When does 2016 "Build Your Own" open?
08-04-2015, 07:10 PM
#41
Corvette Enthusiast
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Location: Troy & Dearborn, Michigan
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Traditionally, the "model year" used to start on October first. Brochures would hit the show room in September a few weeks before launch.
Corvette has a different timeline than many other models maybe because the car is really geared towards summer in many parts of the country. However, the marketing plans for GM remain the same.
I expect to see the BYO site up by either the end of this month or the beginning of September and I would expect to see the brochures in September. It's usually the same every year, but the last few years have been off of that schedule because of the C7 launch in 2014 and then the 2 month extension of the 2014 build made the 2015 schedule off a bit. I would think we are now into a rhythm until the C8 launches.
Dave
Corvette has a different timeline than many other models maybe because the car is really geared towards summer in many parts of the country. However, the marketing plans for GM remain the same.
I expect to see the BYO site up by either the end of this month or the beginning of September and I would expect to see the brochures in September. It's usually the same every year, but the last few years have been off of that schedule because of the C7 launch in 2014 and then the 2 month extension of the 2014 build made the 2015 schedule off a bit. I would think we are now into a rhythm until the C8 launches.
Dave
The Websites are done by Marketing Companies, in GM's case "Team Detroit" who farms the work out to a sister company MRM (located in Birmingham, MI). A friend of mine used to work on the Chevy site, and they are never ready before September for the new model year.
Why? Marketing, since they control the site. They don't CARE that the car is actually on the lot, or that you can order one. They only care when the majority of cars switch over. At that point they switch the site over. The exceptions to this are "out of band" releases for new models which have "dedicated" marketing support.
The new model year officially begins October 1st still, but many of the marketing materials will switch over September 15th (after Labor Day). Why do you ask? Labor Day (and the entire month of August which precedes it) are geared to "clear out" the old models which are no longer being produced. The fact that you can find new models on lots or order them is irrelevant. Americans want deals, and right now until after Labor Day there will be some good ones on the previous model year cars which are farting around on lots.
BTW, I'm in that 1% of non-lot buyers. I've yet to "buy a car off the lot." Once the dealer had the car I wanted in transit (so no need for a custom order) and another time they traded with a dealer (so again no custom order), but the other 3 times my car came right from the factory (with my name on the sticker!)
08-05-2015, 09:06 AM
#43
Personally, I would rather them spend their corvette marketing dollars on the race team and owner support at racing events. I could care less whether there's a pretty website for the model
