Daniel Barends’ blog entry about Blackberry’s brand repositioning attempts made me think of an even older brand currently reinventing itself. In both cases the idea is to attract new consumer segments, but can these brands really become everything to everyone, or will they end up meaning nothing to no one?
Not so long ago, the thought of driving a Buick would make many non-elderly people say “B-ew! ick!”. While I have always had a thing for large sedans (preferably with a vinyl roof and whitewall tires) General Motors agreed with those who saw a problem with the car division’s brand image. For the past few years, GM has used the 4Ps to reposition the conservative, affordable luxury Buick brand into a more youthful and up-market one.
Product
Recent additions like the Enclave, the new Regal, and the Verano are more compact and style-oriented than their predecessors.
Price
The use of price incentives has been much lower with Buick than with the other GM brands. In addition, low-price fleet sales to car rental companies have been greatly reduced in order to improve resale value and shed the “rental car” image.
Place
In 2012 Buick introduced new design and amenity standards for its dealerships. Over the next few years, it hopes to have most of its 1,900 Buick/GMC dealerships renovated.
Promotion
No expense has been spared in communicating Buick’s new image. Famous middle-aged people like Shaquille O’Neal and supermodel Marissa Miller have been featured in advertisements, all of which stress the innovative features and stylishness of the new models.
So far the repositioning has slightly reduced Buick’s average buyer age and has increased retail sales by 80% since 2010. As for those of us who miss the old Buick, there is still hope that vinyl tops will make a comeback.
