Surviving the Process of Elimination
“There are a lot of layers of competition to get through . . . the challenge that Chevrolet has in marketing . . . How do you get them into the seat to even drive the car?”
Tom Shellworth, 30-year Chevrolet Dealer[As quoted in The Wall Street Journal, May 23, 2005, p. B1,“Struggling GM Rolls Out a New Marketing Strategy.”]
There are over 300 make-model combinations (brands) of automobiles available to today's consumers, but the average consumer seriously considers fewer than 10. For the other 300 or so brands, the game...