| Jim Henry Automotive News | July 7, 2010 – 12:01 am EST |
| NEW YORK — Ford Motor Credit Co.’s dedicated plan to support U.S. sales of the Ford Fiesta is good news for F&I managers who otherwise may find it tough to get the car’s young target buyers approved for loans.
For example, Ford Credit in some cases will review credit applications of would-be Fiesta buyers who were turned down and put some extra effort into getting them approved, Sam de la Garza, Ford Fiesta brand manager, said here at a recent press introduction for the car. “Ford Credit will be doing some extra training; they will re-review everything,” de la Garza said. The Fiesta is an important part of Ford’s strategy to introduce in the United States half a dozen fuel-efficient small cars that were designed in Europe. The Fiesta went on sale in Europe in fall 2008, and the first units reached U.S. dealers last month. Continue reading ‘Ford Credit goes extra mile in bid to lure young Fiesta buyers’ |
Archive for the 'Advertising' Category
By Keith Naughton
May 17 (Bloomberg) — Ford Motor Co., the top seller of pickup trucks in the U.S., is seeking to build credibility as a maker of small cars with a new advertising campaign for its Fiesta subcompact.
A Fiesta commercial will debut tomorrow during Fox television’s “American Idol,” and dealers will begin selling the company’s first subcompact in more than a decade in the U.S. this summer. Ford will introduce a redesigned version of its Focus compact early next year. The Fiesta and Focus were developed by Ford’s European operations.
“This is an opportunity to change the perception of the Ford brand,” Matt VanDyke, Ford’s U.S. marketing director, said today during a press conference in the company’s home city of Dearborn, Michigan. “We don’t have natural showroom traffic on small cars.”
The Fiesta, which starts at $13,995, is an attempt to turn around Ford’s history of making little or no money selling small cars to U.S. consumers. With rising oil prices boosting sales of those cars, Ford and General Motors Co. are rolling out models to meet drivers’ changing tastes while delivering a profit.
“It’s a very important launch for the near-term future of Ford,” John Wolkonowicz, an auto analyst at IHS Global Insight in Lexington, Massachusetts, said today in an interview. “If they can’t sell a lot of these, they’ll have to go back to the drawing board.”
‘Pretty Big Deal’
Fiesta commercials, with the slogan “It’s a pretty big deal,” will appear in the final four episodes of American Idol in the next two weeks, reaching more than 100 million viewers, VanDyke said. Ford is spending a “substantial” amount on the Fiesta campaign, which may be similar in size to promotions for Ford’s top-selling model, the F-series truck, VanDyke said.
Continue reading ‘Ford to Debut Fiesta Ads Tomorrow in Small-Car Push (Update2)’
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Mar
10
FIESTA MOVEMENT CHAPTER 2 KICKS OFF; FIRST MISSION HAS AGENTS SHOWING OFF FAVORITE CITY HOTSPOTS
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SUMMARY
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CONTEXT / BACKGROUND
The Fiesta Movement is back, and the new agents are ready for some action. Fiesta Movement Chapter 2 has 20 teams of two agents bringing the 2011 Fiesta to life through missions inspired by the new small car from Ford. A natural progression from phase one of the Fiesta Movement, missions will be centered on each team’s city, with agents tapping into their local communities to help execute and promote missions.
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DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 11, 2010 – Fiesta momentum continues to grow months before the car arrives in dealer showrooms this summer. The 2011 Ford Fiesta now has 6,000 reservations – half of them from non-Ford customers – and more than 100,000 handraisers showing an interest in the new fuel-efficient car.
The Reservations program is providing Ford with a better understanding of consumer preferences. Nearly 60 percent of
customers are opting for high series models, and 65 percent are choosing the five-door hatchback. Among the top three color choices are Blue Flame and Lime Squeeze.
customers are opting for high series models, and 65 percent are choosing the five-door hatchback. Among the top three color choices are Blue Flame and Lime Squeeze.“People saw the Fiesta come to life through the Fiesta Movement, a program where 100 young trendsetters drove a European-spec Ford Fiesta for six months, which created tremendous interest for the vehicle,” said Sam De La Garza, Fiesta brand manager. “That interest now has translated into 6,000 reservations from interested consumers who can build and price their Fiesta.”
The Fiesta Reservations program lets consumers build, price and reserve a 2011 Ford Fiesta, while giving them a VIP experience in conjunction with Ford dealers. Orders can be placed starting Monday, when customers with a reservation will receive communication from their personal Reservations consultant to assist in meeting with their dealer and place their order.
Interest for the 2011 Fiesta is stemming from both Ford and non-Ford customers alike. More than half of the reservations are coming from non-Ford owners. The top non-Ford sources of reservations are coming from Honda, Toyota, Jeep and Saturn owners. Reservations from customers driving European and Japanese import brands outnumber reservations from customers driving other domestic brands two to one.
Fiesta popularity grows nationwide
With reservations coming from all 50 states, California is the leading source of reservations among those under the age of 45. Every corner of the United States is represented in the reservations bank. Top states are Michigan, California, Florida, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
The Fiesta Movement had an impact on more than just the millions of people who tuned in to follow the agents.
“Driving around in my Fiesta made me feel like a rock star. That little green car received envious stares from strangers, accolades from friends, and occasional rounds of applause from gearheads I ran into at gas stations. I can’t think of any other car I would rather own,” said Fiesta Movement agent Bliss Dennen.
Reservations assure customized service
By reserving a Fiesta early, consumers will receive prioritized order handling, including automatic build updates, a personal Fiesta Reservations consultant and the SYNC® and Premium Sound Package at no charge once their Fiesta is built. Once the vehicle purchase is completed, participants will be able to share their vehicles’ information through social media sites like Facebook.
Fiesta reservations can be made by visiting www.fordvehicles.com/2011fiesta or by texting “reserve” to 4Ford on a smart phone.
Jeni Searcy is Fort Worth’s very own not-so-secret agent for Ford Motor Co.
Searcy, 21, is one of 100 wired networkers around the nation that Ford is counting on to spread the word about a new car the company is aiming directly at Generation Y, also known as Millennials.
In 2010, Ford plans to introduce to the U.S. market its new Fiesta subcompact, a car it hopes will be a big hit with young people like Searcy. That is to say, folks more interested in gigabytes than horsepower.
In mid-May, Ford delivered 100 European-built Fiestas to young people across the country, including Searcy and two others in Texas. The “Fiesta Movement agents” were chosen from among thousands of candidates who submitted videos explaining why they should be selected.
Searcy, a full-time barista at a local Starbucks and student at Tarrant County College, figured she didn’t have much of a chance but took a shot — and won. In her entry, which can be seen on YouTube at tinyurl.com/mr4ano, she made the case for being “the perfect Fiesta Movement agent.”
“Why?” she asks on the video. “Because I live my life online.”
Searcy has a desktop and laptop computer in her room at home, running a webcam and networking servers. She carries not just the ubiquitous iPod, cellphone and digital camera, but also, thanks to Ford, a Kindle and a video camera.
Now Searcy is using all those channels to tell the world about the Fiesta. So far, her reviews of the car are favorable.
“I love all the features in it. Me being as technological as I am, it really meets my needs,” Searcy said. The Fiestas are equipped with Ford’s Sync, a voice-activated entertainment/telephone system, and USB ports for plugging in digital devices. She also likes the 32 mpg it gets in everyday driving around the Fort Worth area.
Searcy has her iPod and cellphone connected. More than a few of her fellow Fiesta bloggers have hooked up video cameras to broadcast their activities.
From Ford’s view, Searcy is part of a generation worth reaching.
“The Millennials are an emerging market force, with 11,000 reaching driving age every day,” Sam De La Garza, Ford’s small-car marketing manager, said in a statement. “It’s the most important demographic trend since the baby boomers, and it represents one of the greatest opportunities for Ford.” Continue reading ‘Ford recruits online social networkers to get word out about new car’
