I’m a firm believer that done correctly, a good brand-oriented social media site has plenty of potential for expanding a company’s reach. I’ve promoted this idea several times on this website, though admittedly, I have my own interests at heart too.

At the start of this month, GM launched ImSaturn, a social media site where members can have their own page and leave comments etc on each other’s cars. There’s pictures, movies, podcasts - all the usual social media stuff.

There are forums available for each of Saturn’s models and it seems the front page is a collection of news stories and events in a blog-type format.

If I was to critique it from a blogger’s point of view I’d say it looks a little cluttered and busy below the fold (i.e. below what you see in that image, above). The few user pages I’ve checked out have a Myspace feel about them, which is good and bad in different ways. It looks like they’re getting the Saturn employees to chip in with content as I see a number of users are employees. Several of the users who aren’t employees have received comments from employees on their pages. A little internally-generated momentum never hurts, I guess.

As of the time of writing there are 846 members on the site, which started April 2.

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Even if I’m not a fan of the environment they’ve created (just personal taste there) I think this is a great initiative from GM. I just hope they get it right and that it goes well so that they’ll be encouraged to try it with other brands.

The site that I’d envisage for Saab would be a lot classier in presentation. A lot cleaner. There’d be planning for a huge historical archive, a blog like TS and of course the members’ personal pages, forums, chat rooms as well as a showroom for different models.

All that stuff’s on the internet in one form or another already, so what’s the difference-maker? It’d have to be the inside looks. And that’s where GM would have to loosen their ties a little.

This medium can work. I’m convinced of it. I just hope this pioneering effort can go well and pave the way for other GM brands in the future.