• USA Today, Thursday, February 12, 2009 10:45 AM

"General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner does not look like the most-embattled CEO in the auto industry," writes Sharon Silke Carty. He personally "exudes confidence" and says his company is "crouched and ready to pounce."

Among the positive changes Wagoner sees on the horizon is a clearer identity for GM's brands. "Clearly, one of the things we're needing to do is focus in our product portfolio," he says. "People think we haven't been able to put as much marketing resources behind each product as we need. That's changing."

But GM still faces a gap between the quality of its products and how consumers perceive the quality, writes Silke Carty. "When your main worry is to keep the lights on and pay your workers every day, you're not going to have enough money to invest in your image," Jesse Toprak, executive director of industry analysis for Edmunds.com, points out.

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