GM risks alienating its best customers
As yesterday’s column mentions, bailout backlash is one risk that General Motors faces. Some of its most loyal customers, the buy-America crowd, may be so angry about the government bailout that they’ll shop for a Ford or perhaps even a foreign brand. Autoblog reports today that some right-wingers are, indeed, trying to organize a boycott of GM, and a Rasmussen Reports poll indicates that they may find a receptive audience.
Rasmussen says 26 percent of survey respondents approve of the GM bailout, but 53 percent think it’s a bad idea and 17 percent would support a boycott. Here’s another poll finding that won’t help Government Motors:
However, 51% of adults are more likely to buy a car from Ford because it did not any take bailout funding. Just 12% are less likely to buy from Ford.
Of course, it’s one thing to express your frustration when a pollster calls on the phone. It’s much harder, if you’re a lifelong Chevy driver, to go out and buy something with a blue oval on front. And, as Autoblog points out, past auto-boycott efforts have come to naught. Clearly, though, the new GM has some big marketing challenges ahead.



David Nicklaus has covered St. Louis business for more than 25 years. His column appears three days a week on the Post-Dispatch business page.
Why would you boycott the car company you like because the government saved it? For spite?