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Ford Launches Ads, Deals to Wow Auto Shoppers

In the middle of its recovery plan, the Ford Motor Co. is still crippled by frustrating sales and declining customers’ confidence. Earlier, a new internal report card reflected that the company is still missing its retail sales and cost-cutting goals. However, executives told employees last Wednesday of a new marketing campaign and expected concessions from suppliers that should keep its North American turnaround plan on track.

Ford earlier launched an advertising campaign designed to declare its recent quality gains. The campaign is also aimed at offering new incentives to alleviate diving sales of pickups. The new ads draw attention to Ford's success in the J.D. Power and Associates' annual survey of new car quality. Last week, the automaker astounded the industry by blowing past rival Toyota Motor Corp. to claim the most top quality awards in the latest quality survey.

Some ads will tout Ford's corporate-wide quality gains. An ad, which has earlier debuted, bears the tagline "Put the pedal to our medals." The tagline was placed over a photo of the five trophies the Dearborn-based automaker received from J.D. Power. Other ads will concentrate on the success of individual brands like Lincoln, the highest rated domestic luxury brand in the annual survey.

During a Webcast, Cisco Codina, Ford's group vice president in charge of sales, marketing and service for North America, told employees: "We're going to leverage this.” He added Ford was surprised by the big incentives competitors offered during Memorial Day weekend. To note, Ford was the only one of the top six auto giants to see sales drop last month over May 2006. "Our competitors put quite a bit of money in the marketplace," Codina said, adding that Ford is stepping up its own spending on advertising and incentives this month to make sure that does not happen again.

Aside from incentives, Ford is now offering fabulous deals on chosen product lines. The automaker has announced earlier this month more cash back on its pickups. Purchasers of the 2008 F-Series Super Duty through July 2 can now get $1,500 in cash, up from $1,000, on regular and super-cab models, as well as low-interest financing. What is more, Ford is also offering $1,000 in bonus cash on four-door crew cab models. Additionally, the company will be placing another $1,000 on the 2007 F-150 pickups. That can be combined with the automaker’s current zero-percent financing or $3,000 cash-back offer.

While automakers have long sought to wean auto shoppers off incentives and adopt a more cogent pricing model, Art Spinella, the president of CNW Marketing Research, said that Ford has to at least match the competition. "They've been consistently undercut by their competitors," Spinella said. "Even Toyota started throwing money at the Tundra - and a $1 incentive from Toyota is worth $2 from anyone else."

While the Dearborn-based automaker’s quality has improved, Spinella said that consumer perception has not kept up. He added Ford needs to keep hitting this point in its advertising, but also needs incentives to get customers into its showrooms to test-drive its new cars and trucks. "It's as good a strategy as any, but it definitely isn't what anyone wants for the long run," Spinella noted.

Like the breeze of the Geo cold air intake, Ford is playing it cool. "It's time to grow our business!" Codina stressed. "Our products are back, and back with a vengeance." Also, the Ford Americas President Mark Fields told employees last Wednesday that the company is on track to meet its goal of refreshing 70 percent of its vehicle lineup by the end of next year. Nonetheless, he acknowledged more work needs to be done to ensure its turnaround targets.

About the Author

Given her background on cars as an auto insurance director, Lauren Woods finds the world of cars to be constantly changing.

A Shih Tzu Isn't A Pet Dog But A Teacher

This is a very brief love story: A story of love for others, and how that love translates into riches. We can be rich in many ways, but the kind of riches I mean is money.

Last year, October to be precise, our dog and companion of 14 years, Pepito, suffered a stroke that paralyzed his right hind leg.

Despite his paralysis, Pepito, the old tough boy, refused, to be picked up and cuddled, dragging himself to his bowl and to his regular spot by the front door. Pepito was your regular size Shih Tzu, stubborn to no end, and with an independent streak that was more human than canine. "C'mhere" to Pepito meant "Go the other way." At times I'd think he was pigheaded rather than stubborn.

Hard as I often tried, I could never teach him a manly thing. After I retired from business, where I was a successful investment banker, I became a college adjunct professor of Accounting and Business. I've been teaching unruly college kids the rudiments of accounting, macro, and micro-economics.

For years I've felt that Pepito had a high IQ, or above average to say the least. At times I've felt that perhaps he could outthink some of my own students. Yet, though I managed to teach him many tricks, the noble beast refused to learn to raise his leg and pee like a he-dog.

Oh, well, at least I convinced him not to growl, bark, sniff at our guests' crotches, and other common tricks.

Being apartment dwellers, in the mornings we let Pepito pee in his washable pads, but in the evenings I'd take him for a long walk. We are fortunate to live in a gorgeous penthouse on Park Avenue (a lovely avenue in New York City-Manhattan) where one can find trees in the median. For many a day--or late afternoon or evening may be more accurate--I tried to teach Pepito to pee like a he-dog.

Repeatedly I'd lift my leg and placed it against a tree at the stop light intersection, north of our building, hoping that Pepito would eventually catch on and imitate me.

To be an Wall Street banker you must have thick skin, and I am proud to say, I don't embarrass that easily. So, I would turn a deaf ear to the taunts, jeers, indignities, and insults from cab drivers and other motorists held by the stop light, as they saw me in that ridiculous position, trying to teach the pooch how to act like a man.

Pepito never got it and eventually I gave up. "No sense in changing Pepito's basic instinct--a contrarian he is!" I thought. Yet, I knew he had absorbed and internalized what I was trying to teach him, not because I'm smart but because Pepito wasn't a good poker player--everytime he learned something he'd stick his tongue out and hold it out for about 5 seconds.

Dr. Gregorian --head of Pepito's regular Veterinary clinic-- examined my beloved pooch carefully, and as he shined a light into the old boy's pupils, he said in a cold voice, "Pepito is in pain and suffering. It's best for him to be put to sleep."

Stunned by what Dr. Gregorian was saying, I could hardly contain myself, fighting an inner wave of violence building within me. I remember thinking, "You insensitive, incompetent nitwit, for fourteen years we've paid and fattened your wallet and all you got to say is 'put him to sleep'?"

But instead, I only mumbled, "Isn't there something you can do-surgery? I'll pay for it!"

Gregorian only shook his head meaning "No." Then he said, "I'll leave you both," --that is me and my wife Mary Patricia-- "to talk for a moment, and grieve. It's time for Pepito to go to dog heaven."

As soon as Gregorian was out the door, Mary Patricia hugged me and burst into tears. I held her close to sooth her pain, my heart thumping, and my throat voiceless.

Only twice in my life have I ever shed a tear: The first time was during the TET offensive in Vietnam in 1968, when as a young infantry lieutenant I held one of my men --who had been mortally wounded-- in my arms as he asked me to call his mom in Missouri and tell her he loved her. Oblivious to the small arms fire, rocket-propelled grenades, and madness around me, and with my man's body still warm in my arms, I well remember the acrid smell of gun powder and the bitter tears draining into my mouth.

The second time was when the market crashed in 1987 and --following a contrarian gut impulse that I had learned from Pepito-- I shorted (selling short is betting on the losing horse) Cisco and other Dot.Com stocks and made a substantial amount of money--a maneuver that allowed me to buy this penthouse on Park Avenue. When I took my profits out, I couldn't fight back the sweet tears that coursed down my cheeks.

Mary Patricia and Pepito are the love of my life, and for many years I had chased the elusive buck -wanting to make money online or otherwise-- just like any ambitious person, but one thing changed my fortune. Wanting to make money happens quickly when you think of those about you--not yourself. Before I realized this fact, my success was more spiritual than monetary.

But let me go on. Dr. Gregorian returned with an assistant and both of them got busy to set the cold aluminum-steel table where Pepito was to be euthanized.

Fearful that I was going to break down and cry a primal cry that I felt roaming up my spine, I asked Gregorian to wait five minutes while I ran to the corner market (and pet store) and buy a pint of vanilla ice cream. Without waiting for a reaction I took off.

Moments later, looking into my eyes, Pepito let me know that he enjoyed more than ever in his life his last taste of ice cream. The pooch left this bitter world with a sweet taste in his mouth.

The assistant laid Pepito on his side, and Gregorian found a vein. And just as he was injecting the hemlock or whatever killing agent they use, Pepito lifted his left hind leg way up --just as I had shown him many times-- and he peed like a he-dog. And I swear, he also stuck his pink tongue out.

Speechless, all I could do was cry--and cry I did for the third time in my life. Truthfully I don't remember how Mary Patricia got me home.

About the Author

Retired. Former investment banker, Columbia University-educated, Vietnam Vet (67-68).
For the writing techniques I use, see Mary Duffy's e-book: Sentence Openers.
To save money on your pet visit: Vet's secrets