NEW!! Voice Your MARKETING Suggestions/Input for Focus Group on 2010 Camaro.

[LS9CamaroSS]

Originally Posted by SilverTurtle

3. the V6 Camaro needs to have the same options as the V8... people spend ALOT of time in their cars nowadays... and making the world inside the base model cabin as comfy as possible is going to sell the car.

this is crucial to me!!!! I love driving. I drive fast slow and every where in between in every outing. i drive hard through the long corners on to the highway and my Cavalier doesn't have the support i want for that driving... i feel like i'm going to break a rib at high g cornering, and the car isn't even to it's limits... I want a car with awesome lateral support as well as a good lumbar support/adjust. if i can get to the .91g getting onto the thruway i wanna do it in comfort...

[RedDevilSS13]

After reading every single post in this thread, I have come to find that SilverTurtle is the only one who answered Scott's question. I love tire smoling burnouts just as much as the next guy; but no one else answered the question of how to get a non-Camaro fan to buy a Camaro.

First, Kudos to SilverTurtle! I think he hit the nail on the head.

1. 6-speed trannys sell! 6-speed auto would be good as well. If the paddle shifter rumor is true; fantastic!

2. If the interior has nice leather appointments and brushed aluminium trim plates, let it be known. Suede inserts, different color leather choices, floor mats, whatever...

3. Options, options, options! People love checking boxes and adding accesories to their new car. Alot of poeple want the luxury items of the high end cars but don't want a V8. Give the V6's stuff to choose from.

4. Fuel efficiency will sell these things. If they can look cool AND get 30 mpg's they will buy!

5. Actually make a commercial! I don't think I saw a Camaro commercial past 1996!

Moving on; I talked in depth to my "Imports only" friend today. I asked "What would get you to go buy a Camaro?" Answer? Simple; fit and finish, options, and driveability/dependability. He likes the looks of the Camaro, but stated that the interior is often much more important. Look at alot of the Japanese cars; they're hideous but have a great interior. Same with VW's; not the greatest looking, but they have a wonderful interior. That's where you'll spend all your time, make it a nice experience. Options, If someone wants a 4-cyl give them the option of a nice interior as well. Give them the option to put a spoiler on or put nicer rims and tires on it if they so choose.

Now, my opinion. BMW, LEXUS, and Benz owners are looking for the fit and finish they've come to expect from those auto makers. I've driven Benz's and Bimmers; but then I test drove a G8; man, what a Great car! Just by shutting the door I could tell that it's a solid car. The interior is very nice, maybe not as nice as a high end bimmer, but nice none the less. 6-speed auto, cylinder management system, nice fit and finish, etc... I felt like I was driving a $45,000 car. the G8 played on all the strengths of these cars, but made them better at almost half the price of it's competiton.

The luxury guys tend to be road race fans. These guys are more into F1 and Le Mans racing and tend to think of Nascar as a bunch of crazy white guys going around in circles. Put the Camaro into as many road racing events as possible. The Corvettes gained all their credibility through the LeMans series. Send some Camaro's over there to race in the GT3 class. Give the Camaro as much credibilty in the corners as it already has on the straights! Big brakes and nice suspension will reel these guys in.

Testing on Nurburgring is a great start! Start making some hot laps and compare times to the Luxury competition. If a Camaro can outrun a M3, IS-F, Porsche Cayman, etc... on the ring let it be known! Try to get as much information from true race-car drivers and put that info into the car.

This might be a stretch, but get it on Top Gear. If you can get Jeremy Clarkson to like it, you'll sell even more. He loved the Holden Commodore (Which would later become the G8)!

Lastly, get some noteworthy celebs in the commercials (Caddy commercials). Get a pretty lady with a good reputation driving around in a Camaro, and use HD cameras to capture the best angles of the car (refer to Caddy commercials and/or Audi R8 commercial shown during the Superbowl). make the car look as luxurious and high end as possible. Act like your making a BMW commercial. Are you going to do smokey burnouts in a BMW or Benz for a commercial? No. Keep it simple and focus on the good things. We all know we can blister the 1/4 mile with this car, but advertise to the people who otherwise wouldn't be interested. And sure, make 1 out of 5 commercials the funny, smokey burnout, loud exhaust, fun times commercial. Nuff said...

[Captain Awesome]

Originally Posted by Tropi-Care Chris

I know there has been a lot of talk on colors, but I think there needs to be as wide a variety of colors and color combinations as possible. I know when the 2004-2006 GTO's were out the choices of colors were limited and some omitted all together, why white was not built is beyond me. I would also offer as many wheel choices as possible, this will allow the buyer to really build the car they want from the factory instead of having to go for after market wheels at a later time and increased cost.

Target those items and as stated above, must target the Female buyers.

I recall there was sume issue with the white paint on the plastic parts that was leading to discoloration due to the Camaros being shipped on railway cars and exposed to some kind of pollutant that the train wheels kick up.

Take this with a grain of salt, it's what the GM rep told me. Note that I had zero interest in white as a color, so he had no reason to tell me a tall tale here. He was just commenting on how they had to stop making white ones one day.

[Mindz]

Originally Posted by RedDevilSS13

After reading every single post in this thread, I have come to find that SilverTurtle is the only one who answered Scott's question. I love tire smoling burnouts just as much as the next guy; but no one else answered the question of how to get a non-Camaro fan to buy a Camaro.

Read the last post I made in this thred before your post.

[TheMadHatter99]

Originally Posted by RedDevilSS13

After reading every single post in this thread, I have come to find that SilverTurtle is the only one who answered Scott's question. I love tire smoling burnouts just as much as the next guy; but no one else answered the question of how to get a non-Camaro fan to buy a Camaro.

Yeah, you sure you read "every single post"? Clearly you missed both of mine which stated specifically in how to attract the non-enthusiast buyer and advised to steer clear of the typical performance-based ads and not to mention several other posters who advised similar strategies.....

[Jiu Jitsu Jon]

Originally Posted by Tropi-Care Chris

I know there has been a lot of talk on colors, but I think there needs to be as wide a variety of colors and color combinations as possible. I know when the 2004-2006 GTO's were out the choices of colors were limited and some omitted all together, why white was not built is beyond me. I would also offer as many wheel choices as possible, this will allow the buyer to really build the car they want from the factory instead of having to go for after market wheels at a later time and increased cost.

Target those items and as stated above, must target the Female buyers.

Hey Chris, what color is your goat? Mine's Cyclone Grey.

Anyways, my only concern is the funky interior. Those dashboard guages have got to go, along with the four gauges down by the stick shift. They are neither attractive nor practical.

[TheMadHatter99]

Originally Posted by Jiu Jitsu Jon

Anyways, my only concern is the funky interior. Those dashboard guages have got to go, along with the four gauges down by the stick shift. They are neither attractive nor practical.

Gonna have to disagree with you here. Although the gauges do need to be slightly updated for a production look and usability, the concept interior thrilled nearly everyone that saw it and GM would be wise to keep it as close to that as possible.

Plus I really like the idea of a torque gauge, even if it isn't all that useful, haha

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by TheMadHatter99

Yeah, you sure you read "every single post"? Clearly you missed both of mine which stated specifically in how to attract the non-enthusiast buyer

Mine too...I think he may only have read every single post on the first page of this thread or something.

[LS9CamaroSS]

Originally Posted by RedDevilSS13

After reading every single post in this thread, I have come to find that SilverTurtle is the only one who answered Scott's question. I love tire smoling burnouts just as much as the next guy; but no one else answered the question of how to get a non-Camaro fan to buy a Camaro.

First, Kudos to SilverTurtle! I think he hit the nail on the head.

1. 6-speed trannys sell! 6-speed auto would be good as well. If the paddle shifter rumor is true; fantastic!

2. If the interior has nice leather appointments and brushed aluminium trim plates, let it be known. Suede inserts, different color leather choices, floor mats, whatever...

3. Options, options, options! People love checking boxes and adding accesories to their new car. Alot of poeple want the luxury items of the high end cars but don't want a V8. Give the V6's stuff to choose from.

4. Fuel efficiency will sell these things. If they can look cool AND get 30 mpg's they will buy!

5. Actually make a commercial! I don't think I saw a Camaro commercial past 1996!

Moving on; I talked in depth to my "Imports only" friend today. I asked "What would get you to go buy a Camaro?" Answer? Simple; fit and finish, options, and driveability/dependability. He likes the looks of the Camaro, but stated that the interior is often much more important. Look at alot of the Japanese cars; they're hideous but have a great interior. Same with VW's; not the greatest looking, but they have a wonderful interior. That's where you'll spend all your time, make it a nice experience. Options, If someone wants a 4-cyl give them the option of a nice interior as well. Give them the option to put a spoiler on or put nicer rims and tires on it if they so choose.

Now, my opinion. BMW, LEXUS, and Benz owners are looking for the fit and finish they've come to expect from those auto makers. I've driven Benz's and Bimmers; but then I test drove a G8; man, what a Great car! Just by shutting the door I could tell that it's a solid car. The interior is very nice, maybe not as nice as a high end bimmer, but nice none the less. 6-speed auto, cylinder management system, nice fit and finish, etc... I felt like I was driving a $45,000 car. the G8 played on all the strengths of these cars, but made them better at almost half the price of it's competiton.

The luxury guys tend to be road race fans. These guys are more into F1 and Le Mans racing and tend to think of Nascar as a bunch of crazy white guys going around in circles. Put the Camaro into as many road racing events as possible. The Corvettes gained all their credibility through the LeMans series. Send some Camaro's over there to race in the GT3 class. Give the Camaro as much credibilty in the corners as it already has on the straights! Big brakes and nice suspension will reel these guys in.

Testing on Nurburgring is a great start! Start making some hot laps and compare times to the Luxury competition. If a Camaro can outrun a M3, IS-F, Porsche Cayman, etc... on the ring let it be known! Try to get as much information from true race-car drivers and put that info into the car.

This might be a stretch, but get it on Top Gear. If you can get Jeremy Clarkson to like it, you'll sell even more. He loved the Holden Commodore (Which would later become the G8)!

Lastly, get some noteworthy celebs in the commercials (Caddy commercials). Get a pretty lady with a good reputation driving around in a Camaro, and use HD cameras to capture the best angles of the car (refer to Caddy commercials and/or Audi R8 commercial shown during the Superbowl). make the car look as luxurious and high end as possible. Act like your making a BMW commercial. Are you going to do smokey burnouts in a BMW or Benz for a commercial? No. Keep it simple and focus on the good things. We all know we can blister the 1/4 mile with this car, but advertise to the people who otherwise wouldn't be interested. And sure, make 1 out of 5 commercials the funny, smokey burnout, loud exhaust, fun times commercial. Nuff said...

not really sure why you freaked out... 90% of the posts after his were in agreement with him...

[aston70]

Originally Posted by TheMadHatter99

Yeah, you sure you read "every single post"? Clearly you missed both of mine which stated specifically in how to attract the non-enthusiast buyer and advised to steer clear of the typical performance-based ads and not to mention several other posters who advised similar strategies.....

Yeah, like my post on page 3... I had a vision in my head of a commercial that was aimed at women, but I'm no creative screenwriter and the first post said they didn't need one. So I gave it my best shot...

Originally Posted by RedDevilSS13

Lastly, ... Get a pretty lady with a good reputation driving around in a Camaro, and use HD cameras to capture the best angles of the car.

That's sorta what I had in mind... Of course, I was thinking more along the lines of a smokin' hot young girl with a bad reputation, not just pretty lady...

Originally Posted by RedDevilSS13

Are you going to do smokey burnouts in a BMW or Benz for a commercial? No.

Actually, just saw a Benz commercial the other day. It was drifting and burning out... Yup they do that too.

In fact this was it here:

[RedDevilSS13]

Ok, sorry to those I left out that were in agreement. I should have said "The majority" of the posts. I just find it frustrating filtering through posts that miss the subject.

"Actually, just saw a Benz commercial the other day. It was drifting and burning out... Yup they do that too."

aston70 - Technically it's not a Benz commercial; it's AMG, and AMG is not exactly in the price range of a Camaro like it's C-class or SLK 230 brethren. In fact, just the mention of AMG entails a near $20,000 price tag in addition to the already pricey Benz. AMG is more Z06 territory if not the ZR-1 and that's a different market all together. Now, could we get that market share? Maybe, any ideas on how?

[Shadowsong]

Transformers was a GREAT start honestly, how many people that have seen the movie didn't LOVE Bumblebee?

Now, onto the non-camaro fans....

As much as a I REALLY...REALLY (and I mean REALLY) hate to say this, try and get it a major roll in the next Fast and Furious movie, show it getting out there and chewing other cars up. Those movies attract ALOT of import fans, if they see the 'maro beating up on the imports, they might look into it. (Lord that suggestion pained me more than you all know... )

Please... try not to let them rice it out too much...

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by RedDevilSS13

in the price range of a Camaro like it's C-class or SLK 230 brethren.

I test drove a couple Mercedes models in the price range of a decently equipped V8 Camaro when my mom was looking for cars, and I can honestly tell you there's no chance of stealing away those customers. For the short experience I had with them, I came away believing that the cliches are true, that they are sold entirely on brand name. It was a disappointment, I had a lot of other stereotypes busted while test driving other big-named cars. Anyway, without knowing brand, I don't believe anyone would buy them instead of something else.

She ended up with an Acura RL which was a decent car except for some glitches that made it inoperable sometimes.

[TAG UR IT]

Originally Posted by fastball

These three points are crucial to modern car design. Auto up/down windows on ALL windows are becoming standard on $15k cars now. In fact, GM must start offering power window and moonroof control via the remote key fob, as BMW, Lexus, Honda, Toyota, and Nissan do now (and not only on expensive models, either). The V6 must have available EVERY luxury option available on the V8 - in some cases I think people would spend more on a loaded V6 because they want the comfort and don't care about V8 performance or want V8 maintenance costs.

I'm quite sure Bluetooth will either be standard or a low cost option accross the Camaro line (GM is supposed to be integrating BT on virtually all their cars between 2009-2010). Kudos to the General for that idea.

Lastly, a 6 speed stick on the V6 puts the Camaro exactly in competition with a Honda Accord EX V6 coupe and Nissan Altima 3.5 coupe. That's good company if GM wants to steal import sales. Keep the stick available on the V6.

Originally Posted by SilverTurtle

and I would presume that, too... and since a VERY LARGE portion of VW's sales is to women, that adds strength to my post... the 4th gen appealed to a million guys and only a few girls... the Mustang appealed to a million girls and only a few guys... we all see how that wound up... this time, marketing to the women is going to be a must.



well said and I completely agree