通用汽车：凯迪拉克 案例学习

1优势/劣势分析
优势：对凯迪拉克来说，高的质量和工程造诣使它成为一流的好车制造者。凯迪拉克对质量和创新的承诺提升了它作为世界标准的形象。这种创新包括1912年的自动式启动装置、1914年的美国第一个V8发动机等。20世纪50年代，凯迪拉克在尾鳍的设计艺术方面占了极大的优势。在1983年，凯迪拉克的销量占豪华车市场的三分之一。大的市场占有率就会有更大的市场知名度。凯迪拉克还有个优点就是舒适性，从凯迪拉克的大部分产品来看，它就是最好的豪华车。
劣势：1986年，更小的重新设计的车型只卖了他们取代的1985年车型的45％，1987年，所占豪华车市场的份额更是从1983年的1/3降到了1/15以下。市场份额的严重下降说明在汽车的营销中存在问题，从而引起消费者满意度的降低。另外，有媒体报道说凯迪拉克是“外形相似的汽车”，这会给消费者留下古板、没个性、没特点的形象。凯迪拉克的V8发动机安全性被证明很差，进而也就没办法使用，对汽车的安全性要求是最基本的要求，如果连安全性都无法保证，那么其他的优点再多也没人敢买。1988年，有个消费者发表报道称凯迪拉克的质量和价格不相称。这说明在消费者心目中，凯迪拉克的质量形象有所下降。还有，汽车研究公司的研究发现，奔驰车主对他们汽车和经销商服务的评价高于凯迪拉克。这说明凯迪拉克在售后服务上也存在不足之处。而售后服务是促进汽车销售的重要手段，它有着重要的作用，如：争取用户、增强竞争力；保证汽车正常使用；收集用户和市场的反馈信息；为汽车企业正确决策提供依据。同时，售后服务也是企业增加收入的一个途径，是市场竞争的一个重要因素。
2目标市场选择
凯迪拉克的消费者是在传统车中要求最高的人，这些传统的凯迪拉克消费者大部分是职业人员，收入和教育都处于平均水平以上。他们的平均年龄都在58岁左右，这些消费者曾经喜欢购买最大型的、最大动力的汽车。然而随着燃料价格上涨，他们开始改变这种购买要求。80年代，凯迪拉克开始进入年轻的消费者市场。现在凯迪拉克的市场目标就是既要保持传统市场又要吸引新顾客，其目标市场就是年轻的和年老的个人购买者。20世纪80年代，随着家庭收入的增多，年轻的消费者可以随意支配的收入也将越来越多，把高收入的年轻费者为自己的目标市场是没有错的，这也是市场发展的必然要求。
3广告策略
在1987年，凯迪拉克在电视广告中投资了35，334，300美元，比1986年增加了32.5%，但是和宝马的45，498，700美元相比，只占宝马的77.7％。在1988年，凯迪拉克的广告费增长到了54，126，200美元，比1987年增加了53.2％。这说明前几年凯迪拉克在广告方面的投入是不足的，但是这几年已经引起了重视，广告费用每年都在增加。广告是公司用以对目标顾客和公众进行直接说服的主要传播工具之一，它可以起到通知、说服和提醒的作用, 可以提高和保持产品知名度和市场占有率, 增加广告投入是提高广告效果的一个方面, 但是，首先一定要确定广告目标, 这些目标必须服从先前制定的汽车目标市场、汽车市场定位和汽车营销组合等决策。
4建议
综合以上分析，现给出以下建议：
(1) 做好细致的市场调研，找出销量下降的真正原因，这是解决问题的根本依据。
(2) 加强售后服务，可以提高顾客的满意度，解除他们的后顾之忧，并且对企业的长远发展也有不可估量的好处。汽车产品被售出只是实现了自身价值的第一次竞争，售后服务将是第二次竞争。在汽车产品趋同的情况下，售后服务成了客户决定取舍的重要依据，也是企业之间相互竞争的关键环节。从心理需求看，消费者需要被重视、被尊重，这需要经营者提供主动、热情、耐心、诚恳的售后服务来满足消费者的这种需求。
(3) 与相关媒体搞好关系，当问题出现时，应该在媒体报道出来之前及时解决。因为媒体对消费者的影响力非常大，特别是一些负面的报道，有时甚至可能淘汰一个企业。
(4) 针对调研中目标市场的偏好，对现有产品进行创新，但一定要保证产品的安全性。
 
【思考题】
 
(1)凯迪拉克所面临的情况和我国汽车市场目前的状况有哪些相似之处？
(2)试用4Ps对这篇案例进行分析。
(3)凯迪拉克是否应该采取低价策略？

 When Executive Vice President Lloyd Reuss took his job as the head of all North American car operations for General Motors (GM) in February 1986，he had a four-item list of goals. One of the four-clearly of the highest priority for GM concerned a single division， Cadillac. The words were strong and simple: "Restore Cadillac products and image to where they are the standard of the world." The task before Reuss was an ominous one. The U.S. auto market， General Motors， and Cadillac had all changed significantly since he joined GM in 1959. At that time， the U.S. market largely belonged to the "big three" domestic producers(GM 42 percent， Ford 28 percent， Chrysler 11 percent)， and Cadillac was the "standard of the world." Now， 30 years later， things had changed. The three major domestic producers' market share has fallen to 67.8 percent， and Cadillac's share and reputation in the luxury market is being challenged not only by domestic competition but also by European and Asian competitors as well.
 In order to analyze Cadillac's position in the market，Reuss must seek the answers to several questions. For example: Is it selling the right products？ Are its products targeted at the right market？ Does its image appeal to the buyers Cadillac seeks？ Does Cadillac's advertising effectively reach the right market and convey Cadillac's desired image？
 Cadillac
Cadillac Motor Car Division of General Motors got its start in 1899 as the Detroit Automobile Company and was renamed Cadillac in 1902. The car was named after the French adventurer who founded Detroit 200 years earlier. The force behind Cadillac's early years was Henry M. Leland， operator of Leland & Faulconer Mfg.Co.，a precision manufacturer of automotive components. Unlike Henry Ford， who once worked for Leland， Leland was not interested in building an "everyman's" car. Leland and his company were devoted to building the best，and "despite record production of 4，307 vehicles in 1906，Cadillac management disregarded the lure of volume sales and dedicated the company to making quality automobiles. This lost Cadillac its position as a high-volume producer，but led to engineering accomplishments that made Cadillac one of the leading fine-car manufacturers."
In 1909，Cadillac was purchased by the young General Motors Corporation. The Lelands， Henry and son Wilfred， stayed on to run Cadillac exactly as if it were their own. They did so until 1917 when they left to begin the Lincoln Motor Co. which was later sold to the Ford Motor Company.
The Lelands had left their impression on Cadillac. Their commitment to quality and innovation propelled Cadillac's status as the "standard of the world."Innovations that helped to build this reputation included the self-starter in 1912，America's first V-8 engine in 1914， synchromesh gear boxes， and safety glass as standard equipment in 1929-30. In those same years a V-12 and the world's first production V-16 automobile engine were offered. In the late 1930s，as traditional coach building died out，GM used the Fisher and Fleetwood names to maintain the quality image of its prestige models. In 1941 Cadillac was the second manufacturer to offer a fully automatic transmission. In the 1950s Cadillac styling reigned supreme in the art of tail fins. The 1960s brought longer，even more powerful luxury cars，and in 1966 Cadillac introduced its first front wheel drive(FWD) vehicle，the Eldorado，years before FWD was offered by any of Cadillac's non-GM competitors.
Through the "longer，lower，wider" years of the 1960s to late 1970s，Cadillac remained a distinguished luxury automobile. The Cadillac de Ville of the day weighed over 5，000  pounds，measured over 230 inches long， and was powered by an 8.2 liter engine. In comparison， the 1988 de Ville weighs only 3，437 pounds，is 196.5 inches long， and is powered by a V-8 engine that is 45 percent smaller than the 1976 model it replaces.
The trend toward smaller Cadillacs began in 1977，in reaction to the first oil embargo of 1973. The new de Villes and Fleetwoods were 8 to 12 inches shorter and averaged 950 pounds lighter than their 1976 counterparts. These models represented the first of the downsized Cadillacs. In 1979， the Eldorado received similar treatment. For 1979，the Eldorados were 20 inches shorter and 1，150 pounds lighter than the 1978 models. In 1985 and 1986， respectively， the de Villes and Eldorados underwent yet another round of downsizing to approximately the size they are today.
Cadillac customers are those who have demanded the best in traditional luxury cars. These traditional Cadillac consumers were most often professionals， above average in income and education，and in recent years an average of 58 years of age. These Cadillac buyers had also been accustomed to buying the biggest and most powerful. This，however，had begun to change over the course of the 1970s and 80s.
In an effort to appeal to the younger upscale consumers who were not a part of the traditional Cadillac market，GM offered a new Cadillac in the 1970s.In May 1975， the Sevile was a smaller，international-size Cadillac. Featuring a fuel-injected 5.7 liter V-8 as standard equipment along with a long list of other features，the Seville was one of the most well-equipped cars in the world. In 1981，GM introduced the smallest Cadillac ever， the Cimarron. Built on the "J" chassis shared by the Chevy Cavalier and Pontiac 2000， the Cimarron was introduced to take on the small "near luxury" imports such as the BMW 320 and later 325i. In 1985， the standard Cadillac， the Sedan de Ville/Coupe de Ville， was thoroughly redesigned. The de Ville series was shortened and placed on a front-wheel-drive chassis shared with the Buick Electra and the Oldsmobile98.(Sharing the chassis，or platform，among car divisions is a common automotive industry practice， particularly among U.S. manufacturers. Henry M. Leland recognized that this sharing of parts， or what he referred to as the "true interchangeability of parts，" was the key to a great future for the automotive industry.) In 1986， in a further attempt to appeal to the younger and the more functional-demanding customers， Cadillac began offering a functional luxury version to its de Ville series， the Touring Sedan. The Touring black well performance tires on 15-inch aluminum alloy wheels， higher spring rates， and faster ratio steering.
In 1986， Cadillac downsized its Eldorado and Seville(the Seville had grown larger from the 1979 model to the 1980 model year) models back to the international size. These two Cadillacs continue to share common plat- forms with Oldsmobile and Buick models.
Speaking of the 1986 Eldorado/Seville(E/S) models，Braz Pryor，Cadillac's general sales manager，says，"We[are] after a contemporary statement with international appeal for buyers young and old who want the luxury of a Cadillac in a more personal package." GM's director of design， Chuck Jordan， calls the fourth-generation Eldorado "Cadillac's youthful sporty car，" adding that" sporty elegance was the design theme." Peter Levin，k director of special marketing projects at Cadillac，offered some pertinent insights about the basic market philosophy behind the E/S models when he said，"Today，we're going through a revolution in customer expectations. We're after buyers of a certain mindset....The challenge we gave our engineers was to create vehicles that were more responsive and refined but still retained out- standing comfort，because our buyers demand it."
The 1987 model year Cadillac debuted one of its most unique automobiles，the Allante. The Allante，a two-seat，coupe/convertible，is built on a shortened Eldorado/Seville chassis that is assembled and mated in the United States to bodies and interiors that arrive twice weekly， via 747 cargo jets， from their designer/manufacturer， Pininfarina，in Italy. The Allante assumes the position as the flagship model in the Cadillac line. With a 1988 base price of $57，183 and limited to a supply of 6，000 units，it is the most expensive as well as one of the most exclusive Cadillacs ever produced.
Implementing this new strategy and striving to regain the aura of quality，technology，and exclusivity now associated with European luxury cars is not an easy task. John Grettenberger，Cadillac's general manager states，"We have to be very careful that we offer the right balance. If you go too far in either direction，a manufacturer like Cadillac could lose on either end of the spectrum. If we go too far in the high-tech direction，we could turn off some of our traditional buyers，but if we stick where we are then we won't appeal to the younger ones."
To help achieve Cadillac's strategy of maintaining the traditional，as well as capturing new customers， Cadillac's 1987 advertising emphasized the "Spirit of Cadillac." All Cadillac models shared a number of common themes including: making an "eloquent design statement，" providing customers "worldwide Cadillac exclusives"(e.g.， transverse-mounted V-8 engine)， balanced performance，a commitment to security，and "the ultimate comfort: peace of mind" via" quality craftsmanship" and extensive warranties.
From this common basis each Cadillac model has its own individual spirit. For example， the Allante is the "new spirit of Cadillac." The Allante was positioned to create a new class of performance that merges European road manners with Cadillac comfort and convenience. The Sedan de Ville and Coupe de Ville are Cadillac's "contemporary spirits representing Cadillac's belief that today's luxury cars should reflect today's values." The Fleetwood d' Elegance and Fleetwood Sixty Special are the "sophisticated spirits" of Cadillac. The d 'Elegance's formal Cabriolet roof and opera lamps and the Sixty Special's five-inch extended wheel-base make these the most luxurious of the Cadillac "C-bodies"( chassis shared with the de Ville，Buick Electra，and Olds 98).Eldorado is the "driving spirit" while the Sevilles is the "elegant spirit." Sharing the same chassis，the Eldorado is a two-door coupe with a suspension system that delivers control with a minimum of body roll and sway，while the Seville is a four-door sedan that emphasizes supreme comfort and an exceptional array of standard luxury features. The Brougham d' Elegance is the "classic spirit" for this large，rear-wheel-drive Cadillac. It is a carryover from the model that the "C-body" cars were to have replaced. Because it and its competitor，the Lincoln Town Car，are in high demand，the Brougham has lived three years past its originally scheduled termination and will likely live on until the early 1990s. Last and certainly least in term of size is the "sporty spirit" of Cadillac，the Cimarron. In 1988，the Cimarron was discontinued due to poor sales. In 1988，the spirit theme of Cadillac was also discontinued.
In all of 1987，Cadillac spent $35，334，300 on TV advertising to promote the "spirit of Cadillac，" a 32.5 percent increase from the previous year. However，BMW's TV total was $45，498，700，and start-up Acura was almost even with Cadillac at $34，478，500. Cadillac's TV budget in 1988 increased to $54，126，200.
Cadillac is GM's luxury market division. In 1986，Cadillac was positioned as the highest-priced division，offering the consumer automobiles that are conservative but not far from an even split between conservative and aggressive，and family and personal orientations. GM's goals for the 1988-89 model year show Cadillac maintaining its basic position except in terms of price， where it continues to move further upscale. According to General Manager Grettenberger，" Our vision is to move every Cadillac upscale in terms of its expressiveness，image，distinctiveness，and overall content. I don't see us having a sale-weighted average of $43，000-44，000 like Mercedes-Benz. But I would like to see Cadillacs move upscale." Cadillac's 1989 model line ranges in price from approximately $25，000 for a Coupe de Ville， $26，000 for the Brougham，and $30，000-34，000 for the Fleetwood. The Eldorado begins at about $27，000 while the Seville begins at $30，000. The Allante is，of course，the high-price leader at $57，183.
  The Problem
Throughout most of its existence， Cadillac has been synonymous with the finest in luxury automobiles. In the early years under the Leland family's leadership，the company won the Dewar Trophy from the Royal Automobile Club. Cadillac not only won this coveted prize for engineering excellence and innovation once， but also was the only car company to do it twice.
After the Lelands left，and for quite some time，Cadillac managed to keep its eye trained on building the best luxury cars possible.
By the 1978 model year， Cadillac sales had hit an all-time record of 350，813 units. At that time and as recently as 1983，Cadillac accounted for over one-third of all luxury car sales. In 1987 Cadillac made up less than one-quarter of all such sales. Models that had been previously very popular were selling poorly. In 1985 the Eldorado and Seville had sales of 66，863 and 32，986，respectively. During the following year，the smaller，redesigned models sold only 45 percent of the 1985 models they replaced: 1987 sales fared somewhat worse. Sales of the exclusive Allante have also been disappointing. The two-door coupe/convertible was expected to be a sellout its first year at 6，000 units，but by year's end the Allante tallied just over 2，500 units.
According to the automotive research company J.D. Powers and Associates， Mercedes- Benz owners rated their cars and dealer service higher than Cadillac owners did when asked to rate the level of satisfaction of vehicle ownership and dealer service.
What's more important to Cadillac and to Reuss，executive vice president of North American car operations，was the division's steadily declining reputation for luxury car excellence. On the surface the cause for the decline was multifaceted. First，Cadillac suffered from what the press called "look-alike cars."The Cadillac de Villes and Fleetwoods looked like Buick Electras and Oldsmobile Ninety Eights. This perception was even played up in a LincolnTown Car television commercial where Cadillac， Buick，and Olds owners can't tell their cars apart at a restaurant when the valets bring the three cars forward.Concedes one GM man，" Cadillac，one could say，is selling 300，000 Buicks."
Cadillac innovation in the late 1970s and early 1980s was also a cause for concern. The availability of a V-8 diesel engine，manufactured from a modified gasoline engine，was discontinued when its reliability proved disastrous. This same scenario played a second time，and in the same time period，with Cadillac's exclusive multidisplacement engine. The engine was programmed to run on 8，6，or 4 cylinders depending on engine load demand. However， as with the diesel，lack of reliability killed the innovative engine.
On September 27，1988，consumer activist Ralph Nader issued a report called "Cadillac-The Heartbreak of America." According to Nader，"This re- port was written because of the large volume of mail we have received from indignant Cadillac purchasers who expect better quality from a $25，000 investment." GM called the Nader document outdated， unfair， and inaccurate.
As Reuss looks over these problems and others，his task appears not to be an easy one. Could the quality and design of Cadillac's cars be the sole cause of the division's problems？ Maybe advertising and imaging are being directed at the wrong customer，or perhaps the division has lost sight of just who the Cadillac customer is. Seeing the result of the problems may be easy，but finding solutions to their causes will be the real test to restoring Cadillac as the standard of the world.