Tag: Buick

Don’t Want GM OnStar? Too Bad…GM Makes It a Mandatory Option

Car and trucker buyers shopping for some GM models, but wanting to avoid OnStar, are out of luck.

GM OnStar is the company’s premium concierge service that provides navigation, hands-free calling, vehicle diagnostics, emergency services, and more. The service is normally a monthly subscription, although customers that didn’t want to pay it could always opt-out.

Unfortunately, it appears GM is ending the opt-out option, making a three-year OnStar subscription a mandatory upgrade, according to GM Authority.

“To enhance our customers’ vehicle ownership experience, beginning June 2, 2022, new retail Buick and GMC vehicles will include three years of OnStar and Connected Services Premium Plan,” a GM spokesperson told the outlet. “This offering provides our owners with a full suite of OnStar and Connected Services for three years, providing them with more time to enjoy services such as remote key fob, Wi-Fi data and OnStar safety services. By including this plan as standard equipment on the vehicle, it provides more customer value and a more seamless onboarding experience.”

The service will also be a mandatory option for the 2023 Cadillac Escalade.

“This offering provides our owners with a full suite of OnStar and Connected Services for three years, providing them with more time to enjoy services such as remote key fob, Wi-Fi data and OnStar safety services,” the spokesperson told GM Authority. “By including this plan as standard equipment on the vehicle, it provides more customer value and a more seamless onboarding experience.”

The price of a three-year subscription for the majority of models comes in at $1,500, with a couple priced at $905 and a couple of other models priced at $1,675. As a result, for the majority of models, the base price will increase by $1,500.

August 11, 2022
GM Announces Electric and 5G Connected Vehicle Roadmap For China

At Tech Day, China’s version of GM’s EV Day, GM has announced major advancements coming to its vehicles in China.

China is GM’s largest market. As a result, the company took the opportunity to outline major initiatives that it plans to bring to fruition in the Chinese market.

Among those advancements is 5G connectivity, which the company plans to implement in 2022. GM plans to have all Cadillac and most Chevrolet and Buick models connected by then, with connected services provided via over-the-air updates.

GM also plans for 40% of its new vehicle launches in China to be electrified models within the next five years. The company has already vowed to invest more than $20 billion in electric and automated vehicles by 2025. GM plans on bringing together 5G, AI, big data and smart cities to help make its plans a reality.

“As GM’s largest market and a global center of innovation, China will play a crucial role in making our vision a reality,” said Mary Barra, chairman and CEO of GM. “With our joint venture partner SAIC, we are blending global insights and scale with local market expertise to redefine what is possible for our customers and for society.”

August 19, 2020
Buick Using Facebook And Twitter For Scavenger Hunt

Buick is launching the “Quest for the Keys” program, a campaign focused on promoting Buick’s lineup, including the Regal, Enclave, Lacrosse and its new Verano.

Quest for keys will launch in seven cites in the coming months, including Miami, Los Angles, Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis, New York and Austin, Texas. The program invites users to participate in an interactive scavenger hunt using social media. The scavenger hunt provides clues on social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter, for the first three weeks of the hunt, and ends with one day of offline scavenger play in each of the seven cities.

The final day of game play in each city moves into the streets with strategically placed clues in various sites, requiring many location-based social networking tools such as Foursquare, Gowalla or Facebook Places to guide people in the hunt. In each city, the hunt ends with the discovery of six keys that rewards each finder with $2,000 and enters them into a chance to win a new Buick. A final random drawing will offer three winners the choice of any of the Buick models – a Verano, Regal, LaCrosse or Enclave – and will take place in November, completing the program. There will also be online play-at-home component using a Facebook trivia game.

The initiative kicks off January 10 at the North American International Auto Show, during the unveiling of the Buick Verano. Consumers who watch the live streaming reveal on Buick’s Facebook page and participate by Tweeting, commenting and reposting the event are automatically entered for a chance to to win the first key awarded as part of the yearlong national sweepstakes.

January 10, 2011
Yahoo Introduces Weekend Edition

Yahoo has introduced “Weekend Edition on Yahoo News,” a new program offering original video and editorial content sponsored by Buick.

"With Weekend Edition, we’ve established a destination that features lighter lifestyle-oriented news programming, which we already know is more popular with our weekend audience," said Mark Walker, vice president and head of Yahoo News.

"This program also aligns perfectly with Buick’s target demographics and brand attributes, which makes Buick an ideal partner for Weekend Edition."

Weekend Edition will cover a variety of topics, including travel, leisure, culture, family and healthy living. In addition to featuring content from the Yahoo network and from content partners, Weekend Edition will feature an original video series with a number of hosts, including:

Dominique Dawes, a three-time Olympic gymnast who contributed to Yahoo! Sports as an analyst and correspondent from the Olympic Games in China and Vancouver

Harry Hurt, a journalist and author who is behind the Executive Pursuits column in The New York Times, for which he hosted online videos

Jim Brasher, host of the new series "Way of Life" that will air on The Discovery Channel’s international outlets

November 5, 2010
Buick Taps Facebook, Twitter And YouTube To Promote Regal

GM is working on a campaign to promote its 2011 Buick Regal and has launched a website called "Moment of Truth."

GM promises its Moment of Truth site will include all reviews and consumer opinions no matter if they are negative or positive.

"We are inviting consumers to find out on their own that Regal is a true performance sedan and worthy of their consideration," said Craig Bierley, Buick advertising director.

"We are making it easy for the consumer to get unbiased opinions in one online location."

Moment of Truth will pull in content from a variety of social media sources and give users the ability to share via social networks. It includes YouTube videos, Flickr photos, comments from Buick’s Regal tab on Facebook, tweets from Twitter, as well as automotive reviews and blogs. Anyone can be a contributor to Moment of Truth by sharing their stories related to the Regal and posting them online.

Other elements of the Buick Regal advertising campaign started earlier this month in unconventional and traditional outlets. The campaign continues to build on advertising outreach that Buick started with the LaCrosse launch last year.

July 29, 2010