Brand Persona — Cadillac
Will is a 22 year old student at North Carolina State University. He grew up in an affluent suburb outside of Charlotte, NC but you wouldn’t know it just looking at his car. Will’s parents were of the belief that a teenager doesn’t need anything flashy or high class to drive around as their first car, and thus they settled on a nice, well-used 1995 Toyota Camry. That Camry has lived up to its reputation of reliability and carried Will safely through high school and now college. But beyond reliability, that old Toyota hasn’t offered much excitement or prestige, and with a high-paying job lined up for after graduation, Will is in the market for something new. These days, there are endless vehicle possibilities to choose from as far as foreign or domestic, Truck, SUV, or Sedan, and even gas powered versus electric.
In the back of his mind though, one name stands out as the historical standard for luxury and prestige: Cadillac. These days, people of Will’s age hear the name Cadillac and immediately think of the brand as tailoring to old people. And twenty years ago, those assumptions wouldn’t be far off. In fact, the main reason Will’s mind repeatedly returns to thoughts of the American luxury brand is his relationship with his grandparents. His grandpa bought his first Cadillac way back in the late 1950s and was so enthralled and proud to own such a machine that he never strayed from the brand and to this day still owns that first one with its miles of chrome trim, powerful but smooth V8 engine, and those iconic rear fins that defined mid-20th century automobile design.
While clearly proud of its heritage, Cadillac has turned the page into the Twenty-first century and turned its attention to young buyers like Will who have a whole new set of ideals and interests when it comes to their new car. Careful to maintain their industry standard as the American luxury king, Cadillac has shifted their product line from big boat-like sedans of old to include more modern SUVs and sportier sedans that appeal to younger buyers like Will and compete head to head with foreign competition. While their price point may be higher than some, and reliability could always be improved, with their forward thinking technological ideals, Cadillac is moving in the right direction as far as attracting younger buyers, especially business professionals like Will. The brand symbolizes the perfect medium for those who are proud of their American heritage embodied by the loyalty established by generations before them and the ever-improving innovation like EV technology that drives the world forward today.
- Note: This article is a class assignment for BUS 465 — Integrated Brand Promotion and Advertising at NCSU Poole College of Management.
Image credit:
