Ford's Fusion woos young car buyers with email, music

[Ming]

Ford woos young car buyers with email, music
September 5th, 2005
NZ Autocar

DETROIT: Ford Motor Co is gearing up for an all-out assault on the midsize US car market with a stylish, Mexican-built sedan dubbed the Fusion that will compete against best-selling Japanese makes.

The stakes for the second-largest US automaker are high. With sales of its large and midsize sport utility vehicles falling fast, partly due to high gasoline prices, Ford can no longer yield the passenger car segment to its Asian rivals.

To drum up street buzz ahead of the car's debut this fall and grab the attention of young buyers, Ford is turning to the Internet and cell phones rather than traditional media advertising.

It is using online messaging, email and text messaging to reach out to young Americans, Ford Fusion launch manager Jyarland Jones said.

Ford is also using music, holding free "flash" concerts featuring emerging hip-hop and rock artists. Consumers who have signed up on Ford's Web site are notified about the location of the concerts through text messaging a few days beforehand.

Fusion's target customer is 25 to 39 years old, single or newly married and just starting to enjoy some career success, Jones said. The tag line for the car, which starts at around $US18,000, ($NZ25,832) is "Live Life in Drive".

"What Ford is trying to do is find hyper-efficient ways to connect the name with the image of the vehicle in the marketplace prior to introduction," said Jim Sanfilippo, executive vice-president at AMCI, an automotive marketing consulting firm.

"They are trying to get some notoriety to the badge itself prior to introduction, which is pivotal," he said.

The flash concerts have been very successful with most shows packed to capacity with young, music-loving fans.

Ford now has a list of about 500,000 consumers who are interested in knowing more about Fusion, Jones said.

Fusion is Ford's long-awaited answer to today's leading midsize car brands – Toyota Motor Corp's Camry and Honda Motor Co Ltd's Accord.

The sedan, which will be built at Ford's Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly plant in Mexico alongside the new Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr, will be filling a significant gap in Ford's car lineup since its once best-selling Taurus was relegated mostly to rental car lots.

Ford currently has just two entries in the passenger car market – the compact Focus and large Five Hundred sedan. While some analysts have criticised the Five Hundred for its conservative styling, the Fusion, with its distinctive three-bar chrome grill, is considered more appealing.

The automaker in recent years has lost about 50,000 Focus owners annually, mostly to rivals, when it was time for them to trade up from their small car to a family-sized vehicle, Jones said.

Ford has been unsuccessful in some previous attempts to sell midsize sedans, including the Contour. The car, which was introduced in late 1990s, was taken off the market due to poor sales.

Full Article Here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3400445a30,00.html

[griswold44]

Even though it's not important, Ford also has the Crown Victoria, and the Taurus.

[Butz]

Ford finally got it right in NA, it has been doing right in europe for a long time..

[the prix]

Hopefully, the Fusion and new Malibu can give the "camcord" a run for its money.

[pkd87]

Originally Posted by the prix

Hopefully, the Fusion and new Malibu can give the "camcord" a run for its money.

Agreed.

[dindak]

Fusion is pretty nice I must admit. Ford has a winner assuming it doesn't have Escape / Focus like quality issues and recalls for 3 years.

[steve333]

Ford needs to change its logo. Its the most boring, old looking logo out there.

[puma12]

Originally Posted by steve333

Ford needs to change its logo. Its the most boring, old looking logo out there.

Ah! No! It's like changing the Budweiser can, it's a classic, no matter how boring it may look.

[ElmerMCR]

Originally Posted by steve333

Ford needs to change its logo. Its the most boring, old looking logo out there.

My mom has been saying Ford should change their logo for years. She doesn't like the font of the Ford print on the logo, and she doesn't like logos thats have color to them (only chrome/gold colored) or where the company's name is fully spelled out.

She just doesn't understand....

[Ming]

I like the Ford logo - the last thing we need is another chrome letter with a circle around it!

[ElmerMCR]

Amen to that!

[oudidntkn0w]

Yeah cause when I go to get a new car, the logo is the first thing that makes my decision...

/sarcasm

[asim]

The Fusion shouuld be a good sale if they can market this right and get in the driver seat.

[genjy]

Ford has easily the most recognizable logo in the industry. You can tell it's a Ford badge on a car from a mile away, unlike those other silver frame + letter/design badges. The Ford badge is also one of the few badges that would look OK placed anywhere on the rear of the vehicle, not just the center.

[fordsundevil]

Originally Posted by the prix

Hopefully, the Fusion and new Malibu can give the "camcord" a run for its money.

The Fusion has a chance. The Malibu is pathetic