GM's Reuss: New Chevrolet marketing plan on the way

Chevrolet will look to showcase its Corvette and Camaro flagship performance coupes as it plans a thorough refresh of its future marketing efforts, according to General Motors' North American president, Mark Reuss.

"When have you ever seen 'Vettes and Camaros in ads for Equinox and Malibu?" Reuss wrote during an online chat with reporters. "This will change."

Chevrolet will be marketed under a new phrase: "Excellence for everyone," according to Reuss. Those three letters won't be the automaker's new tagline, but they will help define its future marketing efforts.

Chevrolet will put a marketing emphasis on its Malibu midsize sedan, which has sold well since its 2008 launch but has faced significant recent competition. The Malibu is due for an aggressive refresh of its own for 2011 - likely set to debut next month at the New York International Auto Show - which means a heavy marketing push will follow.

"We need to re-energize the car," Reuss said.

With the focus now on just four brands - with Saab sold to Spyker, Pontiac and Saturn closed and Hummer facing an increasingly uncertain future - General Motors has made it clear that it plans to market each brand individually rather than as a unit of General Motors. The automaker has said that it plans to distance the public's perception of Cadillac from its GM parent, and while Chevrolet will still clearly be marketed under the GM umbrella, the automaker will likely get its own wholly unique look and feel.

References
1. 'New Chevy marketing...' view