Cadillac’s move to New York City, into the SoHo neighborhood, will still be watched closely by executives back in Detroit, Michigan, but the brand says it has reinvigorated its employees and breathed new life into work, according to WardsAuto.
Cadillac design boss Andrew Smith says the one-year-old relocation to New York has meant for more travel than originally thought, but that it “works really well.”
“We’re moving as a group a lot,” he said. “But it’s given an opportunity to the brand side to attract talent that you can only find outside of the auto industry. When you look at the caliber of the team they are assembling in New York, it is just fantastic.”
The strategy behind the move was to create a more autonomous Cadillac brand, the plan hatched by current Cadillac President, Johan de Nysschen. “If we didn’t change the geography, the risk was the behaviors and attitudes would not change,” he stated.
Cadillac is busy showing off its new, updated design language in China, which will soften some of the harder lines seen currently on the car, and it continues to ramp up development of its onslaught of inbound crossovers.
Comments
I’m sure this is agree move for the people that work for Cdillac in Soho. Higher salaries, probably moving bonus, housing allowances, etc. BUT, how many people actually drive Cadillacs in Manhatten? Other than livery cars. The big question, will the brand survive this move? Haven’t seen anything really great yet. Competition still wins on quality and price. Only good move so far was the decision to not dump the current ESCALADE, which has to be the most profitable vehicle Cadillac has. Only reason I got the 2016 PlatinumEsv was for,its size over the competitive brands. Won’t do a Cads for family as the competition is better.
The move happened within the last year so what tangible changes in ‘quality and price’ were you expecting?
Also Germo – having driven in NYC many times over there years you are correct that there are not many Cadillacs on the road there but maybe having the only major auto manufacturer headquartered there might help New Yorkers identify with Cadillac, if only a little.
Cadillac will and has survived the moved. The brand is not going anywhere. They have a fresh infusion of capital and many models in the pipeline.
Cadillac does not win an all segments but they certainly do hold their own. The only 2 items you mentioned as detractors to the brand is price and quality.
Sure the pricing could be lower to create a better value position but their products are world class and should garner the prices being asked. Public perception has not caught up with that reality and that is the only real issue.
Quality – if you look at JD Power numbers Cadillacs actual quality is right there. What is not on par is Cadillacs mind share. Due years of brand neglect and sub-par products the general public does not see them as real competitors to BMW, M-B, Audi, etc. and therefore Cadillacs do not have the same cache. That issue is not erased in move of their headquarters or a couple of really good products but over decades of brand building.
GM’s MATRIX MANAGEMENT will allow one to play outside the sand box for a short time. GM will evaluate the NYC venture with the cost verses the results. This is another boondoggle . Surprised they didn’t move to China. Seems they said China’s emerging markets is setting the createria for what a Cadillac will be.
This was more about moving Cadillac away from the GM tower and the daily looks over the shoulder than anything else.
The result you will see here will come with each and every new model they do.
In other words the major things you will see have not shown up yet.
Wouldn’t happen to involve some cosmopolitan management not wanting to live in Detroit area would it?