A Perfect 10 – What If GM Did New Leno Show?

“I made $5 billion over the summer.” Leno rocks the crowd with his return to TV and his opening monologue. Jay confesses he turned his old cars into a gold mine with the Cash for Clunkers program. (wink) GM and the car industry could learn a lot from the reinvented Jay Leno Show.

A couple of quick thoughts on Jay’s come back and some must-do’s for car makers:

• Intergenerational Appeal. All demographics are pegged. Jay takes the stage dishing out high fives to young and older fans. The guest line up is diverse and multi-talented. He connects the mobile generation and boomers by not excluding them from the joke, yet often making them the punch line. For car makers, compel people to “want” your cars by identifying with them and delivering.

• Humor. Being funny is the currency of engagement. Dan Finnerty from the movie “Hang Over” takes his raw singing skills to the local car wash. Yes, The Dan Band flirts with customers, upsells the tire shine, and makes waiting for the car wash an experience like no other. Like Southwest Airlines, humor sells more seats.

• Social Media Tie-In. From the U.S. Open judge texting during tennis calls to viewer generated content in Jay’s segment, “Headlines,” Jay may be gray haired but he’s also on-media. +5K Facebook friends support his come back. When you’re that good, people want you back. Car makers need to leverage social media, influencers, blogs to generate conversations and sustain buzz. Dot now.

• Authenticity. Kanye West sits down with Jay for an unrehearsed chat. Reflecting on the MTV Video Music Awards, Kayne nearly falls apart offering a televised apology to Taylor Swift besting Beyoncé. Every mother in the house nearly sheds a tear. Honesty builds trust. Trust is the foundation of every brand. Yours should own up to the past. And build new belief in your brand truth.

• Celebrity Star Power. Leno pulls out all the stops in welcoming Jerry Seinfeld, as the first guest. Oprah makes a cameo appearance. But things really heat up when Kanye, Jay-Z, and Rhianna take the stage giving us their new school jam. Again, his celeb choices reflect the demographic span NBC is hoping to capture. For car makers, you need to do the same. Cast your net wide and hit the high notes.

So here’s the pitch. GM top brass make a guest appearance on the show. Be transparent about where the $50 billion is going. Demonstrate how product innovation, customer focus and quality dawn a new generation for GM. Be funny about serious car making. Obama and America’s tax payers are watching.

I’ve got Los Angeles on the other line. Don’t miss this opportunity to make your marque.

Copyright © 2011 Warren McKenna. All Rights Reserved.