The automotive industry has been producing new models and introducing new car styles year after year. As one of the leading manufacturers in the industry, Ford Motor Company has had to confront issues of capacity utilization in each market where it operates. Capacity utilization occurs when production exceeds the number of products than can be sold in a given market. To further exacerbate the problem, a new automotive manufacturer enters the market every few years. Following recent economic problems, consumers worldwide have been tightening their spending habits. This has become even worse in economies viewed as unstable. Although some economies have made some rebounds, there is still a multitude of global …show more content…
The founder, Henry Ford is even referenced in American history books for his contributions to innovations in manufacturing. Ford’s brand image represents high-quality products and high-quality service stretching a span of over a century. However, Ford realizes they will not continue to maintain a competitive advantage in the market solely based on history.
Ford approached the 21st century with a modern marketing mix. This includes Ford’s own website, Twitter and Facebook pages, as well as company blogs, an e-magazine, monthly press releases in car enthusiast magazines, and several customer service call centers (Ford Motor Company, 2013). Ford continues to innovate their approach to reaching out to the target customer.
Ford is iconic for trucks and sports utility vehicles (SUV) in the US and the global market. However, instabilities in economies across the globe, as well as the high cost of petroleum, has caused Ford to redefine their image and follow customer trends toward more fuel efficient and lower carbon producing vehicles (Ford Motor Company, 2013). This new image is slowing coming about, but Ford is currently producing some of the most energy efficient vehicles in the U.S. (Voight, 2013). Ford also recruited marketer James Farley from the U.S. division of Toyota, and Farley is now in charge of global marketing for Ford. Farley has openly expressed his determination to further expand …show more content…
Ford has an established history for producing high-quality vehicles. Showing Ford’s history of quality performance might be the best way to position their vehicles. As an example, showing how well Ford trucks perform in a long-term work environment and showing a demonstration of their load bearing capacities may entice the consumer to make a hefty purchase for a vehicle of demonstrated high-quality. Positioning in this manner is a way of promoting the best product for the dollar or Burmese Kyat in this case. For the higher-end vehicles, an emphasis should be placed on quality, technology, and safety standards. It will be necessary for Ford to develop a strong brand image and to establish a consumers’ sense that they deliver a high-quality product that exceeds what is be offered by the