Cadillac churns through chief executives and ad agencies like you would not believe. Everyone is tasked with increasing sales and lowering the demo.
Everyone for the last ten years has failed to deliver on these goals for any meaningful amount of time.
The 2015 ATS Coupe has all the right stuff to be popular, but it looks like the entire “Cool Coupe” mission is lost on Cadillac.
This really is not an old-man brand anymore. But sadly, it is definitely run by losers. Not losers in life, mind you. They must be smart and successful – but they are definitely, definitely not cool people. They live in Michigan and are sheltered C- and D-county (aka, rural) people who have never even stood on Broadway, let alone alphabet city.
These are people without culture. Trying to fake cultural relevance and fashion appeal. It is not working.
My evidence for this is how much the new ATS makes me want to take a nap instead of write this article. Two wheel styles. One nasty, other boring. Upgraded wheel option!?
A Chrome version of the base wheels.
What a joke!
We could compare this with the BMW 320i configurator, which offers 100X more exterior customizations via Standard, Luxury and M Sport trim packs that transform the appearance in many ways. It also offers wheels and styling upgrades that will help bring in the cash.
The irony is that Cadillac wants — needs — to be cool sooooo badly. And they are *thisclose.*
But they cannot achieve that last 20-percent of the trims and options they need to achieve it. Because they are lazy? Insular with no competitive benchmarks? That is what some people say.
Bummer for them, quizzically reading this and saying, “I have an idea: let’s hire a new CMO, new ad agency and new cool consultants!!!”
Will it work? Based on the failing-already Cadillac ATS sedan — the answer is a big ‘Negative.’
http://www.cadillac.com/future-cars/ats-coupe.html
Tom Burkart is the founder and managing editor of Car-Revs-Daily.com, an innovative and rapidly-expanding automotive news magazine.
He holds a Journalism JBA degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Tom currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina with his two amazing dogs, Drake and Tank.
Mr. Burkart is available for all questions and concerns by email Tom(at)car-revs-daily.com.