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Chevrolet reinvents itself, puts customer first
By Kalea Hall
DETROIT
Every seven seconds, there is a Chevrolet vehicle sold in the world.
With that statistic, the brand needs to be ready to “Find New Roads.”
“‘Find New Roads’ is much more than a tag line,” said Alan Batey, president of General Motors North America. “‘Find New Roads’ is our culture.”
Batey, who has been with GM for more than 35 years, told reporters Wednesday at a global media event, that he cannot say whether the brand has always led and not followed.
“We have reinvented Chevrolet,” Batey said. “It’s our commitment to ingenuity. It’s about our commitment to be different and for people to expect something exciting.”
When Chevy leaders looked to reinvent the brand, they looked to a lot of other companies for influence, such as Apple. Apple is the most-valuable brand in the world today.
“How they define their brand is really through their products,” Batey said. “They are genius and simple.”
The key to reinventing Chevrolet will not only be through advertising, but through the products, partnership with the dealers and to shatter perceptions of Chevrolet.
“Most importantly, we put the customer right in the middle of everything we do,” Batey said.
Chevrolet wants to stand apart from other brands based on stunning designs, performance and technology.
“We know we have to deliver on all of these things, not just one,” Batey said. “We have started out with this clean piece of paper, and our job is to find new roads.”
On the technology side, Chevrolet will roll out Android Auto and Apple CarPlay for 14 models in 2016 through the automaker’s MyLink Infotainment system.
“The feel of the car used to be what defined the experience,” said Phil Abram, chief infotainment officer.
Now, it goes beyond that to making sure the driver is very connected. Last year, Chevrolet introduced the 4G LTE with WiFi availability for cars, trucks and crossovers. Up to seven devices can connect to the service.
The new Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a feature in the new 2016 Cruze, allows for four key functions: music, navigation, phone calls and messaging.
Other ways to connect with Chevy cars include the OnStar Remotelink Mobile app. OnStar, which comes standard in the next-generation Chevy Cruze for six months, helps recover 200 stolen vehicles on average a month.
“Others may dabble; at Chevrolet, we do,” Abram said.