New marketing approaches and strategies

Ford Motor Company Campaign for 2002

The challenge for any manufacturer during this volatile U.S. economy is finding new markets and new customers. Even a company like Ford Motor Company, which has had a long history of producing quality automobiles for over one hundred years, cannot rest on its laurels of past successes. If the Ford Motor Company closes its doors tomorrow, the consumer market would not miss them because of the vast number of alternatives to fulfill the needs of automobile drivers; however, since Ford has had a long history, it's past successes can be incorporated into any promotional avenues the company pursues. Fortunately, the Ford Motor Company has had a history of aggressively spending money in advertising dollars and initializing interest in their products and service. In the latest numbers available published in Advertising Worldwide, Ford ranked fifth of advertisers worldwide in 1998, seventh in Regional Ad Spenders for Europe and Latin America in 1999, ninth in advertising in Australia (AU$55 million -- 1999), eleventh in Taiwan in 1999, and number six in the U.S. (U.S.$1,520.7 million), according to 1998 figures. But there are regions Ford doesn't appear favorably, especially the developing nations of Central Europe, Africa, or Asia. What people want the world 'round in a car is the same: a long-term, reliable vehicle at a low price that's fuel efficient with outstanding safety, and stylish. Americans will own several cars in their lifetime. My target in the domestic promotional campaign is to make those automobiles Fords, whether it's their first car, a new car for an expanding family, or a car in for the retirement years. My campaign proposal is designed to strike various sectors of the public. To accomplish that, I am proposing a product identification campaign, using situations or settings that reflect the U.S. domestic market with individuals who appreciate driving Ford motor vehicles. It has to be an all-encompassing spectrum of the societal fabric of America.

FORD IS AMERICA

This will be our promotional tag line. We will emphasize the finer points of Ford's quality in the products and services; we will feature the variety vehicles, sports car, economy vehicle, sedans, mid-sizes, SUV, luxury cars, coupes, or pick-up trucks: Ford has all styles to fit all needs, to fit all lifestyles. One of Ford's strong points is this variety, whether the name is Lincoln, Mercury, Land Rover, Volvo, Mazda, or Ford. We won't say, if you're poor you will not be able to afford a luxury car; but what we will say that no matter your lifestyle, whether you are single, married, retired, in college, or expecting your third child, then Ford has the vehicle and financing plan that fits your needs. This promotional campaign pushes the products and the fine service from the repair and maintenance technicians, to the excellence in quality of Ford parts, which are delivered when you want it, when you need it. We must aggressively depict Ford customers in the advertisements that reflect American ethnic groups rarely seen in ads: Asian families, Native American families, Arab-Americans. No other automobile manufacturer is pursuing this line of promotion. Ford will blaze the trail and others will follow based on the success of the ads.

The main focal point of the campaign is for consumers to come to the dealerships and give the products a try, ask questions of the sales representatives and the mechanics; it's vital to make the consumer's visit to the dealership enjoyable and informative. If they buy a car at the time of their visit, wonderful; if not, they'll certainly remember Ford when they're ready to purchase a new automobile if the experience at the dealership is rewarding. We want to put the name "Ford" on people's lips through word-of-mouth; essentially, we're putting tens-or-hundreds of thousands of sales people on the street talking about their Ford experience, which will be supported by our traditional means of advertising in print newspaper and magazines, electronic media outlets, and Internet banners.

FORD IS AMERICA: Marketing Strategy

First, ensure all sales representatives and maintenance personnel at the dealerships have the necessary hard-copy promotional materials on-hand about any Ford vehicle. We must also encourage the dealership personnel to test drive and experience the various makes and models so they have an idea on how any vehicle performs on the road and share that knowledge to potential customers.

Second, work with Ford dealerships to coordinate test-driving events with members of the media in each community. In using promotional activities that Ford used to launch the Taurus series, as cited in Reinventing the Wheels, have media representatives test drive any Ford car to evaluate performance, handling, style, etc. But we must commit this program to various communities throughout America; we must take our message out of the traditional auto shows and get them into cities and towns. As with Taurus, invite independently-owned garage owners and employees, auto parts retailers and staff: anyone who has customers that may need Ford parts and services, let me see what Ford offers, what the company is putting on the road, make them part of the company's overall commitment to quality products and service

Third, invite the public to also test drive and evaluate the Ford automobile products. We state this in ads. Allow people to roam the showroom and the repair facilities, ask questions, and provide the dealership with feedback, which will be passed along to Detroit headquarters; allow them to try any car without committing or pressuring in buying. If they don't buy a car today, they know what their experience was like at Ford when they are ready to buy a vehicle.

Next, we must put the faces of America in our promotion campaign. We can incorporate actors from various ethnic groups and age groups -- get consumers to relate with those they see in our ads. I also would venture to secure a variety of high-profile celebrity Americans to be put in the mix of advertisements. If Ford is America, we must secure a cross-section of the country that will draw the viewer in and give us their attention while they are told about the Ford vehicle products and service. We must create a slate of advertisements that feature various people in various lifestyles and regions that depicts the need to get a Ford, whether it's a student getting their first car, a family expecting their first child, or a couple entering retirement and looking for a new car during their Golden years.