Ford Drops ‘Friends & Neighbors’ Sales Promotion

[surreal1272]

Ford just recently ended their "Friends and Neighbors" program that was so highly by them for the last month. Click on the link for more information. 

 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/ford-drops-friends-neighbors-sales-promotion-that-falls-flat-with-customers-1448644961

 

 

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

Dam, I was hoping they would continue through the end of the year and play the game a bit closer to their competition, and have a record year and profit.

[surreal1272]

Honestly, given the time of the year of big sales, I am surprised it didn't drum up more sales for them. They have plenty of new product but it really won't hurt them in the end.

Edited November 30, 2015 by Drew Dowdell

[surreal1272]

And correction to my first post. It should have read, "was so highly promoted by them".

[Drew Dowdell]

I've cleaned up all of the off topic crap. Some of you might want to take a second try at replying.

 

 

I'm watching.......

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

"so highly promoted"????

 

Hardly.

No different than a Toyota thon end of the year sale.

 

My guess, sales are so good, they are running out of product quickly    

 

It could happen

[regfootball]

i was really a lame promotion.

 

ford has great success in spring and fall/winter with regional promotion packages in their cars.  Package up rebates / cheap lease with some regional packages, (for example heated seats and remote start for free or huge discount) at the right time of year and its a useful tool.  A bunch of doofs and 'friends and family' doesnt work.

[Drew Dowdell]

I hadn't even heard of it, so I dunno how widely promoted it was..... but I've been in a bubble the last few months.

[surreal1272]

In case the WSJ is being a butthole and asking you to sign in or subscribe, here is another article detailing it.

 

http://www.autonews.com/article/20151127/RETAIL/151129886/ford-drops-friends-&-neighbors-sale-early-opts-for-traditional-year 

[surreal1272]

"so highly promoted"????

 

Hardly.

No different than a Toyota thon end of the year sale.

 

My guess, sales are so good, they are running out of product quickly    

 

It could happen

Except, unlike Toyota, this was not touted as an end of year sale and was on TV all the time. There was hardly a televised NFL game that did not show that spot over and over again. Per the article though, Ford is just changing it to a "Holiday Sales Event", much like everyone else and that makes a lot more sense. It is clear that the Friends and Neighbors campaign did not give them the results they wanted or they would still be running it as such. Per a dealer spokesman, “Obviously their pulling it means it’s disappointed them,” said Jeff Carlson, the owner of Glenwood Springs Ford in western Colorado. “We go by what the consumer says, and the consumer voted not to embrace this.”

 

 

And it was highly promoted. Per the article,

 

"Ford had been heavily promoting “Friends & Neighbors” with ads inviting shoppers to take advantage of the “inside deal” that’s normally available only to employees’ friends and relatives. The sale set a no-haggle price within about $200 of dealer invoice, though dealers were allowed to undercut that amount -- which many were doing."

 

 

Per Ford CFO Shanks,

“There is no incentive increase,” Shanks told analysts during a question-and-answer session in New York. “This was a marketing program. It was called what it was called to try to attract consumers. We are trying to market our products effectively.”

 

And the sale was probably in response to this little tidbit,

"Ford hoped the promotion would help generate strong sales to close out 2015, a year in which its market share has been flat. Forecasts from TrueCar and Edmunds.com show Ford’s share in November flat with a year ago and down from October -- an indication that the promotion had not panned out as much as executives had expected."

[Drew Dowdell]

Well... sales can be up and market share be flat at the same time. Flat market share is not flat sales. The wsj should know this.

[surreal1272]

Well... sales can be up and market share be flat at the same time. Flat market share is not flat sales. The wsj should know this.

Well their goal, like everyone else's, is to increase market share right? Increased sales lead to increased market share (doesn't always work out like that, but that is the goal). I think that is all the article was implying. 

Edited December 1, 2015 by surreal1272

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

Anyway, I barely heard much about either.

[surreal1272]

That doesn't mean that wasn't highly promoted. It just means that you feel that it wasn't, nothing less nothing more. This article covers the programs end in a little more detail.

 

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/ford/2015/11/30/friends-neighbors/76559532/

Edited December 1, 2015 by surreal1272

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

Obviously the term 'highly' is highly subjective.

It was a marketing stunt that got some press and did not seem to take, just as they launch another program with a different marketing name that will no doubt yield similar final discounts.

Edited December 1, 2015 by Drew Dowdell
Removed personal stuff

[Drew Dowdell]

 

Well... sales can be up and market share be flat at the same time. Flat market share is not flat sales. The wsj should know this.

Well their goal, like everyone else's, is to increase market share right? Increased sales lead to increased market share (doesn't always work out like that, but that is the goal). I think that is all the article was implying. 

 

 

Everyone wants to gain market share, but when you're already as big in the US as Ford, GM, and Toyota, there will only be small movements in either direction.   Companies with smaller sales numbers simply have an easier time making bigger jumps (Subaru) because they cover fewer segments.  

[surreal1272]

 

 

Well... sales can be up and market share be flat at the same time. Flat market share is not flat sales. The wsj should know this.

Well their goal, like everyone else's, is to increase market share right? Increased sales lead to increased market share (doesn't always work out like that, but that is the goal). I think that is all the article was implying. 

 

 

Everyone wants to gain market share, but when you're already as big in the US as Ford, GM, and Toyota, there will only be small movements in either direction.   Companies with smaller sales numbers simply have an easier time making bigger jumps (Subaru) because they cover fewer segments.  

 

Oh, I agree with you on that Drew, but increased sales are always the goal and if it increases their market share, then it's even better for said company's image and future PR and marketing.

[ocnblu]

I happened to walk by the TV in our waiting area at work this morning and sawr an ad from Ford touting over $10k in savings on the F-150.  I had to adjust the lump of aluminum foil on the rabbit ears to make sure I heard that right.

[William Maley]

And another clearing of the Off-Topic stuff.

Guys, keep on topic. You're on very thin ice at the moment.

 

 

[regfootball]

Give people a difference maker.

http://www.siouxcityford.com/blog/new-2014-ford-focus-with-no-charge-winter-package

A package like this on a small car can tilt the equation. Similar deal is a 'sun and sound' package