Vauxhall to push brand
Car giant to place greater emphasis on brand despite speculation that it was to be replaced by Opel
Vauxhall is planning an explicit campaign to promote its name after fears that its restructured brand management system is shifting the emphasis too much on to individual models.
The restructure took place in April, creating dedicated teams for each of the model ranges, from the Astra to the Vectra.
Any campaign would provide further proof that parent General Motors (GM) is committed to the Vauxhall marque, despite persistent speculation that GM will adopt the Opel name in the UK to fall in line with the rest of Europe.
“In the short term, one thing that you will see is a greater focus on the Vauxhall brand,” says Vauxhall marketing director Declan O’Mahony. “It is part of my role to ensure that we get the balance right between the Vauxhall models and the marque.
“I would like to get to a point where a consumer sees an ad for Tigra or Astra or Vectra and knows that it is a Vauxhall ad. Creating an advertising strapline is one way to do that, but there are other issues of style and content – things that we need to get right – in presenting ourselves to the public.”
The company is researching proposals, but no campaign is expected until at least the start of next year.
