It's an article of faith among car enthusiasts that "product"--irresistibly appealing vehicles--is all that matters when it comes to attracting customers. And no one believes this more ardently than
Cadillac General Manager Jim Taylor, who has a background in engineering and product development. Since GM's failed era that emphasized marketing, when the company was led by experts from packaged
consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble, product has been the undisputed king for the carmaking giant. But the company has also learned that marketing matters. "A big part of the luxury game is image
and fashion," says Taylor. "You are not buying transportation." To press Cadillac's marketing momentum, the division dropped the Led Zeppelin-backed "Break Through" ad campaign it had used since 2001
and switched to hip new ad agency Modernista! Today's commercials feature a variety of music, rather than sticking with a signature dinosaur rock sound, including on the "Evolution" ad, music of a
younger generation with Iggy Pop singing a Teddybears song titled "Punkrocker."
advertisement
advertisement
Read the whole story at Edmunds Inside Line »
