Ford Unveils New Marketing Campaign: "Ford. Drive One"
Have you heard a Ford marketing slogan… lately? After "No Boundaries" and "Bold Moves," FoMoCo is pulling the wraps off their latest rhetorical gambit: "Ford. Drive One." The new tagline– which thankfully doesn't include the words "We're Begging You"– is aimed at stemming Blue Oval defections (I'm leaving that joke alone). According to The Wall Street Journal, this latest effort differs from previous head office marketing initiatives; Ford's actually coordinating their efforts with their dealers. "In the past, when it came to the corporate or Ford primary brand campaign, it was their campaign, they developed it on their own and let the dealers know what it was going to be," says Mark Smith, chairman of Ford's dealer council marketing committee. "I'd say there's been a little bit of frustration among the dealer body." Hold the hosannas. The "Ford. Drive One" is targeted at "consideration:" a marketing term for getting consumers to consider the brand. Sales are something else entirely. Obviously.
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Axles - haven't you ever heard an axle popping as a FWD car makes a hard turn? I hear them several times a year in traffic. Just a high mileage CV joint wearing out. With rebuilt parts from the FLAPS (friendly local auto parts store) you can generally source a lifetime warranty axle with two rebuilt axle joints and new boots for less than the dealer will supply one new CV joint. I I think my most recent VW rebuilt axle was about $80 with a lifetime warranty. Earlier axles for my VW van (70's era) was about $70 from a different FLAPS. They often even supply the grease to pack the CV joints. Not fun but even with rebuilt axles/joints they have lasted for me another 80K or so. I usually replace all the seals at the transmission as a matter of preventative maintenance (so I don't have to go back and do the job over b/c of a bad seal. My '97 VW has a design for the axle flange at the transmission that I really dislike. C-clip that requires compressing a hidden spring by pushing on the flange. Made a tool from two long bolts and a piece of scrap steel. Not hard just a mystery the first time I did the job. An internal seal was ignored by the mechanic that put the replaced the axle at 100K miles. At 140K the oil leaked out of the transmission, made the CV joint geal runny, and ruined the joint. But that is prob too much info for the comment isn't it. I ramble too much...
Ford just loooves to dish these phrases out like crazy. Until they build a car i'd actually want(besides the Mustang) they're going to have to add the word "please" to the end of that slogan.
Guyincognito: "No, the new tag doesn’t have anything. Its just a marketing slogan." You are correct a new tag doesn't mean jack s--t if there isn't strategic rationale and and a integrated plan to operationalize it and back it up. For example, If Ford wasn't working to raise quality levels to and above competition you would have a point. But they are so you don't. Also, if Ford was launching crap like they have in the past...you would have a point...but you don't. In fact, it is a matter preference rather than product superiority if you choose over the Fusion or Edge. Additionally, if Ford wasn't thinking about their business in an integrated way by ignoring how its dealers fit into the grand marketing plan...you would have a point. Last, if Ford wasn't operationalizing to support what they want to stand for for---you would be correct---and this tag would be as hollow as those that preceded it including the Bold Moves fiasco. I encourage you to read the WSJ in full (read it again if you have to) to see where I am coming from. You still may not like the "Drive One" theme....but hopefully you will appreciate that there is a little more "meat" to this idea than you think. NOTE: If Ford falls short in their promise to operationalize around their new rally cry and communicate it meaningfully----I will be the first one to call them out on these pages as they would have wasted their last opportunity to make Ford relevant once again.
With most Chevy SUVs and Trucks - at 120k miles you need an entire new rear end. Each GM truck I've owned I had to shell out $2k for a new rear end or I wind up ditching them long before. As for Ford - seeing their new commercials touting their safety and how much Ford cares. That's a bunch of BS - how many people have died from their houses burning down b/c of cc fires, Explorer rollovers (Ford is now just getting hit with the multi million dollar punitive damages lawsuit), and do we even have to go back to the Pinto. Sorry but Ford is run by corrupt accountants that happen to make cars in order to have cash flow.