Cadillac plans new marketing and other messages in the coming weeks, because the all-new XT4 compact cross-over in the dealers starts to come.
Cadillac dealers who got a preview of the brand's upcoming products say they are optimistic that a long-promised renaissance is finally beginning to take shape.
Approximately 1,000 dealer employees, including 712 dealers worldwide, got a look at Cadillac's plans last week at its dealer sales conference in Las Vegas.
The event also included upcoming marketing efforts and looks at the new XT6 crossover with three rows, CT4 and CT5 sedans and the next generation Escalade.
Two dealer officers who did not want to be identified because the meetings were private, said that there was no Cadillac sports car or electric vehicle with performance, some of which expect the brand to start in the coming years.
These officials also confirmed that the upcoming products, as promised by Cadillac, were strongly influenced by the much-praised Escala concept from 2016.
Several dealers described the event as a reminder of earlier meetings that introduced brand-changing products, such as the Escalade and Seville, as well as the introduction of the brand's well-known Northstar engine.
"This was like the highs of every Cadillac meeting where I have been Cadillac dealers for the past 25 years," says Andrews, Andrews Cadillac's dealer-principal in Brentwood, Tenn. "I am very impressed with the team now that I feel that this is the meeting that Cadillac needs."
Shifting the tone: "We want everyone to make a leap in their step," says Carlisle.
The meeting was the first big event for Cadillac President Steve Carlisle, who replaced the ousted Johan de Nysschen in April. It also marked the Cadillac debut for Mark Reuss, executive vice president and president, global product group and Cadillac, which began to oversee the brand in June.
Carlisle, former head of GM Canada, described the four-day conference – divided between American and global dealers – as an "important event to change the tone and turn around the turn" for Cadillac, which in the fourth year of a 10-year its anniversary. year, $ 12 billion turnaround plan.
"We want everyone to take a step in the right direction, because we have a bright future ahead of us," Carlisle Automotive News said on Friday. "We have brought all elements together as a trust builder and show it as frankly as possible."
Carlisle, who refused to discuss details of the event, described dealers as "very energetic and enthusiastic" about the brand's plans, including more positive and culturally relevant marketing and advertising from Deborah Wahl, who was named Cadillac CMO in March.
Eric Sandstrom, operator of Cadillac or Greenwich in Connecticut, said he was "excited about the evolution" of marketing strategies. Another dealer officer in the Midwest who did not want to be recognized said the message "turns a very good angle".
Carlisle said the new messages will start in the coming weeks, as the compact XT4 crossover arrives in numbers in dealerships.
During the meetings, Cadillac also reviewed tweaks for its 2019 Project Pinnacle dealer plan and announced plans to extend its sub-brand from the V-series, starting with the arrival of the CT6-V in the spring.
"The goal here was to bring many elements together and a sort of hub in the XT4 launch to the market, a shift in tone and the transition to the next stage," Carlisle said. "It's not important what I feel like that, but how the dealers feel."