I just read an interesting article regarding the Ford Motor Company’s plans in 2011 and 2012 in regards to product offerings. What stuck out the most, at least to me, is that there will be a big emphasis on customization and personalizing your car. Products like Ford Sync will allow the driver to fully customize the look of their dashboard (and not just in color schemes but also in gauge placement and selection) which will give each driver a car that they can now honestly claim is representative of themselves. Taking this one step further, Ford will even allow buyers to “tattoo” their cars, giving them the option of having a logo or image painted on the side of the car before it is driven out of the dealership.
This is a far reach from a company that has marketed its products as the cars of choice for the everyday American. Surely, with these new product offerings, the advertising campaigns like “Built for the Road Ahead” and Toby Keith singing “I’m a Working Man” over images of F-150’s are going to be a thing of the past.
I am extremely curious, though, as to what effect these changes will have on sales in the coming years, given that a large chunk of Ford’s business comes from conservative America. It seems like Ford may already be anticipating a shift, as showroom floors are now filled with Fusions and Fiestas, replacing the gas-guzzling SUV’s and F-150’s, despite the latter still being the #1 selling truck in America.
I would be interested to hear what you think Ford is going to do with its advertising money in the coming months and years ahead to complete its image makeover!
According to a number of studies, it doesn’t appear to be.
Check out this video that was posted to Youtube a few months ago:
Some notable highlights:
So is Social Media a Fad? You decide…
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