Now here's an ambitious claim: at General Motor's second annual Global Business Conference, the Detroit firm's Global Chief Marketing Officer Joel Ewanick said he wants to transform the company into the “the next Apple”.
And by that, Ewanick means to emulate Steve Job’s ingenious transformation of Apple into an innovative company with “must-have” products that are set apart from their competition by their novel features and sleek design.
“We have an aspirational goal and this is a big target for us,” said Ewanick explaining his vision. “We understand that our direct competitors are Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai and Ford. But they are all talking about market shares and sales. It’s time to clearly differentiate our brand and align closer to a true global brand like Apple. It’s time for an automotive company to step out and address consumers and their needs in a way that’s never been done before”.
Ewanick explained that to do this, GM will need to “build the strongest consumer brand, not necessarily the strongest auto brand. Our CEO, Dan Akerson, doesn’t want us to share market share: he wants us to chase profitability”.
However, analysts like marketing expert Peter DeLorenzo, found this goal unobtainable: “I think it’s a noble goal. But the short answer is no. It’s not doable in the climate we exist in”.
Kruse Control’s boss Kathi Kruse had a more positive approach claiming that Apple’s success lies in great product, great delivery and great design: “They need to design some amazing and visually stimulating cars. If GM can capture the feel-good emotion people have when buying an Apple product, they can succeed”.
Source: Autonews