Ford Falcon enthusiasts upset at marketing snub

[Grunter]

http://www.news.com.au/finance/busin...-1227361918788

AS AUTO companies in Australia wind back production of vehicles that once defined a generation, there are some car lovers who are not taking it well.

Ford Australia’s Facebook page is littered with comments from fans upset at the car company’s new direction and the decreasing prominence of Aussie models including the Falcon.

The FGX will be the last ever Falcon made before production in Australia ends in 2016, and the car has been praised by motoring journalists and enthusiasts.

But for those flying the flag for this Aussie classic, there has been bitter disappointment that Ford no longer seems interested in spruiking the last of its kind.

There has been no television advertisements for the new Falcon, which Facebook fans have noted under posts highlighting the features of the Ford GT, a car which will not even be available in Australia.

https://www.facebook.com/FordAustral...839766118747:0

Aaron N Al: You’re impressing nobody Ford Australia with these out of reach cars that we will never see or afford here in OZ. It does look good but I would rather see you people actually seem excited and advertise your own home designed and built product (AKA Falcon and Territory) before they are killed off. Such a pathetic effort on your behalf!!!!

Jason Gemmill: Hello Ford. Do you guys still manufacture a Falcon? I remember it used to be a great seller and everyone loved them and you used to make wonderful advertisements for them. Maybe I’m a bit behind the times? But anyway, just wondered if you still supplied Falcons? Regards, Disappointed Falcon Supporter.

Marc Kenneth Jones: You mean the Falcon? They made it, but won’t advertise it. Terrible marketing for a final model.

Another post that got the fans fired up was a photo of a Ford ST with the licence plate FRD — AUS.

https://www.facebook.com/FordAustral...861075783747:0

John Mark Santos: Dear Ford stop with the online hide and seek and please rip out some decent commercial campaigns for your top notch automobiles! Fords kill the opposition but you’re not advertising them at all! New Falcon? New Mondeo? New Focus ST? I wonder if we’ll even get a minute when the Everest and mustang are finally released ...???

David Cipollone: Problem with Ford is just that !!! Don’t have a global release of a car you can’t deliver, no wonder they’re going down the toilet and we’ll probably get the rejects and pay top dollar for them I’ve been Ford all my life but I might buy a Kia next time around, thanks for nothing.

A spokesman for Ford Australia said television advertisements were used to build awareness and reach as many people as possible but this was not necessary when it came to the Falcon.

“The thing with the Falcon, is, everyone knows what the Falcon is, so we don’t have a lack of awareness of what the Falcon is,” he said.

He said that the market for Falcons were generally enthusiasts, as families had shifted towards buying SUVs and young people went for smaller cars.

Recent television campaigns have promoted the compact Ford Fiesta Sport and the mid size SUV, the Kuga.

The spokesman said Ford was now trying to reach Falcon enthusiasts through a more targeted approach including the launch of the Falcon Fanatic group and advertising in speciality publications.

“We want to focus on the customers who will put their hard earned cash down because they like the brand and they like the vehicles,” he said.

The success of this approach was reflected in sales of the performance model, the XR8, which has been so popular Ford has doubled production.

Consumer figures also support Ford’s shift in focus with SUV sales in Australia hitting a record high in 2014 and for the first time accounting for more than 30 per cent of the new car market.

But sales of Australian-made cars hit a 61-year low last year and Ford is still struggling to retain its market share.

Ford posted its worst sales in more than 23 years (as far as digital records go back) and the 10th year in a row in decline. The figures are significant because they cover every model in the Ford range, not just outgoing models such as the Falcon and Territory SUV.

The last time the Falcon was a top-seller was in 1995 and it is now well outside the Top 20, overtaken by imports such as the Volkswagen Golf.

Australia’s top-selling car for the second year in a row was the Toyota Corolla, with the Mazda3 in second place.

Ford is due to close its Broadmeadows and Geelong facilities in October next year, with Holden and Toyota are due to shut their factories in late 2017.