"I am a big believer in the power of media to steer the public," Whitty said. "My first fight back response would be some kind of clever, innovative and bold propagandist attempt to change the perceptions of buyers under 50 for GM, Ford and Chrysler products.
"If you can get teenagers to wear look-alike clothes, all girls with bare belly midriff outfits and boys wearing baggy pants and baseball caps, then you can do that to sell Tauruses and Eldorados."
The Big Three's problem has been smugly traditional marketing where they've relied on the truck side of their business, Whitty said. Now, Toyota, Nissan and others are attacking that segment with their own new products.
"If there is any ray of hope, it is for the Big Three to change people's perception of their products," he said.
Probing the Silence Outside the Negotiating Rooms
Over the last several contract talks between the UAW and GM, Ford and the Chrysler Group, negotiators for both labor and management have been reluctant to talk about what is discussed until after a settlement has been reached. This stance is in marked contrast to how Basil "Buzz" Hargrove of the Canadian Auto Workers has handled its talks.
During last year's negotiations with the Big Three, the CAW issued several press releases and Hargrove held telephone press conferences with reporters to give the union's side of how the talks were going. And, in the past, UAW leaders such as Walter Reuther and Douglas Fraser were also open to media inquires.