In a move to remove some of the taint of bankruptcy and bailout, luxury car maker Cadillac is taking steps to distance itself in the public eye from its parent company, General Motors.

Class act Cadillac will no longer promote itself as a GM brand and dealers need to take part in such middle-brow marketing as “Red Tag Events” and everyone working for the brand will have their e-mail addresses changed from @gm.com to @cadillac.com.

Of GM’s four remaining brands, Cadillac is having the most difficulty rebounding from the economic meltdown in recent years. But one dealer says that the goal is to increase U.S. sales this year by 28%.

A large part of the move to distance Cadillac from GM is a recognition by the car giant that what works for selling Chevy vehicles to a mass audience doesn’t necessarily work for moving a luxury item. That’s why Cadillac will soon launch its own marketing and ad campaign.

By the same token, the long-term goal is for Cadillac to shine some of its luxury light back on the other GM brands. “If you can raise the image of Cadillac, that will also buttress the GM brand.” explains one J.D. Power analyst.

Is this the right move by GM? Will the Cadillac brand rebound in a post-recession economy?

Cadillac distances itself from GM name [Detroit News]

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