Another year, another edition of the Detroit Auto Show North American International Auto Show. Unlike last year’s rather down atmosphere, this year had a very positive vibe. The new model launches were bigger and more exciting. There were more concepts. There was more fun overall. Sure, there were a few less than stellar moments, but for the most part it was a pretty good show.
Like last year, I was there as a guest of General Motors as part of a social media contingent. Last year, the group was primarily bloggers and GM’s social media squad decided to switch things up a bit this year by bringing along a few “Super Fans”. These are folks who are giant fans of one of GM’s brand and spread their love for the product all over Facebook and the like.
I heard more than a few comments that these guys had no business being at a legitimate media day. Surprisingly, these comments weren’t just from traditional media types, as I even heard it from a few social media types. I have a slightly different viewpoint: I don’t think GM made enough of a noise around these dudes!
Don’t get me wrong, the experience these guys had was outstanding and will reinforce their love of the brand. It will also get more buzz going in the marketplace as they tell and retell their tales to friends, family and members of their FaceTube groups. I just think that there was even more opportunity there. Some traditional media types would write stories about these guys and how GM rewarded their fans. There was potential there to build more brand buzz around these loyal consumers and how they stayed loyal through the dark days.
The Garage is going to help with that buzz a bit, as I think it is a missed opportunity.
Does this mean that I’ve been bought? No, not in the least. It does mean that I think these guys are gearheads who are right in to the car hobby and happen to be fans of The General. Like the rest of us, they’ve got a story to tell. Bring it on!
I guess the last couple of paragraphs don’t have much to do with an overview of NAIAS, so I’m going to let the pictures speak for themselves. Don’t worry, there are lots more to come!
[…] in the offing. You would also get to read the staff’s experience while hovering the event. Read on and get a full taste of this years Motor Show! « The Mecca of Made-up […]