Farley Wants to Break 'Pattern of Apathy' Toward Ford

[96towncarcartier]

I think that 45% is very accurate. The majority of Americans STILL OWN an American vehicle. The majority of homes have a Ford in their driveway.

 

Though statistics and ads from the Jap companies might try to convince us otherwise... most people still buy American, even if other cars in their driveway are foreign.

 

Our population keeps getting older and with more older folks comes more folks buying cars that grew up with Buick Chevy Dodge and Ford.

 

I think a lot of this is media driven...misconceptions and misperceptions that only foreign is better, and that everybody buys Toyoders. Not true.

 

Proud of my Lincoln Conti... every single day I see one on the road. Not bad for a car that ceased production SIX years ago!

 

 

 

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.

[P71_CrownVic]

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.

I am sure Toyota is thankful for the free advertisement.

[Ron W.]

I am sure Toyota is thankful for the free advertisement.

 

 

Have to agree with you on that one. I'm thinking it could/should have been phrased differently.

[P71_CrownVic]

Have to agree with you on that one. I'm thinking it could/should have been phrased differently.

You want to know the REALLY funny part??? That's exactly the same thing Farley said to Ford when they were running their "Fusion (supposedly) beats Camry" ads...and now he is doing the same thing.

[NickF1011]

You want to know the REALLY funny part??? That's exactly the same thing Farley said to Ford when they were running their "Fusion (supposedly) beats Camry" ads...and now he is doing the same thing.

 

It really does nothing to help Toyota though. Everybody already knows Toyota is reliable. They are the "Gold Standard" in the public's mind when it comes to quality. Using them as a benchmark really does little to bolster their reputation any further.

 

Now, if they used some automaker that wasn't already reknowned for its quality, then there would be an issue.

[P71_CrownVic]

It really does nothing to help Toyota though. Everybody already knows Toyota is reliable. They are the "Gold Standard" in the public's mind when it comes to quality. Using them as a benchmark really does little to bolster their reputation any further.

 

Now, if they used some automaker that wasn't already reknowned for its quality, then there would be an issue.

Neither did the Fusion ads...but Farley was quick to thank Ford for the free ad.

[V8 Ford]

I don't see the harm in it. Toyota is clobbering Ford in passenger car sales at the moment and, as Nick pointed out, much of Toyota's appeal comes from perceived quality. If Ford can convince people that their cars are just as safe of a purchase, people might consider checking out a Ford rather than buying the same, boring car that every other house on the street has parked in its driveway. I see more Fusions every time I go home (where every third house on the block has a Toyota Camry in its driveway). Ford is doing something right.

 

Neither did the Fusion ads...but Farley was quick to thank Ford for the free ad.

Wasn't Farely's job at the time to make Toyota look good? Maybe he thought that tactic was more effective than he made it out to be.

Edited April 20, 2008 by V8 Ford

[RichardJensen]

I'd like to see some source material which has the Veep of Lexus in the US thanking Ford for advertising the Camry.

 

I don't think it's out there, because I don't think it happened.

[P71_CrownVic]

Wasn't Farely's job at the time to make Toyota look good? Maybe he thought that tactic was more effective than he made it out to be.

 

Maybe...but he said those words last week]/i].

 

I just think it is funny that Farley ahs been 'working' at Ford for a very short time and he is already talking in circles.

 

BW: At the auto show in Detroit last year, Ford was running challenge ads where the Ford Fusion was compared to Toyota.

JF: And I said, 'Thanks for the free ad.'

 

BW: Exactly. Are you going to stop that practice now at Ford?

JF: Good quality is good quality, and if it helps the brand, I think it can work. We've been fortunate at Ford in that the quality perception is very high in places where the trucks sell so well, in places like Texas and the Midwest. Sometimes you might need a push in other places and we use that. In the new campaign, we mention that Ford is rated equal in quality to Toyota. It helps Toyota, but it also reinforces what Ford is. What I wouldn't do is something like Saturn, where it actually brought other brands [Toyota and Honda] into the showroom to ask consumers to compare. As a marketer, you have to know the influence of discovery.

 

Maybe he's a 'Benedict Arnold' sent from Toyota...

 

Article Link

[musclford]

Well, he ended up buying a minivan anyway, so I don't think "minivan replacement" would have been a turn-off??

 

My bad, I was saying I bleed blue, but I wasn't impressed with the Ford enough to sway me to buy it in 2000...

 

And, I didn't know the Taurus X was a 7 passenger, but that's because my wife would freaking kill me if I brought one home... "Read my Lips, I don't want a station wagon".. That was from her mouth multiple times.

 

Now we want to ditch the Chrysler and buy something else that seats 7 passengers and gets more than 14.5 around town (our chrysler).

 

But other than the Flex, the only thing we really care about looking at that has some Fordish influence is the Mazda CX9, but I hear it doesn't do well on fuel either..

 

Hence, Build something I want to BUY... I say..

 

We'll drive a Flex, and we will also consider the Explorer, but it needs to change a bit B4 I am more interested..

[RichardJensen]

Your wife says "NO STATION WAGONS"? Well the Flex ought to be off the list, as it really isn't anything else.

[Mark B. Morrow]

Your wife says "NO STATION WAGONS"? Well the Flex ought to be off the list, as it really isn't anything else.

 

 

The seating position of the Taurus X feels very similar to my Explorer. I haven't had an opportunity to sit in the Flex yet but it looks like it sits much lower than the X. I will probably look at both as a replacement for the Explorer. Of course I am seriously thinking about waiting for EcoBoost.