Saturn Takes on Competition - in Its Own Dealerships

It takes confidence in your own products and services to run an advertising campaign that directly targets your competitors. But Saturn is going that one better. According to MediaPost.com, the company will have top competing sedans at their dealerships for comparative shopping. The program is to launch June 11, incorporating television and print advertising as well as direct mail and point-of-purchase materials.

Such a campaign is nervy and nerve-wracking. There is always that chance that someone says, "But these other products are better." Yet maybe it's not as dicey as all that. Edmunds.com says this about the Aura:

After years of producing forgettable cars, Saturn steps up its game and brings out the Aura. With its well-rounded personality and attractive design, the Aura finally gives Saturn a legitimate contender in the midsize family sedan segment.

The prices of the cars are roughly comparable, as are the features. But Saturn has a couple of built-in advantages. The division of GM is coming off a stretch of under-performing, so any improvement will appear magnified. Then there is the very act of challenging its competitors. Even if few consumers actually try out the other cars, they walk in thinking that the product has to be good, because they'll willing to show them side-by-side. And then the only salespeople around will be working for Saturn. This seems like one of the smartest marketing pushes I've seen in a long time: no unrelated hype, all customer focus.