…um…yeah.  The phrases “vested interest” and “wanted to keep his job” scream at me like thieves in the night, but apparently, Mike DiGiovanni, top GM sales analyst, says that GM’s market share will likely increase for the third straight month.

Oh, great…GM sales, up from squat to squat and a half!

Seriously, isn’t this report just the teensiest bit biased?  Especially with GM probably going to do a stock reissue in the very near future as its current per-share value is actually worth next to nothing?  So some putz from GM announces BIG BIG SALES A-COMIN’ and anyone’s supposed to take this seriously?

And okay, maybe GM market share will go up next month.  Does this really mean anything to any serious investor in the face of the bloodbath they’ve seen?  And how much of that hike is due to the now-over Cash for Clunkers program?  I look forward to seeing how this prediction plays out, but I have my doubts it’ll look anything like reality.

Tags: Cash for Clunkers, GM, market share, sales analysts, sales and marketing

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If you haven’t taken note yet, the Nissan Cube now has a price. As far as Nissan Canada is concerned, the selling price for the Nissan Cube is fair enough for the average motorist looking for a reliable vehicle oozing with lots of bonuses for a surely noticeable car in the market.

“Cube is a truly unique vehicle and in keeping with this Nissan is offering an extensive list of standard features seldom seen in this vehicle segment,” stated Jeff Parent, Vice President of Sales and Marketing with Nissan Canada Inc. “Cube offers exceptional value and expressive design that makes a big statement, in a small package.”

Features:

• air conditioning
• a privacy glass
• full power accessories
• Vehicle Dynamic Control anti-skid system (VDC)
• ABS brakes
• cruise control
• remote keyless entry

That packs a lot of appealing features for people looking for a wise vehicle to invest in. The 2009 Cube is expected to arrive nationwide this coming Spring.

(Source) Canada.com

Tags: abs brakes, air conditioning, expressive design, Nissan, nissan canada, nissan cube, package features, power accessories, privacy glass, remote keyless entry, sales and marketing, spring source, vehicle dynamic control

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Due to continued poor sales, General Motors has boldly announced that it will be closing down 1,100 dealers late next year, a move that all the more puts the car industry into deeper turmoil. GM’s announcement is more bad economic news for dealers, communities and businesses still reeling from Chrysler’s similar nationwide dealer cuts a day earlier. Both automakers are scrambling to reorganize and stay alive in a severe recession that has devastated sales of cars and trucks.

While GM doesn’t own the dealers, its network is too big, causing dealers to compete with each other and giving shoppers too much leverage to talk down prices and hurt the company’s future sales.

“Too many dealers, in actuality, are a problem,” Mark LaNeve, GM’s vice president of North American sales and marketing, said in a conference call with reporters.

GM declined to reveal which dealers will be eliminated and left it up to franchise owners to report the decision to customers.

The cuts are part of a larger GM plan to drop 2,600, or nearly 42 percent of its 6,200 dealerships as the automaker tries to restructure outside of bankruptcy court and become profitable again. Thousands of jobs will likely be lost and governments will lose untold dollars in tax revenue as dealerships are forced to close.

(Source) Memphis Daily

Tags: actuality, automaker, automakers, bankruptcy court, car industry, Chrysler, conference call, economic news, future sales, General Motors, GM, governments, leverage, mark laneve, memphis, recession, sales and marketing, shoppers, turmoil, vice president

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In a marketing move, General Motors has reportedly combine three of its most recognized brands; Buick, Pontiac and GMC into one sales and marketing channel – which means many dealers, who had one or two of the brands previously, will now sell all three under one roof. GM says each brand will play to its strengths – Buick larger, premium cars; Pontiac sportier cars; and GMC pickups, SUV’s and Crossovers. This will create a middle sales channel, between GM’s global value brand Chevrolet and its high-end luxury brand, Cadillac.

At the 2009 New York International Auto Show, GMC debuted two new models. The all-new 2010 Terrain is a five-passenger crossover SUV that blends bold styling with fuel efficiency and premium features. The all-new 2009 Yukon Denali Hybrid was also unveiled. A luxurious, full-size SUV that seats eight, it tows up to 5,800 pounds and achieves and estimated 21 miles per gallon in city driving, thanks to the patented 2-mode hybrid system.

The Yukon Denali Hybrid arrives in May in dealer showrooms. It joins the Yukon Hybrid and the Sierra Hybrid pickup truck in the hybrid lineup, making GMC the first manufacturer to offer three full-size hybrid models.

(Source) Press

Tags: buick pontiac, crossover suv, dealer showrooms, fuel efficiency, global value, gmc pickups, hybrid models, hybrid system, international auto show, luxury brand, marketing channel, miles per gallon, most recognized brands, new york international auto show, pickup truck, premium cars, sales and marketing, tows, yukon denali

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Effective May 1, Cooper Tire and Rubber company and Kenda Rubber Industrial will be ending their marketing and distribution arrangement for the United States and Canada. Kenda will resume responsibility for the sales and marketing, distribution and customer service for the Kenda brand.

Since November 2004, Cooper has been the exclusive marketer of Kenda radial passenger and light truck tires in the United States and Canada. That agreement granted Cooper exclusive rights to market, sell and distribute Kenda’s radial passenger and radial light truck tires.

“The decision to end our marketing and distribution relationship was a mutual decision between Cooper and Kenda,” said Phil Caris, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Cooper. “And while the results of the joint venture were positive, it was agreed that a new approach would be beneficial in pursuing each company’s brand strategy. We have been very happy with our relationship with Kenda. As we begin to look into the future, we felt this strategy put both companies in a better position in this tough economic environment.”

(Source) Press

Tags: brand strategy, caris, cooper tire and rubber company, cooper tires, joint venture, kenda, light truck tires, marketer, sales and marketing, ties, vice president

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