With the end of the popular Cash for Clunkers program, U.S. auto sales are expected to suffer a hit this fall. As the industry preps to sell to a dwindling consumer base, General Motors—America’s top-selling automaker—will debut a new ad campaign playing up its four remaining brands, Chevy, Buick, GMC and Cadillac.

GM, which entered bankruptcy in July, will have a big task ahead of itself, according to Deborah Mitchell, executive fellow at the Center for Brand and Product Management. Mitchell tells the Associated Press,  “It’s going to be dog-eat-dog. There’s going to be a big drop (in sales). It’s going to be more important than ever for them to get out there.”

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GM must focus on its brands to boost sales: that is the message from marketing experts. Deborah Mitchell, who teaches marketing at the Wisconsin School of Business, was quoted in an Associated Press article that appeared in the Washington Post and elsewhere  on the importance of brand building for GM.

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Deborah Mitchell, a senior lecturer of marketing and associate dean for Enterprise MBA programs at the Wisconsin School of Business, tells the Associated Press what GM should focus on when marketing cars during bankruptcy.

Mitchell argued that GM should not “dwell on the negative” or anything that will help consumers “remember that GM is hurting.”

“‘When you buy one of these cars, you’re buying a Chevrolet. You’re not buying a GM,’” said Mitchell. “‘In terms of consumer memory, where the positive associations lie are primarily with the brands.’”