Author Archive
Is there a doctor in the house? Enter Mark LaNeve.
by Marty Bernstein on Apr.11, 2013
Lincoln's marketing mishaps - and production delays -- have left the brand in even worse shape than skeptics had anticipated.
The reintroduction of the Lincoln Motor Company via the new MKZ model is now officially comatose. A code blue alert has brought in an auto marketing turnaround specialist, the 54-year-old Mark LeNeve, to assume command of Lincoln’s almost new “luxury-oriented boutique agency” and continue as COO of Team Detroit, the Ford brand’s ad agency.
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The former Academic All-American linebacker at the University of Virginia is faced with a helluva marketing mess. The factory quality issues contributing to this situation are not unique to the introduction of a new model but the marketing blunders, gaffes, mistakes and eff-ups are unprecedented. Unless one has a memory long enough to reach back to the legendary Edsel debacle.
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Tags: Lincoln MKZ, Lincoln sales, auto news, car news, ford lincoln, ford news, laneve lincoln, lincoln advertising, lincoln marketing, lincoln news, mark laneve, marty bernstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 4 Comments »
Time to stop blaming Joel Ewanick.
by Marty Bernstein on Mar.15, 2013
GM would like to blame all its sales and marketing woes on former CMO Joel Ewanick - but maybe it needs to point elsewhere, says columnist Bernstein.
The advertising business is loaded with cliches but perhaps the most pertinent is, “An agency is only as good as the client lets it be!” Yet, when the ads aren’t working it never turns out to be the clients fault, it’s always the agency’s. Ha! It is the client who establishes the marketing goals and objectives, often in a vacuum of reality, understanding and experience.
And then there’s the wonderful phrase, “We have a strong agency – client relationship!” Double-Ha! That’s the kiss of death. There is no such thing as a long lasting agency/client relationship. At best it is confrontational, more likely acrimonious and seldom harmonious.
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The ad agency news this week emanating from General Motors’ Renaissance Center headquarters makes the political mess in Washington seem almost trivial, doesn’t it? The rather nasty innuendos and evil repercussions are intended to put the blame on one person, Joel Ewanick, which is a crock. True, as global Chief Marketing Officer, Ewanick had plenipotentiary powers bestowed on him by the CEO and board of directors. But the marketing ship was already floundering with its sails and rudders gone and no captain. And it’s unclear anyone really wanted Ewanick to do what was necessary to make GM’s marketing operations ship-shape.
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Tags: Chevrolet marketing, Joel Ewanick, auto ads, auto news, cadillac advertising, cadillac marketing, cadillac news, car news, chevrolet news, chevy advertising, gm advertising, gm marketing, gm news, marty bernstein, thedetroitbureau, tim mahoney
Posted in Automobiles | 4 Comments »
My Take on This Year’s Auto Commercials
by Marty Bernstein on Feb.01, 2013
Kia will introduce the Hotbots in its Forte ad. Will they become the maker's next "hamstars"?
We’re rapidly approaching that annual celebration of advertising excess known as the Super Bowl. And this year’s event, XLVII is already creating headlines, as the debate over Volkswagen’s Jamaican-themed spot demonstrated this past week. Almost 40% of the ads that will air on CBS’s broadcast of the game-of-the-year are auto ads. But unlike past years, there’ll be far fewer surprises as leaks, sneaks and previews have become an important component of the actual broadcast.
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Eight car brands are running ads, the question is, “Who is going to have the best car commercial in the broadcast?”
After a review of all spots so far released, here are links to the ads, my picks and rationale for their ranking and when each will run in the game so you don’t miss ‘em.
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Tags: audi super bowl, auto ads, auto marketing, auto news, car news, chrysler super bowl, hyundai super bowl, kia super bowl, lincoln super bowl, mercedes super bowl, paul a. eisenstein, super bowl ads, super bowl auto ads, super bowl xlvii, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 1 Comment »
The Super Bowl Auto Ad Brawl Has Begun.
by Marty Bernstein on Jan.25, 2013
Mercedes offers a sexy sneak peek at the auto ad it plans for Super Bowl XLVII with Kate Upton.
The hype has begun. Super Bowl XLVII is still ten days away, but the mega-million-buck auto ad brawl is already underway as three of the eight deep pocket car advertisers pre-launch/pre-sell their new commercials to NFL fans! The reason? Economics. And a numbers game.
At somewhere between $2.4 and $4.0 million per 30-second commercial this amounts to a helluva big expenditure for just one airing. But there’s an even bigger number, as over 115 million American viewers will watch the game February 3, some media mavens are predicting.
Until recently, advertising on the Super Bowl has been nothing more than putting up the game day spot and hoping, maybe, that it will trigger some Monday-morning quarterbacking around the water cooler — with polls and research adding some arguable, additional value. That was then.
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What’s become apparent is that a fairly large percentage of viewers are more interested in the commercials than the game itself. So, how to take advantage of that and extend the payback beyond just a game-day airing that is over in 30 seconds, whether a viewer was sitting in front of the TV or off grabbing something from the refrigerator?
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Tags: audi super bowl, auto advertising, auto news, autos super bowl, beyonce corvette, beyonce super bowl, car ads super bowl, car news, chrysler super bowl, hyundai super bowl, kate upton mercedes, kate upton super bowl, marty bernstein, marty's marketing minutia, mercedes super bowl, thedetroitbureau, vw super bowl
Posted in Automobiles | 2 Comments »
Finding New Roads - and new customers.
by Marty Bernstein on Jan.11, 2013
Barbarians at the gate? The media hordes prepare for their annual assault on Detroit's Cobo Hall.
For years Cobo Hall, the venue for the North American International Automobile Show has been suspect. No matter how good the vehicles may be displayed with special lighting, the roof did leak, the rest rooms were awful, it was either too hot or too cold and exhibitors and media attendees alike were certain to come up with a vociferous array of complaints.
Result? A three-year, three-phase $270 million renovation and expansion is nearly complete, just in time for the show’s media preview days. There’s a new atrium overlooking the Windsor, Canada skyline and the Detroit River. The Wayne exhibit hall has had 25,000 square feet added and parking has been expanded by 500 spaces.
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Also good news is the relocation of the Michelin Media Center from the inconvenient third floor of Cobo to Michigan Hall at river level. It’s located between the new three-story atrium, and the indoor Aisin Drive Green Experience test track. There will be more work spaces — 700 of ‘em –, hard line web connectivity, broadcast and photo centers and of course, a steady flow of coffee, refreshments and snacks.
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Tags: 2013 north american international auto show, Detroit Auto Show, auto advertising, auto marketing, auto news, best auto ads, best car ads, beyonce corvette, car marketing, car news, chevy runs deep, find new roads, marty bernstein, marty's marketing minutia, super bowl ads, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | Comments Off
by Marty Bernstein on Jan.04, 2013
The godfather of bad TV auto advertising, Cal Worthington, lives on.
We saw 2012 end with metaphoric skyrockets lighting the midnight sky for most auto marketers. Business was far better than expected. It was good, damn near great! Some auto advertisers were patting themselves on the back for their Super Bowl ads that went viral – viral all year! The consumer marketplace despite the on-going recession was in the car buying and leasing mood. Result?
Single malts and champagne toasts along with the occasional long necks were raised in praise of the outgoing year along with great expectations and eager optimism for 2013.
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But in some corners of the automotive marketing, advertising, promotion and public relations world the future was at best bleak. There were more important new ad agency appointments in 2012 than ever before with many unplanned career changes and relocations for creatives, media and suits at every level. And there’s at least one big switch to come in the New Year with others rumored.
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Tags: auto advertising, auto marketing, automotive marketing, car ads, car advertising, car marketing, marty bernstein, marty's marketing minutia, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 1 Comment »
The ad agency games are on!
by Marty Bernstein on Dec.07, 2012
Is Honda getting the best possible creative work? That's what the review is intended to find out.
For decades – yes, decades – automobile clients were the backbone of many advertising agencies. Chevrolet was with Campbell-Ewald since the 1940’s. Gone under the brief but dramatic reign of global marketing czar Joel Ewanick. Cadillac was the cornerstone of McManus John and Adams (and various iterations) since the 1900’s as were its siblings Pontiac and GM Corporate. Gone like that, also by JE. Volkswagen began the trend of contemporary advertising with some legendary Beetle ads. But eventually, Doyle Dane Bernbach lost that business, too.
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In recent times BMW has changed agencies, as have Volvo, Porsche, Chrysler, Dodge, Buick, GMC, Mazda, Jaguar, Hyundai, Land Rover, Mini, VW, Saab, Fiat and a couple I can’t recall. Billions of dollars in expenditures and income gone. It is a very tough and competitive business — and as we’ve just discovered, the Honda/Acura account could soon join that list.
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Tags: acura advertising, acura news, auto advertising, auto marketing, auto news, car news, honda ad agency review, honda ad review, honda advertising, honda news, honda review rpa, mad men, marty bernstein, marty's marketing minutia, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | Comments Off
Our marketing maven's take on COTY and NASCAR
by Marty Bernstein on Nov.16, 2012
Hyundai execs celebrate last year's win for North American Car of the Year.
Among the harbingers of Fall are the pernickety Car of the Year Awards (aka COTY) presented in numerous vehicle categories by enthusiast magazines, auto websites, various syndicated columnists and, well, it seems like almost everyone weighs in these days.
Many winners are so surprised their agencies have barely time to simultaneously release multi-page-ads in consumer and trade publications and duly note their accolade in TV spots. Not that there was any advance notice of course.
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Then there is the most prestigious COTY award – make that North American Car and Truck of the Year awards — presented during the Detroit Auto show, an event that has justifiably become known as the most prestigious and credible of the breed considering the winners are chosen by a group of 50 independent U.S. and Canadian auto writers.
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Tags: NASCAR, auto car of the year, auto marketing, auto news, car marketing, car news, car of the year, coty, marty bernstein, marty's marketing minutia, nacoty, nactoy, nascar problems, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | Comments Off
Fusion marketing campaign is very visible - but invisible, too.
by Marty Bernstein on Nov.06, 2012
Ford Fusion launches sales with a creative new series of ads.
Few automotive segments are more crowded than the midsize sedan market. So, despite months of hype, hoopla and hope, the official sales debut of the striking new 2013 Ford Fusion might have been underwhelming if traditional ad campaign launch methods were followed.
Global Ford marketing czar Jim Farley clearly wasn’t going to settle for the same-old same-old, it turns out, Ford choosing to follow its own and less traveled road. In doing so, it has created some stunning, provocative and compelling graphics in broadcast commercials and print ads that are amplified with succinct copy that is both persuasive and convincing.
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I was able to preview major elements of the new campaign, including elements of the company’s overview from Amy Marentic, Ford’s group marketing manager. And the ad agency perspective from Toby Barlow, Team Detroit’s chief creative director, who revealed the artsy back-story, the agency overview and divulged intricate and elaborate production methods that were used.
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Tags: 2013 ford fusion, Jim Farley, auto news, car news, farley fusion, ford fusion, ford fusion marketing, ford news, liu bolin, liu bolin ford fusion, midsize sedans, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, team detroit, team detroit fusion, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | Comments Off
Martha pitches Toyota, Blake rebounds for Kia, Adweek honors Olivier, and TED honors Mazda.
by Marty Bernstein on Nov.02, 2012
Martha Stewart will team up with Toyota for the launch of the new Avalon.
Doyen of domesticity moves into garage: Martha Steward & Toyota Avalon
Sheets, towels, paint, pots, pans, plants, party planning, gardening, television shows, publications and more are just some of the associations Martha Stewart has used to become one of most powerful women and brands — targeted to an estimated 66 million women every month. Now add Toyota and the Japanese brand’s all-new 2013 Avalon which becomes the latest product on Ms. Stewart’s resume as part of “Martha Stewart’s American Made initiative.”
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A Toyota spokesperson noted, “Partnering with Martha Stewart and the American Made initiative made perfect sense for us – after all, about 70% of Toyota vehicles sold in the US are built here. And, the 2013 Toyota Avalon is the perfect example of our commitment to building in America. The Avalon was designed, engineered and built right here in the USA.”
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Tags: auto marketing, automotive marketing, blake griffin kia, car ads, car marketing, martha stewart, martha stewart toyota avalon, marty's marketing minutia, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | Comments Off
