By Steve Gelsi
Starting in February, GM’s Buick unit will be the presenting sponsor of a five concert series starring Roberta Flack and Judy Collins, continuing its efforts to make its Riviera coupe click with female buyers.
The “Riviera by Buick presents: Ladies of Note” concert will be promoted in a four-page insert in Conde Nast’s Gourmet andBon Appetit Magazines breaking next month. The ad features the two singers posing next to Rivieras and ties the company and the concert in with fundraising for Concept Cure’s…
It’s part of an overall effort at General Motors to play up relationship marketing programs to connect cars to buyer targets on a grass roots level. In this case, the Riviera will be visible to the 50,000 to 100,000 concertgoers and readers of the magazines, while dealers are expected to get involved through their own direct mail or local promotional efforts to encourage test drives by dangling tickets to the events, possibly Richard Tyler T-shirts – the designer did a custom Riviera last year – or an upcoming compact disc release featuring the two singers.
The tour hits Miami, San Francisco, Atlanta, Philadelphia and New York, as the company seeks a metropolitan buyer beyond its Midwestern core consumers. Buick last year sponsored fashion shows and teamed with Tyler for the limited edition Riviera, which is now on the car show circuit. Tyler will also display the Riviera at his fashion shows.
Riviera, with sales of 20, 641 units last year, hopes to grow sales by playing up its styling to a female audience. The car now draws about 40% female buyers, expected to grow to 50%.
