DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Corp on Monday unveiled an unusually frank advertisement acknowledging it had "disappointed" and sometimes even "betrayed" American consumers as it lobbies to clinch the federal aid it needs to stay afloat into next month. The print advertisement marked a sharp break from GM's public stance of just several weeks ago when it sought to justify its bid for a U.S. government on the grounds that the credit crisis had undermined its business in ways executives could never have foreseen. Full Article
Does it say "we're sorry we are incompetent and narrowminded and we regret working so feverishly against progress and the common good only for our own personal gain and greed."?
Few businesses could avoid that one. Sometimes they're goal coincide with the common good, but very few businesses pursue the common good above their own gain and greed.
GM disappointed and betrayed consumers!? That is the most shocking news I heard since Clay Aiken announced he's gay!
I'll finally think GM "gets it" when they say their actions against public transportation and fuel efficiency and their hyping SUV's greatly contributed to our going to Iraq, to our enormous energy trade deficit, to pollution in our cities and to the deterioration of our climate. Their suffering today is their own doing for short-sighted business decisions which hurt the country and the world. I'm not hopeful they'll truly turn over a new leaf, however. Bob Lutz, the guy in charge of the Volt program, still insists global warming is "crock of s***"! Now THAT'S the kind of guy you want in charge of your green car program!
I used to work for a pharmaceutical company that put the common good ahead of pure corporate profits. Of course that was a lot of years ago, and they have since been bought out three times over, so now they are part of a standard high-profit large pharmaceutical conglomerate willing and eager to rape and pillage in pursuit of maximum profits. Don't get me wrong. They made a lot of money back when I worked for them, but there wasn't a "profit at all costs" sort of attitude. Tom
This advertisement is - in my opinion - exactly that: advertisement. Tell the people what they want to hear. I compare it to a kid who knows he's about to get in trouble and starts saying all the things his parents want to hear in the hopes that they will be more lenient with me - er - him. After all, if I tell you that I've learned my lesson already there's no need to continue punishing me. And we all know that after telling my parents how truly sorry I was I never again went out and did anything wrong ever again. With the current short-sightedness and short memory of the American public-at-large, all this grovelling will be forgotten by January.
The FIRST step is to recognize your problem. The NEXT step ( and far more important) is to DO SOMETHING concrete and positive to amend your ways. An advertisement does not meet the 'do something' step. GM lost me decades ago. I truly hope they can 'reach me' and convert me to buy American again before I die.
As a former owner of a clunker 2000 GMC Sierra, after I read that, I thought "no s***, really?" Who knows what confessions will come out next? I'm eagerly awaiting them too
Apparently we already have. GM did this several years ago by running a full two page ad in the New York Times (I think, might have been USA Today) Anyway, the ad basically said: We are sorry we made crappy cars in the 70's and 80's. We understand some of you hated these cars and won't shop GM products anymore. We are sorry. We are making high quality cars now. Give us another chance and head down to your local GM dealer.
Admitting you have a problem is a good first step. It still takes Mr. Goodwrench 3 tries to fix a problem. Now Waggoner & Lutz need to kiss my butt before I'd even consider buying another car from GM. Guys, you can fly your corporate jet into Philly International & rent a car.
what the hell are you talking about? Prius Haters don't exist, it's a damn car man and who cares what someone else drives for christ sake..... that's just weird!
I remember. And GM actually did improve. But going from a D- (and considering my 1972 Vega, and everyone else's too that's generous) all the way up to a C, didn't cut it. So does GM realy get it now? Beats me. Maybe GM's recent 'whoops' advertisement is like the quasi functioning drunk, after loosing their entire family, finally going down to an AA meeting for the first time. Time will tell, if it's too late, or whether anything comes from it.
