GM Cancelling LA Times Ad Program is Bad Move

[Autopub]

GM is sending a message to every industry consumer (and even trade) magazine and newspapers by cancelling their print ad schedule with the Tribune owned Los Angeles Times. The message: "Say critical things about our products and/0r our management at your own peril". It is well known that the reviews in all the industry consumer magazines are written to offend as few manufacturer/advertisers as possible. So most reviews are filled with almost "canned" descriptions of vehicle features and performance.
This is compounded by the fact that many of the consumer buff books
allow the manufacturers to send airline tickets to press events and junkets to Europe and Japan. Now the question is--what pub will be next if their editors have the courage and integrity to stand up to biggest advertiser in the auto sector?

[mchastek]

I wholeheartedly agree. If automotive journalists are not allowed to speak their mind, what reason would a consumer have to read opinions in these magazines and newspapers? Further, instead of pulling advertising, GM should look inward and focus on the main reasons these articles were written in the first place - their own product line. If every journalist was fired up about GM's lineup, I guarantee there would be plenty of positive articles being written!

Further, as you said Chuck, if a manufacturer gives these journalists vehicles to drive around and all sorts of other perks - they would be stupid to write anything negative. These writers can claim cars like the G6 are great all day long, but in the end, consumers are the ones who are telling GM the truth by not purchasing their vehicles.

[mchastek]

Here is a great article by the NY Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/11/business/media/11adcol.html

Some excerpts:

One anonymous auto marketer said, "To advertise someplace completely, blatantly hostile to you is probably not money well spent." However, another branding expert offered a different view: "Companies that deal with negative perceptions by withdrawing their ads are playing right into the hands of the critics," he asserted.