Saturn
Inducted in 1996

…more of a cultural revolution than a product revolution.

In some ways, Saturn was a noble idea occurring at the worst possible moment. The American automobile had lost nearly one quarter of its market share. Younger buyers were loyal to the imports they'd grown up with and had little or no confidence in U.S. brands. There were 243 product offerings and the worst sales slump the industry had known in 25 years.

As a manufacturer, Saturn's largest contribution to building its own brand was the courage to ignore the skeptics and the foresight to go with a strategy based not on the features of the car but on the, feelings of the people who built it. Saturn wanted to be seen as pleasant, humble, independent, confident, friendly. And blessed with a sense of humor.

The challenge was to convey that image in a manner that was believable to people who essentially had no reason to give up their imports of even listen to an American contender. This is where Saturn's marketing group and their agency, Hal Riney & Partners, targeted the industry's weak point and developed the foundation for the Saturn difference: customer service.

The campaign linked Saturn to issues ordinary people found interesting and important to their lives. It used the attributes of the company to define the qualities of the car and Saturn's unique buying and ownership experience.

There are many ways to measure Saturn's success. A monthly sales rate of 21,000 in 1992, a year ahead of schedule. A 52% purchase consideration rating, higher than Honda, Toyota, Nissan and Mitsubishi. A Homecoming event in 1994 that drew 44,000 enthusiasts. A network of business schools that use Saturn as a case study in marketing success.

Most of all, the Saturn brand and the values it stands for have changed the way automakers - and many other industries - do business. Saturn is more than a car. It's an idea. It's a whole new way of doing things, of working with customers and one another. It's more of a cultural revolution than a product revolution.