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From Johan de Nysschen to Steve Carlisle: Transitioning Cadillac Marketing

Started by jdemerson, March 30, 2020, 11:37:13 AM

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jdemerson

Most folks here are not focused on current/future model Cadillacs. But occasionally there is a news story that is of interest to a few of us. This one is about the former and current Cadillac Division Presidents, and the shift of Cadillac from NYC back to Detroit with its implications for marketing.

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2020/03/cadillac-president-steve-carlisle-discusses-the-brands-identity/

The new-generation 2021 Escalade with a 400-mile range all-electric propulsion seems quite interesting, although personally I'm not a fan of trucks/SUVs. President Carlisle is clear that engineering innovation, EVs, technology will lead the charge for Cadillac. As far as I can tell, at this moment Cadillac is the only make that is seriously challenging the Tesla model S. Too bad that the CT6 Platinum model with Blackwing V8 and Supercruise is out of production. (The CT6-V was not available with Supercruise.) The CT6 was not offered as an EV, but likely would have been had it survived.

John Emerson
1952 Cadillac Sedan 6219X  (with all factory options except Autronic Eye and Supercruise)  ;) :) ;) :)
John Emerson
Middlebury, Vermont
CLC member #26790
1952 Series 6219X
http://bit.ly/21AGnvn

Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: jdemerson on March 30, 2020, 11:37:13 AM
The new-generation 2021 Escalade with a 400-mile range all-electric propulsion seems quite interesting, although personally I'm not a fan of trucks/SUVs. President Carlisle is clear that engineering innovation, EVs, technology will lead the charge for Cadillac.

As far as I can tell, at this moment Cadillac is the only make that is seriously challenging the Tesla model S.

In range but as far as challengers to the Model S body style, a 4 door hatchback, Cadillac doesn't have anything quite yet but Porsche has its Taycan (starts over $103K) and Audi has its e-tron Sportback (U.S. starting price expected to be around $80K) which are more similar to the Model S but don't have the range.

The Cadillac Celestiq will be hatchback/fastback styled like the Model S and is expected to have 400+ range like Escalade but won't be released for a couple of years and will carry a starting price more than twice that of the Model S.  The Cadillac Lyriq, due out sooner, is also expected to have 400+ range but will be an SUV.  It will also be much cheaper than Celestiq.

Alan Harris CLC#1513

They have been talking about revitalizing the brand and restoring their luster since the eighties, at least. Each new manager comes in with the same speech and lasts a year or two.
It is as dependable as the sun coming up tomorrow.

David King (kz78hy)

The CT6 offered a Plug in Electric Vehicle (PHEV) in model years 2017 and 2018.

Not many are out there, but a really nice car.

Here is Motor Weeks review:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5He78JbBxqw

David
David King
CLC 22014  (life)
1958 Eldorado Brougham 615
1959 Eldorado Brougham 56- sold
1960 Eldorado Brougham 83- sold
1998 Deville d'Elegance
1955 Eldorado #277
1964 Studebaker Commander
2012 Volt
CLCMRC benefactor 197

Director and Founder, Eldorado Brougham Chapter
Past President, Motor City Region

Rare Parts brand suspension parts Retailer via Keep'em Running Automotive

jdemerson

Quote from: David King  (kz78hy) on April 02, 2020, 05:39:54 PM
The CT6 offered a Plug in Electric Vehicle (PHEV) in model years 2017 and 2018.
Not many are out there, but a really nice car.
Here is Motor Weeks review:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5He78JbBxqw

David
David,
     Thanks for sharing. I knew about the PHEV model and have a brochure or two on it. But I hadn't realized that it was available with SuperCruise. Nor had I seen the video.  It feels like advertising but I found it quite convincing.  Mileage is impressive for a true luxury car of this size. I wonder what a low-mileage original is going for now?  Probably not too high.

John
John Emerson
Middlebury, Vermont
CLC member #26790
1952 Series 6219X
http://bit.ly/21AGnvn

MaR

Quote from: David King  (kz78hy) on April 02, 2020, 05:39:54 PM
The CT6 offered a Plug in Electric Vehicle (PHEV) in model years 2017 and 2018.

Not many are out there, but a really nice car.

Here is Motor Weeks review:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5He78JbBxqw

David
The fact that the Plug in hybrid version was made completely in China scared me away from that.

David King (kz78hy)

The market for those cars is China.  The US was not expected to sell many and sold less than the low predictions.  The car builds different with the big battery in the rear, so the investment to build at D-ham was way to high for so few cars.  The SGM plant that makes the CT6 does as good or better than D-Ham did.  Very well built car.

David

I was on the Omega program (CT6) for its life here in the US.
David King
CLC 22014  (life)
1958 Eldorado Brougham 615
1959 Eldorado Brougham 56- sold
1960 Eldorado Brougham 83- sold
1998 Deville d'Elegance
1955 Eldorado #277
1964 Studebaker Commander
2012 Volt
CLCMRC benefactor 197

Director and Founder, Eldorado Brougham Chapter
Past President, Motor City Region

Rare Parts brand suspension parts Retailer via Keep'em Running Automotive

BJM

The lack of interest and apathy toward this subject is all a member needs to know. Yawn!  Here we go again.  I’ll bet Mary Barra would shut Cadillac down if she could.  Pretty much a tired brand with no identity.  Definitely no strong leadership.  Just another lifer loyalist manager that has kissed Mary’s ring looking for a golden parachute.


Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: BJM on April 04, 2020, 10:25:36 AM
The lack of interest and apathy toward this subject is all a member needs to know.

This is hardly the type of forum that one would expect to see much interest in subjects like this.  You come here for topics about classics/antiques.  I'm kind of surprised new car subjects come up as much as they do on here as there are much better and much more active Cadillac and other forums out there for those types of discussions.

BJM

Past threads have run to 3-5 pages within a couple of days.  Buick club is the same way.  Basically Buick, Cadillac, and Chrysler are orphan brands now.  Bring a similar “new” topic up 40 years ago if forums existed and members would be buzzing about the new models, proud of the new cars and direction.  Now? no way

Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: BJM on April 04, 2020, 12:25:42 PM
Bring a similar “new” topic up 40 years ago if forums existed and members would be buzzing about the new models, proud of the new cars and direction.

Doubtful.  Classic car enthusiasts in general have long lacked much interest in, or even had disdain for, new cars and you're certainly not going to generate much activity on a forum like this which is mostly dedicated to classics/antiques when there are far more active sites out there for new car discussions.

Another Cadillac forum, for example, has generated millions of posts and hundreds of millions of views mostly on new(er) Cadillacs.  Sites like that are where people go to talk about new Cadillacs, not here.

Chris Cummings

Returning to the title of the OP's initial post, I just wish that Cadillac would really DO marketing.  They come out with a really respectable car and the marketing and follow through are best described as feeble.  Yeah, the world has gone truck-happy.  But other companies manage to sell all kinds of non-truck vehicles.  Cadillac doesn't seem to try.

Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: Chris Cummings on April 04, 2020, 02:54:41 PM
Yeah, the world has gone truck-happy.  But other companies manage to sell all kinds of non-truck vehicles.  Cadillac doesn't seem to try.

I think one advantage some imports have is a stronger car side business in their home regions which allows them to invest more in cars and still offer them here even though U.S. sales in that segment are weak and declining vs. non-car.

Top selling import luxury brands in the U.S. in 2019 and percentage of sales coming from the car side:
BMW - 42%
Audi - 39%
Mercedes-Benz - 39%
Lexus - 27%

While Cadillac was only 18% cars in 2019, it was 32% in 2018 when ATS, CTS and XTS were in full production for the year.  A reason their car sales percentage was much lower in 2019 is because ATS, CTS and XTS had been discontinued that year and replacements (CT4 and CT5) basically didn’t start to come to market until 2020.