PONTIAC-GMC'S CUSTOMIZED DRIVE
By Martha Rogers, Ph.D.
A year ago this month, we told you about Pontiac-GMC's
drive to bring customers back to the dealership. The GM
division was founding two magazines, Pontiac Driving
Excitement and GMC Directions, which would personalize
content, from cover to coupons - all based on each
customer's vehicle and unique interests. The program
married new publishing technology with traditional
ownership surveys to create 22 million possible magazine
versions. Each issue would contain a follow-up survey and
cards for reader feedback, allowing customers to update
interests and "teach" the magazine how to become
"smarter" over time.
Now the results are in. In the past nine months, Pontiac-
GMC ( pontiac.com ) has achieved a survey
response rate of 18%, a sizeable increase over the typical
5%, and gathered detailed lifestyle data from 250,000
customers. The program also has generated 50-100 cards
and letters from customers each day, according to Gary
Miller, relationship marketing manager. Pontiac-GMC has
capitalized on the reader interest by forwarding key points
from each letter to the appropriate department.
Engineering, for example, now gets advice from readers on
how to build a better car. Some of the responses "are
rather lengthy," Miller says, but they have helped the
company develop magazine content and a more extensive
customer database.
The magazines have slashed direct-mail costs for dealers,
since the customization technology allows their coupons or
ads to reach a specific local audience. And customers gain
something, too. Pontiac-GMC only collects information that
customers wish to submit, and the company then uses that
data to change the way it treats each customer. A family-
oriented Montana owner who has a dog and loves to ski
will be able to read articles about Montana owners just like
her. And Pontiac-GMC is able to determine what phase of
ownership that reader is in - and when she may be ready
to purchase a new vehicle.
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