A Missed Opportunity by GM. Chairman not a Social Voice as yet
There's been a lot of debate about GM's latest advertisements which feature its new Chairman Ed Whitacre promoting the company and its vehicles. Most of the criticism has been focused on the fact that GM chose its Chairman to represent the brand in an age where trust in big brands (and their CEOs) is at an all time low. Now, I don't have a problem with GM using Whitacre in its ads. My problem is that GM has missed an important opportunity.
It sounds like a cliche to say this but apparently it still needs to be said. People are interested in two way conversations and want to know that there are really people with real opinions behind the brands. GM is half way their by putting a face (I'd prefer if there were many more faces than just the Chairman's) right next to the brand. But by not converting the Chairman into a social voice - meaning providing channels for him to share his opinions directly and hear from customers first hand is a missed opportunity.
It is strange to be saying this about GM because they were one of the first (and admirably so) to introduce a corporate blog written by Bob Lutz its Vice-Chairman. If I were running GM's marketing department, I'd have gone ahead with this advertisement but I'd have included a strong online component to it as well. Maybe the end of the advertisement could have invited consumers to visit the Chairman's blog to learn more about the new GM cars and share their thoughts with him. Maybe the Chairman could have said something like, "We're on the right path, have made great progress but we need to hear from you so that we're continuously ahead. Tell me what you think needs to change." In other words, rather than just being a representation of the brand, Whitacre should have shown more of himself as a person behind the brand willing to listen.
It is still not too late. I hope GM takes the step to create social voices - multiple, authentic, conversational and committed people that represent the brand in their own voices that create deeper relationships with consumers and build genuine trust over time. Ads can be the first step but they're not enough today.
For more on social voices, be sure to read the chapter on the subject in my upcoming Social Media Marketing for Dummies book.
It is strange to be saying this about GM because they were one of the first (and admirably so) to introduce a corporate blog written by Bob Lutz its Vice-Chairman. If I were running GM's marketing department, I'd have gone ahead with this advertisement but I'd have included a strong online component to it as well. Maybe the end of the advertisement could have invited consumers to visit the Chairman's blog to learn more about the new GM cars and share their thoughts with him. Maybe the Chairman could have said something like, "We're on the right path, have made great progress but we need to hear from you so that we're continuously ahead. Tell me what you think needs to change." In other words, rather than just being a representation of the brand, Whitacre should have shown more of himself as a person behind the brand willing to listen.
It is still not too late. I hope GM takes the step to create social voices - multiple, authentic, conversational and committed people that represent the brand in their own voices that create deeper relationships with consumers and build genuine trust over time. Ads can be the first step but they're not enough today.
For more on social voices, be sure to read the chapter on the subject in my upcoming Social Media Marketing for Dummies book.
Follow me on Twitter (@shivsingh) for more insights on digital strategy and social media.
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