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Cadillac Marketing Chief Predicts 10 Year Span For Brand To Be Serious Global Contender

As we’ve mentioned before, Cadillac has a solid lineup that’s growing. And currently, their biggest issue is not internal, but external, and trying to convince people that a brand such as Cadillac, (which has a changing image) is a brand with such stalwart products, is no short order.

“I have a really, really realistic chance to establish Cadillac to what it never was, a really global premium brand that is on eye level with all the other premium competitors,” said Uwe Ellinghaus, Cadillac’s new marketing chief.

Part of this issue is that 9 out of 10 Cadillac sales are either in the United States, or China. Europe has not yet become very accepting of Cadillac, thanks to the big German 3’s presence.

“People know Cadillac, people like Cadillac, but they don’t find Cadillac always particularly relevant,” he told Reuters. “This is something that communication … can easily overcome. It just takes time.” Considering time, the short-term plan is to further develop the two strong markets, the United States and China. The long-term strategy is to eventually persuade the weaker markets that Caddy is a viable option for them.

Ellinghaus says that Cadillac is ranked as no. 4 in U.S. luxury sales, and in order to become no. 1 once again, it would take five to ten years. Unfortunately, Cadillac has not held that position for 16 years now.

“It’s not too late,” he said. “The brand has a cachet and a prestige that is already a good prerequisite for building its emotional character even further.” We think that means that people get really emotional when they hear the sound of a CTS-V. Whatever it means, Cadillac continues to gain steam. Watch out, BMW, Mercedes, and Audi.

A metro Detroit native, Alex Sizeland is GM Authority's staff writer with a focus on covering GM culture and performance cars.

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Comments

  1. Granted, coming from where they were as far as product available and to whom it was marketed and the same scenario for today, product available and to whom marketed, they still have a ways to go. But I for one am glad to see the changes and that they are doing it and I wish them the best of success to become truly global.

    Reply
  2. If people would just open their eyes and stop letting other people tell them what type of cars to buy this wouldn’t take 10 years!

    This shouldn’t be a article about Cadillac it should be a article about how consumer’s are clueless when it comes to buying cars!

    You shouldn’t have to sell a car in a certain segment for 10 years in order for the car buying public to love it!

    Reply
    1. Tell me about it! When my Grandma was looking for a new car she called me to come with and her friend Jan came with too! Turns out Jan is a Honda freak (and you might already know this, I hate foreign cars). So we went to a Chevrolet dealer and test drove a nice Malibu 2LZ, I loved it, Jan hated it and pointed out everything she thought was wrong with it and my grandma crossed it off her car list. We went to go test drive a Honda Accord and I hated it, turns out my grandma didn’t like it at all either and Jan got really angry. Then we went to go test drive a GMC Terrain SLT-1 AWD 2.4L. I liked it a lot and Jan (who also owns a Honda CR-V) didn’t like it at all! She also pointed out everything that was better on her “precious” Honda. My grandma loved the Terrain and bought it anyways and Jan was furious. Some people just don’t make any sense! Everyone has their own opinion and people shouldn’t get in the way of it! It’s not right and very disrespectful. . . Yes you could say I am a hypocrite, due to the fact that I hate foreign cars. But that is my opinion and I don’t take it to the extreme and get mad at someone who buys a foreign car (okay, maybe a little. But inside my head)

      Reply
  3. The key here is it was going to take 10 years to fix the American market. We are 5 years in with 5 more to go and things are progressing nicely.

    Now for the Euro market it will take every bit of 10 years to make in roads, after one and two generations of new product it will help with trust and image. You have to earn the publics trust and desire as you can not engineer it.

    Now do not even entertain the thought that Cadillac will be number one in Europe even then with the better car. National pride is also in play here and that is hard to overcome too. We are the visitors there so we have to learn to build the market.

    The goals that need to be met is be number one in the States, Number one in class in China and grow the market in Europe and be considered a play in the top 4 in class. The key is to earn respect. If someone like a Jeremy Clarkson can be won over it would be a great success. GM has won him with the ZR1 already and I think the new CTS less Cue will do the same.

    Look at the time it took for BMW to make it to where it is at today. It was far from a 5-10 years deal. But they are now to the point people buy them because of the badge and the blind faith it is the best car when that is no longer true. Image will do that for you.

    Create a image that it is cool to own a Cadillac and the world is yours.

    Now there is a slogan for you.

    “Drive a Cadillac and the world is yours.” or
    “Drive a Cadillac and own the world.”

    Reply
  4. Gm will also need to bring some diesels in their caddy line up in europe as well.

    Reply
  5. On another GM forum, they are writing off Cadillac in Europe, Gen Y’s buyers, and any Cadillac smaller than the ATS. They also demand a flagship Cadillac tomorrow. One was even unrealistic enough to believe that Cadillac should command 78% of the US luxury car market before ever setting foot overseas.

    Then again, they’re all short term thinkers, and hardly any of them are thinking about who will buy Cadillacs in 10, 20, or 30 years from now; all of them expecting the world and it’s consumer habits to stay the same. Especially when they’ve classified Gen Y’s as an “overly self entitled practically worthless generation”. Tell me those users have Cadillac’s best intrest in mind.

    Fortunately, there are some people on that forum who know what’s going on:

    “I guess my point is why bother trying to convince 7 series, S-Class and A8 buyers to consider Cadillac when you can initiate a much larger, younger crowd who could become loyal Cadillac customers for decades to come?”

    10 years, to me, would be a minimum. 20 years with a leading sub-compact product, court and ingage with Gen Y and eventually Z, and no more mucking about in Europe….and then Cadillac might have a good foothold.

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  6. The real problem with the web is so many people do not really know how the industry really works and really have no clue to the big picture.

    Cadillac will have to build and fill out their line with quality products that not just match but better the others. The CTS has proven it can be done if you read the latest road test. Even if the more expensive Audi topped it buy a little it trounced the BMW. The main comment in the story is that the only car in the test that was fun to drive was the CTS. Other details like the Cue etc. will all be worked out in time.

    All of these companies also need to focus on smaller products for the future. GM has the most experience with the smaller cars and should have a leg up there.

    It will just take time and good product after good product. We have many new models coming in the V series and coupes, LTS and more. These should all catch the attention of many and slowly convert many over.

    Cadillac has a real chance to make a power grab in the future unlike others like Lincoln that are just totally stagnate right now. Even the head of Lincoln said it was going to be at least 10 years before they will get to a level to where they will turn the corner.

    GM is investing Cadillac like they never have in the past and the products will continue to reflect this. There will be mistakes but they will be corrected and they will continue to grow.

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  7. If people would just pay attention to the info that is at their disposal, they would not need 10 years to convince you that a product will suit your needs!

    I think most people just don’t have a back bone and buy what their friends or family wants them to have so they don’t get made fun of!

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  8. The fact is people tend to be creatures of habit.

    If people did a lot of things they would not suffer through many things that damage their lives too like drug abuse, alcoholism, crime and jail.

    You are given a set people to work with today and you have to cater to them and their time line. You can only do what you can to shorten that time line.

    Right now GM has had a bad image and is working to over come this and regain the trust of the public. I find it is much easier to get someone to take a chance on a improved $15K Sonic vs. blowing $75K on a new CTS. So Cadillac has a even tougher job to deal with and has to make their car even that much better.

    It will all work out as they are on the correct path here.

    Reply

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