Toucan Sam to the Rescue

I wonder if the marketing whizzes at Ford read the NAM/McGladrey report on success factors for manufacturing companies, where the #1 best practices was to "stay in touch with your customers."  How else could you explain the news yesterday that Ford plans on putting 600,000 Hot Wheels versions of its Ford Fusion into Kellogg's cereal boxes?

So let me get this straight...

• The Ford Fusion is already one of it's most successful models
• The marketing item in question is a toy aimed at the 5 - 10 year old age group
• The toys will be in boxes of Fruit Loops, Apple Jacks, Frosted Flakes, and Cocoa Krispies, which are predominantly consumed by the same age group (creating a sugar infusion that can result in hyperactivity...)
• One of the 600,000 boxes will contain a special Target logo that will entitle the lucky whippersnapper to a real Ford Fusion

I don't get the fancy marketing deep psychological rationale behind this... but perhaps that's because I'm just a simple shop floor engineer.  I know when I was 10 I wanted to drive, but I was lusting after Lamborghini's and the like... not a  Fusion.  And I don't think I had much influence in the family's car-buying decisions since a Countach never replaced the red Chevy in the driveway.  But a Hot Wheels was fun to play with for a few hours before it got stepped on by Godzilla/my sister.

I'm sure there's some intelligent rationale, as why would Ford be working on anything except real solutions to its current problems?

Oh, that's right... I forgot.  It takes an adult to make the tough decisions.

Comments

[Mike Bowler]

As a parent, I am familiar with all my son's toys. Toy cars in the Froot Loop's box would definitely be seen by the adults in the family and if the toy became a favorite, it would get high visibility by all the adults. I think this is an excellent, albeit indirect, marketing gimick.

[Micheal Gardner]

Kevin, you sound more and more like Bill with every post...congratulations!

Mike Bowler--isn't that the problem with Ford (et al)? Clever marketing gimmicks rather than sound manufacturing, good design, and REAL marketing strategy?

[Graham]

Sounds like a good move. As Mike says it raises profile and awareness - via what is probably a fair cheap PR move.

I don't particularly see why you're lambasting this move, or do you feel that the PR department should shut down and hide their heads in shame until Ford becomes amazing. I'm rather much in favour of the many-headed-hydra approach.

[John]

Are you other commenters serious? I'm a Madison Ave guy that was prowling blogs wondering what the reaction would be, and finally someone hits it on the head. From my direct experience this campaign will cost a little over a million bucks and all of it will be wasted. Response rate for this type of channel, even when it is targeted correctly, is abysmal. To hit the correct market this campaign should have been channeled to young adults. It would have been far more effective to link it to sports events and the like. I don't know too much about this "lean" topic, but if that's what Toyota does then someone should take notice.

[Kevin]

Like I said... I'm only a shop floor type and don't profess to know much about that there marketing stuffs. I'm more than open to being corrected if need me.

As far as sounding like Bill... my great aspiration in life is to become just half as good a writer as he is!

Kevin

[Jason Yip]

Well, it might be a pretty good marketing win for Kellogg anyway.

[Bill Waddell]

I don't think Kevin sounds like me at all and I think his post is wide of the mark by a mile. Fruit Loops are a central part of my diet and I am impressed that Ford has acknowledged the blatant Madison Avenue lies in their rigged demographics, recognizing the silent majority of American adults who share a Fruit Loops addiction. My hat is off to the social stand Ford has taken, making it possible for me to proudly munch on my Fruit Loops behind the wheel of a Fusion.

[Shawn]

Bill, you are a genius. Toyota announces they sold more vehicles than Ford last month and the so-called big 3 continue to whine about budgets, rising interest rates and gas prices.

Kyle Busch drives the Kellogg's #5 (Monte Carlo) in the NASCAR CUP series. What the heck is Kellogg's doing partnering with ford on this promotion?!?

I'm still trying to reconcile Ford's vision of innovating to reduce our 'addiction' to foreign oil with their complaints about profits suffering due to the decline in gas guzzling trucks and suvs sales. But then again I'm still trying to understand the benefit of e85.

[Shawn]

Bill, I think Kevin is sounding like you because I gave you credit for the article that he wrote. D'oh!

[Bill Waddell]

For 60 years the playbook for getting out of trouble in Detroit has been clever marketing and sales gimmicks, coupled with layoffs. I think that both GM and Ford recgnize that they have to make very fundamental changes in how they do business, but I don't think either of them have fully come to grips with the new realities yet. They don't really understand what has to change or what they have to do. In the meantime they still fall back on their instincts and putting money into Fruit Loops boxes is an example of this.

If I had to hazard a guess, I suspect this is a facet of their effort to position themselves as the traditional car maker for the American family - a dumb idea, but I think that is what they are up to.

What puzzles me is that they can't even seem to put a consistent face on their PR and ad campaign. Is Ford the reliable, traditional American car company of Henry Ford that our parents relied on? ... or are they the company of 'Bold Moves'? Cuddling up to kids in cereal boxes hardly strikes me as a bold move.

Finally, the cereal business is as native to Michigan as the car business. The two combining on something like this is not that startling. This campaign is apt to be the result of some addled thinking on the part of a Kelloggs guy and a Ford guy after a few too many at the 19th hole of some Lansing country club midway between Dearborn and Battle Creek.

[Karen Wilhelm]

The Fusion is one more boring car from Ford. I can't understand why they don't take a lesson from the car they couldn't kill - the Mustang. They thought the Probe, then the "new" Cougar, then... would take its place. Once they brought the styling and size much closer to the original -- well, now they can't make enough of them.

It has a personality. Ford needs to be wary of product extensions, but what about a Mustang SUV? The market segment these cars address cares nothing about the price of gas - the buyer wants to look good and feel powerful.

I'm not sure buyers are really after fuel economy - yes, they like to complain, and yes, sales of SUVs are down. I think that's more about fears of not having a job rather than fears of paying too much for gas. Otherwise, people would live close to where they work.

As a Detroiter, I can tell you that it's always been true that if you have an exciting car that people want, they will find a way to buy it.

What about the women's market? I have yet to see a car that appeals to me on that score. Even the Milan - the print ad I saw had such horrible art direction (color, mainly) that I would never consider Ford of having any sense of style.

I DID feel stylish driving my dad's '68 Mustang when I was a college girl, now that I think about it.

Karen