Ford Better Build a Prius… FAST!

In 2000, Bill Ford wrote in the Ford Motor Company Corporate Citizenship Report that Ford would launch the fuel cell-powered Ford Focus by 2004. Right now, the 2008 Ford models are rolling out of the plant, and you still can’t buy a hydrogen-powered Ford Focus.

So many years ago, Bill was saying Ford, by now, would be leading the world in hybrid and fuel-smart vehicles. The only thing Ford is doing is going out of business. Ford is losing sales to Japanese and Korean manufacturers who have consistently been focused on fuel efficient cars, and vehicles that meet the needs of the American people.

And today, Al Gore’s son, Al Gore III, was pulled over in California for going 100mph on the highway. Was he driving a speedy and fuel inefficient Ford Mustang?

No, he was driving a Toyota Prius!

The Toyota Prius can evidently go over 100mph! Even my Nissan Xterra has problems getting to that speed! More importantly, the Prius gets a WHOPPING 55 miles to the gallon (combined highway/city). Ford’s best car for fuel efficiency is the Ford Focus, which only gets a measly 37mpg (highway only).

The Toyota Prius is going to do to the Ford Motor Company what that September, 1988 photo of Michael Dukakis in the tank did to his presidential campaign.

application card credit mbnacollege student credit card debtuk credit card,card credit secure uk,uk aqua credit cardbank card credit providianbusiness card credit smallcredit card fraud protectioncard credit low rateapproval canada card credit instantкомпютриcard credit debt reducingconsolidate credit card paymentmy premier credit card accountconsolidating credit card debthsbc credit card applicationinternet credit card processing,internet credit card processing servicessecured credit card applicationdownload metro pcs ringtonesfree cell phone ringtones,free samsung cell phone ringtones,free t mobile ringtones for cell phonedownload mobile mosquito ringtones t,mosquito ringtones,mosquito npr ringtoneskeypress motorola ringtonesfree samsung cell phone ringtones10 caller hotlink ringtones top,hotlink caller ringtones,caller hotlink malaysia maxis ringtonesdownload pc ringtonesnextel mp3 ringtones,free mp3 nextel ringtones,i730 mp3 nextel ringtonesinfo personal polyphonic remember ringtones sagem,info personal polyphonic remember ringtones voice,info personal polyphonic remember ringtonesfree ringtones makercell phone ringtones verizon,phone prepaid ringtones verizon,ringtones for verizon phonedownload free ringtones lgblackberry 7520 ringtones,blackberry ringtones,free blackberry 7250 ringtonesringtones for cingular phone,polyphonic ringtones for cingular phonedownload free ringtones virgin mobileinfo nextel personal remember ringtonescell free lg phone ringtonescingular cell phone ringtonessprint download ringtones,download ringtones for sprint phonesony music box ringtonesalltel free phone ringtonessony ericsson free real ringtones,6030 free nokia real ringtones,free real ringtones24 free ringtonestrac phone ringtonesmake your own free ringtones,free make own ringtones,free make mp3 own ringtonesnextel music ringtoneshot new ringtonesdigi caller ringtonesfree motorola ringtones tracfoneboost free mobile music ringtonesblackberry download free ringtones100 free mobile ringtonesfree nextel real ringtones1600 composer nokia ringtones,ringtones composer,mobile ringtones composer100 free mobile ringtones virgin

Ford Sales Down As Car Rental Sales Plummet

I know that Ford thinks they’re going to increase profits by slashing sales to car rental agencies, but really, is it a smart move in the long run?

By focusing on sales to regular Joes, Ford is reducing their lower-margin work with car rental agencies. See, car rental agencies know what cars are worth, so they get better prices than when a regular person walks in a dealership. Regular people always pay way too much, so Ford and Ford dealers make much more money off of our ignorance.

But is it smart to get rid of that business?

In a way, automobile manufacturers have been using car rental agencies as a channel for experiential marketing. When I rent a Ford car on vacation, I get the chance to experience the product. The next time I look to buy a car I may consider a Ford vehicle based upon my positive experience with the car rental. This whole effort of mine to get Bill Ford to hire me on started with an article talking about this very concept.

But now Ford is actively reducing their participation in similar efforts! Here I am telling them to bring me on, and recommending they increase their experiential efforts, and they’re not talking to me, and slashing their experiential work!

For example: you still cannot take the Ford Challenge at any Ford dealership, even though they’re advertising that you should. Now you won’t be able to rent Fords when on vacation? What next? No test drives because the gas is too expensive?

Ford Wrote To Say They Will Write

Ford sent me a letter recently saying that they got my letter, and will write back soon. Specifically, they said:

“This letter is to acknowledge receipt of your correspondence. Thank you for your interest in our company. Your correspondence will be forwarded to the appropriate division within Ford Motor Company for handling.”

It was nice to get a letter from the world headquarters, but what was the point? Is it really worth the slice of tree and $0.41 of stockholder’s cash to tell me they’re going to tell me something? Couldn’t they have just forwarded it to the appropriate department and answered my question?

They didn’t even have to figure out where to forward it — the letter was already addressed to Bill Ford!

The Experts Have Spoken

In a recent article for the BBC news, automotive strategists noted that it’s entirely possible for Ford to go out of business in the near future.

“This is a company in serious difficulty,” said Simon Dorris of Lansdowne Consulting. “For Ford to go bust is a real possibility.”

If ever there was a time for Bill and the kids at Ford to do something bold, now would be the time. What are they waiting for?

BREAKING NEWS: GM Is Offering The Ford Challenge, Not Ford!

This just keeps getting better!

General Motors announced that it was going to be offering what is basically the Ford Challenge. That’s right, you can show up to one of 435 GM dealers across the U.S. and test drive GM’s Saturn Aura against the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry.

Is Ford offering the same thing at their dealerships? No.

So the Ford Challenge, created by Ford, is being advertised by Ford, but not offered by Ford. GM stepped right into this vacuum, and is now clubbing Ford with it’s own marketing! This reminds me of that saying, “I’m going to rip off your arm and beat you with it.”

This announcement should serve as a big wake-up call to Barry Engle, the marketing head at the Ford division, that I’m right here on the bench, ready to step in and take his job. Maybe Barry should hire me before Bill ousts him and gives me his job?

Ford Is Listening

So our statistics program here at Helping Hank shows us that we’ve had over 200 unique visitors from Ford swing by in the last week or so! That means that Ford *is* listening!

But we haven’t heard anything from anyone at the company — not even a cease and desist order.

If you’re a Ford employee and have some feelings about what we’re saying here, please send in an email, and we will keep your identity anonymous. In fact, we won’t publish your email unless you specifically tell us to (we’ll keep your identity secret no matter what). Maybe you’ve got some advice about what we could do differently in order to make a bigger or better impact?  Send us a note and help us help you.

Quality Is Up, So What’s The Problem?

The good folks over at J.D. Power and Associates recently released their findings from this year’s Initial Quality Survey (IQS). Every year, the company surveys people who have bought new cars to ask them to rate their vehicles.

This year, Ford topped the list. This doesn’t come as any surprise, as Ford makes some great vehicles. The problem I have is why Ford is having so much trouble getting people to realize this. If for just this reason alone, one can see how this is clearly a marketing communications problem.

I think a simple commercial is in order. Just a shot of a guy standing in front of his Ford Fusion, and he says, “Seriously, this car is awesome. I say it. JD Power says it. Everybody who drives it says it. Come drive one, and you’ll see. It’s free to test drive, and you can have it for a half hour. So go run some errands and we’ll pay for the gas.”

We then launch a promotion where anybody test driving a Ford vehicle can have it out for up to a half hour. Testing the vehicle out in real life is going to mean a lot more than knowing your truck can drive up a gigantic seesaw.

Second Bold Move: Online Community

The team at Ford’s marketing department isn’t just failing at communicating internally, they’re failing to have conversations with their customers. Even more importantly, their supercustomers — the enthusiasts — have to form their own groups and online communities because they want things that Ford simply won’t provide.

When I become the CMO of Ford, I’m going to set up the biggest, baddest, most amazing online community car owners — nay, anybody — has ever seen! I’ll set up an area where owners can speak directly with people working on the production line!

Imagine you’re a Ford owner tweaking out your engine with some after-market stuff, and instead of figuring it out on your own, you can actually chat with the guy who put your engine together — now THAT’S bold.

I would work with many of the existing online groups out there, such as the Ford Owners Association, the United Ford Owners, and all the clubs we could find to design and implement a place they can all go and connect with their favorite brand. I’d offer them the complete resource for everything Ford, and invite them to help the company provide everything they want, and more.

Ford Falling To #3 Position, Can’t Avis Out Of It

The Ford Motor Company has been taking big hits in sales this year, only to have them punctuated last month by continued sales losses, while the top 2 auto manufacturers saw sales gains.

This means that there’s little chance of Ford adopting the “We Try Harder” stance created by Avis in the 1960’s. That campaign wasn’t just about admitting they were #2 in the industry; it was about redefining the way they did business, and creating new relationships with their customers. When Avis changed direction, they put customer service ahead of everything.

Yet, when you sign up for the Ford Challenge, you can’t write back to Ford. Why? Because the customer service email address they provide to you doesn’t work! That’s right, if you try to write to “wecare@fordmotorcompany.com” — the address Ford asks you to use if you have any questions or concerns — you’ll have your message returned to you as undeliverable!

Try it out for yourself - don’t take my word for it. Sign up for the Ford Challenge, and you’ll see they ask you to write to that email address above. Then try to write to it.

Technorati Profile

Jim Sanfilippo Thinks He’s A God

In an article released by Brandweek today, new Ford marketing exec Jim Sanfilippo makes some very bold comments calling himself and his team at Ford heroic. In the article, Sanfilippo said:

“We are going right into the thick of things with the Fusion. The badge imagery is up there with the Camry, Civic, BMW 3 Series, and it’s mythical. If this were the movies, we would be heroic. And we’re going to challenge more when we have the goods.”

That’s right, his work is mythically heroic. He says his marketing work is basically on par with the Twelve Labors of Hercules, or Perseus defeating the Gorgon. Personally, I think there’s another mythical figure with whom Jim has more in common: Hubris. Take Jim’s next statement after the one above, for example:

“We’re not going to be silly or stupid about it, and we will invite comparisons.”

Looks like it’s too late to be silly about this. Jim really can’t be sore about the comparison with Hubris either, because he did invite it.