by Matthew
Jones
The
automotive industry is an extremely fierce and
brutal place, particularly in the midsize
segment. More and more, automakers across the
board are raising the bar on quality,
performance, personality and value.
Enter the 2006
Ford Fusion, a new midsize offering from the
blue oval that promises all of the above.
Facing off against segment benchmarks such as
the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord,
the Fusion may have a difficult road ahead.
Jyarland Daniels Jones, marketing manager
for the Ford Fusion, feels the newly launched
sedan is up to the task.
“The Fusion is
critical for Ford,” said Daniels Jones. “It’s
competing in the second largest car segment in
the industry, with a volume of over two million
(midsize) units a year.”
The Fusion enters
the market with a base price of $17,795, that’s
with a 2.3-liter, Duratec 23 I-4, engine with
160 horsepower. Step up to a more robust
3.0-liter, 221-horespower, Duratec V-6 engine
with a 6-speed transmission, and the starting
price jumps to $21,275. For the first model
year, all Fusions will be front-wheel drive,
with an all-wheel drive version scheduled to
arrive in 2007.
The Fusion arrives
not a moment too soon for Ford. “We’re losing
50,000 customers a year to competitive midsize
sedans,” said Daniels Jones. “The Fusion is our
opportunity not only to (pull sales from
competitive brands), but to maintain and grow
our position.”
Maintaining and
growing Ford’s position in the midsize
marketplace will mean appealing to a wide range
of consumers. It will also require the
automaker to have a strong, effective strategy
for reaching potential consumers in diverse
communities.
“There are a lot
of different customers looking for what the
Fusion has to offer,” explained Daniels Jones.
She intends to use a strong multicultural
marketing campaign to reach a highly segmented
market. “We’ll have to communicate with those
customers very differently.”
The Fusion team
has wasted no time getting the initial phase of
its marketing campaign off the ground. With the
assistance of Uniworld – one of the
leading multicultural firms in the country, and
one of Ford Motor Company’s multicultural
agencies of record since 1995 – Daniels Jones
contributed to an aggressive strategy aimed at
putting the Fusion in front of culturally
diverse audiences.
For example, Ford
recently announced a new partnership with
FunkMaster Flex – a hip-hop icon and custom
car innovator based in New York City. Under the
agreement, FunkMaster Flex, who has customized
vehicles for numerous celebrities, will present
tips on customizing the Ford Fusion. In
addition, he will be displaying his own
customized version of the car.
With an
international music-oriented radio show that
reaches more than two million listeners per
week, and a hit television show, Ride with FunkMaster Flex on
Spike TV and a new show,
All Muscle, All Flex on ESPN,
Flex might prove to be an excellent choice to
put the Fusion before young African-American
consumers. To broaden the effort, Ford will
display the Fusion on the campuses of
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
during football season’s highly visible Bowl
Games.
For the Hispanic
market, Daniels Jones has her eye set on the top
music and communications outlets available,
including Univision, MSN Espanol,
AOL Latino and much more. Product
placement opportunities will exist in
Sabado Gigante - the most watched TV
program among Hispanic Americans - and also
Caliente, a popular MTV style music
program.
“Music is very
important to our target, as a whole,” said
Daniels Jones. “That’s true for the
African-American, Hispanic and the general
market audiences.”
Not content to
stop there, Ford also plans to reach out to the
Asian community through cultural events,
beginning with a Chinese New Year celebration in
San Francisco, a city that boasts one of the
highest concentrations of Chinese Americans in
the country.
Keeping up with
the competition will not necessarily be an easy
thing, especially in the multicultural arena
where automakers, by and large, are leading the
curve when it comes to diversity. According to
Daniels Jones, automakers have to lead the
curve. “I think the reason for (the importance
of diversity in the automotive industry) is that
it’s a matter of necessity,” said Daniels
Jones. “Women and multicultural buyers
represent 50 percent of new car buyers."
Although the
target market is rich with diversity, it takes
more than clever ads and programs to close the
deal with this discriminating market segment.
Car buying tends to be a highly researched
process, which is not too surprising given the
level of investment required.
“It’s the second
largest purchase most people will make – and for
some, the largest” said Daniels Jones. “That’s
why (reaching out to consumers) is so
important. We need programs that will help us
get incorporated into their lives.”
Another important
area where Ford has demonstrated leadership is
in its dealer network. In an industry where
trust and face-to-face chemistry are important,
having dealers of different ethnic backgrounds
is a powerful tool in the selling mix.
“We’ve done
everything possible to develop an environment of
diversity in our dealer network,” explained
Daniels Jones. “More than half of the minority
dealers in the country are Ford Motor Company
dealers.”
|
More than half of the minority dealers
in the country are Ford Motor Company
dealers. – Daniels Jones |
Reaching the
multicultural audience is critical to the launch
of the Ford Fusion, but a host of factors will
ultimately determine the success of the car.
Marketing is only one of them, however. As the
marketing manager for the Ford Fusion, Daniels
Jones is responsible for all aspects of the
car’s marketing, including TV, radio, print and
Internet.
Launching a new
sedan in a highly competitive market segment
takes a lot of work, and Daniels Jones welcomes
the challenge. She plans to mix things up with a
variety of tactics designed to attract younger
consumers, such as the Fusion Flash Concerts – a
ten-city, ten-concert tour to promote the car.
Such willingness
to be innovative flows from the fact that
Daniels Jones is a natural marketer with a long
list of accomplishments and a huge respect for
the craft. “Every business person has to be a
marketer,” she explained. “Everything should
revolve around what’s important to the
customer. Marketing is the hub of the wheel.
A career in
marketing wasn’t always a priority for Daniels
Jones, but she liked being in the eye of the
storm. “I always knew I wanted to be in
business,” said Daniels Jones. “One of my main
strengths is in thinking strategically – walking
in the shoes of my target. That’s what appealed
to me.”
Daniels Jones
brings other skills to the table as well. She
is a shining example of a marketer that
understands nearly every aspect of business.
“While earning my MBA I focused in finance as
well as marketing - so I’m a marketer that can
count,” she said.
For all of her
success and knowledge, Daniels Jones is quick to
acknowledge that didn’t get to where she is by
herself. “I’ve had mentors – both formal and
informal,” she said.
While she is
gaining notoriety for her efforts with the
Fusion, Daniels Jones remains mindful of the
need to mentor others, and that doesn’t mean an
occasional lunch meeting and exchange of
advice. For Daniels Jones, mentoring is a
long-term commitment to someone’s development
and success.
“I take people
with me,” she said of her philosophy on
mentoring. “There are people (who’ve been my
mentors) at Hallmark and Johnson & Johnson – and
I continue to call them and ask for advice. I
have professors from undergraduate and grad
school who I still call upon. I like to develop
and maintain relationships.”
However, when
she’s looking for motivation and inspiration,
Daniels Jones isn’t locked into looking into the
past. She can pull emotional support from the
most unlikely sources, including her dealer
network.
“My role models
are our dealers,” she stated, revealing her
admiration for the Ford dealer network.
“They’ve invested their own money because they
believe in the brand. Every day, they interact
with the consumers. They’re the first face that
our customers see.”
In addition to
their commitment to the brand, Daniels Jones
respects their role in the day-to-day success of
the company. According to Daniels Jones,
nothing would happen without a dedicated,
talented dealer body.
“Regardless of
what I say or do, it takes the dealers to
implement the strategy. With our sales success
(in the multicultural market), I’d say they’re
doing a great job.”
As for new talent
entering the automotive industry, Daniels Jones
offers some valuable advice – “get knowledgeable
of the field quickly.”
“I think (the
automotive industry) is one of the best-covered
industries,” she said. “I was encouraged to
read every single thing about this business.
You can’t go Web and not find reams of
information devoted to the automotive industry.”
Brushing up on the
automotive arena can be useful to anyone seeking
to enter the industry. “I participate in
recruiting for Ford,” said Daniels Jones. “It
helps to see that someone is passionate and
knowledgeable about the industry. That’s the
price of entry – knowledge.”
Knowing cars is
one thing; knowing people is another – and it’s
an extremely valuable asset for anyone seeking
to market automobiles.
“A source of
strength, for me, is being comfortable
interacting with people who are different from
me,” said Daniels Jones. “Latinos, Japanese,
white men, people from different cultures and
different educational backgrounds are all
interesting to me. It doesn’t matter. I seek
out those who are different. That’s one thing
that has enabled me to do what I do.”
