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Ford mad at suppliers for leaking new products


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Can't say as I'm surprised, there's been quite a lot of this lately. I do wonder though, is this such a bad thing? It gets people excited about future product and gets them plenty of internet exposure. I thought any press is good press :)

 

Now, can someone leak something about the S650 Mustang please :)

 

 

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1 minute ago, Twin Turbo said:

Can't say as I'm surprised, there's been quite a lot of this lately. I do wonder though, is this such a bad thing? It gets people excited about future product and gets them plenty of internet exposure. I thought any press is good press :)

 

Now, can someone leak something about the S650 Mustang please :)

 

 

 

Eh, if they want it to be a surprise it isn't.  Remember, Ford hasn't ever confirmed Maverick exists, it's still only a "white space vehicle" officially/publicly.  Granted we've seen it on public roads, that'll happen regardless of internal leaks.

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1 hour ago, jasonj80 said:

Maybe if they treated their suppliers better this wouldn't be the issue it is.

 

They need to do that anyway but not sure this has anything to do with it.  I think the suppliers are just as excited as we are about the new products.  

 

Don’t forget Ford has its own internal leaks (2021 Nautilus Interior......)

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Yes I’m very sure is really upset about these “leaks” keeping interest in and discussion of their upcoming products.  Give me a break.  
 

We cannot underscore enough the negative impact of these unfortunate actions on our collective business results,...”

 

Ok Ford.  I need a laugh.  Please enlighten us as to how the business is harmed (numbers, dates, times, etc) by these leaks.  You can’t purposely leak things and be fine with that yet get upset when someone else leaks something.  Either leaks hurt or they don’t.   Can’t have it both ways.  

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14 minutes ago, FR739 said:

Please enlighten us as to how the business is harmed (numbers, dates, times, etc) by these leaks.  You can’t purposely leak things and be fine with that yet get upset when someone else leaks something.  Either leaks hurt or they don’t.   Can’t have it both ways.


A valid point. I guess the concern of others outside the company leaking stuff is they can't control the narrative like they can with the internal "accidental" leaks. 

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17 minutes ago, FR739 said:

Yes I’m very sure is really upset about these “leaks” keeping interest in and discussion of their upcoming products.  Give me a break.  
 

We cannot underscore enough the negative impact of these unfortunate actions on our collective business results,...”

 

Ok Ford.  I need a laugh.  Please enlighten us as to how the business is harmed (numbers, dates, times, etc) by these leaks.  You can’t purposely leak things and be fine with that yet get upset when someone else leaks something.  Either leaks hurt or they don’t.   Can’t have it both ways.  

 

It's quite simple.   The "official" leaks are well timed and part of an overall PR campaign leading up to vehicle launch.  And they only show things that Ford wants you to see at that point in time.   Supplier leaks throw off the timing and may reveal more than what Ford wants to reveal at that point in time.

 

Bottom line is - it's up to Ford to decide what they leak and when, not a supplier who's already agreed under contract not to do that.  And even though the Maverick leaks may not be that damaging, it could set a bad precedent for future leaks that could actually do damage.

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1 hour ago, akirby said:

 

It's quite simple.   The "official" leaks are well timed and part of an overall PR campaign leading up to vehicle launch.  And they only show things that Ford wants you to see at that point in time.   Supplier leaks throw off the timing and may reveal more than what Ford wants to reveal at that point in time.

 

Bottom line is - it's up to Ford to decide what they leak and when, not a supplier who's already agreed under contract not to do that.  And even though the Maverick leaks may not be that damaging, it could set a bad precedent for future leaks that could actually do damage.

The NG Ranger leak is an example of a really bad leak years ahead of the product arriving, it’s a huge leg up to competitors who can then react years in advance.

 

the Maverick is a little different as the leaks are vehicles camouflaged or naked  in a production area so well advanced and in the final stages of development 

 

People today seem less likely to respect confidentiality agreements and their part in not sharing images with friends that quickly spread to others across social media.

 

it’s bad but if it generates excitement, then it’s a plus. Maybe folks wouldn’t be so desperate if Ford would keep people better informed with future objectives/ better communication.

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6 hours ago, fuzzymoomoo said:


A valid point. I guess the concern of others outside the company leaking stuff is they can't control the narrative like they can with the internal "accidental" leaks. 


True but even the leaks that are from Ford, when asked about them, all they say is “we do not comment on future products” or something similar.  There never is a narrative. 

 

6 hours ago, jpd80 said:

New product leaks actually distract from Ford’s other quality nightmares and bad launches, that’s why they should leak like a sieve...


You are probably right.  Heck this entire story seems contrived.  Get people talking about leaks and not the 3 million vehicles you’re now forced to recall.  

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24 minutes ago, FR739 said:


True but even the leaks that are from Ford, when asked about them, all they say is “we do not comment on future products” or something similar.  There never is a narrative. 

 


You are probably right.  Heck this entire story seems contrived.  Get people talking about leaks and not the 3 million vehicles you’re now forced to recall.  

Everyone is or will be forced to recall all the takata air bags.   At least I think that is the recall everyone is talking about.

 

Suppliers are under NDA.  Leaking info can lead to penalties and loss of future business.  If Ford doesn’t stop it in the beginning, it will be that much harder to do later on.  As it is, I think Ford releases too much information way to early.  By the time it is released, the competition has time to copy the design details, make tweaks to existing designs, or add similar features.  Additionally, they may not be able to keep the future customers interest.  They go to a dealer to check out the new model they saw on the internet, don’t find it, and the dealer knows nothing about it....off to the competition.

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9 hours ago, FR739 said:


True but even the leaks that are from Ford, when asked about them, all they say is “we do not comment on future products” or something similar.  There never is a narrative. 

 

Not supposed to be a narrative.  Making it seem like an unauthorized leak generates buzz and online articles.  But they only reveal what they want to reveal at that particular time.  And it’s usually part of a larger plan to dole out the details bit by bit (like Bronco).   When the supplier does it they may be revealing details too early and in some cases details that might change.

 

In this case I don’t think it’s Maverick that they’re so worried about - it’s more about other future products.  If they don’t respond to the Maverick leaks they encourage more supplier leaks and that’s not a good thing.  They’re just trying to control if.

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