JPMorgan Chase to Buy Washington Mutual

After a long struggle and seeking for a buyer Washington Mutual was sold yesterday to JPMorgan, when it was announced that the nation's largest savings and loan would be bought by an even larger rival, JPMorgan Chase .WaMu customers are not expected to see any disruption in service. The deal, brokered by federal regulators, resolves the largest bank failure in U.S. history. WaMu had $310 billion in assets. Are we entering an era that only the strongest can survive?


http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/sep2008/db20080925_760466.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index+-+temp_news+%2B+analysis

Promotional Piece-North Face

Our Equipment Will Survive Everything
North Face

GM to double production of fuel-efficient engines

GM announced that the production will be doubled for the fuel efficient cars . Most of the production will be made in north America because GM has faced a serious drop in demand for its gasoline guzzling trucks and sport vehicles. In my opinion this process should have happened 20 years ago. Instead, GM is very enthusiastic about its new Chevrolet Volt and already doubling the production before they got a feedback from the market, probably another mistake.

General Motors putting Hummer brand and French factory up for sale

GM decided to put the hummer brand on sale. The Hummer began to be more and more expansive for the consumers because of the gas, Which creates a decrease on the Hummer sales. I believe that this will be a smart move for GM, I assume GM is starting to change its face.
URL:http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iURSxo9rT8-la1KwVVQHCwi35RkQ

GM punting on Super Bowl

After losing to the San Francisco 49ers Sunday, the Detroit Lions are 0-3 and look to be a lock to miss the Super Bowl for the XLIIIth time.
General Motors, another dented Motor City icon, won’t be playing in the big game either come February.
The world’s largest automaker said today that it would take a pass on the world’s biggest advertising venue in yet another move aimed at saving money. GM, an "official sponsor" of the NFL and one of the big game’s biggest advertisers, said it would confine its promotional spending to the considerably less expensive -- and less viewed -- pre- and post-game shows. It looks like GM is waking up and try to focus its promotion more efficiently.

Volt may not be 100% American

General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner last week offered no guarantee that the auto giant would use American-made batteries in its new electric-powered car, the Chevrolet Volt, even as Detroit automakers pressed for $25 billion in U.S. government loans to support the development of advanced-technology vehicles in this country. Most of the products are brought from china, from GM's side it is legitimate to do that, but since the batteries will not be produced in U.S.A it will affect the U.S economy.

The good oil: GM turns 100

US automotive analysts counting down to General Motors' 100th birthday next month say there's one thing certain about the next 100 years: the company's very existence could depend on the Chevrolet Volt, its new electric car. GM trotted out a prototype Volt in Detroit the other day, describing it as "more than 95 per cent" representative of what the company hopes to start selling in 2010. It says the Volt is an "extended-range electric vehicle" that uses a small petrol- or ethanol-powered engine to back up its lithium-ion batteries. I think that GM must develop their prototype even more to extend the electric range for more than 40 miles.

Microsoft ads: Bug or feature?

Software giant's ad guys insist that the widely derided Seinfeld ads were a masterstroke, not a mistake. Microsoft pulled Seinfeld? That news made headlines everywhere from the Wall Street Journal to the Manhattan gossip website Gawker. And that could be the point.Microsoft had featured comedian Jerry Seinfeld in its first new ads with Crispin, which were aimed toward making the brand more humorous and human. The effort created quite a buzz - much of it, admittedly, negative, puzzled, or outright hostile. But buzz it was, which was the point, says David Webster, Microsoft's general manager of brand and marketing strategy. I think that Microsoft did a bad job in that ad, Seinfeld is a comedian from the 90's. I believe that Microsoft was better using a more up to date comedian in order to effect their target market.

Chrysler Is Loyal to Its Pickup in a Market Cold to Trucks

GAS prices are falling but still high, big vehicles are unpopular, and Chrysler, which is known for big vehicles, is struggling. So it may seem surprising that it is putting all of its marketing muscle behind a new truck.

As we see on the picture Chrysler is putting its marketing efforts on dodge ram. For my opinion, Chrsler should wake up and understand that the consumers don't want big trucks any more, but cars who are economic.

GM in China

GM was counting on its rapidly growing sales in China to offset its troubles in the U.S. China has become one of the world's largest car markets and most estimates say it will move into first place within four or five years.
To the surprise of many, vehicle sales in China actually dropped in August compared with the same month a year ago. I think that this wasn't a surprise at all, GM were not aware enough for what the market need in the entire globe, and just kept on with their big vehicle industrial.

GM CEO says fuel economy requires huge investment

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Meeting U.S. targets to improve automotive fuel efficiency will take substantial capital investment by industry, General Motors chief executive Rick Wagoner told Congress on Friday.
Appearing at a Senate energy summit and lobbying lawmakers for $25 billion (14 billion pounds) in low interest loans for industry, Wagoner also said meeting the government's target of 40 percent better fuel efficiency by 2020 will take leadership and direction from Washington.
Struggling Detroit automakers are pressing Congress to activate the loan program included in last year's energy law so they can retool factories and accelerate research on battery technology to make more fuel efficient vehicles.
Congressional Democratic leaders hope to push through a $3.8 billion funding measure in the coming weeks that is necessary to issue the government-backed credit assistance.

GM to provide $10.6 billion to support Delphi

Delphi corp said on Friday that former parent General Motors Corp has increased its support to $10.6 billion, from $6 billion, to speed the auto parts maker's emergence from bankruptcy.
Delphi, which filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States. in 2005, said in a Bankruptcy Court filing that without GM's stepped-up support, "a viable stand-alone business plan may not be possible."

GM rolls on rough road as it nears 100th birthday

As GM celebrates its 100th anniversary Tuesday, the company that was once the nation's largest employer faces a crisis like no other in its storied history. GM has lost $57.5 billion in the past 18 months, including $15.5 billion in the second quarter. It's burning more than $1 billion a month in cash, has more than $32 billion in long-term debt, and a slumping U.S. market has forced it to close factories and shed workers.
In July, it suspended its dividend for the first time in 86 years, and the company has been in perpetual restructuring since at least 2002. "We've seen them down further than what they are, and they got back up," said Ezell, 63, who passed up several early retirement offers to keep working at a factory near Pontiac that makes the Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 midsize sedans. "I believe in GM. There's no doubt in my mind." Yet industry analysts wonder whether GM can make it if the U.S. economy stays in a funk and consumers continue to shun trucks and sport utility vehicles for small, fuel-efficient cars. One analyst even mentioned bankruptcy protection for the company that developed the first fully automatic transmission, the first V-8 engine, and the first hydrogen fuel cell .
While it's shrinking in North America, GM's global sales are up 19 percent in the past decade with large increases in emerging markets such as China, Russia, India and Brazil. It's also spending heavily to become a leader in new technologies, including the Chevrolet Volt electric car due out in 2010.

GM delivers hydrogen fuel cell Chevy Equinox to EPA as part of technology's market test

General Motors Corp. said Friday it delivered a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle to the Environmental Protection Agency as part of a market test for the technology.
The EPA will use the fuel cell electric Chevy Equinox in its fleet for normal business in Washington, D.C., GM said. Electronic recording devices will record the zero-emission vehicle's performance data.
The delivery is part of GM's "Project Driveway," its effort to develop more fuel-efficient auto technologies. I think that after GM will finish developing the electric fuel cell that will be a breakthrough for GM and it might recover from its current situation.

Person marketing-GM CEO

G. Richard Wagoner Jr., who became the youngest chief executive of General Motors on June 07, said at the company's annual meeting here today that he planned to maintain the current business strategies and he expected that new truck models and an emphasis on Internet marketing would lift the G.M. market share. Mr. Wagoner, 47, said that having helped develop the current strategy over the last year and a half as G.M.'s president, he did not see an immediate need to change it. ''It gives us a great chance to build off what we're doing,'' he said at a news conference after the meeting.

Nowdays, as GM sales went down the drain, it might not be a good idea to stick on previous business strategies;therefore, we can see that GM is struggeling and try to distribute itself to many areas around the globe.

Event Marketing-13th Annual GM event in Michigan

Anyone who attended the last twelve GM Events will know that this event is a complete blast and is always a good time for all who attend. This year is planned to be even better with lots of great cars, friendly competition, cash payouts, and more attractions.

By bringing up this event and show the customers the testing, tuning, and bracket racing GM market it self.

GM touts flexible, local production in Europe-Place Marketing

General Motors Corp. sees local production and plants that can be adapted to produce new models as the best ways to tap sales potential in Russia and other eastern nations, the president of GM Europe said Wednesday.

GM, Ford may get half of government loans

General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and their suppliers may get $25 billion in government loans to speed development of fuel-efficient vehicles this year and have to wait until next year for another $25 billion, analysts said.
The auto companies probably will be able to win support for $3.75 billion that must be appropriated to cover the costs of issuing the first $25 billion, Clint Currie, a Washington-based transportation analyst at Stanford Group, said in a report today. The odds against funding additional loans for the industry this year are 3-to-1, he said.
"We expect the attention needle on providing direct loans to Detroit to remain in the red zone for the next several weeks as executives from Ford, GM and Chrysler visit Washington," said Currie, whose company advises investors on the likely outcome of federal policy. The companies may get the rest of what they seek in 2009, he said.
The U.S.-based automakers and their suppliers say they need the funding to help react to buyers' rapid switch to more fuel-efficient cars from trucks after gasoline topped $4 a gallon earlier this year. GM and Ford get a majority of their U.S. sales from light trucks, and lost a combined $24.1 billion in the second quarter as industry sales of the pickups, sport-utility vehicles and vans fell 18 percent through June.
Funding for the loans may be included in the 2008 energy bill, in a second economic stimulus package or in legislation that would temporarily fund the government until Congress completes its budget work, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, told reporters.
Funding the first $25 billion would "materially curtail" the bankruptcy risk at the U.S. automakers, JPMorgan & Chase Co. analyst Himanshu Patel wrote in a report released today. About 75 percent of the funds would go to GM, Ford and Chrysler LLC, adding $6 billion to liquidity for each over the next 1 to 3 years, the New York-based analyst said.
GM, with more emphasis on electric vehicles, may end up getting more of the funding, and the government loans would be in the same range as the $5 billion to $10 billion analysts estimate the Detroit-based company needs in additional liquidity during the U.S. decline, Patel said. He rates GM shares "overweight."
GM spent $7.5 billion on capital projects and $8.1 billion on research and development last year.
The current structure of the loan program also would help automakers because any improvement in liquidity is allowed to be passed on to equity holders if the shares rise, Patel said.
The most likely place for automakers to get the funding they seek this year is the so-called continuing resolution, which is a law that lets the government keep operating when the current budget expires at the end of September, Patel said.

I think that it is very important to loan the money to Auto mobile industires, especially in the world of today. The increase of the fuel prices is outrages and We must do what it takes in order to keep our world green.

General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler head to Washington, looking for $50 billion

Today's Wall Street Journal reports (subscription required) that "Top auto executives, including General Motors Corp. Chief Executive Rick Wagoner, will launch a lobbying push this week for billions in government loans to help beleaguered auto makers and their suppliers."The companies are looking for the previously reported $50 billion in low-cost loans, warning that bankruptcy could be a possibility down the road if they don't get their money.This would be a good time for people like Mr. Wagoner to be reminded that God, and hopefully the federal government, helps people who help themselves. From 2003 through the second quarter of 2008, GM has blown just under $5 billion on dividends which should, theoretically, be paid out to shareholders only after the company has assured that it has adequate cash to fund operations. Here's what Congress should say to Mr. Wagoner before giving GM a nickel: since he, in his capacity as CEO and chairman of the company, is at least partly responsible for the company's precarious financial position, would he consider lending the company the more than $24.5 million he made in the last two years under the same terms he's asking for from taxpayers?Michigan lawmakers will be working overtime to push this one through, but there's no reason taxpayers should be giving money (a loan on special terms is no different than a gift) to a company that is still paying dividends on its common stock and lavishing excessive pay on poorly-performing executives.

General Motors Marketing floated for sales and distribution

General Motors India has created its sales and distribution company entitled General Motors (India) Marketing Pvt. Ltd. As a part of the restructuring its corporate structure, GM India is transferring its sales, marketing and distribution activities to the new entity, while all manufacturing activities will remain with General Motors (India). P. Balendran, vice-president, GM India, said, "With GM's operations in India expanding significantly in size and scale, it has become necessary to bring greater focus and efficiency to selling and distributing our world-class products and services. This move will help us improve planning, inventory management, transport management, timely delivery and thus, maximize cost synergies." Formation of the new company follows GM India's state of the art Greenfield plant at Talegaon commencing production on September 2, 2008. The restructuring exercise, which is expected to result in significant cost efficiencies, will also involve the transfer of some employees who are currently engaged in sales, marketing and distribution activities to the new company.GM India's network expansion is in full swing with 122 sales points and 129 service outlets already operational across the country. With a view to further widen the customer reach, the company intends to put in place at least 145 sales points and 160 service outlets by this year end. General Motors India is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors Corporation, with two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities at Halol, Gujarat and Talegaon in Maharashtra. The company makes the Chevrolet Tavera, Chevrolet Optra, Chevrolet Aveo, Chevrolet Aveo U-VA, Chevrolet SRV, Chevrolet Spark and Chevrolet Captiva for the Indian market.

Stand up to Cancer on Itunes

Fifteen artists. One cause. Bringing an end to cancer. By Downloading the exclusive single from iTunes you can make your stand ! good example of cause marketing. However, in my opinion, apple's marketing intentions are not pure... i trust them to increase their sales after people will stand up for cancer on Itunes.

General Motors says yes to new transmission line

A new transmission line guaranteeing 350 manufacturing jobs for the Garden City is a go, said General Motors on Saturday (place marketing).
Vice-president David Paterson said General Motors Canada has received letters of agreement from federal and provincial governments pledging a combined $140 million to new projects in St. Catharines and Oshawa.
“That gives us the confidence to proceed immediately with the investment in St. Catharines,” said Paterson Saturday.
“This is a victory. We’re going through a significant transformation of our operations in Canada, and St. Catharines is an important part of that.”
Paterson said the new front-wheel drive, six-speed transmission line will be used in at least three new mid-sized, fuel-efficient vehicles.
The company will invest $245 million in the Glendale plant as a result, with production expected to start in April 2011.
The transmission line will employ about 350 people, said Paterson.
The new work is expected to offset disappearing jobs associated with less-fuel efficient truck production, he added.
The fuel-efficient transmissions will be used in vehicle production in Oshawa, which also benefits from the government and GM investment.
Oshawa will build a new hybrid vehicle and receive $40 million towards environmental technology research.
The Standard first reported the tentative deal after Liberal MPP Jim Bradley and Conservative MP Rick Dykstra confirmed government support for the long-awaited project Friday night.

Person and Place Marketing

OTTAWA and TORONTO -- The Harper government has struck an election campaign-eve deal with General Motors of Canada Ltd. that requires the auto maker to build a hybrid car in Oshawa, Ont., invest $245-million in a plant in St. Catharines, Ont., and undertake leading-edge environmental research at its Canadian engineering centre.

Hammered out by Industry Minister Jim Prentice, the deal will preserve more than 300 GM jobs in St. Catharines. Earlier this year, GM announced 2,600 job cuts in Oshawa.

The agreement should also help the Tories keep their parliamentary seat in St. Catharines, which they won by a slim margin in 2006.

It's the second move in three days by the federal Conservatives to support auto-industry jobs as the clock ticks down to tomorrow's anticipated kickoff of a federal election campaign.

Price Strategy

In Aug 08 GM offered the largest discounts they offered in their entire history. Still automakers were unable to sell many of the pickups and sport utility vehicles clogging dealers’ lots. Meanwhile, shortages of many popular, fuel-efficient cars hurt sales of those models.

Distribution

Here we can see an example for Distribution. On country side destinations, GM has no choice but to move their cars via trucks.