Automotive Fleet, April 2019

APRIL 2019 I AUTOMOTIVE FLEET 29 of additional incremental sales for them It becomes a sales tool for them in addition to a recognition award Mary Kay has a very long standing relationship with General Motors using its vehicles as incentives for its top sales performers This close association between Cadillac and Mary Kay is tied to the companys roots Mary Kay Ash the founder of the company was even nicknamed Caddy growing up said Sellers In 1967 a few years after the company was founded Mary Kay Ash ordered her first pink Cadillac Coupe DeVille from the Frank Kent Cadillac dealership in Ft Worth Texas and asked to have it painted to match the pale pink Mary Kay lip and eye palette she carried in her purse Since then the color has become iconic and is now known as Mary Kay Pink Pearl In 1969 she rewarded the top five independent sales force members with the use of their own pink 1970 Cadillac Coupe DeVille and in turn launched the Mary Kay Career Car Program In 1969 the retail price of a pink Cadillac was approximately 5900 Since then a pink Cadillac has been the symbol of the highest achievement within the company only available to the highest earning sales consultants We like to call it our rolling trophy said Sellers Currently the companys Career Car Program is comprised of approximately 4100 vehicles dispersed throughout the U S The most iconic brand in the Career Car Program Mary Kay independent sales force members pose for a photo beside a pink Cadillac XT5 These photos are used as aspirational tools to help them achieve their sales goals so they too can earn a pink Cadillac Cindy Sheppa is an Independent Sales Director with Mary Kay In October 2003 I earned my first career car Since then Ive driven three pink Cadillacs and eight career cars altogether I am currently driving a pink Cadillac XT5 said Sheppa One benefit from driving a pink Cadillac according to Sheppa is the additional business she gets Ive gotten a lot of business from my pink Cadillac Its an icon for Mary Kay It says success when you drive a pink Cadillac When people see me they know that they can get product from me I live in a small town so they know Im the Mary Kay lady because Im driving my pink Cadillac Among the unusual places that people have stopped Sheppa to buy cosmetics are the grocery store and the gas station When we earned the XT5 the Wagner Cadillac dealership in Tyler Texas threw us a party All my consultants came I got to pick up my career car with another Sales Director so it was a double pickup It was the first ever double Cadillac pickup in East Texas The dealer had the news out there radio stations television stations and the newspaper They had little Bundt EARNING THE RIGHT TO DRIVE AN ICONIC MARY KAY PINK CADILLACcakes for us and balloons said Sheppa Today the pink Cadillac is an icon in America recognized by everyone Whenever I meet somebody new and they ask what do you do I reply that Im a Sales Director with Mary Kay They say Oh are you driving a pink car And I say Yes I am When they hear that their faces are priceless They really give away pink cars No you have to earn it said Sheppa and the one most associated with the Mary Kay name is Cadillac said Sellers When describing the relationship between Mary Kay and General Motors the term partnership is frequently used Its a true partnership between our two companies We both succeed together and we have worked together to make things work optimally for the past 50 years Its a real partnership day in and day out We have a focused team on our end that works with a focused team on their end Its just a great partnership said Peper Mary Kay pink is part of it but we also sell a lot of other vehicles to them as well for the different levels of attainment they have Theyre always trying to work with us and make our relationship business and personal relationships be even better added Peper Since the inception of the Career Car Program in the United States more than 164000 independent sales force members have qualified or re qualified for the use of a Mary Kay Career Car If these wheels could talk they would tell you about the many adventures of Mary Kays top independent sales force members from bringing babies home from the hospital to delivering countless Mary Kay products to brand lovers nationwide The Mary Kay Career Car Program is an integral part of not only our companys story but also the stories of thousands of successful Mary Kay entrepreneurs said Nathan Moore president of Mary Kay Inc s North America Region In the 50 years vehicles from each of four of our brands Chevrolet Buick GMC and Cadillac have been included in the Mary Kay Career Car Program said Jason Ralph the fleet account executive at General Motors Fleet who manages the Mary Kay account When the pink Cadillac is put back into market and resold as a pre owned vehicle it is repainted back to the original color You cant go to a Cadillac dealer and buy a used vehicle thats painted Mary Kay pink Its exclusive to Mary Kay said Peper During the past 50 years Mary Kay has offered almost 24000 Cadillacs Weve had 24000 qualifiers and re qualifiers said Berman Originally Mary Kay offered just the very topline Cadillac model the Coupe PHOTO MIKE ANTICH RALPH GENERAL MOTORS Mary Kay Independent Sales Director Cindy Sheppa poses with her husband beside a pink Cadillac XT5 on display at the Mary Kay Leadership Conference PHOTO MIKE ANTICH