Blue Oval Guide Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Farley Wants to Break 'Pattern of Apathy' Toward Ford 45% already like Ford, but ... Mr. Farley said that according to a CNBC web survey of 609 respondents conducted after that first "Drive One" commercial ran, 45% said they already liked Ford. Another 20% said the commercial didn't change their minds about Ford, but another 20% said it did and 15% said it might. Mr. Farley said it's "pretty cool" that 45% of those polled said they liked Ford already. But there's clearly still a disconnect, he said, because the Ford brand has only a 13% market share. "What's going on out there?" he asked. He said the 45% who like Ford will be the "first and foremost" targets of this campaign. READ MORE HERE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 "The judgment on this will be five years from now." Excellent. Thank-you, Mr. Farley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Glad to see Farley is actually DOING something. I don't remember a time ever in Ford's history where their marketing guy has been as outspoken as he is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford Jellymoulds Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 The new Fiesta will be a game changer in Europe, just wish Ford stop making the same mistakes the slooooooooow FWD Cougar never sold well, AWD Ford cars never sell well, why cant we have fast exciting and RWD that will sell? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APiApBXkzJc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 AWD Ford cars never sell well, why cant we have fast exciting and RWD that will sell? Not to argue, but IMHO, there's been an engine and transmission problem that hasn't helped. Plus Ford EU has been stubborn to even offer an AWD Hi-po Focus, so we get torque-steer FWD. I tend to prefer RWD myself, but, the transverse engine cars really haven't had an opportunity to show what can be done. One way or another, I hope it gets sorted out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark B. Morrow Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Glad to see Farley is actually DOING something. I don't remember a time ever in Ford's history where their marketing guy has been as outspoken as he is. The last one was Iacocca in '64 with Total Performance and the Mustang. Hopefully, Farley will be as successful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 It's an interesting phenomen world wide - people wish Ford all the best but are just plain not interested in it because most feel Ford doesn't make cars for them. Bill Osbourne pointed out this disconnect when he took up his role with Ford Australia recently. Ford plays so well to its existing customers that others feel ignored. The key strategy with Farley's marketing attempts is to reconnect people and potential buyers with Ford products. Perception is everything and Farley has a big job convincing people and breaking the negative cycle. The best way is with his campagin with quality and safety and including testimony from "ordinary people". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKII Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Ford plays so well to its existing customers that others feel ignored. Excellent point!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldwizard Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 "The judgment on this will be five years from now." Excellent. Thank-you, Mr. Farley. You don't change peoples opinions or buying habits overnight. The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten Ford is still living down that bitterness and will for several more years. A couple of years of good quality and even some sleek, sexy sheet metal won't do it. Ford needs to step up to the plate and consistently hit doubles and triples and a few home runs. The Fusion was a double. The new Taurus was a base on balls (doesn't help or hurt). The Focus is a single that looks like it is stretching into a double. What will the Flex and the MKS be? The only issue is will Ford continue to be making cars in the US ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford Jellymoulds Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Excellent. Thank-you, Mr. Farley. You don't change peoples opinions or buying habits overnight. Ford is still living down that bitterness and will for several more years. A couple of years of good quality and even some sleek, sexy sheet metal won't do it. Ford needs to step up to the plate and consistently hit doubles and triples and a few home runs. The Fusion was a double. The new Taurus was a base on balls (doesn't help or hurt). The Focus is a single that looks like it is stretching into a double. What will the Flex and the MKS be? The only issue is will Ford continue to be making cars in the US ? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtm.../24/cnvw124.xml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musclford Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Er, uh, build something I want to buy? I need a 7 passenger SUV / Crossover that gets at least 16-20 in town... I love Ford, but I bought a Town and country Minivan because it was nicer than the Windstar hands down... I want a 7 passenger Edge... but I can't buy one Musclford Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Extreme4x4 Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 The 7-passenger crossover will come when Ford redesigns the Explorer. All the people on GMI are crying because GM isn't building a 5-passenger crossover to compete with the Edge. LOL You don't get everything at once. All in good time.............. grasshopper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 "This thing will flash fry a buffalo in 40 seconds." "Forty seconds? But I want it NOW." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Er, uh, build something I want to buy? I need a 7 passenger SUV / Crossover that gets at least 16-20 in town... I love Ford, but I bought a Town and country Minivan because it was nicer than the Windstar hands down... I want a 7 passenger Edge... but I can't buy one Musclford Umm...Flex or Taurus X? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papilgee4evaeva Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 AWD Ford cars never sell well, why cant we have fast exciting and RWD that will sell? Really? A good half of the D3 sedans I've seen on the road have been AWD, as well as a fair percentage of CD3s. I'm not sure if you just meant performance cars or cars in general. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Extreme4x4 Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 (edited) Umm...Flex or Taurus X? I was "assuming" that because he did not mention those two vehicles, that he considers them to be more of a "station wagon" or "minivan" replacement. They do not have the upright stance of a the typical crossover, which has a tendency to be more like a softened SUV. This is why I mentioned the redesigned Explorer. I like them all. I'm having a hell of a time trying to decide what to get to replace my Tribute (paid off in a few months). Edited April 16, 2008 by Extreme4x4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 I was "assuming" that because he did not mention those two vehicles, that he considers them to be more of a "station wagon" or "minivan" replacement. They do not have the upright stance of a the typical crossover, which has a tendency to be more like a softened SUV. This is why I mentioned the redesigned Explorer. I like them all. I'm having a hell of a time trying to decide what to get to replace my Tribute (paid off in a few months). Well, he ended up buying a minivan anyway, so I don't think "minivan replacement" would have been a turn-off?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Extreme4x4 Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Thats true. Oh well, I gave him food for thought for replacing the "boring mobile." LOL Sorry, but you would have to shoot me in the head before I would buy a minivan. Personal preferences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker16 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Not to argue, but IMHO, there's been an engine and transmission problem that hasn't helped. Plus Ford EU has been stubborn to even offer an AWD Hi-po Focus, so we get torque-steer FWD. I tend to prefer RWD myself, but, the transverse engine cars really haven't had an opportunity to show what can be done. One way or another, I hope it gets sorted out. the floorpan of the C1 focus like the C170 focus is not AWD capable. The S40 uses a different Floorpan and the IRS module is unique to it. Should Ford sacrifice interior space on it's C-car for AWD? I was once a strong proponent of an AWD focus but with gas prices world wide and and my experiences with smaller AWd cars I don't think it would be worth it. I am not saying it is not possible to have AWD without giving up 1-2 Cu/Ft of trunk space, but it would be could difficult to keep the CBS. FYI the CBS (control blade suspension) module on the Fusion is much larger than the Focus, and much heavier. The CUV CBS is easier because of the extra ground clearance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JETSOLVER Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtm.../24/cnvw124.xml Yup , and the key in that link is this..., "Even so, Porsche chief Wendelin Wiedekin believes he can do better by shaking up labour contracts and ditching prestige ventures such as the Phaeton. "There are no sacred cows," he said." Beyond that, glad to see that finally somebody in the glass house understands that apathy is not a sales tool, but a state of mind. Having said that, what captured the publics mind during the heady days when the Taurus was thought alone in its market, the Tbird was THE winning Neckar car(at least in the minds of the unwashed) and there was only one truck worth spending money on if you wanted to look tough at the Safeway? (not to mention the fact that the 5 l. 5 speed LX Stang was CREATING an entire industry along with the never ending magazine hype?) My thinking is this, there was a groundswell of change in the air, sort of like the green thing. Ford as a manufacturer,( there is a lot more to being a company this large than just pumping the focus into high school lots), and as a company supporting 100's of thousands of jobs, customers, and proud story tellers like us, had a PERCEPTION as a company that was more than just a purveyor of cars and trucks. The same group of people that gave up on the Fox platform Tbird that kept locking them out with its cool keypad keyless entry? The same people that bought the new World focus only to come to find that it was just a loss leader into that Tempo and the Mercury killing Topaz that, well, just REEKED of low Q? That might be the people referred to as the 45% that already do LIKE the company. do any of us recall the times that a friend(lady or not) whom we really lusted after said I really LIKE you? The kiss of death that. The ability to lead a wave of perception is a function of time served, innate skill, and of course a bit of luck. So, if there are at least a few of your competitors who are PERCEIVED as leading the wave, what do you do? I think you just sell yourself as having been better all along, waiting for others to burn themselves out before the sun comes up and stirs the big waves. Then you step into the limelight and modestly aceede to the fact that you read things smarter all along and were waiting for the competition to start. (Rouge plant, etc) Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plev72 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 hard to keep customers when you are lacking products in key segments (beating the rwd thing to death...) I'm looking at four different cars - none of which are Fords (well, the Volvo is Ford-ish) because Ford has NO product even vaguely resembling what I'm looking for... closest we get is the Volvo S60R w/ 6-speed. Products I'm looking at: 2006/7 Volvo S60R 6-Speed (discontinued) 2007 BMW 335i sedan 6-Speed (prob, a bit too expensive) 2006/7 Infiniti G35 Sedan 6-Speed 2005/6 Audi S4 6-Speed (probably too unreliable) I'd definitely take a hard look at a Ford RWD/AWD sedan - if I could get it w/ at least a 5-speed stick --- but no dice, thus I'm looking elsewhere --- despite the A-Plan pricing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Extreme4x4 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 The only one, on your list, that meets your criteria............ is the Infiniti. As you said, the BMW is probably too expensive. The other two are FWD based. BTW, according to your list, you would not look at a new Ford RWD/AWD anyway............. you would wait for a 1-2 year old one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 (edited) Why is it that any segment a person is looking at for their own needs is a 'key' segment? Someone looking at a range of vehicles that, combined, add up to about .1% of the US market should not be using the word 'key segment' to describe his tastes. Assuming a 10% take rate (which is probably high) on the 6-speed manual version of the 1% combined market share of the vehicles listed, of which the BMW 335 comprises the overwhelming majority of them... I'm just sayin'.......... Edited April 17, 2008 by RichardJensen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Go with the Infiniti G35. It's a nice sled, for what it costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 (edited) The "Drive One" campaign seems like a great idea -- especially how they bring attention to the fact that they have equaled their quality ratings with Toyota, the gold standard for what consumers compare with today. Edited April 17, 2008 by Roadrunner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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