Like the herd of possessed swine cast off the cliff by Jesus Himself, so too went the way of Mercedes-Benz USA's sales in January.  They went down.  Down, down, down.  Specifically, the U.S. division of the luxury brand managed to achieve what some would have before considered impossible – shipping exactly 42.9 percent fewer vehicles than they did only a year ago.  In total, MBUSA delivered 10,433, compared to 18,275 units in January 2008.

What makes the decline even more interesting is that this January marked the beginning of a U.S. advertising blitz for the new GLK-Class, with television spots and print ads for the new SUV popping up on a nearly daily basis.  Even with the new ad bombardment, a quick scan of the other top luxury automakers January figures reveals that MBUSA outdid them all, with Lexus being the only brand coming close to Mercedes-Benz USA's catastrophic decline (-37.7 percent).

So what does this mean for Mercedes-Benz USA's marketing department?  It means that what they're doing isn't working, and to be honest, we can't say we're surprised.  I won't go into specifics today, but I will say that last year, we sent Mercedes a proposal that would have been far more effective than any of MBUSA's current marketing attempts.  Call it a vision into the future, if you will – one that we had the opportunity to sit down and present to the company a few months ago, and one that they blatantly and unfortunately dismissed.  Now, kicking off a new year, Mercedes-Benz USA is at the forefront of the luxury automotive segment, not as the industry leader, but rather as the brand holding title as the month's most substantial loser.

It's a difficult economic environment, but at the same time, it's at times like these that the true measure of a company's ingenuity and character can be seen.  The truth is that there's more to selling cars than airing a few unimaginative television and print ads, but until MBUSA becomes receptive to this fact, I expect little to change in the company's position amidst the luxury segment.

For more info regarding Mercedes-Benz USA's January sales figures, keep reading for the official press release.

Enjoy.



OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


Mercedes-Benz USA Reports January Sales of 10,433

MONTVALE, N.J. – Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today reported January sales of 10,433 vehicles, a 42.9 percent decrease compared to January 2008. The company attributed the decline to the significant drop in the luxury automotive sector as a result of the current economic climate.

Separately, through the Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned (MBCPO) program, MBUSA sold 6,753 vehicles in January, an 86.3 percent increase compared to its January 2008 sales of 3,624 vehicles.


Mercedes-Benz USA January 2009 Sales Overview

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