GM to prioritise Chevrolet brand in continental Europe
General Motors is to mount a concerted effort to raise consumer awareness of its Chevrolet brand in Europe after the firms chief executive Dan Akerson, made known his disapproval at its failure to rival the loss making (but much better known) Adam Opel brand.
This will see the appointment of Thomas Sedran as president and managing director of Chevrolet Europe in September, a move intended to kick start more vociferous promotion of the line.
Akerson said: “We are taking a hard look at Chevrolet in Europe and we need a fresh perspective.
"Tom has been there for two years and he understands the channel conflicts we have between Opel and Chevrolet and what we need to do to reposition them. We have done a pretty good job in Russia but we have not done it as well as I had hoped in Western Europe.
“We are going to assess Chevrolet, not only how it is priced but what content is offered and how it is positioned.”
In may Opal held a 6.8 per cent market share in the European market, versus just 1.1 per cent for Chevrolet, prompting GM to split responsibility for its marketing and sales into two separate positions.
Chevrolet has been viewed as an entry-level brand but GM is keen to reposition it as a strong global brand.