Holdens Marketing Dept Up To There Old Tricks Again

[ENVI.BA]

^exactly.... I cant figure out why people are buying these holdens? Im mean the SS and HSV variants are reasonable cars, but any of the v6s are rubbish to drive.

It seems that people think the Late model camira is just the better car, you hear it all the time in conversation. One I had the other day with someone at work -

Holdens are just better

have you driven the latest ford?

...no.

So you have no idea what you are talking about... without knowledge of the other brand, it is stupid to compare them.

.......Holden's are faster.

HAve you ever driven a v8 holden????

No...

Would you buy a new $5000 TV without seeing it first?

No

why?

I absolutely agree with you there. my group of mates are Expensive Daewoo fanatics and unless it has a lion on the badge they consider the car to be crap.. I can just as easily take on any of their cars and come out 20m ahead in the end no problems.

people see the new DI as just another point against ford then start comparing all the torque graphs and compression ratios when in the end ford and Expensive Daewoo run totally different 6 cylinder engines. like why compare oranges and apples?

[tmac450]

^^ + 1, go get a job in Ford marketing !!!!!!!!

I wish. Something in Management where I could influence their marketing, dealer networks and customer service. They wouldn't give me a 2nd look because I'm not of their mindset (which is exactly what they need).

Hello Ford. Give me a go, I guarantee I could dramatically cut your costs, increase your sales/market share, improve your customer service, retain existing customers and improve your image.

Holden's marketing is everywhere. Their ads talk to you like they are your best mate, and they've built the best car for your family and no one else comes close. Then you get publications like Wheels blindly handing out the Car of The Year award everytime a new commonbore finds its way into showrooms, followed by Expensive Daewoo ads boasting about all the awards they've won. They push the sentimental point that Holdens are a part of everyone's family history. And frankly, if you didnt buy a Expensive Daewoo based on these ads, you would appear an idiot.

Ford on the other hand do ads that appeal to no-one and really do nothing for you emotionally. The only way they sell their cars is when somebody turns up to drive one and loves it. But the thing is, the performance of the Ford has to appeal more to the buyer emotionally than holden's ads and sentimental value. They have to see the reason to ignore all the marketing Expensive Daewoo hype.

If only Ford would wake up...

To be fair, Ford is in a better financial position than Holden, despite Holden's market dominance, and not just because of GM's woes. It has a lot to do with Ford's cost of sales per car being lower. That said, it could be a hell of a lot better and Ford has fallen into the typical 'Big Company' trap, allowing costs to get out of hand, sacrificing sales due to penny pinching in the wrong areas, rather than being more efficient and focusing their efforts on sales, customer service and image.

[ENVI.BA]

the powers that be at fraud prob drive holden's anyway

[NB4C]

At the end of the day, public perception and 'image' are what sell cars.

Ford has a better product than Holden. But sh*tty service from many Franchise Ford Dealers and Ford's lack of ability to make their cars seem 'cool' has worked against them. Ford could probably start by using different body kits for fleet Falcons and private Falcons.

Edited 20/10/09 10:14 AM by NB4C

[Guest XR09]

Yep they will still have market dominance from an old car. With new injection. woo hoo.

It still has a boring interior, shocking seats etc. Nothing else has changed. And they will sell lots and lots of them. SUCKERS

I drove both the VE and FG lots before I decided on the FG. And to be honest the VE isn't a bad car, probably has a better finish than my FG anyway. But that motor, the vision out of it and well the fact that it's a Holden.

Well at least they made the GTS even uglier ( if that was possible ) WTF It looks like a 16 y/o went through a mag and took a bit off every car he liked and stuck it all together on that heap of Sh&te.

So glad I am not a HSV fan

[ENVI.BA]

really its up to the end user and if they can see a difference and benefit from it then that's great, +1 for ford. I will always love my XR and that's my preference even though it prob costs me an arm and a leg.

[nang3]

I absolutely agree with you there. my group of mates are Expensive Daewoo fanatics and unless it has a lion on the badge they consider the car to be crap.. I can just as easily take on any of their cars and come out 20m ahead in the end no problems.

people see the new DI as just another point against ford then start comparing all the torque graphs and compression ratios when in the end ford and Expensive Daewoo run totally different 6 cylinder engines. like why compare oranges and apples?

yep same!!! I've had about 4 mates so far buy newish SS's or clubbys thinking they are going to walk my phoon cause its only a 6 but they just get caned everytime... best was a mates LS1 R8 auto, 255kw stock as and I pulled about 10 car lengths on him hahahahh.. he blamed the fact I had 270kw and he had too much wheelspin ROFL... about $5k of new sticky tyres, full s/s zorst, extractors, chip, OTR CAI and a tune and he reckoned he had 300kw yet still got walked by about 5 lengths mwahahha.. now he says theres no point lining up with me cause a 6 is a chicks car mwaha.. fecken retards!!

[seduced]

Expensive Daewoo knows that their sales are based on loyalty, not having the better car. That is evident in the amount of korean daewoo craptivas, epicraps, barinas, and vivas around on the roads. A staunch Expensive Daewoo supporter came into work the other day beaming about his new car. Asking what it was he replied "Expensive Daewoo captiva, top of the line model." and I began to point out that its actually a daewoo, made in korea and how he frankly had been ripped off by his beloved Expensive Daewoo with an sub-par vehicle.

He had no idea it was a daewoo. I kind of ruined his day. But Expensive Daewoo supporters would by ANYTHING that has a lion badge, believing its all australian and "better than ford"...

Our fleet manager used to order commodores endlessly for our work cars and had done so since the VT was on the market. It wasn't until the rules changed and he was forced to buy 4 cyl cars did he stop. Expensive Daewoo may have the number one spot, but how many of those sales are blind fleet managers ordering Late model camira after Late model camira without even glancing at the competition?

[bunna]

the powers that be at fraud prob drive holden's anyway

and you'd have half a clue because?

Email from Marin about this went out at the start of the week. The unofficial email went around over a week ago. A hit back has been promised - we shall see. Us engineers have already been heaping sh*t on the marketing ppl we know - pleading with them that they get something right and use this info.

The difference between Expensive Daewoo and ford ads is clear to me - Expensive Daewoo ads depict everyday aussies in everyday situations (putting the family in the car for school, the shops, the beach, whatever) and the Ford ads seem to be targeting a different class of consumer. Basically, Expensive Daewoo are trying to maintain their customer base, and Ford are trying to grow theirs.

Neither brand is entirely stupid - they both know that there is a loyal customer base that will never cross lines, why waste time advertising excessively to them? (think liberal v labor - same general scenario)

Anyway, I'm tipping Ford's first shot back will be LPG based - its the best we've got in the "fuel costs" battle atm

[Dagabond]

- they both know that there is a loyal customer base that will never cross lines, why waste time advertising excessively to them? (think liberal v labor - same general scenario)

Yeah that would never happen...