What’s Wrong with the GM video

Where to start?  How about the music?  Did they commission Philip Glass and tell him it was a workplace instructional video?  It is creepy, repetitive and crude.   Like the video itself which is a series of statistics; how many people the car manufacturers employ, how many dealerships there are, how many people make auto parts.  Its interesting that GM hasn’t been particularly helpful to the later and but alas the video isn’t about them, its about us.  And how after the onslaught of scary statistics and the mind-numbing music, we are suppose to grab the phone and call our congressperson and tell them, “VOTE FOR THAT AUTO BAILOUT!”  Yes, we are suppose to be panicky and scared that our economy as we know it will disappear.  Does this sound familiar?  Like the last bailout?   And so we give them all this money, these capitalist losers and then what?  Expect that they will spend it wisely and build great fuel-efficient cars that people will want to purchase?  Why doesn’t the video even address that question?  How are we to believe they will be successful with our money?  No, they don’t want to even go there.  They would rather spend three plus minutes persuading us that cars are big business in America.  Did someone not know that?  If this is the best GM can do, I say NO! to the bailout.

GM’s Pathetic Begging for $$$

I’m not automatically against the automaker bailout.  I do think its a linchpin of the American economy and if AIG and the banks deserve bailouts, I can see a rationale for GM and the others.  HOWEVER, this video produced, I assume, by GM makes me angry.  See it yourself.  I’ll give my thoughts in the next entry.

Three Cheers for Right to Repair!

We Won!!

 

As I mentioned in a previous post, trade associations are good place to get a sense of the market.  Thus, the news from New Jersey that the “right to repair” legislation passed the New Jersey Assembly.  The issues is that independent repair shops want the same right to information about the cars they repair that the car dealerships and manufacturers have.  Makes sense. 

From a business development standpoint, a couple things standout.  First, this might be news to pass along to any auto repair customers.  Even though this isn’t law yet, it might suggest to them the way to winning approval of this legislation in their state.  Second, perhaps there is a way to help the local guys get the information they aren’t getting from the manufacturers.  At least its a talking point for you to connect.  Remember, the more you understand your customers issues, the greater they will trust you.