Restructuring GM's Image

" Or -- got to be one of the hardest jobs in America about being a marketing executive at General Motors. -- faced a difficult job of convincing a skeptical or even angry American public to buying a GM car truck. And letting -- done. Kelly O'Keefe is executive director for the BC brand center and a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. -- welcome to Fox Business thank you for joining us. Is there any how do you approach -- approach it as a as just that you do you continue on the value theme do you say we're still here. How does GM go about marketing its cars and trucks right now."

" Well the first thing they have to remember is the building brands isn't just about advertising so they've got to get the product right. And the lineup right. And GM has done a terrible job of that in the past they had eight different car models that they were marketing last year. Confusing the customer -- lots of different business lines. And they do need to simplified they're working to do that they really need to simplify the product line simplify the brands and that's a starting place. Well marketing right he's emotional in part and there's a lot of emotion around GM a lot of negative emotion. Do they addressed that in their advertisements. I I don't know that I would head on address the negative emotion what I would do had on. Is to communicate to the American public that they're going to be a different kind of car company in new car company. General Motors 50% of their sales and shouted. So. Let's really face reality Chevrolet. Is the biggest brands in their portfolio it's ten times bigger than any other brand in their portfolio it's a hundred times bigger and sales than Hummer. So there's a lot of Chevrolet customers out there. Millions and millions of customers have -- General Motors products over the past few years and they do need to reach out to those customers and say hey. We're going to be a new kind of car company we value as a customer we're going to treat you right and we're gonna pay attention to the stuff that we ought to pay attention to. Like making great cars. And marketing them in simple. Ways through a great dealer experience. But the American other guy humor back for the simple base let the American consumer though is smart and and I hear your point about the new kind of car company. But we also know even the average American knows it takes years to develop cars do you think they'll be able to successfully convey that message. That they've changed because. It takes time it takes a long time to change at that type of a massive. Organizational level. Well I think that's right and -- said you know it's a leap of faith that the American public have to take that they will away. For GM to get it right. But I'll say this they don't have a lot of time to change. You know years ago twenty years ago Ross Perot left GM's board saying that the company was like -- shadow -- They got into aerospace with Hughes they got is that technology with the EDS acquisition they've got at the finance with Jimmy say. They forgot that they were car company. If there was ever time not to take years to change. The direction this company it's after you've gone bankrupt because all bets are off it's time to fix the company very quickly. To simplify. And to tell the consumer. Not just with words but with actions. The General Motors is committed to being in long term player that's going to provide you great cars and great service for very long time to come. -- Kelly O'Keefe of BC you tell it was a pleasure thank you coming on Fox Business. Thanks a -- Brian."