Evil_Capri

http://money.cnn.com/2006/10/31/auto...tune/index.htm

Seems like he 'gets it' . . . . now he just has to make sure everyone else does as well. (I can't believe they didn't have a Business Plan?!?)

TomServo92

The one common theme I heard was "product, product, product" and this was one of his most important comments IMO:

hi5.0

That plan better include dealers at some point.

Hollywood_North GT

I can.

Hollywood_North GT

Funny how when I keep saying that on these boards, I'm told it's perception, NOT product...then immediately get condemned as a "Ford hater."

I love vindication.

TomServo92

Actually you're condemned for far more reasons than just that....



Oh...and not so fast on that vindication thing. While they do need new products to attract customers from the foreign makes, the products that they do have match import quality even though the perception is that they don't. While the message "product, product, product" is important, the flipside is that the domestics also need to win the hearts and minds of the consumers on the quality front in order to reverse that perception.

Vermillion06

Your memory must be really bad. Why just the other day you posted this:

Hollywood_North GT

The mistake that you guys keep making, is erroneously separating quality and perception. For most of today's discerning buyers, they are one in the same.

Marketing is a different story.

TomServo92

As I stated in another thread, some buyers never even bother to shop domestic brands due to the quality perception.

Hollywood_North GT

And many buyers never even bother to shop domestic brands because of bad experiences with them in the past, hence their 'perceptions'.

Who's fault is that? Again, you're arguing that perception happens in a vacuum, which is an erroneous belief.

It's like a life-long smoker going to the doctor, being diagnosed with lung cancer, and then blaming the doctor for the bad news.

I was taught to be responsible for my actions, not foist them off on someone else. Ford has a perception problem because they've had a quality problem over the years. That's not the buyer's fault, it's Ford's.

Now, how to change public perception is a different discussion, but once again, I believe if you start building a quality product, the public WILL take notice and 'perception' will take care of itself. And that argument is supported by the fact that Fusion sales are doing very well.

TomServo92

And there are plenty of people who've never bought or shopped domestics because they perceive the quality isn't there. To believe otherwise indicates you live in a vacuum. The truth is that both cases exist. Ford needs to win back those that they lost and win over those that never looked in the first place. It seems the Fusion and its siblings are doing just that just as you stated and I firmly believe the Edge will continue that trend.

Vermillion06

That article must have misquoted Mulally or taken his quote out of context.
What the heck is this then?
http://media.ford.com/events/way_for...USINESS%20PLAN

This is a link to Ford's Business Plan dated January 23, 2006

Evil_Capri

I do not think Mulally was misquoted at all.

The link you provided is the FMC-North American Business Plan. The CNN interview with Mulally seems to indicate a 'WORLDWIDE' FMC Business Plan that they did not have, hence the "worldwide" quote.

Hollywood_North GT

Whoops. Looks like someone got again.

Vermillion06

That's what happens when you contradict yourself!!

Vermillion06

It wasn't really clear which "business plan" they were talking about but then later they did mention "everybody on my team worldwide"...