New GM Marketing Strategy Begins To Take Shape

Joel Ewanick Joins GM

You need a scorecard to keep track of all of the changes made at General Motors since former president and chief operating officer Rick Wagoner was removed from his position in March 2009. Fritz Henderson took over from Wagoner then forced out in December while Bob Lutz announced and then delayed his retirement, but is now once again winding down his tenure at GM.

Further down the management chain, numerous people have come and gone with some people holding a variety of positions over the past fifteen months.

Docherty Demotion

Susan Docherty has gone from General Manager, Western Region VP for Buick-Pontiac-GMC to heading up marketing sales. A few months back the sales part of her title was taken away and given to Mark Reuss, but now Docherty’s marketing title has also been taken away.

Still employed by GM, a new place in the GM collective is being prepared for Docherty although Ed Whitacre and company have yet to announce what that job will be.

Hyundai Star

The most significant personnel news for GM is the hiring coup scored this week when the automaker wooed Joel Ewanick (pictured) away from Nissan. Ewanick left Hyundai for Nissan in March, shocking automotive analysts by quickly abandoning Nissan in favor of GM mere weeks later.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Ewanick’s three year tenure helped transform the Korean automaker from a backwater brand to a global force. Notably, Ewanick was behind the “Hyundai Assurance Program” introduced during the worst of the recession early in 2009.

Under Hyundai Assurance, customers were given a pledge that if they purchased a car and later lost their jobs, Hyundai would take their car back with no hit to their credit. That move fueled Hyundai sales, helping the automaker increase market share even as its competitors lost 25, 30, even 40 percent or more of their business.

In 2009, Ewanick and Hyundai won numerous marketing awards including the prestigious Advertising Age’s Marketer of the Year award. That recognition increased Ewanick’s stature in the industry leading to the eventual poaching of the marketer from Nissan.

GM Impatience

Ed Whitacre is not patiently waiting for sales to improve at GM. He wants results and he wants to see those results now. Though GM still sells more passenger vehicles than its two strongest rivals, Ford and Toyota, the automaker cannot afford to miss a step as its Chevrolet Cruze line goes into production later this month and for when the Chevrolet Volt goes on sale later this year.

Will Ewanick turn GM around by himself? No, but this move isn’t just about him. Rather, removing Docherty, moving Reuss and Ewanick in place and terminating the services of GM dead wood, Whitacre has signaled that everyone is on a short leash and results is all that matters.

BTW, Joel, please update your LinkedIn profile. It still shows you as VP Marketing for Hyundai.