Alan Mulally: Apparently, this is what he was hired for

[Blue Oval Guide]

Alan Mulally: Apparently, this is what he was hired for

 

BlueOvalBlogs.com - Well, latest news from the AP says Ford is renaming the Five Hundred. It’s going to be called “Taurus”.

 

I’m glad to see that Mulally has resisted the urge to put his personal tastes into action at Ford Motor. I’m glad to see that Mulally is committed to consistency, and to avoiding the kind of ridiculous flip-flops that have kept Ford the butt of industry jokes, and more importantly kept them from making any real headway in any direction whatsoever.

 

All of this smacks very much of an “I’m the CEO” decision. How much market research could’ve been done in the 4 months since Mulally took the job?

 

What hard data suggests that people will look at the Five Hundred differently because it’s named the Taurus?

 

How much of this was an effort to appease the everlasting malcontents who absolutely will not be satisfied with anything Ford does anyway?

 

Seriously, this is a big deal with whom? And this is just another symbol of how Ford just doesn’t get it for how many other people?

 

CNN has this article on the top of their business front page, and I have to wonder how your average viewer will take this.

 

I mean, what relevance does this have for the average consumer, and how much damage is Ford doing to their recovery?

 

Why not rename the F150 the F1, the Focus the Pinto, the Fusion the Torino, and most importantly, let’s rename the Explorer the Model T–both vehicles were relied on for too many sales for far too long by Ford. In fact, while we’re at it, let’s just give Alan Mulally a free hand in the product planning office. He obviously knows more about it than ANYONE else at Ford Motor, what with his background building airplanes and all.

[LSFan00]

I am honestly with the staff blog on this, but to play devil's advocate, the 'team' produced a rushed-to-market bland-mobile mocked for being so boring, and then didn't advertise it enough. While I hate the Taurus name today, with the engine and the fact that probably a third of the country has heard of this product in the past few days, and another third will by the time it ships to dealer lots, maybe it isn't so bad. I figure ford is just trying to go from 40-80K sales per year, to about 100K, 120K tops. Given the lack of resources to advertise the new engine/transmission/grille/wood accents, this has served the purpose.

[RichardJensen]

The Five Hundred was not rushed to market.

 

I am not opposed to the decision to rename the Five Hundred as such (it may be justifiable, it may not, it may work, it may not)--rather, I am opposed to Mulally creating an atmosphere where people may have been pressured to conform market data and analysis to his (Mulally's) preference.

[FLLMTR]

I think Ford's naming scheme of starting cars with "F" is the start of what lost customers. I have a been a long time owner of Ford vehicles and I cannot keep them all straight. Let's be real for a moment, the use of the names Fusion, Focus, Freestar, Freestyle, Five Hundred did a lot to confuse customers. Then add to it the E names for the SUV's. Jeez, how friggin boring.

 

I do not think for one moment that renaming the Five Hundred the Taurus is a bad move. The two cars look strikingly similar from the outside and they go after the same type of customer - old.

Edited February 10, 2007 by FLLMTR

[focus05]

I think there is a greater point to this whole move than just easy advertising. This is about brand, continuity and brand perception.

 

This is EXACTLY what he was hired for. Mulally is not a car guy. He is a consumer. He drove a Lexus before this and thought it was the best thing ever. He obviously thought killing the Taurus brand was stupid. I bet a lot of people thought the same way when they killed the Taurus. Mr. Mullaly was right to question why Ford would be so stupid as to let their bread and butter die and worse, let this nameplate with so much association and recognition (and frankly, investment in it) die as well.

 

Two reasons:

 

1) Brand continuity increases repeat buyers. I owned the car. I liked it. There are other things on the market, but I know I'm "safe" with my car. This might not be as true for people under, say, 40, but people over 40 drive 80% of the new car market!

 

2) The Taurus brand is tied to Ford, whether Ford likes it or not. Ford is considered the king of rentals because its top passenger vehicle for so many years became of the king of rental fleets. Taurus = rental, so Ford = rental. Taurus = cheap car, so Ford = cheap car. Some of this is inflicted by other products and designs, but when your top three recognized car lines are the F-series, Mustang and Taurus... The perception drops off quickly there from Mustang to Taurus.

 

So, what does Ford get with a new name?

 

The old Five-Hundred name, so degraded in the media because grandma needs at least 250 hp, was probably better left by the wayside. Five-Hundred = boring car, Taurus = ... well, not sure, because this is a completely different car than the old Taurus... or so consumers' minds are thinking. So, you create a break with the previous iteration of this car and allow people to change their perceptions without a significant overhaul of the vehicle, but enough to make it different.

 

Then, the Taurus name gets a more positive association. No longer the fleet queen. Reliability (if the recent record of the 500 is any indication) at high levels. Strong performance. Commanding seating position. Good fuel economy. Spacious. Refined.

 

The more positive that Taurus perception, the more positive Ford's overall brand perception. The more positive that Taurus perception, the more likely people are to return to that nameplate, and the higher Ford's sales are. Instead of throwing away a nameplate that Ford has invested billions in marketing into, Ford salvaged it and probably saved themselves some money too. More importantly, there is continuity that a high-quality and safe product can help maintain. This leaves the door open to the future possibilities of the Taurus name and certain internal engineering and styling goals determined by legacy that will help drive future product development. And, keeps alive the hope of some form of continued customer loyalty.

 

Will it work, though? It might. I think so. If Ford invests $150-200 million in marketing this new Taurus and makes sure that the quality is spot on, then yes, Ford can expect a boost in sales and perception. How much? Probably not enough to save Ford again, but certainly enough to give it a little breathing room.

Edited February 10, 2007 by focus05

[mustang_sallad]

Alan Mulally: Apparently, this is what he was hired for

 

BlueOvalBlogs.com I’m glad to see that Mulally has resisted the urge to put his personal tastes into action at Ford Motor. I’m glad to see that Mulally is committed to consistency, and to avoiding the kind of ridiculous flip-flops that have kept Ford the butt of industry jokes, and more importantly kept them from making any real headway in any direction whatsoever.

 

 

Well, people like us on automotive enthusiast websites, and automotive journalists can joke about Ford all they want. Its often overlooked on sites like this that most people in the market for a car don't waste their time reading all the crap we all write. Automotive journalists are a bit of a different story, they can definitely have more of an effect on buyers, but I think regardless of all the joking, these name changes could actually bring in a lot of sales.

 

I'll admit that as an auto enthusiast myself, and one who actually liked the 500 and Freestyle from the start, i'm a little disappointed, but that doesn't really matter to ford.

[ford-boy]

"Dr. Moe, Dr. Larry, Dr. Curly". I've never seen Ford act this bizarre, ever. They have been broken for a long time, but these name changes just go to show how f--ked up their system was. The Taurus name should replace the 500. As he said, the 500 should have been the Taurus from the start. Management has been in a fog for some time, like a bunch of zombies. I mean: Freestar-Freestyle, Zephyr then MKZ, Windsatr -Freestar, .... Who the hell can keep up with that? Certainly not the general public. Its easier to go down to the Toyota dealer to look at clearly defined car lines with established reputations. SOMEBODY needs to take charge here.

[twintornados]

All the storied names that Ford could have used and didn't, some should be re-used, some should never grace the flank of a vehicle ever again. The point of using the name Taurus again is simple...the name is still viable...it is still sitting in alot of peoples driveways, garages, and carports...young people still remember the name as a reliable mode of transportation. Names such as Torino are from a distant past....hey, I loved my Torino...but seriously, if Ford had named the Fusion the Torino...how long would it have been before someone painted a white stripe on a bright red one? The mistake Ford made on that car was getting into a court battle over the name Futura....now they cannot name ANYTHING Futura thanks to a judges order...I mean, who really cared that Pep Boys had the Futura name on a line of tires....now I own a car that shares a name with my razor blade...the money Ford spent on that litigation was truly wasted and someone in the Glass Palace needs to answer for it....The Five Hundred would have been fine if Ford followed through with a solid promotional blitz...but that didn't happen, if you were going to roll out the D3 with a name that never was used before "on its own" (I know, Galaxie 500, LTD 500, Torino 500...etc) you should have made a ad blitz like never before...then Chrysler rolls out with the 300 and wham....the Five Hundred gets slammed as boring. I would think that the name Taurus 500 would have been good...but after pondering it...I realize that the name Five Hundred is "tainted goods" right now, and Ford needs to step away from it. The fiasco of the Freestyle vs Freestar is even worse...so in the end. Allen Mullaly did what he was put there to do.....turn this ship around before it sails off the end of the earth...only time and good sales will tell if he did the right thing...but honestly, he did create alot of buzz and people are going to look at this car that may have never considered it.

[twintornados]

All the storied names that Ford could have used and didn't, some should be re-used, some should never grace the flank of a vehicle ever again. The point of using the name Taurus again is simple...the name is still viable...it is still sitting in alot of peoples driveways, garages, and carports...young people still remember the name as a reliable mode of transportation. Names such as Torino are from a distant past....hey, I loved my Torino...but seriously, if Ford had named the Fusion the Torino...how long would it have been before someone painted a white stripe on a bright red one? The mistake Ford made on that car was getting into a court battle over the name Futura....now they cannot name ANYTHING Futura thanks to a judges order...I mean, who really cared that Pep Boys had the Futura name on a line of tires....now I own a car that shares a name with my razor blade...the money Ford spent on that litigation was truly wasted and someone in the Glass Palace needs to answer for it....The Five Hundred would have been fine if Ford followed through with a solid promotional blitz...but that didn't happen, if you were going to roll out the D3 with a name that never was used before "on its own" (I know, Galaxie 500, LTD 500, Torino 500...etc) you should have made a ad blitz like never before...then Chrysler rolls out with the 300 and wham....the Five Hundred gets slammed as boring. I would think that the name Taurus 500 would have been good...but after pondering it...I realize that the name Five Hundred is "tainted goods" right now, and Ford needs to step away from it. The fiasco of the Freestyle vs Freestar is even worse...so in the end. Allen Mullaly did what he was put there to do.....turn this ship around before it sails off the end of the earth...only time and good sales will tell if he did the right thing...but honestly, he did create alot of buzz and people are going to look at this car that may have never considered it.

[2005Explorer]

SOMEBODY needs to take charge here.

 

and I am glad that Mulally made this decision...

 

I know some don't like this decision...but I have a story from where I work that made me a believer in the name change. On Thursday afternoon we were having a teachers meeting. These are NOT automobile enthusiasts. One of the ladies was talking about a new Taurus coming out in some news report she read. Several then made comments that the Taurus was the only American car they would consider because they have either owned them before or knew people that did. I never said a word...just agreed that the new Taurus would be a great car. Several of our staff members ARE Taurus and Sable drivers. They seem to like their cars.

 

Do you think this group was even aware of the Five-Hundred??? Our principal has a Five-Hundred...but sometimes she can't even remember what it is called if someone asks about her car!

Edited February 10, 2007 by 2005Explorer

[NLPRacing]

Here's my take on the name change. Hardy anybody knew what a FiveHundred or Freestyle was anyway and the people that did won't care what it's called. But, people know the Taurus name. IMHO, this is the biggest positive for the name change, it will take a lot less money to convince that the "new" Taurus is better then the last "fleet queen" version then it would have cost to convince people that the FiveHundred & Freestyle are great cars. A good example of this is that people are already comparing the "new" Taurus to the Camry where everybody else always wanted to compare the FiveHundred to the 300. This will work and work well.

 

Here's another point, people that have owned a Taurus and liked it, will look at the "new" Taurus. If it's too big or too expensive, the salesman can show them the Fusion. For the few that purchased the FiveHundred or Freestyle and liked them will probably look at the Taurus as well. It's a win-win anyway you look at it.

 

and I am glad that Mulally made this decision...

 

I know some don't like this decision...but I have a story from where I work that made me a believer in the name change. On Thursday afternoon we were having a teachers meeting. These are NOT automobile enthusiasts. One of the ladies was talking about a new Taurus coming out in some news report she read. Several then made comments that the Taurus was the only American car they would consider because they have either owned them before or knew people that did. I never said a word...just agreed that the new Taurus would be a great car. Several of our staff members ARE Taurus and Sable drivers. They seem to like their cars.

 

Do you think this group was even aware of the Five-Hundred??? Our principal has a Five-Hundred...but sometimes she can't even remember what it is called if someone asks about her car!

 

My mother is the same way. She is a former Taurus owner, She never knew what a FiveHundred was, but she is excited about this "all new" Taurus.

Edited February 10, 2007 by NLPRacing

[Roadrunner]

The Five Hundred was not rushed to market.

 

I am not opposed to the decision to rename the Five Hundred as such (it may be justifiable, it may not, it may work, it may not)--rather, I am opposed to Mulally creating an atmosphere where people may have been pressured to conform market data and analysis to his (Mulally's) preference.

 

Perhaps Mullaly is more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants kind of character, and thus the market data was not molded to Mullaly's will, but instead he said, "Forget that other name, we're calling it Taurus"

[Roadrunner]

Here's another point, people that have owned a Taurus and liked it, will look at the "new" Taurus. If it's too big or too expensive, the salesman can show them the Fusion. For the few that purchased the FiveHundred or Freestyle and liked them will probably look at the Taurus as well. It's a win-win anyway you look at it.

 

Car purchases are often emotional decisions.

 

Someone comes in for a Taurus, they can't be always given a rationale to buy a Fusion. They'll say, "what's a Fusion? I don't have any experience with that car. So do they make a smaller Taurus?"

[twintornados]

I hear you there...my mom had a Sable....and now drives a Camry....she cant wait to see what the new Sable looks and drives like...she just may trade the Camry in for a new Sable.....way to go Ford!!!

[Blueblood]

A lot better than the non decisions made by bill Ford, Over the past 5-6 years Ford has done nothing product wise, It's about time we have somebody who makes decisions and makes them fast, Ford doesn't have anymore time for "mulling".

 

I'm still not happy with the new nose on the 500/Taurus, I think it looks like an old Tempo or CV, but the new Sable actually looks good. Ford finally got a nose right after about 6 really bad screw ups. I just hope they advertise the pair now, I never understood why Ford abandoned the Taurus.

 

Now hopefully Mulally gets them to ditch the stupid looking razor blade grills soon as well.

 

I'm sure Mulally will piss off the people who think every Ford should look like a boring old Tempo made with the cheapest materials and with the least competitive powertrains in the industry soon. That will show he's doing something right. And when he brings the first Euro Ford here we can expect more complaining.

 

Now we just need to send him down under to test drive those bitchin Aussie Falcons, because that G8 looks like pure sex on wheels, and I hate GM and I'll buy one in a heartbeat if I can afford it.

[RichardJensen]

Perhaps Mullaly is more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants kind of character,

Ford has over 250,000 employees worldwide, and any number of supplier and dealer employees that depend on it. Should it be led by a 'seat of the pants' guy?

 

Would you trust a 747 pilot who said, "bad weather? C'mon. Do you know what this thing can do?"

 

Ford has had its fill, and more than its fill of 'seat of the pants' leaders. If Mulally is another 'seat of the pants' kind of guy, then the only novelty he brings to the office is a lifetime spent somewhere besides Ford Motor.

Edited February 10, 2007 by RichardJensen

[RichardJensen]

Now hopefully Mulally gets them to ditch the stupid looking razor blade grills soon as well.

See post above. IT'S NOT HIS CALL.

 

What business does he have interfering in decisions 3, 4 removes from his office? Decisions that should be based on research, and not 'well I think it's cool' remarks from the current top dog in the design studio.

 

Is Ford Motor to be turned into an engine to implement the whims of its new Boeing sourced CEO?

 

It is idiotic in the extreme to trust this amount of decision making authority in one person's hands, and it is, further, idiotic to glorify exercises of caprice and whimsy when they happen to correspond with our own wishes.

 

I don't give a rip whether the marketing data supports the decision to rename the vehicle Taurus or not, if the decision was made before the research, the research is suspect, the decision is questionable, and the process is absolutely irresponsible at a company of Ford's size.

Edited February 10, 2007 by RichardJensen

[RichardJensen]

http://truedelta.com/pieces/mulally.php?session_code=

[630land]

The Blog article sounds like some 'pissy fashionsita' writing a gossip column or fashion show rant.

[EMDEE]

The Blog article sounds like some 'pissy fashionsita' writing a gossip column or fashion show rant.

Agreed. I'll add "pompous and self-important" as well.

 

First, with all the complaining about Mulally, do we know for a fact that he initiated the decision to rename the 500 as the new Taurus? Just asking. No doubt he approved it, but all the talk here makes it sound like he's some brainless dictator who just shoved this decision down everyone else's throat. Even if he was directly responsible for the decision, it would be easy to argue that he was simply correcting one of the more stupid things done before his arrival. Sales of the 500 were in the toilet and heading down the drain before he ever heard of the car. Clearly, there was no brand equity in the name "500."

 

What about the name Taurus? People make it sound like the sole image of the Taurus was that of a cheap rental car. How quickly people forget. For nearly 15 years the Taurus was a symbol of success and innovation in the auto industry. At its launch in the 80's it was hailed as the savior of Ford Motor Company and a sign that American industry could indeed compete with the best of Europe and Japan. Cars like the Camry and Accord at that time weren't even close to being competitive with the Taurus. Instead, the Taurus was seen as a breakthrough vehicle that offered most of the benefits of a fine European business class sedan for a much smaller price. It was the Taurus that forced the Japanese to start a massive campaign to upgrade their family sedans if they wished to compete. Don't people here remember what an 86 Camry or Accord was like? Taurus soon became the best selling car in the country, selling in numbers that few cars today can hope to achieve.

 

The only thing that killed the Taurus was the failure of Ford management to continue upgrading the car after the 1996 2nd full generation version. Even that car was a serious competitor, offering one the first modern American double overhead cam engines (which equalled just about anyone's horsepower in the 3 liter class). The design of the 96 was controversial, but so was the original in 86. Many of us liked the new design and still believe that it has aged very well. Eleven years later, that 96 Taurus still looks like a very contemporary, modern car, something that can't be said about many other designs from 1996. Taurus only began to fall seriously off the radar about four years later when it became clear that Ford was just milking it for short term profits and failing to keep up with the competition, which was now racing ahead.

 

So today, the Taurus brtand name has some negatives to clean up, but retains a long and very positive history. I seriously doubt that most of the public carries a negative image of the brand. In any case, it's image has to be better than "500" which simply doesn't register one way or another with most of the public. It would have been better if Ford had made the name change at a time when it was really introducing a new design for the car and not just some fine tuning. But Ford is in the position of having to make the most of what it's got, not waiting for what it imagines. I'll be anxious to see a fair and objective review of the new "Taurus," as there is lot more new about the car than just its name, engine and nose. It sounds like it may have rather different driving characteristics and certainly a lot more responsive feel to the accelerator pedal. I wouldn't be surprised to see this name change remembered as one of the first important moves in a good long-term turnaround for Ford.

Edited February 11, 2007 by EMDEE

[ford-boy]

I'm listening to the radio in my car and Paul Harvey, the news guy, tells the story... On Mullaly's FIRST DAY on the job, at his very first meeting, he asks the question, "Why was the Taurus name dropped." NOT ONE PERSON had an answer!

[Bluecon]

I'm listening to the radio in my car and Paul Harvey, the news guy, tells the story... On Mullaly's FIRST DAY on the job, at his very first meeting, he asks the question, "Why was the Taurus name dropped." NOT ONE PERSON had an answer!

They all had the answer but nobody would tell him it "It doesn't start with an F".

[campbell53]

Richard,

Your baseless criticism of Mr. Mulally is stupid and irresponsible. You don't know anything more about him and his decision making than we do. Unless you have facts then I suggest you stop guessing. As a dealer I am happy with what he has done so far. 500 was a disaster for me in 2006 (sales down 60% from 05). I blame piss poor marketing for the lost sales. Bringing back the Taurus name is something that should have been done long ago and I applaud the move. Hopefully Taurus is rolled out with great fanfare and then the advertising contiunues. But to reiterate, please stop the Alan bashing. He has done nothing to deserve it and you come off looking like the typical uninformed Ford basher.

[Hemiman]

The only thing that killed the Taurus was the failure of Ford management to continue upgrading the car after the 1996 2nd full generation version. Even that car was a serious competitor, offering one the first modern American double overhead cam engines (which equalled just about anyone's horsepower in the 3 liter class). The design of the 96 was controversial, but so was the original in 86. Many of us liked the new design and still believe that it has aged very well. Eleven years later, that 96 Taurus still looks like a very contemporary, modern car, something that can't be said about many other designs from 1996. Taurus only began to fall seriously off the radar about four years later when it became clear that Ford was just milking it for short term profits and failing to keep up with competition, which was now racing ahead.

 

 

Cm'on! I'm sure Ford management spent the required time on "research" before making these decisions. Therefore, they were good decisions. Doesn't matter what the results were as long as they followed the "Process". No room for inspired thinking here.

 

I'm in favor of this "Seat of the Pants descision"

Edited February 10, 2007 by Hemiman

[tim kakouris]

give the guy some room to change this obviously paralyzed company. as bluecon mentioned, the previous naming strategy wasn't working out too well anyway.

 

if any of us were the boss, wouldn't we want to go in and erase some things straight away that we thought were ridiculous?