Ford Marketin Case Analysis

Week 1 Case Assignment Analysis

MRKT 5000 Online Course

Benjamin Moles

Ford Develops a Strategy for Competitive Advantage

Case Summary:

Ford Motor Company is one of the world’s largest automobile manufacturing companies and one of the top 10 public corporations in the United States. In 2006 Ford was suffering a 10-year slump in market share and severe underuse of its assembly plants. This slump forced company executives to devise a long-term plan to rebuild the brand name and a means to be competitive in the global economy. The strategy they created is called “The Way Forward” and was centered on closing facilities and cutting jobs in order to reverse a $1.6 billion loss in 2005. The strategy paid off during the recession in 2008 when Ford was the only major American car company to not need a financial bailout from the federal government.

Key Marketing Issues

* Market Opportunity – Ford was able to use the recession and financial bailouts other companies were receiving to their advantage. Their ability to avoid bankruptcy without government assistance was used extensively in their marketing campaigns. They were also able to roll out a new product as a global car while other companies were focused simply on avoiding bankruptcy.

* Market Share – Ford was able to increase its market share in 2 of Asia’s fastest growing economies by focusing their efforts on consumers in a new target market.

* Corporate Strategy – Ford used the “Way Forward” strategy as a means of cutting costs and refocusing on the consumers. They have as a stated goal to figure out what people want before they even know it – and then give it to them.

* Marketing Objective – Ford developed a unique promotional campaign called the “Fusion Studio” as a way to target women with its Fusion auto. The Fusion studio was a pop-up store that traveled to malls across the United States where women could interact with the Fusion while they were being treated to beauty...