The Cadillac brand is looking at more than just possible advertising agency changes as it continues its push to become a global brand.
Cadillac executive Don Butler told reporters at an event Monday in Detroit that the entire structure of how the brand is promoted and managed on a global basis is being considered.
"We need to stretch, to make this brand what it needs to be for General Motors as far as advertising, marketing and sales," said Butler, who is Cadillac's vice president of marketing.
There is no timetable for an evaluation of the luxury brand, he said.
Cadillac last week announced it would conduct an advertising agency review. Butler said that review would happen quickly, but as thoroughly as possible.
Minneapolis-based Fallon Worldwide, which has had the account for about two years, remains Cadillac's advertising agency of record. Cadillac said Fallon would be invited to participate in the review with other agencies, though GM declined to disclose any other agencies that are participating or details of the process.
"Our big thing that we're driving for is one of relevance, cultural relevance," Butler said Monday. "People think they know and understand Cadillac…. We still have a big challenge to be thought of and spoken in the same breath as BMW and Mercedes. Vehicles like ATS are helping us get there. What we need from a marketing standpoint is that elevation of the brand. And we're doing it. The question is can we do it even better."
Butler chose his words carefully, saying he didn't want to be critical of past efforts. In fact, he called the ATS advertising campaign that portrayed the compact luxury sedan as a sporty world traveler as "some of the best work we've ever done."
"We owe it to ourselves to kind of take a step back again and just say, 'Can we do even better and can we be even more consistent across everything that we do?" Butler said.
Fallon was responsible for the "ATS vs. the World" advertising campaign, which debuted last summer during the Olympics.
The Cadillac brand plans to introduce eight new or redesigned vehicles in the U.S. through 2015; three of those models include the 2014 Cadillac CTS, all-new Cadillac ELR hitting dealerships early next year and a redesigned Cadillac Escalade, which will be shown later this year.
(313) 222-2319
Join the Conversation
The Detroit News aims to provide a forum that fosters smart, civil discussions on the news and events that we cover. The News will not condone personal attacks, off topic posts or brutish language on our site. If you find a comment that you believe violates these standards, please click the "X" in the upper right corner of the post to report it.