another brilliant decision

[blackf6]

Who cares.

[mik]

hands up how many forum members went to said mustang show ?
it may not have hurt to have the new model there, but if you do it for one venue then other venues will be looking for the same deal, how many car shows are there happening around the world ...... you probably could not count them , it all comes back to the dollar.
to me, a far better value venue would imo be the motor shows in melbourne and Sydney when the cars are actually in the show rooms.

just having a glance at sydney motor show attendances from years past , it varies between 57000 and 320000, would the the mustang show have had near that number of attendance ?

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by 1TUFFUTE

“Our global approach is that car clubs are self sustaining, in general we don’t have a regular role with the clubs,” said Mr Sherwood. “That’s no different to what we do anywhere in the world.”

Ford USA have a massive involvement with the Mustang club of America, they even released a Mustang club special edition a few years ago. And every time I see any special Mustang anniversaries in my Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords magazine, Ford always send a couple of their top execs and a few new demo cars. Obviously this Sherwood guy has zero clue, or he's a liar.

Originally Posted by Grunter

JD writing the article aside, had FoA supplied a Mustang to the Nationals, we wouldn't be talking about it or reading his opinion on it. At the very least it would get a mention on here as a "good to see FoA supporting it's upcoming performance release at it's biggest supporters show."

Foot, shoot. Amazed you don't see the decision makers hobbling out of Ford's office each day. I'm sure there would be heads shaking by others at FoA.

Incredible how much difference 10 years makes to the way Ford has treated its fans.

Ford slipped to number 7 is sales last month. Their current strategy is going great. Ever since they started this whole customer experience program they are working on sales have dropped like a stone. It's doing wonders

[1TUFFUTE]

Originally Posted by mik

hands up how many forum members went to said mustang show ?
it may not have hurt to have the new model there, but if you do it for one venue then other venues will be looking for the same deal, how many car shows are there happening around the world ...... you probably could not count them , it all comes back to the dollar.
to me, a far better value venue would imo be the motor shows in melbourne and Sydney when the cars are actually in the show rooms.

just having a glance at sydney motor show attendances from years past , it varies between 57000 and 320000, would the the mustang show have had near that number of attendance ?

Exactly.....they may allready have the cars booked to be viewed allready at places like dealers where your garunteed to get long term attention and bang for your buck views. (In other words people who actually are willing to buy the car)
I highly doubt owners of older mustangs will buy the new mustang. And if they are, they'd allready be well aware of it.

Ford got this right all considering in my view. There would allready be Soooo much going on behind the scenes that we don't know about......but it's easier to be a hater I suppose!
IMHO

[Express]

Originally Posted by 1TUFFUTE

Exactly.....they may allready have the cars booked to be viewed allready at places like dealers where your garunteed to get long term attention and bang for your buck views. (In other words people who actually are willing to buy the car)
I highly doubt owners of older mustangs will buy the new mustang. And if they are, they'd allready be well aware of it.

Ford got this right all considering in my view. There would allready be Soooo much going on behind the scenes that we don't know about......but it's easier to be a hater I suppose!
IMHO

Criticism isn’t hating, it’s a judgement of merits and in this case, questioning the motivation of Ford’s marketing strategy.

Nothing wrong with questioning their motivation given that many companies with very high product profiles still feel the need for saturation advertising, you only have to look at television of an evening to see the amount of advertising some companies do for products that are already a household name and etched into the minds of consumers.

Ford has a new product, why not take advantage of every opportunity to show it off.

It’s a question worthy of asking.

Calling people haters for having a different point of view or disagreeing with Ford’s approach is saying you don’t have any real argument to counter with.

As far as Ford MAY have other things in the works with places like dealers, I haven’t see a Mustang in a dealership and if that’s the case, how many people go into dealerships and don’t buy anything or go in to purchase 2 door coupes? Maybe similar numbers to those who already own older Mustangs that would also like to own a newer model much the same as many members here who have old and new fords sharing their garages.

Bad form for a company not to advertise just because they think the customer base is already aware of the product, bad form indeed.

But we all have a different way of looking at things and I guess time will tell if FoA is making the right calls.

[boss69hogg]

As a Classic Mustang owner, member of MOCA as well as a State Committee member I can tell you that Ford really have dropped the ball on this one. For the journalist to say that Mustang owners can't afford the new one is a laugh. Most of us that have the old Mustangs have spent between $40-$100k - for what is essentially a toy and not our daily drive. ie: most Mustang owners are not generally struggling financially?

As previously said, the is the Mustang Nationals where members travel from all over Australia to attend. I put in my order for a new GT convertible ($73k on the road). i have spoke. To three Ford dealers in NSW and they confirmed to me that, as of the 6 March when Ford stopped taking orders for the initial shipment, those three dealers alone had amassed 81 confirmed orders with deposits paid. (1 Sydney metro, 1 Central Coast and 1 Regional dealers).

Basically Ford don't need to advertise the car as it already has a massive fan base in Oz and the cars sell the self.

Just leaves a bad taste in the mouth of fans.

[SumoDog68]

It is an interesting situation. Some car ( or any other passionate collectors) owners invest emotions into what is from companies point of view a business relationship. They manufacture a product (cars ) for profit and emotions are not very high on their list.
Such opposing views are occasionally bound to create some friction.

[in_xcess]

Originally Posted by Matty4

Marketing and advertising of any product should be aimed at those who don't know about the product. Those guys and girls at the nationals would already know everything there is to know about it, and have looked at every available image of it online. What would Ford hope to achieve in that small market?

This logic would see Coke NEVER needing to advertise ever again.

Basic marketing is first about a basic brand strategy, followed by brand reinforcement resulting in an overall brand recognition (and then a residual effect is brand loyalty).

Apple have people camping out overnight awaiting the release of a new product... Why? Simply because they have established the brand and now beyond that have brand loyalty! Could you imagine if people camped out the night before the Mustangs release to be the first to test drive or whatever... seems ludicrous but it's possible - if Ford had a basic brand strategy, but they don't because they're too dumb to even take a Mustang to a club meet to get the hype going.

Most products that people get excited about are ***** but through effective marketing we attach ourselves to said product. We wear the logo across our chest - simply showing a new car at an event, giving kids the poster, selling tshirts and taking email addresses is core PR that then spills into media coverage and gets the hype going. You preach to the converted as the converted are your best advertising tool in return.

[GTP534]

One thing I've noticed on the American Mustang Forums is that Ford actively participate in car meets and car shows, even small gatherings.

It would have done so much for goodwill and public relations so it looks on the surface as an opportunity missed and gives that twit Dowling some ammo for another shot at Ford.

[burnz]

Originally Posted by mik

hands up how many forum members went to said mustang show ?
it may not have hurt to have the new model there, but if you do it for one venue then other venues will be looking for the same deal, how many car shows are there happening around the world ...... you probably could not count them , it all comes back to the dollar.
to me, a far better value venue would imo be the motor shows in melbourne and Sydney when the cars are actually in the show rooms.

just having a glance at sydney motor show attendances from years past , it varies between 57000 and 320000, would the the mustang show have had near that number of attendance ?

JD went, that's all you need to know!

[Sprint XR8]

We really should be questioning the motives of the club for turning to a known Ford hater like Dowling. Members and sponsors in the late model Mustang import/conversion business would be butt hurt at Ford killing their cash cow.

[MrEL]

Its the Mustang Nationals.
People would of just picked that the brand new Mustang didn't have the correct build sheet and factory options and that the paint dawbs and chalk marks were incorrect.

[Kieron]

Is there a Holden Nationals show? stick a nice Ford Mustang stand there to grab a few sales before GM announce their V8 replacement downunder

I dare say Ford have already sold the first allotment of Aussie Stangs so don't need to peddle it but, as a past (and future) Mustang owner, I would have gone along to the show expecting to see the new steed. Hell, they took the unreleased FG-X XR8 to Bathurst purely for exposure!

[Joe5619]

I hate hate hate hate the line "Those at the show are mustang fans & would already know all about the car so need to look after them"... This is not customer service & no way to treat very loyal fans. It is very short sighted & you might just lose that customer for good if you treat them with content!!

[Wretched]

Disappointing for sure. Yes, these are Mustang fans attending but then there are others too that will attending that don't own a Mustang, that have kids who could in future be Ford customers.

They don't have to financially support the club, but it is all about getting their name out there and showing that they are keen to support grass roots clubs in other ways. Really for Ford supply a car wouldn't have required too much effort.

It is all about doing the small things to show customers you can connect with them, a little sacrifice here and there can pay off in the long term. It doesn't even have to be RHD, it is just sitting there.

Car makers attend these functions all the time. Even Porsche have/had a 918 here for people to see, can't be driven legally here but that's not the point. It's all about making more people aware of your brand.

I have supported Ford's decisions in the past but I just cannot fathom their thought process on this one.

[Smoke Pursuit]

You have to have passionate people involved otherwise things like this wont happen. Look at what some of the people have done with Falcon fanatics and the GTF. Its obvious that the same people aren't involved with Mustang?

[irish2]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

I hate hate hate hate the line "Those at the show are mustang fans & would already know all about the car so need to look after them"... This is not customer service & no way to treat very loyal fans. It is very short sighted & you might just lose that customer for good if you treat them with content!!

Having been to a few MOCA shows, it is safe to say most attendees just come to gander at the cars. Most couldn't tell you which year is which, but they still love the look of Mustangs. A stall with a new one on display and some sales brochures would perhaps have persuaded a few.

[1TUFFUTE]

Originally Posted by boss69hogg

As a Classic Mustang owner, member of MOCA as well as a State Committee member I can tell you that Ford really have dropped the ball on this one. For the journalist to say that Mustang owners can't afford the new one is a laugh. Most of us that have the old Mustangs have spent between $40-$100k - for what is essentially a toy and not our daily drive. ie: most Mustang owners are not generally struggling financially?

As previously said, the is the Mustang Nationals where members travel from all over Australia to attend. I put in my order for a new GT convertible ($73k on the road). i have spoke. To three Ford dealers in NSW and they confirmed to me that, as of the 6 March when Ford stopped taking orders for the initial shipment, those three dealers alone had amassed 81 confirmed orders with deposits paid. (1 Sydney metro, 1 Central Coast and 1 Regional dealers).

Basically Ford don't need to advertise the car as it already has a massive fan base in Oz and the cars sell the self.

Just leaves a bad taste in the mouth of fans.

It was actually the mustang event organiser who said that club mustang goers couldn't afford a new one.(on behalf of ford that is)

And I noticed your getting one, your a club member and you didn't need to see it at your local club meet. It's true.....mustang sells itself.......but that doesn't mean Ford is doing nothing to promote it as some seem to think. A quick research and a google shows a lot of content ford has already put on. Including a tv commercials(which nobody even watches these days). But that's another story.......

[1TUFFUTE]

[QUOTE=Joe5619;5368028. .......& you might just lose that customer for good if you treat them with content!![/QUOTE]

They'd be a tad weird in my eyes if they penalised themselves of an amazing car just because they thought they were treated with "contempt"(pretty strong word in this situation)

[Joe5619]

Originally Posted by 1TUFFUTE

They'd be a tad weird in my eyes if they penalised themselves of an amazing car just because they thought they were treated with "contempt"(pretty strong word in this situation)

Do it once & you get away with it... Keep doing it & it becomes a problem!! I'd say Ford (and Holden for that matter) has been doing this for years & this is why they find themself at the end of 9-10 years of continue sales decline.

I'm a loyal customer who blindly went out & bought a brand new Falcon (without comparing other models). I'm pretty much going to blindly buy a mustang (without comparing other models), but Ford is pushing me to my limits in terms of their lack of commitment to loyal customers. They can sponsor a footy team, but not motorsports, WTF!!! They might just lose my business & once I’m gone I won’t come back quickly just out of principle.

[1TUFFUTE]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

, but Ford is pushing me to my limits in terms of their lack of commitment to loyal customers. They can sponsor a footy team, but not motorsports, WTF!!!

Better go buy a Hyundai then, no wait they don't support Motorsport. Maybe Toyota, or a Mitsubishi? What about a Kia or a BMW or a Volvo or a Great Wall.........


Either way...good luck. People get burnt no matter what you buy. A quick google search shows how bad it is. Even Kia and their 7 year warranties are having strife. I was thinking they'd only back their car that much if it was bulletproof. Turns out...nope.

It's on you to find a good dealer.....that's the best you can do!

[Revolver]

Originally Posted by 1TUFFUTE

Better go buy a Hyundai then, no wait they don't support Motorsport. Maybe Toyota, or a Mitsubishi? What about a Kia or a BMW or a Volvo or a Great Wall.........


Either way...good luck. People get burnt no matter what you buy. A quick google search shows how bad it is. Even Kia and their 7 year warranties are having strife. I was thinking they'd only back their car that much if it was bulletproof. Turns out...nope.

It's on you to find a good dealer.....that's the best you can do!

My girlfriend bought a Rio in 06. So that's 9 years. Only thing that's gone wrong with it is the coil packs last year (8 years), and usual consumables. That's all.

How could Kia be having strife with thier 7 year warranty when they only started offering it last year? It's nowhere near the 7 year mark.

Unless your referring to having troubles with selling even with a 7 years warranty.

Either that or we've been one of the luck ones.

Better go find that lucky piece of wood I touch!

[1TUFFUTE]

Originally Posted by Revolver

My girlfriend bought a Rio in 06. So that's 9 years. Only thing that's gone wrong with it is the coil packs last year (8 years), and usual consumables. That's all.

How could Kia be having strife with thier 7 year warranty when they only started offering it last year? It's nowhere near the 7 year mark.

Unless your referring to having troubles with selling even with a 7 years warranty.

Either that or we've been one of the luck ones.

Better go find that lucky piece of wood I touch!

Yeah the part you highlighted. I was referring to how a company would want a pretty solid car if they're willing to back it for a full 7years. But if you do a search....there's plenty of people with the new 7year warranted cars with dramas.
And of course yes the 7 year warranties is only new. I'm pretty sure the whole World would know about it if your 8 or 9year old Kia was only just out of warranty

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by in_xcess

This logic would see Coke NEVER needing to advertise ever again.

Basic marketing is first about a basic brand strategy, followed by brand reinforcement resulting in an overall brand recognition (and then a residual effect is brand loyalty).

Apple have people camping out overnight awaiting the release of a new product... Why? Simply because they have established the brand and now beyond that have brand loyalty! Could you imagine if people camped out the night before the Mustangs release to be the first to test drive or whatever... seems ludicrous but it's possible - if Ford had a basic brand strategy, but they don't because they're too dumb to even take a Mustang to a club meet to get the hype going.

Most products that people get excited about are ***** but through effective marketing we attach ourselves to said product. We wear the logo across our chest - simply showing a new car at an event, giving kids the poster, selling tshirts and taking email addresses is core PR that then spills into media coverage and gets the hype going. You preach to the converted as the converted are your best advertising tool in return.

Really good comment, especially the last paragraph. For example, the Sandman launch was near us so took young one along - he got a free poster, free sticker, got to sit in the cars, see new and old Sandmans; I got to do same and talk to organisers/staff and give my feedback on the concept. It seemed family friendly which I suppose is their target market. Young one is a huge Mustang fan too, and goes nuts every time a recent Mustang is seen on the road, asking "Is that the new one?" To be able to see one at a show (and get a poster!) would be pretty special in anyone's formative years. Other than that, there's this palpable sense of excitement that Mustang is coming - that took 50 years of production to form, some incredible halo cars, losing their way and coming back to greatness - that PR just can't buy. Why not stoke the fire along as you go?

There will certainly be other opportunities to show the new car.

[XRtowcar]

Obviously Fords publicity department is full of early twenty something's who think a Facebook post and a # tweet is enough work for one day.