National ad will feature just Cobalt

With its truck and SUV launches done, Chevrolet will focus on its cars.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
WARREN -- Chevrolet will be more aggressive in promoting the Cobalt this year, a top official said.
Look for more incentives and more advertising for the Lordstown-built car, said Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager, who was at Diane Sauer Chevrolet in Warren on Tuesday.
Last year, Chevrolet focused its marketing efforts on the launches of redesigned trucks and sport-utility vehicles, such as the Silverado, Tahoe and Avalanche, Peper said.
This year, it's time to pay more attention to cars, he said.
Chevrolet kicked off that campaign with a commercial during the Super Bowl that showed various cars.
Later this year, Chevrolet will run at least one national commercial that is dedicated just to the Cobalt, Peper said. He added that there are many Cobalt commercials that can be used by regional dealer groups for advertising in their areas.
Cobalt promotions will emphasize the Cobalt's performance, fuel economy and warranty, he said.
As for incentives, Peper said Chevrolet will be watching the competition.
"If the competition moves a little bit, we want to move with them," he said.
Sales figures
Chevrolet is offering a 500 rebate on the car but wasn't offering any rebate on 2007 models last year when sales dropped significantly.
Sales last October dropped to 8,772, which was the lowest monthly total since early in the car's launch. Sales have rebounded to more than 13,000 in December and January but are still down when compared to sales in the same month a year earlier.
Cobalt sales haven't topped the year-ago figure since August.
The General Motors' Lordstown complex recently stopped working overtime on daily shifts and Saturdays because of the sales decline.
The future of the complex is up in the air because GM has scheduled production of the Cobalt and its twin, the Pontiac G5, only through the summer of 2009.
Peper said he couldn't comment on future product plans but said a five-year run for the Cobalt wouldn't be unusual. The Cobalt was introduced in October 2004.
"We want fresher products in a shorter amount of time," he said.
For now, however, the Cobalt remains "a very important small car for us," he said. It provides competition against the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic and draws people into GM brands, he said.
shilling@vindy.com