RBR First Part III
Mark LaNeve, GM's new VP/Marketing and Advertising speaks

General Motors' new VP/Marketing and Advertising Mark LaNeve, spoke to RBR and TVBR about his new position, upped from GM of Marketing for Cadillac since 2001. LaNeve, as head of Cadillac, is interviewed in our current September and August issues of RBR. (Call April here to subscribe and get the issues 703-719-9500). This is the third in a series that began Friday.

We recently wrote about the potential for WiMax to make Internet radio mobile, without having to be in a "hot spot" (4/14 RBR Daily Epaper #73). Is that on your radar screen?

Yes, and these technologies are being adopted so much more quickly than people think. I mean I just look at XM Radio - - the demand in Cadillacs, you wouldn't believe it! That was a technology a few years ago you never heard of.

Speaking of XM (and Sirius), it seems good for traditional radio that they no longer offer traditional network or spot avails on any of their music channels.

What it tells me is radio is still very viable. So now the radio business and my business have to figure it out. People enjoy that experience [satellite radio] - - because from what we're seeing, customers want choices.

I was very impressed with the Corvette ad with the kid driving (the ad mentioned it was a dream). That was different and seemed to follow the latest trend, as with Jeep ads in gaming, to target consumers with branding at younger and younger ages.

Wait until you see the new STS spot. We've got a ballroom scene with BMWs and Mercedes dancing a Viennese waltz with each other. STS comes screaming in, we crank up the Zeppelin music and totally bust up the party. At the end of it, we say, "Party's Over." They've had it to themselves for so many years - - it's a lot of fun and it doesn't disparage them in any way. It's a tongue in cheek, slice of life thing.

We're looking forward to getting that car on the street.

I also saw the Cadillac breaking through the digitized glass spot.

It's breaking assumptions. We'll put an assumption up, "The American Dream is an Import," and just shatter the assumption. That's a little tease campaign we're having fun with.

Any changes in store for GM Planworks and Mediaworks?

Any experience I've had with them where I've looked at their work and what they've done for us and the services they've delivered have been pretty good. Obviously, I'll be a lot closer to them now in my new role than I ever was, but as I speak top you now, they've always performed very well.

I think too that the one thing they're going to have to lead us with is the emergence of new technologies. I think they've tried to and we really haven't listened. So I think we'll probably be listening a little better.

And also too, I think the media needs to match the message in the brand. We're going to work on that and I'm sure they can accommodate that.

I mean, Cadillac - - we went to them three years ago and said, "We really want to be involved in the best of the best media properties from a television standpoint - - the Super Bowl, the Academy Awards and the Ryder Cup."

I've been pleased with my experiences with them so far, and like all organizations that we deal with - - we've got a very competitive marketplace out there - - they're going to have to continue to perform.

Tomorrow - - what new media is GM thinking about and brand fixing.