Chrysler to Market Brands Under One Umbrella†

Will Sell Them Together at Dealerships, Create More Ads Showing All Three

Advertising Age, February 3, 2009 — DETROIT (AdAge.com) — At a reporters' roundtable in Detroit today, Chrysler Vice Chairman-President Jim Press said the auto industry has too many brands — before saying Chrysler, rated by auto experts as the weakest of Detroit's carmakers, won't trim any of its three. Instead, he said, the automaker's solution to the problem of too many car brands is to bring Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler under one umbrella for sale at its dealerships.

As the Economy Worsens, Is There Money for Play?

New York Times, November 16, 2008 — From the “Buick” emblazoned on Tiger Woods’s golf bag to the Chevrolet Camaro that Cole Hamels drove home last month for being named the most valuable player of the World Series, it is hard to be a sports fan without stumbling across some type of advertisement for General Motors. The company consistently ranks first among advertisers of televised sporting events, outspending other automakers by more than two to one.

But as G.M. faces a financial crisis that has executives pleading with Congress for a federal bailout, many are wondering how far the company’s troubles will extend into the sports industry, which is already struggling to attract advertisers and sponsors in a weakened economy.

Why Our Automakers are Eating the Competitors Dust

Prophet, October 1, 2008 — The U.S. aut omotive industry presents yet another cautionary tale of how myopic thinking can decimate, if not destroy, brand equity and financial performance, leaving an iconic sector of American business choking in competitors’ dust.