Lutz gives himself 6 months to overhaul GM advertising

Bob Lutz returned from retirement to head up General Motors Company’s marketing and communication – and he’s not about to slack off on the job either.

Six months from now, “if GM ads look the same as they did six months ago then somebody really needs to ask, ‘Why is Lutz here?'” Lutz said in an interview with Automotive News.

He said that he wants “recapture the attention of the American public” and said that ad agencies that don’t come through will be put up for review. He said that his plan includes changing the way GM works with its ad agencies and shifting to a more product-driven advertising.

Lutz said that he will also give GM designers the power to have influence on the overall look and feel of a campaign of a new vehicle launch. He said he will also use the Internet to develop viral ad campaigns.

“We have to move fast, and we have to move powerfully because we’re coming from behind,” Lutz said. “We have this obstacle to overcome called negative perception.”

– By: Kap Shah