Almost a year to the day after Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge stepped down as speaker, Hyundai Canada this week announced the appointment of his successor. This is Marilou, a multi-talented young woman known for both her singing talent and her culinary recipes through her various publications entitled Trois fois par jour. A successful businesswoman, Marilou joins the growing list of women chosen by the automotive industry to represent them. Think of Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin at Kia, Karine Vanasse at Nissan and of course Mariloup Wolfe at Chevrolet.
Hyundai obviously believes in the importance of a spokesperson. Especially in Quebec, where market shares are still very high compared to the rest of the country. It must be said that Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge, with his ads, will have helped restore the image of the manufacturer that hired him in 2009. First as a regional spokesperson, then to gain Pan-Canadian mandates. Unfortunately, after more than 12 years of partnership with the Korean company, the sole English speaker, nicknamed GLT, was about to drastically lose his lucrative contract after making a public statement wishing to offer a controversial opinion on vaccinations.
This discord reminds us that hiring a spokesperson for a product is an extremely delicate process. Just think of the agreement between Véronique Cloutier and Suzuki, which was set to be broken following the allegations against the Quebec star’s father. And more recently, the firing of Buick’s Marie-Pier Morin, who nonetheless helped explode sales of Encore models in Quebec.
Of course, car manufacturers and dealers all dream of a happy working relationship with their speaker. As in the case of Honda and Martin Matte, who, like Mr. Lemay-Thivierge, will have been under contract for 12 years (2001 to 2013). An association so prolific that some believe he still represents the brand ten years later. We also remember André-Philippe Gagnon, who is under contract with GM, with his famous “Allez hop, cascade! or the Red Tag Sale promoted by Marie-Soleil Tougas for Toyota.
To do this, however, each idea must be examined very seriously before an agreement is reached. Because in addition to the financial precautions, which often make up the majority of an artist’s annual income, there is the so-called risk factor. Anything surrounding the possibility of a scandal, either direct or indirect, usually caused by skeletons in the closet. The Volkswagen dealers who, for example, hired Joël Legendre in the 1990s must have been happy to have broken their alliance long before the incident at Parc Marie-Victorin. The same goes for Chrysler, which cut ties with Normand Brathwaite in a rush a few years before his interception on the Jacques Cartier Bridge.
Coincidence (if it is coincidence) will have wanted a second Marilou (this time without a P) to come and answer Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge in a speaking role. Well, if one does a great job at Chevrolet, the other is a good choice for me. A young woman who has been active in the artistic world for 15 years and who, from memory, has always been very transparent, both personally and professionally. It will breathe new life into a manufacturer in full transformation where electric vehicles are proliferating. By the way, have you noticed that Mariloup Wolfe’s latest ads at Chevrolet are pretty much all about EVs? Perhaps further proof that the appointment of the other Marilou (without P) is no coincidence!
Fascinated by cars but also by the way they are sold, I believe in the importance of an automotive spokesman in Quebec. Be it just a voice (like that of Dan Bigras at Ram or Patrice Bélanger at Toyota) or a collaboration on a product or brand. For example, I am convinced that Mitsubishi dealers should hire a spokesperson in the transformation process. The same goes for Mazda, which has long been Quebecers’ favorite brand.
Admittedly, agreements with specific speakers can be expensive. However, in a region like ours, where translated English ads don’t carry enough weight, the call for a more culturally engaged speaker has a lot of impact. Even at a time when cars sell out in no time and demand exceeds supply. Because behind the product to be sold is the brand image. What Mitsubishi Motors, Mazda and Ford would work well on. Who will be the next artist hired by an automaker? And what will this constructor be? The bets are open!