Can GM's Pontiac become cyber-groovy?

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Neither Richer nor a Yahoo executive would disclose terms of the arrangement. "There are lots of aspects of value exchange that go on between us and Yahoo," Richer said.

The Pontiac site is run out of Yahoo's advertising division and not its consumer services, or audience, unit, Dulski said. "We're working very closely with General Motors in general to deepen the ad relationship and to leverage Yahoo's array of assets to help them work on making their brand perception even stronger," she said. "Certainly there is a desire for Yahoo to find ways to continue to build deeper relationships with our advertisers and to provide more innovative solutions for them to market to their consumers."

The site's built-in fan base already was active on Wednesday, adding RSS feeds, listing clubs and commenting on the exclusive photos Pontiac posted of its new G8 sedan that launched this week.

Yahoo previously created a site dedicated to Nintendo's popular Wii game console. Yahoo also recently announced plans to create "Brand Universes," sites devoted to entertainment franchises including specific movies, video games like The Sims and television shows such Lost and The Office. The Pontiac site differs from all those efforts in that it was jointly developed with the brand company and integrates links and content from outside Yahoo.

An auto site made sense to Yahoo because research has shown that car buyers consult the Web before making purchases, Dulski said. In a recent Yahoo Autos study conducted by J.D. Power and Associates, 94 percent of respondents who use the Web said they believe consumer-generated content is an important source when making buying decisions.

At MySpace, renowned for its youth culture, brands have been moving in since at least last year, including Nike Soccer, American Idol, Cingular, Aquafina, Burger King and the boxy Honda Element, which has more than 39,000 "friends."

On Wednesday, Pontiac launched its Friends with Benefits MySpace profile, which already has more than 500 friends and is designed for owners of Pontiac's new G5 lower-end sports compact. The car sports an iPod jack, XM radio and OnStar navigation technology. Buyers of G5s who register their purchase on the site will get a debit card with credit on it that increases, up to $1,000, as more people become friends of the site. "It's targeted at the MySpace crowd who are younger and with less income," Richer said.

Meanwhile, in the virtual world, Pontiac has built a virtual dealership in Second Life and a music stage where it hosted a concert by rapper Jay-Z. Hundreds of virtual Solstice GXPs have been sold to Second Life inhabitants since the Pontiac property went into development in October. Last weekend, the company launched its Motorati Island, which has race tracks and auto-related retail stores and night clubs created by Second Life users on land donated by Pontiac, according to Richer.

It makes marketing sense for Pontiac to jump onto MySpace and Second Life, according to JupiterResearch's Parr. However, he remained skeptical about Pontiac's co-branded site with Yahoo.

"The challenge here for Yahoo as well as for the marketer is that the site needs a reason to exist; to offer something that people will say is genuinely useful," Parr said. The effectiveness "will vary from brand to brand."

[the1kingarthur]

Dam streight Pontiac is Groovy. P in Pontiac is for Pioneer

The Pontiac and Chevrolet Division has always been a Pioneer in the automobile industry. My God look at their race history, their developments, and oh yes let's not forget those super fine rides. The GTO's Firebirds, Camaros, and The Vet. Their history will be ever recorded in some of the hottest sounds of the 60's like 409 and Little GTO.

Myself I've owned a dozen Pontiacs, and a dozen Chevys. My favorite was a 1964 Pontiac Catalina 2+2 which came stock with a 421 with Tri Power Carbs. Bet you young folks never heard of that.

[TV James]

Pontiac is a damanged brand

I'm probably not a youngster anymore, but you're right, we've never heard of that.

All we know of Pontiac is uninspired poorly engineered cars that are not exciting.

If Pontiac wants to get back in the game, it needs to have compelling cars at reasonable prices. I can't stand Scions, but they're really popular with the kids these days.

It would require GM to do a better job of differentiating its brands, too. If Pontiac is supposed to be the performance/exciting brand, why is the Camaro and Corvette Chevrolet brands? And why is Pontiac making mini-vans?

Sorry, but Pontiac needs more than a website to make it hip. If it's gonna go after kids, it needs edgy inexpensive "cool" rides.

But edgy inexpensive cool rides are not the same as exciting/performance automobiles, so it continues to have a confusing brand image, unless GM decides to just kind of start over with Pontiac.

They'd be better off doing what Toyota did and starting a whole new brand. Like Geo was supposed to be. My wife still misses her Geo Metro. My college roommate still misses his Geo Traker. Both will admit, though, that they weren't the most high quality construction. But at that time in their lives, they were "cool" to them. They were inexpensive enough that they were affordable to them on their own at that point in their lives.

[g5Halo]

therein lies the problem

The fact that supporters of Pontiac can only associate the brand
with good products manufactured in teh '60's says it all for me.
As someone wanting to buy a new car I really don't care what
Pontiacs, Chevys, Camaros etc. were like in the 60's. Everytime I
get into a new american car I can't help but notice all of the little
things that seem to be better build, designed etc. in the cabin in
my 17 year old accord dx. That's a real shame. I know some
measures of build quality have improved in american cars over
the last decade - but really, if the little things in the car are
falling apart all over the place in short order I don't care if the
engine is still going I'm still going to feel ripped off. Complete
quality and attention to detail is still sadly missing.

[marvsnet]

We have a 1986 Pontiac 6000 4cyl. with 95,000 miles in super condition except for the headliner which needs to be stapled.
I have seen the new 2009 G6 and G8 pontiacs with 6 and 8 cyl engines. I appears that the size and graciousness of the Pontiac has returned.
We own a 2006 Chevy Impala SS with the small block 5.3 V8 with 20,000 . A great car!! I have had a Cady Eldo ETC for 10 years until the Northstar at 138,00 finally gave up.
Nice to talk to you,
Marvin

[blurble]

From an AUDI people

I'm sick and tired of articles on the exploits of the failed US auto industry. Why don't these companies just die already and go away forever?

The US has no clue what a real car is. But they're finding out, and that's why the foreigners are taking over.

Their marketing guy is German? Good luck. They seem to have the marketing skills of popeye the sailor. Everyone knows German cars are the best, but they can't seem to get that message across. Cost also factors.

Who the hell are they selling to on myspace? They're pimpleheads who dream of the day when they'll be blinging in a BMW or Mercedes. Not a US made piece of junk. And since when do parents take car buying advice from their kids? Unless their kids are 30 yr old mechanics who have a grasp on the market and OWN their own car. Which none of the slack jawed losers on myspace are.

And it seems every time I read the paper, someone has died at the pillow padded wheel of a poorly made american clunker. GM, FORD, innovation? Bull. Are you in a parallel universe? Everything they got or will have came from Germany. They, and the Japanese just reverse engineered it and rebadged it. Like stability control, which has been available in Europe for YEARS.

I can honestly say I would rather drive the lowliest VW than the most expensive US car, or anything remotely related to being US built.

Remember children, American cars take lives. German cars save them.

[tedk7]

You're simply clueless

"Everything they got or will have came from Germany. They, and
the Japanese just reverse engineered it and rebadged it."

Ever heard of a turbocharger? How bout vtec?

[Doigger]

From an Audi People

This slack-jawed loser bought his first NEW car in 1986. It was a Pontiac 6000 LE. It was the perfect car for a family of 4. It was well made, and ran perfectly for over 11 years, until I traded it in for a Pontiac Bonneville. I never had an accident caused by my American car.

So because I spent my life in nursing, which never paid a lot of money back in the day, I would be careful my friend, because the next time you crash your simple little Audi on the I-95 and land in the hospital, I might be the one you ask for a bedpan, and I don't think there is one large enough to accomodate you.

[the1kingarthur]

Re From an AUDI people

In your statement "I can honestly say I would rather drive the lowliest VW than the most expensive US car, or anything remotely related to being US built." I'd like to enlighten you to the millions of lives lost to the introduction and production of the Great German VW. Your ignorance of history shows because if you any knowledge of history you would have known that VW was the creation of Ferdinand Porsche and Adolf Hitler, and manufactured by slave labor. I would rather walk 100 miles than even ride in a VW. Sometimes it is better to make a moral choice than an engineering choice. One other note if you haven't heard. The nickname of the Pontiac GTO is " The Mustang Killer " More horse power, better traction, better take off 0 to 60, better handling, less expensive, better gas milage and on and on and on. Don't believe me. LOOK UP THE SPECS.

[blurble]

Safety above all

I know exactly who started the company. And having lived in Germany, I can testify to my claims.

I don't give a care in the the world about "where's your loyalty to the American brand". America makes inferior vehicles (so much for their highly touted safety regulations), and I will always buy the product that will save me or my familys life if I am ever involved in a car accident.

My car has 8 airbags, and it had them 8 years before any car in the US, including the korean brands who are so quick to point out now that they offer 6 airbags.

It's not as if Hitler himself was working on the assembly line. And even if he was, I'd still buy it because it's superior at every level and speed.

Pontiacs(American cars) are what people settle for, not what they inspire to own.

[the1kingarthur]

Before Insulting Pontiac You Better Read About Mickey Thompson

Mickey Thompson and Pontiac. One of racings greatest partnerships. Most of you don't even know who Mickey Thompson was. And I am not going to waste my time trying to teach you. And even if I did. You wouldn't listen.

I could tell you of Pontiac winning 49 out of 50 races in one season, or the advanced engineering, or how the American People sold out American Auto makers, but what good would it do? Why oh why in the name of God is todays American youth so stupid when it comes to history? Where is the American Pride? Where is the American patriotism?

As horrible and tragic 9 11 was. It woke America up, brought people together, and renewed the American Spirit, and now a few years later it seems everyone has forgotten, and just don't care.

What's 9 11 have to do with this story, and Pontiac? One word " America "!

Pontiac has made mistakes like EVERY auto company. Sometimes a company looses focus, or caves into false marketing demands, but over all they earned their respect, and have a great history, and a bright future.

[Lite Rocker]

So this new cobranded site...

Is it supposed to make the car not suck?

Didn't know web sites could do that, must be a chevy first!

If GM focused on quality cars instead of John Cougar Mellencamp songs, they might actually get increased market share.

Dated marketing = diluted market share.

[qwerty75]

American cars

American cars, with some notable exceptions, are substandard. Even the Koreans, who used to be synonymous with crap cars have a better rep and value then most American cars.

It doesn't matter if Pontiac made awesome cars 40 years ago. That is ancient history! It doesn't matter if people think we should buy American.

When you buy an American car, odds are that it was assembled in a different country. So how is it an American car anyway? Because the executives that fired all those blue collar American workers are also American? If I am going to support American workers it is certainly not going to be executives. Meanwhile many foreign makes are assembling the cars in the U.S., hiring American workers and paying them good wages. Not that any American has any obligation whatsoever to buying American made products anyway.

It doesn't matter how or where they advertise. They make crap cars, and no snake oil salesman can change that fact.