No, General Motors isn't going to bury yet another cherished brand alongside Oldsmobile and Pontiac, but you can still file this one next to "New Coke" in the mixed marketing messages department. On Tuesday, an internal memo to employees at GM's Detroit headquarters asked them to stop saying "Chevy" in the name of brand consistency.
“We’d ask that whether you’re talking to a dealer, reviewing dealer advertising, or speaking with friends and family, that you communicate our brand as Chevrolet moving forward,” requested Alan Batey, VP for Chevy,
er, Chevrolet sales and service, and Chevrolet's VP of Marketing Jim Campbell. While the request does show an understanding of the flow of time - fortunately employees are not being asked to travel back in time to say Chevrolet and can simply do it "moving forward" - it discounts the power of one of the most popular company nicknames in history.
The memo continued, “When you look at the most recognized brands throughout the world, such as Coke or Apple for instance, one of the things they all focus on is the consistency of their branding. Why is this consistency so important? The more consistent a brand becomes, the more prominent and recognizable it is with the consumer.” Left unsaid is the irony of using Coke, the popular nickname for Coca-Cola, as an example of brand consistency.
The postscript to the memo is perhaps the most telling part, in which Chevy is equated to a swear word - "P.S. We put a plastic “Chevy” can down the hall that will accept a quarter every time someone uses “Chevy” rather than Chevrolet! We’ll use the money for a team building activity."
By Wednesday, the interwebs were ablaze with strongly negative reaction to the leaked memo, and to their credit, GM quickly realized their misstep and issued the following clarification of the policy:
Quote:
Statement on the use of Chevrolet and Chevy
“Chevy” will continue to reflect the enthusiasm of customers and fans
2010-06-10
DETROIT -- Today’s emotional debate over a poorly worded memo on our use of the Chevrolet brand is a good reminder of how passionately people feel about Chevrolet. It is a passion we share and one we do not take for granted.
We love Chevy. In no way are we discouraging customers or fans from using the name. We deeply appreciate the emotional connections that millions of people have for Chevrolet and its products.
In global markets, we are establishing a significant presence for Chevrolet, and need to move toward a consistent brand name for advertising and marketing purposes. The memo in question was one step in that process.
We hope people around the world will continue to fall in love with Chevrolets and smile when they call their favorite car, truck or crossover “Chevy.”
It appears that despite the popular support for Chevy, the GM policy will be to continue to transition to using only Chevrolet internally and for advertising and marketing.
Following is the text of the original memo...
Quote:
Chevrolet Team,
We wanted to write you a quick note requesting your support of our Chevrolet Brand. When you look at the most recognized brands throughout the world, such as Coke or Apple for instance, one of the things they all focus on is the consistency of their branding. Why is this consistency so important? The more consistent a brand becomes, the more prominent and recognizable it is with the consumer. This is a big opportunity for us moving forward.
As you know, we are investing substantially to improve the consistency of our retail facilities through the EBE process. Aside from the facilities aspect of our branding, there are many other ways in which we can demonstrate this consistency. One way to achieve this is with the use of Chevrolet vs. Chevy. We’d ask that whether you’re talking to a dealer, reviewing dealer advertising or speaking with friends and family, that you communicate our brand as Chevrolet moving forward.
We have a proud heritage behind us and a fantastic future ahead of us … speaking to the success of this brand in one consistent manner will ensure Chevrolet becomes even more prominent and recognizable than it already is.
Thank you for your support of this effort!
Alan and Jim
P.S. We put a plastic “Chevy” can down the hall that will accept a quarter every time someone uses “Chevy” rather than Chevrolet! We’ll use the money for a team building activity.
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GM to ditch "Chevy"?
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