GM to move Cadillac brand to New York City

[MotorCityTrikes]

I understand New York has a ridiculous tax structure. Except for the ads saying new business gets a break. I'm a Ford guy anyway adios Caddy.

[bailey]

They believe they can attract a better workforce in an elite urban environment. Sure, theoretically, aesthetics and the outside environment mean jack squat. All things being equal, GM's Tech Center employees could work as well in giant concrete box as they do in the buildings they currently inhabit. But the truth is, people aren't robots and require quality of life. Cadillac believes the sorts of people that value the lifestyle in NYC are the sorts of people it needs to push the image of its brand forward. We don't need people giving the green-light to ads that mock bicycles, as we saw in Detroit.

When Campbell Ewald moved to Warren, everyone on here was bleating about how it now could show its clients a better time [[because Warren is ugly and boring) and attract the creative types that value urban environments. But now Cadillac moves a step up from Detroit and it's the dumbest thing ever.

but the point you seem to be willfully ignoring is that none of the design or manufacturing is moving.

CE didn't just move the flag and some management, they moved EVERYTHING.

Caddy is setting up entirely redundant space in the most expensive city on the planet to do what exactly? Not design cars...apparently. your argument would have at least a semblance of a point if Caddy was totally decamping from Michigan. I still think that wouldn't get them anything in terms of consumer by in...because it's too ingrained and entwined with Detroit.

[nain rouge]

You could make the best Cadillacs in Detroit, but if your Detroit staff is clueless on how to sell the car to the wealthy in the nation's premier markets, what good is that? I bring up the anti-bicycle ad campaign GM disastrously tried because it shows how out of touch the Detroit staff is/was. Go to DC or Boston on the weekend and seemingly every rich old guy is dressed in spandex and riding a bike. And guess what? Those people also own cars - typically very expensive cars, in fact. When they see an ad mocking them, they aren't impressed.

GM is defending the move for the same reasons I am. But, of course, GM would be better off if you were CEO, right? You know what's up in this country.

[nain rouge]

Personally, I do think the move has hints of desperation in it. But when it's 3rd and 20 and you're down 10, might as well throw a long pass.

[bailey]

You could make the best Cadillacs in Detroit, but if your Detroit staff is clueless on how to sell the car to the wealthy in the nation's premier markets, what good is that? I bring up the anti-bicycle ad campaign GM disastrously tried because it shows how out of touch the Detroit staff is/was. Go to DC or Boston on the weekend and seemingly every rich old guy is dressed in spandex and riding a bike. And guess what? Those people also own cars - typically very expensive cars, in fact. When they see an ad mocking them, they aren't impressed.

GM is defending the move for the same reasons I am. But, of course, GM would be better off if you were CEO, right? You know what's up in this country.

How'd the Poolside ad campaign go? you know the one directly aimed at those rich fat guys in spandex? Universally mocked and derided and quickly pulled. Brought to us by a Boston ad firm..

I know why I drive a Cadillac competitor and it has zero to do with the ads and nothing about a new mailing address in NYC is going to get me into a dealership.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Personally, I do think the move has hints of desperation in it. But when it's 3rd and 20 and you're down 10, might as well throw a long pass.

Good analogy. Don't know what the move really means. I do know Cadillac is getting their asses kicked by the truly upscale brands, MB, BMW, and Audi.

[nain rouge]

How'd the Poolside ad campaign go? you know the one directly aimed at those rich fat guys in spandex? Universally mocked and derided and quickly pulled. Brought to us by a Boston ad firm..

I still think it was on the right track. But again, it was infected with that insular tendency to mock others that GM's Detroit brass is so fond of. It was very 20th century. If anything, I'd say that ad might've been a motivating factor for the move.

[iheartthed]

They believe they can attract a better workforce in an elite urban environment. Sure, theoretically, aesthetics and the outside environment mean jack squat. All things being equal, GM's Tech Center employees could work as well in giant concrete box as they do in the buildings they currently inhabit. But the truth is, people aren't robots and require quality of life. Cadillac believes the sorts of people that value the lifestyle in NYC are the sorts of people it needs to push the image of its brand forward. We don't need people giving the green-light to ads that mock bicycles, as we saw in Detroit.

When Campbell Ewald moved to Warren, everyone on here was bleating about how it now could show its clients a better time [[because Warren is ugly and boring) and attract the creative types that value urban environments. But now Cadillac moves a step up from Detroit and it's the dumbest thing ever.

I think both. I think urban environments do spin off creativity [[economic or otherwise) that you wouldn't get in a place like Warren. But that's relevant for aspirations beyond just building cars.

That said, I think there are plenty of people in Detroit who want to work for a car company. What Cadillac is saying is that people who want to work for a car company are out of touch with the people it wants to buy its cars. I think that's a flawed thought process on Cadillac's part. I also think Cadillac might have more trouble than they think finding people in NYC who want to work for a car company. But I could be wrong. I'm not wishing them ill will.

[animatedmartian]

Not only a car company, but a car company associated with GM which hasn't had the best of PR as of late.

[nain rouge]

Well, they already know what they can find in Detroit and decided to take the risk. So what does that tell you?

[Steve203]

it was infected with that insular tendency to mock others that GM's Detroit brass is so fond of.

Try watching CNBC and listen to the NYC financial community's insular tendency to mock others. Bringing that attitude to Cadilllac by moving the honchos there is going to help them sell cars in the rest of the country?

[nain rouge]

Oh, here we go. NYC offers nothing Detroit doesn't and you'd have to be an idiot to pay the rents. That's what I'm basically hearing. Do you honestly believe yourselves?

[MSUguy]

Oh, here we go. NYC offers nothing Detroit doesn't and you'd have to be an idiot to pay the rents. That's what I'm basically hearing. Do you honestly believe yourselves?

Other than a place the CEO would probably rather live? Certainly nothing that'll make their products better Lincoln tried this same move few years back on the west coast. Being in California didn't make their products any better.

[Willi]

I sat in meetings at GM where Cadillac wanted 2 vehicles named Escalade
Chevy Avalanche modified into Cadillac Escalade EXT
Chevy Suburban modified into Cadillac Escalade ESV

GMC Denali was also modified into a Cadillac Escalade -- nice way to gum up recognition factor

Cadillac is definitely an ODD brand and does very ODD things that don't make much sense

[nain rouge]

Certainly nothing that'll make their products better Lincoln tried this same move few years back on the west coast.

Lincoln's marketing and social media work is mainly done in New York by other companies. The car is designed in Detroit. Cadillac is pursuing the same model in a different way.

[bailey]

Oh, here we go. NYC offers nothing Detroit doesn't and you'd have to be an idiot to pay the rents. That's what I'm basically hearing. Do you honestly believe yourselves?

You're hearing that because that is what you want to hear. It's not what anyone here is saying.

Well, they already know what they can find in Detroit and decided to take the risk. So what does that tell you?

It tells me this is the same GM m.o. of lurching from one "consultant's" bad, crowd sourced, silver bullet idea to another, instead of just letting the designers and engineers build a premium car and then selling them like an actual luxury car they claim it is.

Want to fix Cadillac? how about not install defective switches because it saves 40 cents? After that make sure that not one part on your car that is visible to the consumer can be seen in a Chevy or a Buick. The biggest offender in my mind is the radios/nav. [[and that is starting to change) Get the consultants and accountants out of the design studio.

Then purge about 400 more dealers nationwide so that your premium car buyer doesn't have to walk past the inflatable wacky gorilla in the parking lot of the Caddy/GMC/ Chevy/Buick combo dealer. Stand alone dealers only. Falling all over you customer service should be the standard. You're not buying a Chevy, it should never feel like it.

Rebates and incentives should be as rare as possible. The exception, not the rule.
While you're at it lower production and jack up the price...especially Escalades. Get that fucking Elmiraj/ CT6 on the road yesterday. Car people have been losing their shit over it since the first concepts...stop dicking around and get it on the road. The Escalade is a success because its the class defining vehicle. Stop chasing 3 an 5 series and go out and redefine the flagship market. No amount of marketing is going to overcome 20 years of hearing how a 3 Series is the best car in that segment. But if you redefine the flagship, it'll trickle down to the rest.

But, you know, that all takes long term vision and fanatical attention to details and consistent execution in production and consumer experience. That takes time and hard work and years to shed a generation of bad press... so it'll never happen because De Nysschen will be gone in 2-3 years when he's replaced with the next new guy slinging the next new paradigm shift.

[Willi]

A Cadillac is nothing more than an ordinary vehicle with expensive plastic trim panels
Not worth the price, not engineered any better, and isn't worth most people's time.

[iheartthed]

Well, they already know what they can find in Detroit and decided to take the risk. So what does that tell you?

It suggests that they're grasping at straws. It's not unlike thinking casinos and stadiums make Detroit a more attractive urban environment.

[nain rouge]

Well, if Cadillac is screwed - and, by extension, GM somewhat - isn't Detroit screwed? Isn't this a huge deal?

[iheartthed]

Well, if Cadillac is screwed - and, by extension, GM somewhat - isn't Detroit screwed? Isn't this a huge deal?

Neither Cadillac or Detroit is beyond repair. But in both cases they have not been identifying the true sources of their problems with these gimmicks.

There is an easy test to see what is or is not a gimmick. Cadillac is aspiring to be like Mercedes or BMW. Does either Mercedes or BMW have an address in a global mega-city? No. So why does Cadillac think it needs to be in a place like New York in order to create attractive luxury cars?

[313WX]

Lincoln's marketing and social media work is mainly done in New York by other companies.

Do you have a source for this?

It is true that both the Ford and Lincoln brand marketing is administered by several different companies [[BTW, many of these companies are actually Ford subsidiaries), but the vast majority of these companies are based in Michigan.

Also, Team Detroit in Dearborn is the advertising firm for Ford & Lincoln.

I can also assure you that the Social Media for Ford & Lincoln are only administered in Dearborn and Florida.

[MSUguy]

Lincoln's marketing and social media work is mainly done in New York by other companies. The car is designed in Detroit. Cadillac is pursuing the same model in a different way.[/COLOR]

A brilliant move clearly Lincoln gain so much insight into the California market. Yup that California lifestyle really was the spark to change the way they did things.

Ford Motor Company said today that the headquarters of its Lincoln-Mercury division would move to Southern California, marking the first time that a division of one of the Big Three domestic auto makers has moved out of the Detroit area.Robert L. Rewey, Ford's group vice president for marketing, sales and service, said that the company wanted to understand better the trend-setting California market. Asian auto makers have captured half of the sales there, twice their share of the national market, and most have put the headquarters of their American operations in Southern California.
http://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/23/bu...alifornia.html

[313WX]

A brilliant move clearly Lincoln gain so much insight into the California market. Yup that California lifestyle really was the spark to change the way they did things.

Ford Motor Company said today that the headquarters of its Lincoln-Mercury division would move to Southern California, marking the first time that a division of one of the Big Three domestic auto makers has moved out of the Detroit area.Robert L. Rewey, Ford's group vice president for marketing, sales and service, said that the company wanted to understand better the trend-setting California market. Asian auto makers have captured half of the sales there, twice their share of the national market, and most have put the headquarters of their American operations in Southern California.
http://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/23/bu...alifornia.html

I do know the Big 3 have moved their R&D to California in recent years.

But the Lincoln division HQ is still in Dearborn...

[nain rouge]

313WX: http://www.detroitnews.com/story/bus...york/16113465/ .


"Lincoln has a marketing firm with about 50 people in New York working for it, along with a separate social-media team at contractor Hudson-Rouge, but no Lincoln employees are based in New York.

"New York's just an epicenter for advertising and creativity," [Lincoln marketing chief] Van Dyke said.

[nain rouge]

With California having emerged as an engineering center and NYC being recognized for its creativity, Detroit needs to get its head out of its ass and figure out how to compete with those areas.