In the years 2012 – 2013, Holden has seen some unusually drastic declining of vehicle sales, to the extent that Holden announced they would stop local manufacturing in 2017. Despite its brand presence, Holden suffered a steep slump in sales in both their medium (Commodore) and small-car range (Cruze). Holden may want to find out why their sales have declined to the degree that they have with a view to understanding the needs of the market in order to discover the most effective and efficient way to promote their range of vehicles.
MDP:Should Holden launch a new ad campaign using a different message appeal promoting the small-car market to change consumers’ attitude?
In the last few days of 2013, Holden launched a new ad campaign “Here to stay” with an ambiguous message targeting unclear markets. This campaign has not received positive feedback from consumers, yet increased public confusion and anger (Jaques, 2014). It is not about Australians buying Australia-made cars anymore but whether suppliers meet the right demand for cars. It goes far more than just the image and pride in cars but the value the cars can bring in. Holden yet again fail to promote the demanded small vehicles but waste too much effort in promoting the no longer wanted model, the Commodore (Bainbridge, 2013). Furthermore, Holden has used the wrong advertising technique to approach consumers and failed to create a strong argument for what it has to offer. That being said, the brand is using cues to promote a product of high involvement while it should focus on product-relevant attributes consumers are looking for in automotive ads (Richard T. Petty, John T. Cacioppo and David Schumann, 1983, p. 143).
MRP:To determine how to build value into Holden’s small car range in such a way that potential customers would be receptive to marketing communication.
Because attitude is one of the key factors to determine the likelihood