1997 BUICK CENTURY
MARKETING
FLINT, Mich. -- Buick's all-new 1997 Century is aimed at the heart of the high-volume midsize sedan market, according to Anthony H. Derhake, brand manager for Century.
"We intend to market the Century as the smart choice for premium quality, comfort and value," said Derhake. "This car represents a major growth opportunity."
Buick already sells more new cars between $18,000 and $30,000 than any other automaker, import or domestic, Derhake said.
"With the introduction of an all-new Century for 1997, we expect major expansion at the lower end of the range we currently dominate," he said.
The new Century, he said, is a perfect fit for the midsize market.
"Century buyers prefer timeless beauty rather than flashy, trendy styles that may be here today and gone the next. They lean strongly toward domestic cars. They're well-educated and their purchase decisions are very carefully researched.
"To the Century buyer, price is just one important consideration -- along with total ownership cost, reliability and resale value. Comfort, convenience and safety are more important to this buyer than pure technological advancements.
"To hit this target dead-center, the 1997 Century is roomy, comfortable and well balanced for six passengers. It's larger inside than the car it replaces, but efficiently packaged so it's not excessively large or ostentatious on the outside.
"In fact, Century's classy exterior design, impressive performance and built-in safety are all carefully balanced to align perfectly with the mainstream tastes identified by our voice-of-the-customer studies. Century is designed and engineered to be more than the sum of its parts in the eyes of our target market."
Derhake identified some of the anticipated early "wins" the Century may have over its competitors. "Some of our competitors' products have adopted particular exterior designs which, though distinctive, result in restricted passenger entry and exit, and they're especially restrictive in rear-seat and trunk room. We have made no such compromises to our core attributes with Century."
Derhake also expects price to be an advantage for Century over its competitors. "Some of our competitors' products come standard with a four-cylinder engine. Century is standard with a 3.1-liter V-6 and many other features our competitors make available as optional equipment."
The introductory process for the new Century began at the 1996 North American International [Detroit] and Los Angeles auto shows. "Our message is that everything about the Century has changed except its name. But this car is new without walking away from the needs of two million previous owners. Key Buick brand-equity elements are reinforced throughout its design and makeup.
"We want to let all our loyal customers know -- plus buyers who may be new to Buick -- that we have an all-new car that combines room, comfort, performance and safety with premium value."