 |
         
|
"Leaner, more nimble, new," were the slogans for the revamped GM that ABC's Chris Bury quoted. "Leaner and promising to be greener," was how CNBC's Phil LeBeau put it on NBC. CBS' Dean Reynolds went through the downsizing statistics: hourly labor costs cut from $70 to $45; debt from $180bn to $50bn; Pontiac, Hummer, Saturn and Saab brands shed; 18K workers laid off--14K blue collar, 4K white collar; 2,300 dealerships let go. CNBC's LeBeau used a different set of numbers, with the debt load reduced by $40bn and the job losses totaling 27K. ABC's Bury commented that GM "emerged from bankruptcy with blinding speed, steamrolling over objections from accident victims and disgruntled dealers."
So will General Motors be modern? ABC's Bury touted a deal to retail cars directly on eBay. CNBC's LeBeau cited Facebook and Twitter as new marketing media to combat GM's image for making "lackluster and poorly built" vehicles. ABC's Bill Weir visited GM's revived Studio X design room "where the da Vincis of Detroit came up with classics like the Corvette" and showcased a new Camaro, a new Malibu and the coming Volt. How long will it take for GM to remake its reputation? "It took Hyundai about 15 years to go from laughing stock to respected brand."
As for the new GM being green, both CBS' Reynolds and CNBC's LeBeau pointed skeptically to the return of marketing executive Bob Lutz. LeBeau reminded us that Lutz called "the role of cars in global warming a crock" and Reynolds called him "infamous" for questioning global warming and the demand for hybrids.
You must be logged in to this website to leave a comment. Please click here to log in so you can participate in the discussion.
