Can you suggest alternate strategies for Saturn to rebuild its brand image?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

It may honestly already be too late for Saturn in 2005, as the changes made by GM may be irreversible and may have done irreparable damage to the brand. For example, Saturn’s best immediate option would be to redistance itself from GM and return to its prior operating practices. However, can it restore the trust of its own employees after renegotiating their contracts and taking away their protection from dismissal? The sense of pride, ownership, and personal responsibility among employees which made Saturn what it was will be difficult to restore. It will also be costly to separate the components and plants for Saturn vehicles from the rest of GM’s lines. Nonetheless, these actions are required to help restore Saturn’s brand equity. A longer term option for Saturn is to expand it’s product line into other car classes, such as luxury vehicles, sports cars, trucks, or SUVs. By applying Saturn’s core philosophy and image to a wider array of vehicles, Saturn would position itself to grow with its customers rather than be outgrown by them.