DTN John McCormick: Cadillac Vs. Ye Olde Perception Gap
Detroit News columnist John McCormick's [undeclared] Caddy junket hath yielded a (gasp!) positive review of the new CTS. "Ready to confound your expectations," "pleasing evolution," "goes head to head with the best," yada yada yada. But before his paean to the brand whose "excellent progress" has resulted in a double digit sales decline, McCormick takes a few shots at potential Caddy customers who are unaware of the majesty that is the CTS. "The problem, as Cadillac general manager Jim Taylor acknowledges, is that even with brand new, competitive product, it is difficult to convey even basic information to buyers who are not knowledgeable enthusiasts." What was that about GM's $2.9b annual ad spend? Never mind. As far as McCormick is concerned, Detroit can't buy a break with the key demographic: German car-loving effete intellectual bi-coastal snobs. (Lexus doesn't get a look in.) "But with the launch of the all new 2008 CTS, Cadillac feels even more deserving of attention from the blinkered coastal sets." We repeat: there is no perception gap.
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In North Jersey, the only people I see behind the wheel of a new Cadillac are the triple Gs -- gangstas, geezers and Guidos.
Escalade ? PONTIAC ?
I think it's not old brand image. It is current promotion. Lexus is selling a green 600h (actual environment friendliness tbd) Honda/ Acura - Hell even the F1 cars have a clean earth paint job. MB - eco-deisel Munich - well, middle managers have to aspire to something Who else? Does it matter? Caddy has what? Nice design. Who cares? Where's the edge, where's the newness? "Maybe a Caddy is as nice as a Lexus, but a Lexus is 'green.' Let's buy the Lexus...." C'mon GM, you moved forward...so did the competition. America has short memories (how we'll get a Clinton for a 3rd term) sell the stuff and stop f 'ing whining!
In some import markets Cadillac has no more prestige than a high-end Hyundai