Cadillac's aggressive pricing strategy is here to stay, according to the brand's new chief, Johan De Nysschen, and if he has his way, there won't be major incentives to help juice sales either.
Speaking to Automotive News, De Nysschen said
"We cannot deny the fact that we are leaving behind our traditional customer base…It will take several years before a sufficiently large part of the audience who until now have been concentrating on the German brands will find us in their consideration set. Either you have to bring your volume aspirations into alignment with reality and accept that you will sell fewer cars, or you have to drop the price and continue to transact at the prices where you were historically. I think the logical conclusion is that it's better to build off a very solid base in terms of [product] credibility, charge a fair price for the car and realize you have to wait until the volume comes,"
De Nysschen's strategy is partly based on the playbook he used at Audi, where he oversaw a gradual, deliberate climb from an obscure luxury arm of Volkswagen into Tier 1 luxury brand status, through a combination of engineering, marketing and a focus on interior and exterior design.
The story of Audi is unique due to the fact that it stands in stark contrast to the desire for rapid short-term results in many corners of the auto industry. It's tempting to think of Audi as an overnight success story, but the reality could not be more different. De Nysschen is hoping to emulate that same pattern of growth, but that will require a fair amount of latitude from GM management, and the commitment to a longer-term vision that has not always been present at the auto maker. De Nysschen also confirmed that some functions will move to New York City, though details were unclear.
According to De Nysschen, he will have a hand in all functions of the brand, from engineering to design to product planning to dealer development. In the short-term, he must deal with relatively poor sales for the brand's ATS and CTS sedans, ballooning inventories and a pricing strategy that has the new sedans competing head to head with the German brands in terms of sticker price. De Nysschen is willing to play the long game on this last front – but he'll have to count on GM's buy-in at every step of the way for it to work.
The post De Nysschen Says Cadillac Will Stick With Pricing Strategy, Confirms New York City Move appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
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