Richard Bronson

My father raised me a hard core Chevrolet/General Motors lover, which is what makes this all the more painful. General Motors has decided it was a good idea to run a commercial and advertise at their dealers that they have repaid the bailout money 5 years ahead of schedule.

But what they really did was take TARP money and pay off a portion of the government loans they received.

In my opinion, they are trying to position their product as profitable, trustworthy, and popular. They want to inspire patriotism, hope, and consumer confidence. The problem is that as this story grows, confidence will plummet and the government is backing GM’s claim to top it all off.

The American public is already skeptical, to say the least, about the automobile industry. We want to see these companies making a strong comeback and re-establishing themselves as part of the backbone of the recovery from the ongoing recession. However, we also want to see it done the right way.

I, for one, want them to show some social responsibility, at the very least in their marketing. It is illegal for employees to lie to consumers or mislead them about advantages of buying a product. For GM to run this ad, which is very misleading, and practically the definition of false advertising, does not show that their marketers are practicing a social conscious. It is quite the contrary, and plenty of people have noticed.

I proudly mentioned GM’s supposed feat to a Ford-toting friend of mine. What a mistake. She quickly replied with, “They are lying!” So, I researched her claim. Now, I have egg on my face, distrust for a company I love, and questions about their ethical behavior in advertising.

If anything good came out of this, it is that I have been freed of my bias towards Chevrolet. I did my research on my recent vehicle purchase and found that Toyota offered a better product and practically the same deal. I bought a Toyota! So, do you think consumer confidence is back? I would say, not in General Motors.

How much stock do you place in a company’s integrity before you buy their product? Do you research new companies or products at all prior to purchasing?

Graphic Credit:
Sabrina Segal