Category: Ford

Alignment of HRM and business strategies

Ford Motors is a well-established automobile manufacturer across the globe. It has a long history of successful operations. In order to remain profitable amidst tough competition in the automobile industry, the company undertook a number of restructuring efforts as part of its business strategy (Bayou & de Korvin, 2008).

From 2006 to 2012, the company executed the One Ford business strategy. The Human Resource (HR) department job positions at Ford Motors include personnel relations, workforce planning and recruiting, business operations and labor relations.

The main roles of the HR department entail recruiting/hiring, training, capacity building, promotions, demotions and firing of employees. I would prefer to work as a labor relations officer because I am diplomatic and can adequately bridge the gap between employees, employer and trade unions.

After Alan Mulally assumed the CEOs position of the company in 2006, he initiated the growth stimulation plan under the banner of One Ford strategy (Hiraide & Chakraborty, 2012). First, this business strategy outlined the importance of a competent and well-motivated workforce in the growth objectives of the automobile company.

There was urgent need to create a winning team that would boost the profitability of the company. Mutual participation in key decision-making processes was seen by the management of the company as a major motivating factor. Delivery of results was the mandate of individual employees even though tasks were assigned to teams.

Teamwork experience is the noblest approach through which the company markets its human capital. Second, the whole global enterprise of the Ford Motors adopted a single plan as part of the One Ford strategy. The set performance objectives were also aligned with the global plan of the company.

The one plan concept was meant to avoid any form of ambiguity in the course of operations. As much as some level of success was attained through the autonomous business units, the management thought that the system was quite inefficient in delivering desired results. The one plan agenda would be sustainable for a long period.

Hence, a single, unified entity replaced the disparate units when the one plan was embraced and adopted by the company. In order to implement the One Ford business strategy, the company began by securing adequate finances.

A total of $23.5 billion was secured by the company towards the end of December 2006. This was indeed a major strategic financing that remarkably boosted the liquidity of the firm. Besides, another 4.95 billion dollars was secured by Ford as part of its convertible debt since it was necessary for the company to cushion itself against unforeseen risks.

The automotive business was also restructured alongside the One Ford strategy. The latter was necessary because the company needed to be in line with the changing tastes and preferences of consumers, high fuel prices, and low demand for its products.

Restructuring also entailed minimizing operational costs by close to $5 billion. As it stands now, the company is still pursuing the broad objective of hastening the production and marketing of new products (Chuang & Liao, 2010).

Ford Motors can establish a number of HR management strategies in order to improve its competitive strategy. For instance, the department should attract and mobilize the unique abilities of employees (talent) in order to enhance the adopted business strategies.

Talent management can swiftly align HR roles with business strategy. Furthermore, building performance capability ensures that the set strategies are successful. It is the role of the HR department to undertake capacity building and training of employees on a regular basis.

Other alignment methods include building effective leadership, good governance, and providing coherence. The company can increase diversity at workplace by holding managers accountable, introducing mentoring schemes, developing and promoting organizational culture, flexible working for all employees, and promotion of minority networking groups (Ilmakunnas & Ilmakunnas, 2011).

References

Bayou, M. E., & de Korvin, A. (2008). Measuring the leanness of manufacturing systems-A case study of ford motor company and general motors. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, 25(4), 287.

Chuang, C., & Liao, H. (2010). Strategic Human Resource Management in Service Context: Taking Care of Business by Taking Care of Employees and Customers. Personnel Psychology, 63(1), 153-196.

Hiraide, N., & Chakraborty, K. (2012). Surviving the global recession and the demand for auto industry in the U.S.  A case for ford motor company. International Journal of Economics and Finance, 4(5), 85-93.

Ilmakunnas, P., & Ilmakunnas, S. (2011). Diversity at the workplace: Whom does it benefit? De Economist, 159(2), 223-255.

Introduction

In addition to an income statement and a balance sheet statement, a cash flow statement is used in order to conclude regarding the generation and distribution of cash in a company. The analysis of this statement is important to examine possible changes in the cash flows related to a firms operating, financing, and investing activities and decisions (Epstein, 2014). The aim of this paper is to discuss the purpose of a cash flow statement and provide an analysis of Ford Motor Companys financial status with reference to its cash flows.

Purpose of a Cash Flow Statement

Analysts usually examine cash flow statements along with other important financial statements. The primary purpose of a companys cash flow statement is to represent the sources of generating cash for an enterprise, as well as the details regarding the cash spending. These cash inflows and outflows are usually reported for a certain period of time, and they can be compared to the cash flows set for the same period in past years (Öztürk, 2015). The focus on these data allows for concluding regarding a firms liquidity with reference to its cash receipts and cash payments, as well as a firms solvency (Deo, 2016). From this perspective, analysts pay attention to cash flows from operating activities, investing activities, and financing activities (Epstein, 2014). This information is collected and analyzed by existing and potential investors and analysts in order to evaluate the net change in an organizations cash to conclude about the strategic and financial effectiveness of its activities, as well as this firms financial position.

Analysis of Ford Motor Companys Cash Flow Statement

The analysis of a cash flow statement for a company depends on the ratio analysis. The key ratios that are used by analysts to determine a firms liquidity and solvency include FCF / OCF and Cash Flow Margin. The FCF / OCF ratio indicates the relation of free cash flows (including cash from operations and investments) to operating cash flows (Epstein, 2014). Accordingly, FCF / OCF for Ford Motor Company equals ($9,045 + ($-14,290)) / $9,045 = -0.58 = -58% (Ford Motor Company, 2012). This ratio means that the firm cannot generate enough cash in order to use it for the organizations needs and address capital providers interests.

Cash Flow Margin is utilized when it is necessary to determine how much revenue can be turned into an operating cash flow when a company needs this. This ratio is calculated with the help of dividing the cash from a companys operations by sales (Epstein, 2014). For Ford Motor Company in 2012, Cash Flow Margin equals $9,045 / $126,567 = 0.07 = 7% (Ford Motor Company, 2012). This result is rather low, indicating that Ford Motor Company has problems with its profitability and liquidity. It means that the company cannot successfully use the generated cash flow in order to address all its operating needs.

Conclusion

In order to understand what cash is available to a company within different periods of time in order to cover its short-term and long-term liabilities, as well as to demonstrate a firms liquidity, it is necessary to analyze a cash flow statement and calculate cash flow ratios. There are many ratios that can be applied by analysts in order to conclude regarding an organizations financial status, and they are based on measuring cash flows from operating activities, investing activities, or financing activities. The choice of the ratio for analysis depends on the purpose of an analysts evaluation of a companys profitability, liquidity, and solvency.

References

Deo, P. (2016). Evaluating a cash flow statement. International Journal of Business, Accounting, & Finance, 10(1), 22-42.

Epstein, L. (2014). Financial decision making: An introduction to financial reports. Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Ford Motor Company. (2012). Profitable growth for all: Ford Motor Company 2012 Annual report. Web.

Öztürk, C. (2015). Some issues related to cash flow statement in accounting education: The case of Turkey. Accounting and Management Information Systems, 14(2), 398-431.

Using the Big five personality dimensions, diagnose Mulallys personality. How have these dimensions influenced his leadership at Ford?

Personality is complex and varies according to different people. The big five personality dimensions are usually broad categories of personal behaviors and traits and though most of the researchers do not agree on the exact labels, the five dimensions are characterized as Extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, and conscientiousness (Heinstrom, 2003).

In line with the above five dimension personalities, Mulally can be described as an open person and this can be described in the case study by his desire to communicate every idea he has and the fact that he asserts that everyone has to know the plan, its status and the places that need attention. His openness and respect to all the workers and executives have won him support throughout the organization.

Mulally is also a conscientious person since he is goal-directed and like achieving his objectives. Mulally is also an extravert, this is because he is adventurous, assertive in his actions and sociable. We can confirm this by the fact that he holds executive meetings every Thursday where every member has to forward the progress his department has been making and during the week he visits two rooms which are lined up with performance charts arranged according to the department.

He can also be described as an agreeable person who is ready to nurture and give the emotional support required to support the growth of the Ford Company. This is described by his color-coded reports in which special attention is given according to the color of the reports. When one of his executives stated that there was a problem in one of the departments, he appreciated the clear visibility the executive showed and he states that if anything is noticed to be off-track then necessary measures need to be taken.

Neuroticism is a measure of affection and emotional control where low levels of neuroticism indicate emotional stability to which we can associate Mulally. On his arrival at Ford, the company was making losses and earlier when he was asked whether the company could succeed, he said he did not know but he indicated that they had devised a work plan which could help in reviving the company. This shows he was emotionally prepared for anything that could follow during his tenure in the company.

What is Mulallys leadership style? What evidence supports your choice?

The manner and the approach through which directions, plan implementation and motivation of the people working in a company are integrated into a working tool are often described as a leadership style. There exist three different leadership styles which are: authoritarian, delegative, and participative. For a leader to succeed in his authority, it is necessary to mix all the three types of leadership although many tend to stick with one.

In our case, Mulally seems to mix all three types of leadership styles. The participative aspect is clearly shown by the weekly meetings which are held every Thursday morning, during the meetings, all issues are discussed in a round table where everybody contributes to the issue. The delegation aspects come into play with the fact that after the consultative meeting, Mulally promises to delegate the action and meet the respective department heads to solve the problem. He can also be described as authoritative to some degree in the way the meetings are held. Discipline is always maintained as there are no books, blackberries nor are there pre-meetings everything is discussed on board and if anyone starts talking or shows some sort of disrespect to the others, the meetings just stop.

Evaluate Mulallys change methods. Are these effective?

Change methods are the techniques a company uses to accomplish specific purposes. These techniques involve planning, restructuring and also improving existing processes. Mulallys change methods can be described as integrative, where he discovered that for the company to succeed, the company had to sell some of the makes, such as, Jaguar and Landrover to other carmakers to have a uniform production process for one make of a car which was a ford, and through this, the company benefited from economies of scale thus cutting on costs.

Are There Indicators Of The Use Of Evidence-Based Management? Explain.

There are indicators that Mulally used the methods he had applied while in Boeing. For example, the discipline which was maintained during the Thursday meeting was copied from Boeing in which he indicates that while in Boeing, he had removed the posts of vice presidents since they kept on talking thinking they were very important and the same was not encouraged in Ford Company. Since it is indicated that in case instances of disrespect were noted during the meeting, meetings were usually stopped.

How would you assess Mulally on each of the elements of communication openness?

The imparting or the exchange of thoughts from one party to another is referred to as communication. The exchange can be done through speech and signs. Communication openness is an effective tool in decision making.

For a successful communication process, the following elements of communication must interrelate efficiently and effectively and they include sender-receiver, messages, channels, noise, feedback and setting (Harris& Hartman, 2001).

Sender-receiver is the most important basic element because it is the basic concept of a conversation. For Mulally, he is excellent at this element because since he joined Ford Company, he has been holding meetings every Thursday, and during the meetings, he ensures that every executive member presents his or her work in a comfortable environment where consulting is allowed after the meeting.

In relaying the messages, Mulally is also excellent, messages do not have to be verbal and this has been done by speech and also by the use of charts which describe the situations every company department is at. He also uses the best channels in communicating the information in that there are no usually pre-meetings briefing everything is discussed in the presence of all players thus none can argue that he or she was not adequately informed or involved in the decision making process. He hates noisemakers and during the meetings, he ensures that conversations out of the subject are not allowed and also if one makes an utterance which may seem to demean all the other persons character during the meeting can cause the meeting to be stopped.

The feedback process and the settings through which the feedback is relayed are also excellent because if an issue is not solved during the executive meeting, Mulally promises to consult and then hold meetings with the required department to solve the issue.

Reference List

Harris, o. J; & Hartman, J. S. (2001). Organizational Behavior. New York: Cengage Learning.

Heinstrom, J. (2003). Five Personality Dimensions and Their Influence on Information Behavior. Web.

Introduction

Organizations today strive to etch a commanding global presence. Many of the multinational companies, though having significant global presence, are not equally aggressive in their global strategy. Globalization today has become a necessity for sustenance for most organizations and firms strive to fulfill this obligation. The effectiveness of management in framing a proper globalization strategy is essential.

The presence of a proper global strategy has become an indispensable part of the corporate strategy (Prahalad 1990). As the nature of competition is different with respect to industries and their domestic and international scope, it is crucial to properly gauge the strategy one adopts (Porter 1986). This paper recommends strategies that would be helpful for Ford Motors.

Global Strategy and Management

Literature on global strategy and management is vast. One of the pioneers in studying competitiveness in globalization, Michael Porter, has stated: In a multidomestic industry, competition in each country & is essentially independent of competition in other countries (Porter 1986, p. 18). Globalization of business means that when a firm operates in more than one country and has a competitive position in one country, it has a significant effect on the firms position in another country (Boyacigiller & Adler 1991).

International diversification is an essential part of growth in the industry for corporate executives and involves complex strategic decisions (Carpenter & Fredrickson 2001). Management researchers have emphasized on the importance of corporate performance, which is influenced greatly by corporate strategy (Hitt, Ireland & Hoskisson 2013).

Researchers have established a strong linkage between the characteristics of organizational managers and the performance outcome of the organization (Carpenter & Fredrickson 2001; Carpenter, Geletkanycz & Sanders 2004). The upper echelon of the management has a strong influence on formulating the strategy of a company and the way a company adopts its globalization strategy (Carr 2005). Hambrick (2007) suggests that top management influences the understanding and handling of facts and premises and the choices that are made by the company. In terms of globalization of business, the influence of the top management is inevitable.

Further, the globalization process is a strategy that comes from within the organization. The main importance of the globalization strategy undertaken by firms is to understand the approach and structure of the management (Meyer, Mudambi & Narula 2011). Top management also facilitates development of new markets for companies originating from advanced countries and helps firms acquire non-market advantages (Cuervo-Cazurra & Genc 2011). The next section is the evaluation of Ford Company and its global management strategies.

Ford Motors

The case study provides recommendation for Ford Motor to enhance managements influence in global context. The influence of top management on change of the companys fortunes is apparent in case of Ford Motors. However, the vision of the company was not completely delivered to the employees. In 2006, the CEO of Ford Motors took the reigns of the company, when it was posting high losses (Nisen 2013). Even though initially the company posted profits, from the turn of the century the company went into losses. The process of globalization was still not in place and the company lacked innovation in their product development.

In an interview, Alan Mulally pointed out that the top management or the executives in the upper echelon had little to do with the success of a company (Nisen 2013). This contradicts the popular literature, which enforces that the upper management body influences strategizing and success of a company. The optimism in the employees and the corporate vision has to be shared by the top management with all the employees, which helps in improving performance.

The performance of Ford Motors, as shown in table 1 in the appendix, illustrates that the companys revenue has been declining steadily over the years. It has only shown an increase in their income in 2013. However, the revenue has fallen by 14.53 percent since 2004 (Ford 2014).

Profits of the company have declined considerably since 2004 and 2005. The reason for the decline in the profits of the company is posted as external reasons, mostly due to the economic slowdown. A deeper analysis reveals that the company has been performing well in its domestic market, that is North America. However, in international market the sales figures have been declining resulting in a loss, as one of the companys second largest markets was the European market, which was in recession during the period.

Streamlining of the supply chain and the value chain of the company is important to facilitate globalization process. For globalization, the company has to adopt a unified strategy that would streamline operations in all global locations.

A few significant changes that the company has to bring about in order to expand its presence in European and Asian markets is increasing the number of hatchback and small cars and decreasing the number of large cars in its product portfolio.

The aim of the strategy should be to align the operations and expectations of the employees and guarantee the alignment of the efforts. The alignment should not only involve the employees of the company, but also to its business partners and investors. Due to severe economic crisis, the sales volume in the European and North American market has declined considerably. Ford must change its market focus. They have to shift their focus from western markets to Asia Pacific.

The company was undergoing severe crisis in the early half of the twenty-first century. However, since adoption of the One Ford plan, the company has observed a steady revival of its production and performance. The reason for the turnaround was a steady delivery of high quality innovative products that were in demand in the market.

The company has to restructure its operation and align its product development, production, and marketing strategies. Further, the company must understand that irrespective of the region, the organizational commitment for efficiency has to remain the same.

Conclusion

Management has a strong influence on the strategy and expansion plans of the company. Researchers have demonstrated that management has a strong influence on the performance of a company, especially when the firm is in the process of expanding its business. The limitation of the upper echelon model is that they do not consider the bottom down approach.

References

Boyacigiller, NA & Adler, NJ 1991, The parochial dinosaur: Organizational science in a global context., Academy of management Review , vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 262-290.

Carpenter, MA & Fredrickson, JW 2001, Top management teams, global strategic posture, and the moderating role of uncertainty, Academy of Management Journal, vol. 44, no. 3, pp. 533-545.

Carpenter, MA, Geletkanycz, MA & Sanders, G 2004, Upper Echelons Research Revisited: Antecedents, Elements, and Consequences of Top Management Team Composition, Journal of Management December, vol. 30, no. 6, pp. 749-778.

Carr, C 2005, Are German, Japanese and Anglo-Saxon Strategic Decision Styles Still Divergent in the Context of Globalization?, Journal of Management Studies, vol 42, no. 6, pp. 1155-1188.

Cuervo-Cazurra, A & Genc, ME 2011, Obligating, Pressuring, and Supporting Dimensions of the Environment and the Non-Market Advantages of Developing-Country Multinational Companies, Journal of Management Studies, vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 441-455.

Ford 2014, Web.

Hambrick, DC 2007, Upper Echelons Theory: An Update, Academy of Management Review, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 334-343.

Hitt, M, Ireland, RD & Hoskisson, R 2013, Strategic management cases: competitiveness and globalization, Cengage Learning, Mason, OH.

Meyer, KE, Mudambi, R & Narula, R 2011, Multinational enterprises and local contexts: the opportunities and challenges of multiple embeddedness, Journal of Management Studies , vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 235-252.

Nisen, M 2013, Alan Mulally Reveals How He Turned Around Ford, Web.

Porter, ME 1986, Competition in Global Industries, Harvard Business Press, Massachusets.

Strategy 2013, Web.

Prahalad, CK 1990, Globalization  The intellectual and managerial challenges, Human Resource Management, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 27-37.

Appendix

Table 1: Income Statement of Ford(Ford 2014)

The organizing function of management is a critical management activity that is closely connected with planning and leading. At ford Motor Company, organizing plays a crucial role in the manufacturing and retail sector used as a coordinated effort in order to adjust and balance its resources, and produce programs of logical action. Since marketing executives are faced with the necessity of utilizing scarce capabilities and resources in limited periods of time, effective organizing is a major problem. Effective organizing can only be achieved, however, through planned behavior. By enabling the conservation and allocation of human and physical resources, organizing provides the basic means for designing the marketing mix, implementing marketing programs, and establishing new marketing objectives. Although finance and production have long been planned, organizing activity has not. Often it has been performed rather haphazardly (Bateman and Snell 2005). The emphasis on organizing marketing operations (which is new, and has been stimulated by the marketing management concept) is now widely applied. At Ford, organizing can be characterized as predetermining courses of marketing action. It is based on both intelligence and the assessment of opportunities since it deals with the future with respect to both perspectives and operations. Organizing and marketing action is its major objectives, which are achieved through organizational implementation. Two general approaches to organizing exist a deterministic or general formula approach, and a dynamic approach. Organizing details and reflects the marketing planning procedure as follows:

1. determine objectives or goals;
2. set up a plan to achieve them;
3. control the elements to make sure they conform to the plan.

The sequence is goals, plans, and control. This approach ignores the realities of marketing situations. Organizing underscores the fact that plans are not merely the results of objectives, but that plans affect objectives. The goals and objectives can be changed, as can the plans. Changes in market opportunities, for example, result in changes in company objectives and hence changes in marketing planning. In addition, a company might purposely set out to change its marketing plans in the sense of improving them (Bateman and Snell 2005).

Delegation functions

Delegation is the main tool of modern management that allows big organizations to manage resources. For Ford managers, delegation is goal-directed and achieves a more efficient expenditure of marketing resources. Delegation helps managers to void work overload and necessitates the classification of a companys goal or objective. Ford first specifies goals and then develops plans to carry them out, thus being able to achieve the goals. Delegation makes planning, control, leading and organizing functions work effectively. Goals thereby determine plans -plans are ways of reaching goals. Another dimension of the relationship between goals and plans stems from the fact that an organization does not have a single corporate goal; it has multiple goals. Thus, the delegation that at first appears to be a compromise among conflicting practices actually creates a major goal. As the basic vehicle for matching ends with means or marketing resources with market opportunity, marketing planning becomes the mechanism through which a company is brought into line with the external environment. Delegation is an essential function of management, which has a forward-looking, integrated, and balanced view of total action. Delegation encompasses the perspective of the future, the types of objectives established, and the strategies and tactics to be employed (Bateman and Snell 2005). Through delegation, the fundamental management strategies are conceived on the basis of market needs, forces, and opportunities; and HR management is implemented as a philosophy of business operation and a way of corporate life.

References

Bateman, Th., Snell, S. (2005). Management: Leading and Collaborating in a Competitive World. McGraw-Hill/Irwin; 7 edition.

Introduction

The marketing plan that Ford implemented for the Fiesta is a forward-thinking approach to the business of marketing. The automotive business in the United States is a highly competitive market in which a large number of well-established brands currently operate successfully and have a substantial number of loyal customers. This essay will analyze the marketing techniques employed by the Ford Fiesta Movement.

Fords US Fiesta Marketing Strategy: Outcomes, Benefits, and Drawbacks

Ford could attract many customers attention and participation across all of its social media platforms because of the efficient marketing strategies the company implemented. It is possible for a company to first stabilize its customer base by identifying its target customers and communicating with those customers using the marketing strategy that is the best fit for the target. The marketing team faces various challenges, one of which is the expense of the Fiesta Movement metrics, which are implemented as part of the Ford Fiestas commercial strategy (Stephen, 2017). The team must recruit agents from various social media sites, which can be time-consuming due to the necessity to evaluate and reject influencers incompatible with their marketing strategy.

The marketing company will need to offer new cars for their agents to drive and promote on social media after they have been recruited. It might be costly because owners do not know what will occur, giving cars to these influencers. The act of initially lending brand-new cars to influencers is fraught with high risk because the company does not know if customers will trust the influencers recommendations and consider purchasing the cars. In addition, if Ford overly influenced the efforts of its agents, no one could be certain that the favorable trends in impressions and familiarity observed in the first two months would result in a sale.

Performance Analysis of Fiesta Movement

Fiesta Movement calculated the cost of the automotives and the infrastructure. They computed the monthly cost of program maintenance. Other variables included vehicle familiarity, the number of test drives, workarounds, monthly visits to the Fiesta website, voice share, and demographics. They have established standards for their agents: the number of creative works generated. In some ways, the Fiesta Movements performance meets expectations; in others, it exceeds them. In the category of familiarity, they scored higher than the Nissan Cube by a margin of 42% to 23% (Stephen, 2017). The number of persons who visited the location far exceeded their estimates. Although there were numerous test drives and walk-around, they lacked a suitable benchmark for this evaluation because the number of vehicles available was substantially fewer than that of a typical prelaunch campaign. It prevented them from making an appropriate comparison during the relaunch. Even though none of the content provided by the Agents went viral, the numbers posted by the Agents were precisely in line with what Ford had desired.

Ford did not quantify the level of interest in purchasing nor limit their spending. If they had included a survey for test drivers or those who did a walk-around, they could have been able to establish whether there was an interest in making a purchase. Additionally, they may have undertaken their research through their Agents. If their money were controlled, they could analyze their performance concerning the campaign more accurately.

When seeking to assess the advancement of the Fiesta execution, the standard measuring tools of brand recognition and the other manner did not appear relevant or fair. Alternate evaluation methods include face-to-face interaction, mainstream media, Flickr images, and other prominent social networking websites (You & Joshi, 2020). While widespread publicity would allow new accounts of FFM combat to increase customer awareness and display the products component, the in-person event would include the test drive technique to be supplied to new clients.

The Control Assessment of the Fiesta Campaign

In my opinion, the campaign was not under control at any point. This experiment was somewhat novel for Ford, and although they repeated it a few years after the introduction of the first Ford Fiestas, I believe the controls were misplaced. The campaign was successful in generating favorable brand recognition and buzz among the millennials who were the targeted demographic; nevertheless, the Agents or the 100 bloggers did take the campaign into an unregulated atmosphere where they were given the ability to critique the product (Stephen, 2017). Even though using Ford Fiesta across various social networks can be a convenient choice, the result may still be unfavorable, especially if one loses control of the situation.

Fiesta Movements Methods Examination

Two of the most important goals of the Fiesta Movement campaign are to persuade young consumers in the United States to purchase a Ford Fiesta and to generate interest in the car while simultaneously educating consumers about the practical and advantageous value that can be gained from driving a sub-compact vehicle. Giving the vehicle to individuals with many followers on social media allows them to express their opinions, which may encourage younger people to purchase the vehicle.

Evaluation of the Roles, Function, and Actions of Marketing Agents

In exchange for enabling the agents to utilize the vehicle for six months, they were given a mission to complete. Each month, they will be given a new assignment in which they should identify a person who resembles a celebrity and then ask that person to perform a song in which they must visit every significant landmark in the city where they currently reside to advertise the product. Each month, agents are asked to create a video on the assigned theme, write articles on the same theme, and fully engage in social media to compile fiesta-themed promotional materials. I would choose the agents based on their specialism and past experience in marketing. I will direct them to be creative and focus towards the goal. The right agent is the one who understands the culture of the business and one who is creative and objective oriented. Alternatives to agents is the use of social media and referrals in product marketing.

Approaches for Enhancing Marketing Strategy and Tactics

Establishing a project workflow between marketing and the rest of the business is an essential component in the process of strengthening marketing operations. Businesses should set two to four essential key performance indicators to guide all marketing operations. The marketing staff will not have something to strive for if these benchmarks are not established first. Organizations should create a complete marketing strategy that spans 12 months and goals for the following five years, and then put them into action. Creating a strategy that includes different processes and outlines short-term and long-term goals compels management to assign team members and implement the tasks.

Conclusion

The growth of enterprises is directly correlated to the marketing techniques implemented. The Ford Fiesta Movement was exceptionally skilled in employing efficient marketing strategies, enabling the product to appeal to a diverse range of customers and, as a result, increased sales. Businesses should develop more effective marketing techniques to expand their pool of prospective customers. In order to make the necessary adjustments, it is vital to investigate any weaknesses in the marketing tactics.

References

Stephen, A. T. (2017). Ford Fiesta Movement: Using social media and viral marketing to launch Fords Global Car in the United States. INSEAD Publishing. Web.

You, Y., & Joshi, A. M. (2020). The impact of user-generated content and traditional media on customer acquisition and Retention. Journal of Advertising, 49(3), 213233.

Introduction

This report is aimed at examining the functioning of Ford Motor Company. In particular, it is necessary to focus on the external and internal environment of this corporation. One should show how the company can minimize the impact of negative factors and how the organization can make use of the available opportunities. Moreover, one should concentrate on the way in which this corporation can create value by using its resources. Overall, the management should discuss quality management problems and intense competition staged by domestic and foreign car-manufacturers. These are the main risks that a company should manage.

Nevertheless, this organization has the capacity to address these issues by relying on its technological resources. Moreover, much attention should be paid to the expertise of this company and its brand name since these resources are important for increasing the competitive strengths of this corporation. These are the main details that should be examined more closely.

Segments of General Environment

Global factors

It is possible to mention that the changes in the global environment profoundly affect the functioning of Ford Motor Company. In particular, the corporation continues to be influenced by the intense competition which can be explained by the relative openness of the American automotive market and the removal of trade barriers. It should be noted that the governments of different countries strive to minimize import quotas and enable car-manufacturers to start operation in various countries. At present, Ford faces intense completion put up by companies such as Toyota, BMW, Honda, Mazda, Volkswagen, and many other manufacturers.

This particular factor continues to be an important part of the external environment because it minimizes the market share of this organization. In turn, the automotive industry becomes much more competitive. This is the main trend that should be disregarded by the senior management of Ford Motor Company since they need to adjust the changes in external environment.

Nevertheless, it is important to mention that the global environment can also offer many opportunities to Ford Motor Company. It should be noted that there are many emerging markets such China, India, or Russia, and they can be a source of revenue for the company (Ijoui, Emmerick, & Ceyp, 2009, p. 178).

It should be noted that that in these regions, there is a significant increase in the purchasing power of many people who now have more opportunities for buying the products of American, European, or Asian car-manufacturers (Ijoui et al., 2009, p. 178). Therefore, Ford Motor Company can increase its profitability. In turn, this trend contributes to the development and growth of the automotive industry. One can argue that the impact of these factors will not diminish in the future. More likely, it will become even stronger.

Economic factors

One should also speak about the role of the economic factors and their impact on the performance of Ford Motor Company. It should be noted that the economies of advanced countries have recently began to recover from the recession which emerged in 2007. Therefore, the demand for the products of Ford Motor Company tends to increase. Other companies that work in this area can also benefit from this trend. Thus, one can tell that the entire industry can achieve growth. Yet, this goal can be attained if manufacturers can offer innovative products without increasing the price significantly. In particular, they need to pay attention to such a criterion as fuel consumption since this is one of the main concerns for many clients who can be sensitive about the prices of goods and services.

Forces of Competition

It is also important to mention several forces of competition influencing the work of this company. Much attention should be paid to the bargaining power of clients who can be regarded as one of the most influential stakeholders of the Ford Motor Company. At present, they have access to the products manufactured by various companies. For instance, one can mention the vehicles of such manufacturers as Toyota, BMW, Mazda, Chrysler, and many others. Therefore, Ford cannot dictate its terms to the clients. Additionally, customers do not have to pay any switching costs if they do not want buy the products of a certain company. This bargaining power of customer is particularly important at the time, when the reputation of Ford Motor Company is damaged by a great number of product recalls (Bunkley, 2013).

Moreover, nowadays, clients have more opportunities for learning about the offerings of different companies. These are some of the details that can be singled out. In turn, it is possible to say that the management of Ford Motor Company has recognized the importance of these factors. In particular, the marketing strategies of this organization have evolved considerably. For example, this company emphasizes the idea that they strive to involve customers in the design or their vehicles (Yi, 2014, p. 98). For instance, these stakeholders are encouraged to express their expectations for the new models of Ford Motor Company (Yi, 2014, p. 98). This is one of the approaches taken by this corporation in order to respond to possible challenges.

Additionally, it is vital to speak about the intensity of competition. One can argue that Ford cannot easily differentiate its products in terms of price or quality. In particular, the competitors of the company are efficient enough, and they are able to reduce the costs of manufacturing vehicles. Moreover, these organizations are willing and able to adopt innovative technologies. This argument is particularly important to such a company as Toyota, General Motors, Chrysler, Mazda, and many other businesses.

At present, the company adopts the methods that can enable it to reduce the operational expenses. Moreover, this organization implements innovational technologies that are more efficient in terms of fuel consumption. For instance, one can speak about the production of hybrid cars (Ford Motor Company, 2014, p. 3). Thus, it is possible to say that the company has partly addressed these challenges. Nevertheless, this approach has been also adopted by many large corporations representing the automotive industry. Therefore, it cannot give a competitive edge to the company, at least for a long term.

One can argue that these forces will play an important role in the future. Therefore, Ford Motor Company should focus on the reduction of manufacturing costs. At present, Ford cannot differentiate its products in terms pricing, and it is one of the reasons why the market share of the company has been eroded. Moreover, the management should concentrate on the improvement of its internal operations, especially quality management. In this way, they can reduce the number of recalls which tarnish the reputation of the company and lead to considerable losses. Moreover, this approach can strengthen the competitive position of Ford Motor Company. These are the main recommendations that can be offered to the management of this corporation.

External Threat and Opportunities

Overall, there are several threats that the management should consider. For instance, one should focus on currency fluctuations since these fluctuations can influence the revenues that a company can derive from its overseas operations (Securities and Exchange Commission, 2012, p. 76). Moreover, this factor can influence the cost of manufacturing. Furthermore, the management should pay attention to the intense competition because it forces the company to reduce the price of its products.

It should be mentioned that the major rivals of Ford have similar resources and technological expertise. Therefore, these organizations can emulate the strategies adopted by Ford. This is one of the main threats that can be identified.

There are several important opportunities that are available to Ford Motor Company. In particular, one should speak about the recovery of the American automotive industry. To some extent, this phenomenon can be explained by the growing purchasing power of American citizens. Additionally, one should focus on the importance of emerging markets such as India, China, Latin America, or Russia (Ijoui et al., 2009). By exploiting these opportunities, Ford Motor Company can increase its customer base and derive extra revenues. These are some of the main points that can be made.

The most serious threat is related to the price pressure which can be explained the competition of other car-manufacturers. This problem can be addressed by increasing the effectiveness of internal operations. They need to minimize the costs of production in order to minimize the impact of those forces. This strategy is also important for exploiting the opportunities in the emerging markets such as India or China because in these countries, customers are usually more price-sensitive. These are some of the main aspects that should not be overlooked.

Strengths and Weaknesses

There are several strengths that are important for the sustainability of Ford Motor Company. In particular, one should mention that Ford produces a variety of vehicles and this organization occupies leading positions in various segments of the market. Additionally, the company has expertise and opportunities for introducing innovative technologies. These are the main details that can be adopted. In turn, the main weaknesses of this company are related to quality management. In order to exemplify this argument, one can refer to the frequent product recalls (Bunkley, 2013). The failure to address this issue can create significant challenges for the company since it adversely affects its reputation. Moreover, it results considerable losses for the company.

On the whole, the company can adopt several strategies in order to minimize the negative impact of the external environment. This organization should lay stress on the production of energy-efficient vehicles. They need to concentrate on those market segments in which Ford occupies leading positions. This strategy can enable the company to strengthen its position in the market. In turn, the company should focus on the introduction of the quality control programs. In this way, the company can become more resilient. Moreover, it will be able to reduce the risk of lawsuits originating from product defects. Finally, this step is important for strengthening the customers confidence in the new products as well as their loyalty to the company.

Resources, Capabilities, and Core Competencies

There are several important capabilities that Ford Motor Company possesses. First, this organization has necessary financial resources to implement various R&D projects. Therefore, this organization can manufacture innovative products. This issue is particularly important nowadays at the time when more customers place emphasis on such a criterion as energy efficiency. Another capability that should not be overlooked is the brand name of Ford Motor Company. Even despite various the scandals related to product recalls, this organization is still associated with such values as efficiency and quality. This argument is particularly relevant if one speaks about emerging markets. Nevertheless, this competency can be valuable if the company eliminates the risk of product defects; otherwise the brand of Ford may eventually lose its value. This is one of the aspects that should not be disregarded.

Additionally, one can mention that the company can be described as the economy of scale. In other words, this organization can better withstand price competition which can be staged by such corporations as General Motors or Toyota. Furthermore, the company has experience in the introduction of innovative technologies such as hybrid engines. On the whole, it is possible to say that Ford Motor Company has sufficient resources for withstanding the competition. In turn, this organization should offer the vehicles that can meet the needs of clients with various income levels. In this way, the corporation will be able to derive revenues from a variety of sources.

Value chain

The value chain of Ford Motor Company consists of several important parts. One of the most important elements is product planning and design. At this particular, the company introduces the concept of a new vehicle. In turn, the management should pay attention to the production of energy-efficient cars which can appeal to a great number of clients. This approach is important at the time, when more clients become very concerned about the price of fuel (Securities and Exchange Commission, 2012, p. 17). The expertise of this company and its financial resources are critical for introducing innovative products. Nevertheless, this strategy can be successfully provided that a company reduces the cost of manufacturing and improves its quality control methods. In this way, the company can increase the appeal of their products and make clients more loyal to the company. This is one of the first steps that the company should take.

Additionally, this organization can create extra value by stressing its brand name. They need to lay stress on the idea that Ford Motor Company has served consumer market for more than a century. This approach can be important for attracting customers in emerging markets such as China or India. These are main suggestions that can be made.

Conclusion

The examples provided in this report indicate that Ford Motor Company is resilient enough to address the challenges that it currently encounters. Admittedly, this organization faces considerable difficulties related to external competition and the increase of product recalls. Nevertheless, there are important competencies that should be considered. In particular, the company has the capacity to introduce innovative products which can appeal to a great number of clients.

Apart from that, by focusing on the quality control programs, the company can reduces losses and attract new clients. Moreover, the expertise of these company and its financial resources are vital for the introduction of new goods. By relying on these forces, the management can strengthen the competitive position of the company. These are the main details that can be singled out.

Reference List

Bunkley, N. (2013). Ford issues 2 more recalls of 2013 Escape after fires; total now 7. Web.

Ford Motor Company. (2014). Annual Report. Web.

Ijoui, R., Emmerick, H., & Ceyp, M. (2009). Globalization 2.0: A Roadmap to the Future from Leading Minds. New York, NY: Springer Science & Business Media. Web.

Securities and Exchange Commission. (2012). Ford Motor Company. 

Yi, Y. (2014). Customer Value Creation Behavior. New York, NY: Routledge. Web.

Introduction

In 2009, Ford Motor Company was faced with a serious challenge to promote a new model in the American market. The difficulty of the situation was conditioned by the fact that Ford Fiesta did not align with the typical vision of a Ford vehicle in the United States. Unlike large and powerful trucks, this model was compact and city-oriented. Therefore, the company had to engage a brand-new segment of the audience that normally remained out of reach of its general customer base. In a way, Ford had to add a new dimension to its own image and highlight previously unseen opportunities for younger, city-based drivers to engage with the brand. For this purpose, the company accumulated its efforts and designed a marketing campaign. The expectations were that this campaign would perform well against the biased perception of Ford as a manufacturer of large vehicles designed for suburban and rural white men. In other words, the image of the brand had to be rendered more up-to-date, addressing a new niche occupied by other car manufacturers. This case study analysis aims to appraise the marketing campaign in question.

Background of the Case

The campaign in question was prepared for the year 2009 by Ford Motor Company. By this point, Ford was one of the worlds largest and most famous automobile manufacturers, holding 16.7% of the market in the United States (Deighton & Kornfeld, 2012). The company had maintained a good reputation among its customers and a relatively stable financial position. In terms of product, the brand was mostly associated with several renowned models, including the F-series of trucks, the Explorer, and the famous muscle car Mustang. Nevertheless, the management of the company felt eager to expand its presence into the adjacent categories, attracting new segments of American drivers into the mix. In 2009, the attention was drawn to the new Ford Fiesta, which is a compact city vehicle with a modern design and optimal characteristics for urban driving.

The key issue consisted of the fact that the Fiesta was from the standard vision of Ford automobiles. The typical profile of the brands customer is a middle-aged white man living in suburban areas and utilizing the benefits of large trucks with powerful engines. In turn, Fiesta was designed for younger, ethnically diverse audiences of both sexes who resided in urban areas where they can enjoy the compactness and manoeuvrability of the model. Therefore, the brand had to engage a new segment that did not perceive Ford as a viable choice for their automobile needs.

Fiesta U.S. Marketing Strategy

In order to address this crucial challenge, Ford Motor Company designed a marketing campaign that would help it compete in the B segment of the automobile market. The idea was to obtain visibility in new areas other than dealership and test drive events (Deighton & Kornfeld, 2012). This choice of strategy appears optimal since it has the potential to increase the reach considerably. Regular Ford events are unlikely to have the required segment, since the decades of brand reputation have formed a different audience identified earlier. Yet, millennials remain notoriously difficult to engage profoundly, which is why the efforts should be not only innovative but also persuasive.

The idea to create the Fiesta Movement with an array of agents, broadcasting the companys message in a fitting format aligns with this objective. The task of creating a sense of urgency and fear of missing out is an optimal strategy of engaging the millennials who are susceptible to trends and peer pressure. Such a roadmap can reasonably be expected to generate the awareness needed to meet the expectations of the Fiesta campaign. Most importantly, the plan accounts for the necessity to speak the language of the audience. Otherwise, such attempts may be deemed lazy and worthy of mocking, which contradicts the expectations of the company.

Metrics Reported

For the model awareness level, the marketers used the reported pre-sale awareness of Nissan Cube in the B segment. This is a viable choice, since Nissan is fairly known player in this category, and Fiesta nearly doubled this result, averaging 42% against Cubes 23%. For monthly visits, Ford referred to the numbers of its model Flex, which is a crossover vehicle. This selection is equally adequate, since Flex is not one of Fords best performers in terms of sales and awareness. Matching Fiesta against the companys renowned trademarks would be less informative by default. In fact, this benchmark was also doubled per the findings of the marketing team with 289,000 unique visits compared the initially projected 144,000 visits (Deighton & Kornfeld, 2012). The metrics for test-drives were of limited usefulness due to the limited supply of available vehicles. Finally, Fiesta became the leader of its segment in terms of mass media mentions, overtaking such well-known competitors as Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit with more positive publicity. Overall, the provided set of metrics appears adequate with no immediate additions required. The performance of the campaign exceeded the expectations in most regards.

Controls of the Campaign

The ability to control the flow of the campaign was one of the defining features behind the design of Fiesta Movement. As reported, Ford wanted to have extended coverage through less explored outlets, but there were fears of uncertainty regarding the nature of the publicity. With numerous reports on Fiesta, it would be difficult to control the contents of each publication. In this regard, Ford enlisted a large group of agents who willingly joined the campaign to spread the message through social media. With this approach, the company had an army of loyal participants who could fill the informational space with well-crafted posts, delivering the required information to a broad audience. Evidently, when it comes to social media presence, topical discussions generate a certain level of uncontrollable publicity around them. Yet, with the help of the Fiesta Movement agents, Ford exercised a sufficient degree of control over a large share of the publicity.

Reach of the Campaign

The digital space holds an increased potential for the reach of the campaign. Overall, the focus group of Fiesta agents comprised 100 people with a vivid interest in driving and the ability to spread a trustworthy message. It was a fitting combination of large Internet personalities and smaller blogs that accounted for an optimal level of publicity across different platforms. The metrics cited previously indicate that the mission was generally successful, as the level of recognition for Ford Fiesta in the United States made this model a leader in its segment. Overcoming the competition imposed by its rivals from Nissan and Honda is a major accomplishment. More specifically, Fiesta was virtually a new discovery for the American market where Ford was associated with trucks and muscle cars. Yet, after a few months of marketing efforts, it became the best-known vehicle in the B-segment, while its competition had been present there for years. Therefore, the dynamics of the campaign show that the reach was sufficient and even exceeded the initial projections, as shown by the interest to the model.

Recommendations

In light of the achieved results of the campaign, it is generally recommended for Ford to utilize this experience in the future campaigns. Specifically, new projects of the company can be actively promoted through similar networks of digital agents. This is especially relevant for new markets where additional presence is required. For example, an opposite situation may be seen in Europe where Fords larger vehicles are likely to be less known amid environmental concerns and less urban space. In this region, the company will benefit from promoting F-type trucks among rural communities by enlisting a different team of agents who have the trust of this audience. It is equally important to maintain a fine balance in terms of publicity. Excessive presence or overly positive statements may eventually irritate the audience, which is why it is not recommended to exceed the level of 100 agents per campaign. This way, Ford can create an image of a modern, trustworthy manufacturer that speaks the language of its target audience.

Conclusion

Overall, Fords campaign to promote its new model through the Fiesta Movement became a successful endeavor for the company. People responsible for it accurately developed a fitting design that increased the visibility of the brand in a segment that is new for it. Furthermore, they also managed to identify the profile of the target audience for Fiesta, outlining the key points to use in the campaign. As a result, this combination of marketing expertise and modern solutions accounted for outstanding results for Fiesta in terms of public interest and recognition in the new segment. The actual performance doubled the expectations, implying that this experience can be studied and utilized in subsequent campaigns.

Reference

Deighton, J., & Kornfeld, L. (2012). The Ford Fiesta. Harvard Business School.

The corporate social responsibility in organizations brings about the aspect of ethics especially when it concerns the safety standards of the products being released to the customers for consumption. The case of Pinto in Ford Company gives a situation where the company failed to observe its moral obligation of ensuring that the products being released to the customers are safe.

According to George (2006: p 303), Man is a social being and has a moral obligation to prevent harm on others where the case is preventable. For example, the association of engineers in America requires members to air claims against practices that threaten safety, health and welfare of the public (Newton and Ford, 2008: p 192).

In its production of Pinto, Ford Company management was aware of the safety dangers exposed to the consumers and the public in general. After carrying out the safety tests from production and ascertaining that the model failed to meet the standards and having identified a solution to the problem, the company went ahead to release the defective model for sale after carrying a cost benefit analysis. The company only took the action as purely a business strategy to maximize on the sales in the expense of the safety of the consumers.

In the Pinto case, Harley Copp blew the whistle after his criticism of the idea from the start failed to be attended to. To prevent being fired, condemned or mistreated for his whistle blowing action, Copp decided to leave the company and then made public the unethical behavior in the company. Morally, it was the duty of the company to ensure that safety of the public is observed in the product. It can be regarded that the whistleblowing action of Copp was morally justifiable though it was not morally mandatory. Moral justification of his whistleblowing is due to the fact that the company counted on the savings it would make by not correcting the defects in comparison with the cost of compensating the lives or injuries caused when cases are reported. Morally, lives cannot be compared with the compensation that is due when accidents do occur; however, subjectively, the case did not warrant whistle blowing.

Copp was whistleblowing in the interests of the public. However, the public even after realizing that the safety standards of Pinto were questionable went forward to purchase the model in the auction, discounting the danger by considering the affordability of the model meaning that the public did not consider the issue as a serious concern. George (2006: p 308) holds the views that the society has more ways to deal with issue that do not pose serious threat than resulting to whistleblowing. He could have made an assessment of the situation before whistle blowing.

Further my view that whistle blowing for this case was not morally mandatory is the fact that the company later recalled the Pinto models already sold in order to fix the safety baffle that would guarantee the safety of the consumers. The low safety standards may have been due to the accelerated production schedule. In addition, the rear-end impact safety precaution was not a requirement by the Highway Traffic Safety Administration by the time Pinto was produced and therefore whistleblowing was completely not a cause of action by Copp.

Although the act of whistleblowing was not morally mandatory in this case, the company would have carried out its moral responsibility by making it known to the public the risks that are involved in the newer models of Pinto in order to alert them before purchasing the product. It is evident that the company would have been forced to recall the released vehicles to be fitted with the safety baffle owing to the high cost of compensation that was incurred which exceeded the saving by not putting the safety baffle.

References

George, R.T. D. (2006). Business Ethics: whistle blowing. Sixth Edition. NJ: Prentice Hall.

Newton, H. L. and Ford, M. M. (2008). Taking Sides: Cashing in Views in Business Ethics and Society. Tenth Edition. NY: McGraw Hill.

Introduction

Ford-150 and Chey 1500 full-size trucks 2012 are two different tracks that have their own differences and similarities (Dickinson 3). There can be a comparison done in regard to both the physical appearance and the performance characteristics of the two trucks. They have a number of features that one needs to fully understand so as to be able to differentiate between the two models. Comparing the two trucks will enable the consumers to choose the one that fits their needs, as well as help the producers gain an advantage in the market once they know what the clients need. This paper will compare the nature, appearance, and performance of the two trucks as it brings out a clear difference between them.

Executive summary

The introduction of various designs of trucks by different companies in the worldwide vehicle industry creates the need for comparison so as to identify the differences they have. According to Dickinson (3), this gives consumers the ability to choose the best option among the available brands in line with their requirements. It is also useful because it is to market and explain the various aspects of the truck brand for the company both in appearance and performance. It can also show the justifications for the different pricing of the various brands. For the manufacturers, comparison enables them to know the customers’ requirements and feedback, competition in the market, and then substantially act to improve their product quality.

Subjects’ identification

The Ford F-150 2012 is a pickup truck of full size available in both single and double cabin types. Physically, it consists of features, such as the completely flat load floor, a camera for rearview, in class towing, optional super crew rear seat, and airbags. It is available in various attractive colors, such as red, white, and gray, among others. In terms of performance, there is a choice of the 6.2-liter V8, 3.5-liter Eco-boost V6, 3.7-liter V6, or the 5.0-liter V8 engines (Lesley 50).

There are two brands to chose some of which are the 6-speed select shift and the 6 speed automatic. It also consists of fully installed integrated trailer brakes controller, anti-lock breaking, roll stability control, mechanized tire pressure monitoring, and safety cage. In addition, the model has a fuel mileage of an estimated EPA 22 mpg highway and 16 mpg city. It has a guarantee for 3 years or 36,000 travel miles warranty (Lesley 51).

The Chey 1500 has a tag for its fuel efficiency, wide model range, luxury features, and high towing capacities. It has cooling and heating seats, which is a truly luxurious feature. It consists of the 9.5-inch rear axle with a 3.73 axle ratio, in addition to disc brakes that facilitate the handling of heavy loads. Furthermore, it has the Vortec 6.2L V8 engine that has up to 403 horsepower and can contain 417 lb.-ft of torque and Z82 Tailoring Package and heavy-duty suspension.

Investigative methods

There was extensive research on secondary data done to identify the range of features of two brands. This involved the use of online sources and library-based research on print sources. There were the identification and reading of various documents that contain information pertaining to the two brands to siphon the required information (Dickinson 6).

There was a physical analysis of the two brands of vehicle trucks done which involved visiting the local dealership to identify the truck and gauge them from observation. Where possible, there were test drives and rides conducted to the available trucks to gauge the feel on the wheel. Entrepreneurial skills also came in handy in determining the nature of the attractive attributes used to sell different products. This is because the two brands would normally apply the use of the strongest attributes of their products in their marketing campaigns (Dickinson 6).

Conclusion

The Ford-150 is a better choice than the Chey 1500 is as it had a recent redesign job and, therefore, has better and advanced features. It has a well-designed interior layout, and the outer structure also looks stronger. Performance-wise, it has more modern control mechanisms than its counterpart does. Furthermore, the Chey 1500’s fit and finish do not meet the levels set by Ram, and its ride is not as smooth as that of the Ford-150.

In the truck market, the two trucks compete hand in hand on almost equal measures. This is attributable to the difference in customer preferences in terms of brands and prices (Bayne 32). Although the Chey 1500 may not be the best option, customers will still prefer it because they choose to deal with well-known brands, such as those of General Motors. Price-wise, it is also a little cheaper than the Ford-150 is, and since it still offers almost the same tow capacity, some will prefer it.

It is clear that the Ford-150 has an extensive touch of modern look while the Chey 1500 is an older model. These modern features make it appeal to different consumer class. The Ford model attracts the modern class while the Chey appeals to the older generation (Bayne 32). This fact has enabled the two brands and many others to survive in the same market.

Works Cited

Bayne, Thomas. “Trucks Market Analysis: Consumer Preferences.” Journal of Economic and Social Research 12.5 (2009): 22-52. Print.

Dickinson, Kennedy. Truck Manufacturers: Ford-150 Vs. Chey 1500, Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011. Print.

Lesley, Marya. Advent of the Ford-150, London: Sage Publishers, 2010. Print.