'V8Supercars Has No Bearing On Sales' - Ford

[GTRMagic]

Story Here

Funny thing is, I agree with the sentiment

If nobody has any idea you are even involved, if you dont celebrate your successes, if you dont regroup as a team after your failures, if you dont spend any effort or funds to leverage your involvement, who would buy your cars on the strength of your racing program

[db120176]

Pulling out of NASCAR as well due to this philosophy? I think seeing a manufacturer's car do well can remind a buyer that the brand's cars are attractive, well built, reliable and **shock-horror** fast. Doesn't have to be the same model, but can start people thinking about cars from the manufacturer that fit their needs. Given their sales figures, I think Ford as much as anyone could benefit from promoting this

[TWRv12]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Story Here

Funny thing is, I agree with the sentiment

If nobody has any idea you are even involved, if you dont celebrate your successes, if you dont regroup as a team after your failures, if you dont spend any effort or funds to leverage your involvement, who would buy your cars on the strength of your racing program

Ford V8 Supercars future "in discussions"
http://www.motoring.com.au/news/2014...cussions-47743

[Marcos WTF]

He's probably right. Given the falcon's miniscule sales there's little to shine the reflected glory onto.

And I doubt if the fiesta/focus buyer could give rats about fords V8$upercar activities.
If the ads are to be believed, they're more interested in 'connectivity'

[m00neelee]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Story Here

Funny thing is, I agree with the sentiment

If nobody has any idea you are even involved, if you dont celebrate your successes, if you dont regroup as a team after your failures, if you dont spend any effort or funds to leverage your involvement, who would buy your cars on the strength of your racing program

Add to this the fact that the Falcon has not been advertised for over 3 years I would be surprised that anyone outside hardcore V8 Supercar fans would even know that the Falcon still exists, let alone is still being sold.

[Umai Naa]

Its always baffled me hownthey they continue to moan about the Falcon's poor sales, yet do nothing to fix it.

[Mixer]

I think Volvo's program this year SHOWS how you can use racing to enhance your brand. Directly linking the racecar with the showroom on billboards and TV has worked brilliantly.

The marketing bods at Volvo could teach all the other brands except possibly Holden a thing or two.

I have no doubt in my mind they have injected more sex into Volvo and promoted Polestar.

It doesn't hurt that the race S60 looks sexy, and Scotty Mc is very likeable and quotable.

Ford just chucked money at teams (mostly the wrong ones), and never made anything really of the successes of first SBR and then 888, who bloody near won everything.

[Casper]

No manufacturer uses racing to promote their products as they once did. If anyone here thinks they are better at marketing that the whole industry they should offer to prove it. At one time you could not open a newspaper without seeing full page adverts after every race weekend, back then 20,000 people went to a single race meeting on one day not over two or three and that shows the fall off of those who might be influenced by racing. You can't talk to deaf people or in this case no people.

[valet_dave]

Originally Posted by Mixer

I think Volvo's program this year SHOWS how you can use racing to enhance your brand. Directly linking the racecar with the showroom on billboards and TV has worked brilliantly.

I'd love to see some statitics on the amount of new Volvo customers that have ever watched V8 Supercars. I seriously doubt that's what led them into a showroom, although I guess having a "race bred" vehicle is enough for some consumers. I believe in Volvo's case, their image has changed because they don't build as many boxes (with airbags) on wheels these days. Although I've also noticed that lawn bowls has also gained in popularity, so a bowling hat could be on the parcel shelf of a Ford these days. It's all very confusing for me.

I guess the V8's are still a good advertising bill board, but the vehicles aren't very relevant to the showroom given the common platform, so why bother trying to trick your customers into thinking otherwise? I guess the goal of "developing the series" and making it to that much desired "world stage" has now adjusted to having cars from the world stage, since they won't be sourced locally in the future. But that's just me, I prefer to live in the past.

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by valet_dave

I'd love to see some statitics on the amount of new Volvo customers that have ever watched V8 Supercars. I seriously doubt that's what led them into a showroom, although I guess having a "race bred" vehicle is enough for some consumers. I believe in Volvo's case, their image has changed because they don't build as many boxes (with airbags) on wheels these days. Although I've also noticed that lawn bowls has also gained in popularity, so a bowling hat could be on the parcel shelf of a Ford these days. It's all very confusing for me.

Volvo Cars Australia says its successful foray into V8 Supercars is starting to give its S60 mid-sized sedan the kind of “cut through”it has lacked since launching in 2011.

This only tells part of the story, according to Volvo Australia’s managing director Matt Braid, who told CarAdvice the aggressive and rigorously costed —albeit controversial, in some quarters —move into V8 Supercars has seen enquiry levels double over their previous levels.

“(But) since literally the weekend at Clipsal (the opening V8 Supercars round in March) our enquiry rates have mostly doubled compared to the pre-racing days.

“We track that weekly…there is a spike in enquiry the week after every racing weekend this year, so it’s literally tracking that directly, which we didn’t anticipate. We knew the correlation of ‘race on Saturday, sell on Monday’would help, but it’s surprised us.

http://www.caradvice.com.au/290539/v...-says-company/

I think that tells a story of marketing money spent well, and an increase in customer engagement sales.

63% increase is going to make anybody happy I would think, especially as the S60 is not cheap.

I believe the Polestar model sold out very quickly.

[GTRMagic]

If you dont talk to anyone, how will they hear you?

[Casper]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

If you dont talk to anyone, how will they hear you?

You have never been in marketing to say that.

[Umai Naa]

So if they aren't interested in marketing the product, then why are they selling it?

[Casper]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

So if they aren't interested in marketing the product, then why are they selling it?

Ring 'em up and ask.

[bluesport]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

So if they aren't interested in marketing the product, then why are they selling it?

Because that was the long term plan........the long term plan is soon coming to an end.

[mikuni]

I wouldn't mind seeing Ford pull out now, after all this crap they have been dragging everyone, especially their teams through.

I honestly believe the reduction in sales across the marque will be noticeable to Ford when they pull out. I think motorsport has an almost subliminal marketing message to people. It pushes the brand, the image and the name.
V8 Supercars is on the news.
People always ask, "Ford or Holden?".
People wonder who is going to win Bathurst.
A lot of people would build brand loyalty and may not need a Falcon, but they might need a Fiesta, Focus or what ever the range of SUV's are called this week.

[Umai Naa]

Originally Posted by mikuni

I wouldn't mind seeing Ford pull out now, after all this crap they have been dragging everyone, especially their teams through.

I honestly believe the reduction in sales across the marque will be noticeable to Ford when they pull out. I think motorsport has an almost subliminal marketing message to people. It pushes the brand, the image and the name.
V8 Supercars is on the news.
People always ask, "Ford or Holden?".
People wonder who is going to win Bathurst.
A lot of people would build brand loyalty and may not need a Falcon, but they might need a Fiesta, Focus or what ever the range of SUV's are called this week.

My thoughts exactly.

You go into a Ford dealer these days, and there's no display of FPR/DJR synergies at all. No posters on any wall, virtually no merchandise on sale in the parts department either. It's like they've adopted the same attitude as Mercedes Benz Australia; "We're only involved because we have to be".

It's a far cry from the days of the late Geoff Polites, who leveraged their involvement in motorsport in every way possible. A limited run of 'Frosty Edition' FG-Xs would be pretty cool, even if they were a sticker job. But no, that's a silly idea. Since when has anything to do with motorsport ever positively influenced car sales?

Mind you, Nissan aren't much better.

[Mixer]

Let's not forget Polites followed after the late, great Howard Marsden.

[fomoco]

Why spend money racing , when get the right Pollies in Canberra and they will give you money.

Article in the papers about the 42 mill Four Cyl Edsel, oops I meant Falcon, project, that failed. But hey they got the money out of K Rudds 500 mill greener cars project.

So why race, Good business sense, get money, don't do anything, build a dud, then shut up shop.

Saves spending on racing.

[Cosworth72]

Maybe Ford should have a talk to Volvo about how to leverage sales with V8Supercars participation and ask them if it makes a difference. Mercedes is another that should have a look at what Volvo have done and to a lesser extent Nissan.

[db120176]

Originally Posted by Mixer

Let's not forget Polites followed after the late, great Howard Marsden.

I was thinking he more closely followed Bill Bourke, but both men had the good sense to employ Howard Marsden

[fomoco]

Originally Posted by db120176

I was thinking he more closely followed Bill Bourke, but both men had the good sense to employ Howard Marsden

Yes quite true, but along came Detroit , and as they say, the rest is history.

Another interesting article about brand names, seems Detroit are thinking or **** scared of backlash about dropping "territory" name, seems AU doesn't like , Explorer(read imploder or the "edge") at least we had Aussies with gonads back then, not the tripe we have know

[TWRv12]

More proof that Ford Aus' doesn't know its...............

Ford undercalls XR8 demand

http://www.motoring.com.au/news/2014...8-demand-47732

[GTRMagic]

Looks like this theory is about to be tested...

Now official... Ford Gone..

Story Here

Story Here Too

[dsg]

Another story linking the 2 here. Also has a poll.