UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS HO CHI MINH CITY

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS –
MARKETING

FINAL ESSAY
FUNDAMENTAL MARKETING

TOPIC: PROPOSING A PULL AND PUSH STRATEGY

ILLUSTRATED IN A CHOSEN COMPANY

Lecturer: Assoc.Prof. Dr. Tran Mai

Dong
Students’ names: Nguyen Dang Hiep -
31231025054
Nguyen Nhat Long -
31231020987
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 Subject code: 25D1MAR50316103
Class: AV0003-K49

Ho Chi Minh City, April 07th, 2025

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 INTRODUCTION
Implementing an effective marketing strategy in the
dynamic and competitive global market is critical to sustaining
brand growth and customer loyalty. Among many methods, “pull
and push” is considered a very effective way to deliver products
to the market while building consumer demand and
strengthening distribution relationships.
Cadillac, a car manufacturer under General Motors,
recognized for its luxury design and technological innovation
heritage, is currently facing escalating competition from other
global luxury brands such as Audi, Lincoln, and Lexus. This
intense situation forced this US car brand to strategically
position itself to appeal to more consumers.
Throughout this essay, we will discuss and propose a pull
and push strategy tailored to Cadillac to sustain brand growth,
customer loyalty, and increase market share in the premium
automotive segment.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION...................................................................I
TABLE OF CONTENTS.........................................................II
DISCUSSION........................................................................1
I, BACKGROUND INFORMATION....................................................1
1, Brief overview of pull and push strategy......................1
2, Brief information about Cadillac...................................1
II, PULL AND PUSH STRATEGY DESIGNED FOR CADILLAC.............1
1, Pull strategies for Cadillac..............................................1
2, Push strategies for Cadillac............................................3
CONCLUSION.......................................................................4
REFERENCES.......................................................................5

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III
 DISCUSSION
I, Background information
Before proposing pull and push strategies designed for
Cadillac, we intended to concisely provide some theoretical
foundations of the method and a short description of our chosen
company.
1, Brief overview of pull and push strategy
Pull and push are two distinct fundamental marketing
methods implemented by many businesses to promote products
and attract customers. The push strategy requires the company
to promote its products directly to customers using various
marketing approaches like advertising, personal selling, and
promotion to push its products into the market. On the other
hand, the pull strategy creates demand by attracting customers
to the product, it requires the company to build brand loyalty and
identities through advertising campaigns, social media presence,
and engaging content creation, Briefly, the push strategy focuses
on the internal capabilities (resources, competences,..) of the
company, while the pull strategy focuses on the needs of the
market. Many organizations appear to have solely applied a pure
push or pull strategy; however, balancing these two methods is
recommended, as the enterprise should ensure harmony between
what it can offer and what the market needs.
2, Brief information about Cadillac
Cadillac is a luxury automotive manufacturer owned by
General Motors, established in 1902 in the United States. Since
its founding, Cadillac has shaped the American luxury car
market. Today, the brand is competing for market share in the
premium automotive segment globally with other high-end
manufacturers, including BMW or Mercedes-Benz from Europe,
Genesis or Lexus from Asia, and even Lincoln in the US.
II, Pull and push strategy designed for Cadillac
1, Pull strategy
Since the pull strategy focuses on “pulling” the customers to
the products, it is recommended that Cadillac expand its
presence on the market with effective advertising and
experiential campaigns aimed at drawing consumers’ attention
toward the brand.

As a premium automotive manufacturer, Cadillac should

promote its premium image using high-quality visual content,
including cinematic videos and photos to cultivate aspiration and
foster emotional engagement with potential customers. One
effective way is to appear on TV and print advertisements. This
approach allows the brand to promptly approach mature clients,
who usually engage in traditional media, by aligning with their
habits and reinforcing Cadillac’s level of elegance and
refinement.
In contrast, to target younger audiences, Cadillac should
develop robust social media campaigns across platforms like
Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, using sleek visuals and
influence content that can quickly engage younger audiences and
build online buzz. This method can also increase brand
desirability and trust by collaborating with luxury lifestyle
influencers, automotive content creators, as well as celebrities,
as these figures often play key roles in shaping consumer minds,
especially in the premium car segment.
Furthermore, conveying Cadillac’s heritage and legacy is an
effective tactic to attract customers as it establishes the
connection between the present and the past. By promoting this
aspect through editorials, documentary-style videos, and
interviews with existing users, Cadillac can build up emotional
bonds with the audiences as they are inheriting the tradition of a
brand with more than 110 years of history, boosting their passion
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and loyalty to the brand which essential for long-term demand
generation.
In addition, test-drive experiences serve as one of the most
immediate and direct methods, especially when it comes to
luxury customers who often seek hands-on and tactile
interactions to create memorable car brand interaction and
enhance customers’ initial experience at the awareness and
interest stages. Throughout the test drive, customers could try on
almost every feature of the car, making them confident in
choosing it as their new one.
Lastly, while attracting newcomers is crucial, a pull strategy
also should be used to retain existing owners. Cadillac should
provide loyalty-oriented initiatives such as previews of new
models and features, luxury service packages, and personalized
ownership benefits as these ideas not only encourage repeat
purchases and referrals but also strengthen satisfaction and
advocacy.
2, Push strategy
Contradicting the pull strategy, which aims to attract
customers, the push strategy focuses on “pushing” the products
to the market through intermediaries and direct distribution
efforts. Implementing a push strategy requires the brand to
enhance its distribution channels. As a premium car brand,
Cadillac needs to implement a push strategy that involves a
strategic combination of dealership-focused initiatives, B2B
partnerships, and technological enhancements (General Motors,
2023).
Cadillac primarily distributes its vehicles through three key
channels, including dealership networks, online and digital
platforms, and strategic partnerships. Among these, authorized
dealerships serve as the most important channel. Thus focusing
on enhancing this channel is essential. The brand can offer dealer
incentives such as bonuses or sales contests for dealerships that

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meet the sales targets set by Cadillac. This action could motivate
dealers to prioritize Cadillac products over other competitors and
effectively push Cadillac to the market. Planning for discounts or
offering limited-time promotions to drive faster sales is also a key
approach.
In addition, implementing in-dealership marketing is crucial.
Using luxury-oriented showroom designs, interactive digital
displays, and branded promotional materials in the dealership,
educating dealership staff on Cadillac’s unique products feature
brand heritage, and customer engagement techniques is also
important. Offering maintenance packages or extended
warranties bundled with new purchases will increase value
perception and drive conversions that can be considered when
working with a dealership.
Beyond retail consumers, targeting corporate buyers, ride-
share services, and executive fleets is also an effective push
tactic is also crucial. Cadillac can offer discounts on bulk
purchases, leasing plans, or long-term agreements to other
businesses to encourage larger volume sales outside traditional
retail consumers through dealerships. This strategy allows
Cadillac to push more products through direct-to-business
channels while enhancing brand presence by appearing in public
places such as hotels, airports, and corporate fleets.
To sustain these efforts, implementing advanced customer
relationship management (CRM) systems, virtual configurators,
and AI sales tools is important. These methods also empower
sales representatives to convey personalized and data-driven
instructions and track customers effectively, optimizing the sales
funnel and increasing push efficiency.

CONCLUSION
In the dynamic and highly competitive luxury automotive
market, a pull-and-push strategy is an effective approach to
acquiring more shares. However, relying on only a push or pull
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strategy might not be a viable decision. Cadillac, as a car
manufacturer with over a century of heritage, should wisely
apply harmoniously both pull and push approaches to ensure
brand growth. This dual-focus method of strengthening
relationships with distribution partners and stimulating demand
will help Cadillac position itself for long-term success.

REFERENCES

1. Chakrabarty, A. (n.d.). Push and pull strategy: Differences,

Pros & Cons, top examples // unstop. Unstop.
https://unstop.com/blog/push-and-pull-strategy#:~:text=Push
%20strategy%20involves%20actively%20pushing,aims%20to
%20create%20customer%20interest.

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2. Caramela, S. (2024). Push and pull marketing: Why your
business needs both. Business.
https://www.business.com/articles/why-you-need-a-mix-of-
push-and-pull-marketing/

3. Grundström, C. (2015). Push/pull marketing strategy. Wiley

Encyclopedia of Management.
https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118785317.weom090206

4. Wikimedia Foundation. (2025, March 30). Cadillac. Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac