Blue Oval Teen Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 (edited) BACK SEAT DRIVING FORD FINALLY DOES SOME FIRST-RATE MARKETING December 6, 2006 As Ford's sales, share and profits have slid, the company has endured harsh criticism over its marketing. The current Bold Moves campaign has been bashed not only by industry pundits but also by the company's dealers. The ads vaguely feature personality traits of idealized customers but don't sell Ford cars and trucks. The corporate Innovation campaign, launched with fanfare barely a year ago, prompted ridicule. People asked, "What innovation at Ford?" They couldn't see how images of innovative Ford vehicles of the past, such as the Model T, made a case that Ford is developing innovative products of the future. The Ford on Ford campaign a few years ago, featuring Bill Ford, the company's chairman, and at the time CEO, was a dud. The days of slamming Ford's marketing are over. The company has hit a home run with its latest campaign: "You can achieve your dreams." The marketing was targeted at hourly employees, asking them to quit. No joke. Ford is encouraging its employees to go to school, travel, find a job at another company, start a business, retire or do anything they please as long as they get off the Ford payroll. To make sure its message was heard loud and clear, Ford brought in motivational speakers, handed out DVDs, coordinated efforts with the United Auto Worker’s Union, conducted unprecedented target audience research and dangled $100,000 checks to entice employees to accept buyout offers and walk away from future health care and pension benefits. Considering the company's financial predicament, a lot of employees decided to take the money and run. Ford says 38,000 of its 83,000 UAW employees (that's 46%) accepted voluntary separation packages. The final number who quit might be less because employees can back out. What a shame. If the company applied the same intelligence, creativity, passion and commitment to building and selling vehicles, maybe it could get out of the predicament it's in. - BT Justice Back Seat Driving, December 6, 2006 Edited December 6, 2006 by Blue Oval Teen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota Kid Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 BACK SEAT DRIVING FORD FINALLY DOES SOME FIRST-RATE MARKETING December 6, 2006 As Ford's sales, share and profits have slid, the company has endured harsh criticism over its marketing. The current Bold Moves campaign has been bashed not only by industry pundits but also by the company's dealers. The ads vaguely feature personality traits of idealized customers but don't sell Ford cars and trucks. The corporate Innovation campaign, launched with fanfare barely a year ago, prompted ridicule. People asked, "What innovation at Ford?" They couldn't see how images of innovative Ford vehicles of the past, such as the Model T, made a case that Ford is developing innovative products of the future. The Ford on Ford campaign a few years ago, featuring Bill Ford, the company's chairman, and at the time CEO, was a dud. The days of slamming Ford's marketing are over. The company has hit a home run with its latest campaign: "You can achieve your dreams." The marketing was targeted at hourly employees, asking them to quit. No joke. Ford is encouraging its employees to go to school, travel, find a job at another company, start a business, retire or do anything they please as long as they get off the Ford payroll. To make sure its message was heard loud and clear, Ford brought in motivational speakers, handed out DVDs, coordinated efforts with the United Auto Worker’s Union, conducted unprecedented target audience research and dangled $100,000 checks to entice employees to accept buyout offers and walk away from future health care and pension benefits. Considering the company's financial predicament, a lot of employees decided to take the money and run. Ford says 38,000 of its 83,000 UAW employees (that's 46%) accepted voluntary separation packages. The final number who quit might be less because employees can back out. What a shame. If the company applied the same intelligence, creativity, passion and commitment to building and selling vehicles, maybe it could get out of the predicament it's in. - BT Justice Back Seat Driving, December 6, 2006 Very well said. I have been critical of Ford's marketing for years. Especially the "Life in Drive" program a few months back. But this last one has to be their most successful one, so successful they underestimated how effective it would be. At TCAP nearly 90% of the hourly folks signed up for a package. I talked to a manager yesterday and she said they actually only expected a couple hundred to sign-up at TCAP. I said you've got to be kinding! We're closing, you told us there isn't a bright future, you might or might not get a transfer. Don't gamble with your future, buy a Little Ceasers franchise, move on. I asked the HR manager how does he expect to run in Jan. He didn't care, his job was to get as many people out the door as possible. Now the company is in a tail spin because the hourly workers finally did what we were told! The replacement workers they have brought in so far aren't going to make it, let alone produce a quality product. How do you replace hundreds of skilled production workers and 200 skilled tradespersons? Can all of this be done? Probably, but not in time to save their pencil necks. Am I bitter, a little. I am very thankful for what the UAW and Ford negotiated for me. I gave them 8 hours work in return for 8 hours pay. I'm just dissappointed to see the end come around this way because of mismanagement and the company's arrogance. Could the UAW have helped their own cause. Over the years, probably yes. But ultimately it is the keeper of the keys that says yes or no. Enuff ranting and whinning. Thank you again to the leadership of UAW Local 879. Mr. Eagle and his troops have done their best and a bad situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sista Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 Enuff ranting and whinning. Thank you again to the leadership of UAW Local 879. Mr. Eagle and his troops have done their best and a bad situation. AMEN to that. The entire committee deserves kudos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 BT Justice = Buford T. Justice? "Daddy, my hat!!" "Oh, shut up!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwinCityAssembly Posted December 7, 2006 Share Posted December 7, 2006 BT Justice = Buford T. Justice? "Daddy, my hat!!" "Oh, shut up!" "I wish your god damn head was in it" LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPITYDAFOOL VIRUSFREE Posted December 7, 2006 Share Posted December 7, 2006 "I wish your god damn head was in it" LOL "There is no way you came from these loins" "remind me to punch your momma when we get home" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
{CARD-SHARK} Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 "There is no way you came from these loins" "remind me to punch your momma when we get home" "I'm in high speed pursuit!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichiganTruck_Mafia Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 Campaign? What campaign? It was as easy as selling a life preserver to a drowning man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Oval Teen Posted December 9, 2006 Author Share Posted December 9, 2006 Well, it looks like the other shoe has dropped: Ford has script for salaried buyouts Staffers to be told one of six reasons why they're getting offers, which start going out Monday Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News Ford Motor Co. will begin offering buyouts to the bulk of its white-collar work force Monday as part of the automaker's ongoing effort to cut its U.S. payroll and return its struggling North American automobile business to profitability. In most departments, Ford is expected to offer buyouts to 85 percent of salaried employees. Ford said in September it plans to cut 10,000 of its 38,500 U.S. salaried positions by 2008. The company hopes to meet that goal through voluntary buyouts, but has said it will resort to involuntary layoffs if necessary. The move comes on the heels of an unprecedented effort by Ford to convince hourly workers to take buyout or early retirement packages. Some 38,000 signed up for those offers, which were more generous than the packages for salaried employees. Ford began offering early retirement packages to eligible salaried personnel in October and the first buyout offers went to senior managers later that month. Now, Ford is extending buyout packages to lower level managers and non-management workers. "We're doing these in waves," said Ford spokesman Tom Hoyt. He confirmed the offers will start going out Monday. Employees will have until Jan. 5 to decide. Ford has been conducting training sessions with managers throughout the company to prepare them to meet with employees selected for buyout offers. "These are difficult, tough communications to have with people," Hoyt said. "We want to be responsible here. We want to be sensitive." As part of that training, Ford gave managers manuals that include detailed scripts for supervisors to read to employees when they are handed their buyout offers. Those familiar with the 69-page, spiral-bound document say it instructs managers to choose one of six reasons to explain why the employee is getting a buyout offer: "You are part of a group that was selected for reductions based on business reasons." "Your position may be eliminated or downgraded." "Your skills are not in line with future business plans." "You are unlikely to have your career ambitions met." "You are presently on a protected grade and there is not a strong likelihood of being able to return to your prior level." "You meet the service requirements and we have a salaried cost target to meet." Some managers told The Detroit News they were also given unwritten instruction about how to present packages to employees they hope to keep. Several salaried employees told The News that morale is low in their departments. People are on edge as they wait to find out whether they'll get an offer to leave, and anxious to hear how it will be pitched. Charles Moore, managing director at turnaround specialist Conway, MacKenzie & Dunleavy in Birmingham, said Ford likely will have a harder time convincing salaried workers to take buyouts than it did factory workers because most of its white-collar jobs are in Michigan and there is little Ford can do to help them find other jobs. "This is a tough job market," Moore said. "Ford has generally done a good job of creating opportunities for people as it pursues its downsizing. But when it comes to the salaried work force, they are in a more difficult position." The company is not required to give buyouts to every worker who signs up. According to the manual, Ford has until Feb. 27 to decide whether it will accept an employee's decision to leave. Salaried buyouts Ford is offering three buyout packages: Select retirement plan: Company adds three years to employee's age and length of service for pension calculations. Salaried retirement window: Employees retire with regular pension benefits, plus a one-time payment equal to as much as 13 weeks of pay. Voluntary salaried separation program: Younger workers receive up to 13 weeks of pay to leave the company and still receive any vested pension benefits when eligible. Source: Ford Motor Co. http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...612090349/1148/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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