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Ford's General Marketing Manager, Kevin Lillie, drew a parallel with the company's previous marketing campaigns and "insanity" at the launch of the FG Falcon Ute this month.
His definition of insanity is "doing the same thing time and again and expecting different results."
Lillie's comments were a neat summation of the company's conundrum. Falcon sales have been dwindling, despite the common conception that the large car has been at least the equal of archrival Holden Commodore -- up until the arrival of the VE model Commodore in 2006 at least. And even then, the Falcon still had the edge on the Commodore in some ways.
Yet Ford has struggled to sell the car in recent years -- struggled in a way that goes beyond the merit or otherwise of the product.
The retail launch of the Falcon Ute has brought the issue to a head and has concentrated Ford's thinking on what has been going wrong and what can be done to fix it.
One issue frequently raised -- and specifically apropos the Ute -- is the 'cross-pollution' of buyer sentiment between Falcon sedan and the light commercials.
The Ute's TV advertising campaigns during the BF years have been perceived to be somewhat 'blokey'. These ads worked for the Ute's principal buying demographic (young men) but didn't help Ford sell similarly badged Falcon sedans and wagons to women. They also cemented perceptions that Falcon is a bogan brand in the minds of more affluent buyers.
Ford Australia boss Bill Osborne says the brand in Australia is considered "very masculine, very male".
"While people may have a fairly good opinion of Ford Australia, they don't naturally think of us for small cars. So it's up to us to grab their attention and make them know that we're relevant; that we have a wide range of vehicles that are relevant to their lifestyle," Osborne told the Carsales Network at last month's launch drive of the FG Falcon (more here).
Osborne's reasoning is why the TV commercials for the FG sedans and Utes are designed to be distinctly less confronting.
All the same, Ford is committed to retaining the strong association with target buyers that the BF Ute enjoyed. So the company cannot afford to turn away traditional Ute buyers, but equally, those buyers must be nurtured without upsetting the new buyers Ford hopes to lure into the fold with the new Falcon sedan.
Another issue that Ford is addressing with the marketing of the new sedan is the general perception that the previous generations of Falcon were either taxis/fleet queens or they were the preferred mount for young hoons.
Ford will attempt to turn the ship around with its new TV campaigns which are now going to air for the Falcon sedan.
Focusing more on the Falcon as a moving domicile for the family, the new ads seek to draw more attention from traditional lower prestige buyers.
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