever. I-drive never slowed sales a bit and is aped by Audi and Merc. I can't stand the X6 but the damn thing is everywhere in my city. They get away with anything they want.
And I don't know how many Porsche purists asked for the Cayenne or Panamera (both are hideous) but there doesn't seem to be any downside for them at all.
@Comrade Clockwork:
First things first, thanks for the nominations...
Best selling for a 7 series still isn't selling a lot of cars. Worst selling for a 3 series is a significant hit. And VW just bought Porsche, didn't they (although they have been playing that cat and mouse game forever).
I agree, marques like these get away with a lot more than others, but if they abandoned their followers completely and churned out bland, badge-engineered, dissonant crap for too many extended periods, I have faith in us buyers that they would encounter the rude awakening that GM did eventually.
So, on the one hand, GM killed this thing, which is good. On the other hand, GM is letting Twitter influence their product decisions, which makes me simultaneously laugh and cry.
Anyway, thanks Ray for helping to eighty-six this turd.
If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face was starred
If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face was unstarred
I have to say, the next logical step instead of waiting to see whether or not people will Tweet is to just come right out and ask them what they think. You know, get a big group of people together and just ask them what they think.
08/20/09
That is, why no amount of creative marketing or product massaging can budge the overwhelming public opinion of Buicks as cars for people who'd be dead if it was the 19th century.
08/19/09
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That's received a thousand times more bad press than a few twats, or twits, or tweets, or whatever you call them.
I'm sure it feels nice to massage your ego some more and believe you had some influence, but let's face it, it's far more likely someone actually just realized what a bad business move it was.
08/19/09
08/19/09
The Head of Design Review: Okay kid, show me what you got.
Young Product Designer: Well sir, see this old Saturn Vue?
The Head of Design Review: Uh Yeah…
Young Product Designer: Well, we thought if you...
The Head of Design Review: Dammit,...this better not be some of that badge engineering crap....I’m just warning you
Young Product Designer: Uh… Well sir…. Well, we thought if you just take some Buick badges here and stick them here where the old Saturn Vue badges go....
The Head of Design Review: You’re fired!!!
Head Product Designer: Sir,... hold on now...I think the kid is on to something here.
The Head of Design Review: Well then you’re fired too...anybody else think this is a good idea?
Other Product Designers in Unison: No we…. uh… uh…. told them not to do that.
I’m pretty sure this would eliminate badge engineering.
08/19/09
08/19/09
Of course, that's how we got the Bangle butt, but still...
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08/19/09
+1
08/19/09
Friends might tell you to try it, but, like jumping off a bridge, you don't need to try it to know that it's bad for you.
Just say no!
08/19/09
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08/19/09
You got to be careful with some of these designer sights, they carefully desguise the truth.
08/19/09
08/19/09
but Jalopnik keeps on asking me to.
What should I do?!?!?!?
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08/19/09
I JUST DON"T WANT TO. (help me)
08/19/09
08/19/09
No, my friends. It shows that GM execs are too busy following up on Twitter to actually look at the proposals they are confronted with at the beginning. Are the captains of industries so tasteless and/or oblivious to such things that it takes a form of social uprising to show them what was visible from the start? Or is it because marketing is the million pound gorilla in the corner, a behemoth pulling its weight around to exert its opinion, thereby forcing everyone else to do as it says, only to be noticed by following the pulse of the exact consumers that it flings its dire excrement upon?
I understand the need to follow up on society. That's how the right products make it to us consumers. What I don't understand is how it takes a system of coffee twitting, breakfast tweeting, shit twatting and look-at-me tweataratting to see that while everyone is entitled to their opinion, it shouldn't take a gazillion voices twasterblabbling to wake the fuck up.
Yep, I still hate twitter, or rather, what it stands for. I should go facebook about it or something, as everyone should know this...
Edit: and yes it took me quite a while to write this comment, hence the appearance that I am re-stating what so many others have stated. That makes me feel good, as I see I am not alone in this.
08/19/09
08/19/09
Porsche has stuck to their basic ideology enough to create a consumer base comprised of Porsche-ists. And they listen to them. While Porsche leadership manages to get away with interesting projects (such as the boxster/cayman) quite successfully, They are already targeting a willing market, and even providing feedback in the form of products (remember that time with the 911 and the bumpy road and understeer?).
It is because they have listened for so long, maintained there executive appeal, driving dynamics and interesting innovations (which is what buyers want), that they appear to be not listening. Others have been turning their deaf ear for so long, they have forgotten how to hear.
08/19/09
But I disagree with you here. The bangle 7-series was their best selling ever. I-drive never slowed sales a bit and is aped by Audi and Merc. I can't stand the X6 but the damn thing is everywhere in my city. They get away with anything they want.
And I don't know how many Porsche purists asked for the Cayenne or Panamera (both are hideous) but there doesn't seem to be any downside for them at all.
08/19/09
First things first, thanks for the nominations...
Best selling for a 7 series still isn't selling a lot of cars. Worst selling for a 3 series is a significant hit. And VW just bought Porsche, didn't they (although they have been playing that cat and mouse game forever).
I agree, marques like these get away with a lot more than others, but if they abandoned their followers completely and churned out bland, badge-engineered, dissonant crap for too many extended periods, I have faith in us buyers that they would encounter the rude awakening that GM did eventually.
08/19/09
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Unless they bring the Vuick.
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Anyway, thanks Ray for helping to eighty-six this turd.
08/19/09
I have to say, the next logical step instead of waiting to see whether or not people will Tweet is to just come right out and ask them what they think. You know, get a big group of people together and just ask them what they think.
I shall call my new idea, "The Focus Group".
08/19/09