DETROIT: Despite the fact that the Chrysler brand ranks favorably in J D Power & Associates' most recent Top Ten auto quality study, consumer perceptions fail to match Power's favorable ratings - a situation Chrysler marketers are desperate to rectify.
"It's been frustrating," admits David Rooney, director of Chrysler marketing and global communications; while svp of global brand marketing George Murphy attributes the imbalance to satisfied consumers boasting of owning specific models - say a 300 or a Sebring - as opposed to a Chrysler.
The ailing German-American automaker is this week grasping the bull of quality firmly by its horns with a new TV campaign via BBDO.
Rooney hails the campaign as "the perfect opportunity for us to showcase that there is more behind the sheet metal and distinctive style, and that every Chrysler possesses world-class quality and engineering at an extraordinary value."
One 30-second spot targets Americans currently mulling purchase of an imported brand, focusing on the fuel economy of specific Chrysler models.
Although the public perceives US autos unable to match the miserly gas consumption of, say, Toyota, Chrysler insists its marque can match its overseas competitors in terms of fuel efficiency.
Data sourced from Wall Street Journal Online. additional content by WARC staff
