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Cadillac scorecard: Keys to Luxury Automotive Social Media Use in 2010

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Forum Strategies & Communications, a communications and outreach firm in New York has published a new study entitled “Luxury Auto Brands and Their Presence in Social Media”.

New Study by Forum Strategies & Communications and MH Group Communications Examines Social Media Presence of Global Luxury Automobile Brands
Luxury car makers are not maximizing the full potential of social media in their communications efforts, according to a new study announced today by independent New York-based consultancies MH Group Communications and Forum Strategies & Communications.
Read the press release >
Read the study>

The study considers Facebook friends, Twitter followers, YouTube channel subscribers & Flickr group members, with a growth-rate factor applied and ranks the various luxury automotive brands in this order:

1. BMW
2. Porsche
3. Audi
4. Mercedes
5. Cadillac
6. Lexus
7. Acura
8. Infiniti
9. Lincoln

The Study goes on to suggest Social Media goals for 2010.

Here is my scorecard for Cadillac against the “2010 Goals” in the report:

Twitter: I see General Motors and each division within GM participating on Twitter, so Cadillac‘s Twitter efforts should continue and accelerate.  As of this writing they have 747 followers for the “official” Cadillac twitter account, so plenty of room for improvement there.

Facebook:  Cadillac has a presence with 28K fans.  There are 4 Cadillac-related groups, but none of them appear to be actually run by Cadillac.   Cadillac probably needs a ‘friendly takeover’ for the main Cadillac group on Facebook.

Cadillac has a couple of channels on Youtube,  including Cadillac, and  My Cadillac Story , which suggests that more clarity is needed here.

Flickr : I see a lot of Groups that include Cadillacs, but I don’t know an “official” group for Cadillac on Flickr.  Lots of room for improvement here.

Overall:

Encourage and improve networking of fan and dealer sites to clearly tie back to the Official site and messaging to minimize “clutter” in the various social media.

Establish a Cadillac Flickr presence.

Solicit Dealer network involvement in driving traffic to Cadillac.com and Cadillac on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media.

Add Social media links on Cadillac.com so that fans can receive news and announcements.

Marketing a product to Buyers who think they don’t want your product?

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Classic marketing praise is “he could sell ice to Eskimos”.  In other words, a really good sales person can sell people things they don’t even need (it is assumed that Eskimos have access to near infinite amounts of free ice).

I was thinking more about the concept that Engineers are very good at solving problems with reality, but not as good at solving problems in perception.  Cadillac currently offers a wide line of very desirable vehicles at relatively affordable prices.

So how should Cadilllac sell good products to people who *think* they know that they don’t want their product?

Here is one concept for a new approach:

Buyer:  I don’t want a Cadillac.

Cadillac:  Okay, what are you looking for?

Buyer:  [Buyer changes with each phrase]: I want a luxury performance car // or I want a smaller or larger SUV // or I want a luxury sedan // or I want a super-performance sedan // or I want a luxury sports convertible.

Cadillac:  Okay, we have that.

Buyer:  [Buyer changes with each phrase]: But I don’t want a Cadillac.  I want it to be quick and nimble  // I want it to be a formal sedan // I want it to be a SUV and carry all my stuff // I  I want it in a station wagon so I can fit in my gear

Cadillac:  Okay, we have that.

Buyer:  [Buyer changes with each phrase]: But I don’t want a Cadillac.  I want a car that says Young, Successful, and Sexy. // or I want a car that says “I have arrived” // or I want a car that says “I care about the environment” // or I want a car that says “Wow!”

Cadillac:  Okay, we have that.

Buyer:  But I don’t want a Cadillac, do I?

Cadillac:  We have the Cadillac you want.  We have the Cadillac your friends want.  We have some Cadillacs that EVERYONE wants.  We actually are in the business of making Cadillacs that people want.

Buyer:  So I can have a Cadillac?  Cadillac is cool and I missed it?

Cadillac:  Welcome home to the new generation of innovation.  We’re glad you’re here.

Texas Summer

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Enjoying the Light Platinum (silver) CTS and light neutral (tan) interior on hot summer days. Where I park is out in direct sunlight, so there is every chance for the car to be as hot as possible (AHAP) before I arrive. Lighter color Cadillacs, window tinting, and light color interiors help to offset that.

Have a longer commute on my current project, so really enjoying XM radio’s variety. High stress and I tune in Watercolors Contemporary Jazz. Book radio is a favorite for heavy traffic and later commutes. Also I enjoy having a few choices for the news, including the BBC if I need a break from the US perspective.

Can’t wait for solar powered cooling in automobiles to hit the mainstream. Will be much better to arrive back to a cool vehicle after work.