The Situation
Brandsymbol draws on over 250 years of industry experience to create world-class brands. One of these solutions includes a naming project for Cadillac where they commissioned Brandsymbol’s managing director Doug Rand to generate the brand name for their new sport-utility vehicle. A market characterized by a proliferation of rugged sport-utility vehicles and the recent introduction of “luxury trucks” by Lincoln and Mercedes pushed Cadillac to take a different approach. Instead of standing out in a crowded market, Cadillac decided to redefine the market with the first sport-luxury vehicle.
Furthermore, Cadillac was in the process of transforming its brand for a younger audience, and this new SUV was the perfect opportunity to accomplish this. Most of the SUV names at the time included the Navigator, Pathfinder, Tahoe, and Land Cruiser, names directly reflecting travel or navigation. This consideration provided another golden opportunity for Cadillac to break through the branding tedium with a differentiated offering.
