Why Ford will fail in Australia.

[hayseed]

Here's an interesting analysis of Ford in Australia...By a very polarising Figure I Know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9X49mzrn-I

[roKWiz]

He doesn't cut it as a tuber, he doesn't jump around enough.

[Rico 110s]

Originally Posted by hayseed

Here's an interesting analysis of Ford in Australia...By a very polarising Figure I Know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9X49mzrn-I

Cardogan is code word for Flog.

Basically everything he said is out of context and would not be happy unless were all driving Fire bursting KIA's while he is getting his kick back.

[smoo]

Full on cringe watching him. It looks as though his tools and equipment have never been used.
Is he still paid by Hyundai?

[aussiblue]

I think he is right in in this case. The sales stats support the case. Ford Australia has most of its eggs in one basket (Ranger) and Mustang sales are falling. Yes we know Mustang was never going to be a mainstream volume seller anyway. If for some reason Ranger sales collapse whether due to a pandemic led recession, a cheaper equivalent competitor appearing in the Oz market, a fault with a future new Ranger model (such as another Focus dual clutch like issue) or supply problems from Thailand (it's not the most politically stable country in the world per https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/Tha...cal_stability/ ) they are sunk. And at the end of the day I don't think Ford (and for that matter any vehicle manufacture) views Australia as an important market in a global market context. Our total sales numbers are too low and there are too many competitors in the market all trying to undercut each other reducing capacity for profits.

[Rico 110s]

Originally Posted by aussiblue

I think he is right in in this case. The sales stats support the case. Ford Australia has most of its eggs in one basket (Ranger) and Mustang sales are falling. Yes we know Mustang was never going to be a mainstream volume seller anyway. If for some reason Ranger sales collapse whether due to a pandemic led recession, a cheaper equivalent competitor appearing in the Oz market, a fault with a future new Ranger model (such as another Focus dual clutch like issue) or supply problems from Thailand (it's not the most politically stable country in the world per https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/Tha...cal_stability/ ) they are sunk.

Apart from Toyota who can actually come out and say they are safe in the market with their model car?

Yes Mustang was always going to slide and COVID will have been a big part of the slide for 2020.

The man is nothing but a scare monger and part of the reason why our motoring industry is in the condition that it is.

[Syndrome]

That guy is a flog. But I do agree that Ford is in a precarious position. If the next model Ranger doesn't prove to be a hit or something new comes along to steal sales, Ford will be in trouble. The remainder of their products just do not sell enough and the Mustang is a niche product which will not keep 200 dealers financially viable.

[pottery beige]

bang on as always

[Mr Brooksy]

My concern is less about Aussie sales, but more about the whole direction from Ford HQ. The future focus on Pickups, SUVs and Mustang leads to a lack of other cars in the lineup and a decrease in focus on segments they are already planning on leaving. Why then would we have any other hope other than Ranger in Australia from Ford? The SUV market here is pretty full, Mustang as has been suggested is niche and Ranger is the only pickup we have in a sector going nuts at the moment.

[Franco Cozzo]

He has good points but I feel he forces his youtube persona a bit too much in his content.

Otherwise he is pretty entertaining.

It doesn't surprise me, Ford Australia is the Thailand Special Specialist

[Syndrome]

Originally Posted by Mr Brooksy

My concern is less about Aussie sales, but more about the whole direction from Ford HQ. The future focus on Pickups, SUVs and Mustang leads to a lack of other cars in the lineup and a decrease in focus on segments they are already planning on leaving. Why then would we have any other hope other than Ranger in Australia from Ford? The SUV market here is pretty full, Mustang as has been suggested is niche and Ranger is the only pickup we have in a sector going nuts at the moment.

But you can't criticise the Ford leaders as that would be regarded as sexist and misogynistic in this "woke" age.

[CyberWasp]

Why did you link to that it makes me angry.
I couldn't make it past the Mustang Safety Crap again.
Yes the Car fails a safety test, when tested as a family car with a standard applied a few years after it was designed.
No one is buying a Mustang as a family car or to put passengers in the back and nor do they want lane keeping assist ect.

[Rico 110s]

Mustang uprated to 3 stars with limitations as already mentioned on here.

https://www.ancap.com.au/media-and-g...ted-to-3-stars

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by aussiblue

I think he is right in in this case. The sales stats support the case. Ford Australia has most of its eggs in one basket (Ranger) and Mustang sales are falling. Yes we know Mustang was never going to be a mainstream volume seller anyway. If for some reason Ranger sales collapse whether due to a pandemic led recession, a cheaper equivalent competitor appearing in the Oz market, a fault with a future new Ranger model (such as another Focus dual clutch like issue) or supply problems from Thailand (it's not the most politically stable country in the world per https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/Tha...cal_stability/ ) they are sunk. And at the end of the day I don't think Ford (and for that matter any vehicle manufacture) views Australia as an important market in a global market context. Our total sales numbers are too low and there are too many competitors in the market all trying to undercut each other reducing capacity for profits.

I would sooner Ford back itself with Ranger and a better Everest than trying to compete
with very other Asian brand out there, my one criticism is no regular hybrid Escape to go
head to head with hot selling RAV4 hybrid.

Ford is working on producing Bronco Sport and a compact size Maverick dual cab

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by aussiblue

I think he is right in in this case. The sales stats support the case. Ford Australia has most of its eggs in one basket (Ranger) and Mustang sales are falling. Yes we know Mustang was never going to be a mainstream volume seller anyway. If for some reason Ranger sales collapse whether due to a pandemic led recession, a cheaper equivalent competitor appearing in the Oz market, a fault with a future new Ranger model (such as another Focus dual clutch like issue) or supply problems from Thailand (it's not the most politically stable country in the world per https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/Tha...cal_stability/ ) they are sunk. And at the end of the day I don't think Ford (and for that matter any vehicle manufacture) views Australia as an important market in a global market context. Our total sales numbers are too low and there are too many competitors in the market all trying to undercut each other reducing capacity for profits.

I would sooner Ford back itself with Ranger and a better Everest than trying to compete
with very other Asian brand out there, my one criticism is no regular hybrid Escape to go
head to head with hot selling RAV4 hybrid. Ford needs to recognise the difference with
our market versus Europe and maybe look at different products for us?

Ford is working on producing Bronco Sport and a compact size Maverick dual cab ute but
no indication that either will ever be built as RHD product.

To me, Mach 1 is an example of Ford taking a shot in our market, even if it's only 700 cars,
the point is to listen to and cater for those that want something different but still affordable.

[XR Martin]

Quite a few other big brands will go before Ford does.
Honda, Subaru, Nissan, etc.

[whynot]

There are two types of people in this world. Those who have a go. And those who criticise those who have a go. Car manufacturers exist to make money. How they go about making money is entirely up to them.

When the Ford Range first came out on the Australian market, there was a lot of criticism in the press. This included that it was; a Yank SUV that we didn't need here, its size, its fuel consumption, its environmental damage, etc, etc. If Ford had listened to its critics of the time, it would never had released the Ranger. Yet, here we are in 2020. The market has clearly moved away from sedans, and the Ranger is the perhaps the only thing keeping Ford Australia afloat.

My advice is not to watch YouTube channels or other social media channels like this one. Generally, there is a very poor signal to noise ratio.

As for Ford, stop worrying about them. They will either sink or swim.

[Blue_XR]

I watched the video as I wanted to see what he had to say. I disagree with his points on the Mustang that FOA have destroyed it. He really should have compared it to other sports cars and the sales graphs. There is an initial uptake then it drops off. Hopefully in our case Mustang sells enough for Ford to continue making a RHD version of it. Ranger is a great seller for Ford and I beleive that Everest is getting stronger. It puzzles me that the rest of the Ford range really struggles. What is keeping people out of the rest of the Ford range? They have some good cars on offer. Maybe it is past experience with Ford (gearbox issues, lack of customer service). They really should be promoting the vehicles and getting on the front foot.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by aussiblue

I think he is right in in this case. The sales stats support the case. Ford Australia has most of its eggs in one basket (Ranger) and Mustang sales are falling. Yes we know Mustang was never going to be a mainstream volume seller anyway. If for some reason Ranger sales collapse whether due to a pandemic led recession, a cheaper equivalent competitor appearing in the Oz market, a fault with a future new Ranger model (such as another Focus dual clutch like issue) or supply problems from Thailand (it's not the most politically stable country in the world per https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/Tha...cal_stability/ ) they are sunk. And at the end of the day I don't think Ford (and for that matter any vehicle manufacture) views Australia as an important market in a global market context. Our total sales numbers are too low and there are too many competitors in the market all trying to undercut each other reducing capacity for profits.

I didnt bother watching the video because the blokes a ****er but i think there is merit in the theory but i dont think itll be due to a downturn in Ranger sales but more from a economic sense.
Ive been saying it for years, Ford is on the nose as a brand, theyve burnt too many punters at dealership level at a time where choice as never been greater.
It hasnt matter what theyve brought to the market apart from Ranger, its wagon equivalent and Mustang which is dwindling, no one is prepared to take a punt on the cars because they carry the toxic badge, especially when theyre asking overs for them.
My question is, how long will the dealers continue to carry the brand and costs associated to sell 4k cars a month.
How many shopfronts do Ford have nation wide, they couldnt be averaging more than 20/mth each if that.

[aussiblue]

I have to say since Ford stopped making cars in Australia, I feel no sense of loyalty to the brand and I am sure I am not alone.

[Stubbie]

Ford doesn't promote there cars like other companies except maybe Ranger. How many adds have you seen on TV for a Mondeo or Escape or for that matter Mustang. Here's an example. If you here the song "Go your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac, what's the first thing you think of. "Isuzu" right (I know you all new that) so if Ford had some catchy tune promotion for their cars I'm sure they would be doing better. Oh and their cars are always about $10k more expensive for a base model than everybody else might have something to do with it as well.

[naddis01]

Plenty of ads on TV for the Puma at the moment.

I think the Mustang has exceeded Fords expectation. It still currently holds a 50% market share for the under $80k sports market. The sales trajectory is following the same path as every coupe before it.

[bangm001]

Originally Posted by aussiblue

I have to say since Ford stopped making cars in Australia, I feel no sense of loyalty to the brand and I am sure I am not alone.

You are definately not alone. Luckily im not in the market for a new car for me, as i wold have no idea on what to get.
For our family hacks there are many options which will do the job just fine.

[Bossxr8]

Ford sell in over 180 countries. Australia would have to be in the higher group of countries for sales. So why does it matter if sales drop here. It's not going to sink the company here. There are probably 150 countries that sell less Fords than Australia does.

Are all those countries suddenly going to stop selling Fords because their sales numbers are fairly low?

I makes me laugh that people think Ford will just pack up and leave here. Just because manufacturing did is completely unrelated. All powerful Toyota did too.

[the_scotsman]

Originally Posted by Stubbie

Ford doesn't promote there cars like other companies except maybe Ranger. How many adds have you seen on TV for a Mondeo or Escape or for that matter Mustang.

They don't sell the Mondeo here any more. They sell bugger all in Australia now. Take a look at Ford AU website, the only "car" listed is the Focus (and Fiesta ST). It's pitiful.

Everyone is buying SUVs and dual cabs. Even though the majority of them have no real use for them.

It's mind boggling that the Falcon/Commodore was replaced by the SUV by most folks.

I mean, even give me a station wagon over an SUV any day. But no, ute and SUV drivers have ruined it for Australia. Ruined it for me....since moving to Australia in 2001, I've owned nothing but Falcons. 5 of them. The G6ET has 160,000km now, so I need to decide soon what I'll do next. Mustang would be good, but it's pricey, and not exactly spacious.

But getting back to your point, you're right. For the cars they do have, there's really little advertising. i remember growing up in the UK, Ford had some of the most prominent advertising. Bryan May's "Everything We Do" song was used by Ford for a long while as their theme in their ads. You hear that song, even today, you think of Ford. But now, there's next to nothing, at least in Australia.

[chevypower]

Look his primary job is to engage people, and I think this guy does a pretty good job. I don’t think he has a personal thing against Ford, and he uses a kind of Clarkson-style hyperbolic tone with a bit of sarcasm. At least he’s not boring.

[hayseed]

Originally Posted by XR Martin

Quite a few other big brands will go before Ford does.
Honda, Subaru, Nissan, etc.

I agree, Nissan in particular, is vulnerable given It's a minor shareholder(15%) in the Renault.Mitsubishi,Nissan Alliance...

There's far Too many Car Companies trying to Sell Cars here in Australia...

[FTE217]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Ford sell in over 180 countries. Australia would have to be in the higher group of countries for sales. So why does it matter if sales drop here. It's not going to sink the company here. There are probably 150 countries that sell less Fords than Australia does.

Are all those countries suddenly going to stop selling Fords because their sales numbers are fairly low?

I makes me laugh that people think Ford will just pack up and leave here. Just because manufacturing did is completely unrelated. All powerful Toyota did too.

Mate, I know where your coming from and nothing like that I'd/we like to see Ford globally kick butt - its not the amount of countries your selling its overall the volumes and its not that great in the big picture.
Those 150+ countries you say that would be lower than us in volumes in that case are so small you'd wonder when those locals operators go F this its all too hard barring the 1 volume seller. Waste of their time.
Sure its still big but not like it used to be.
We all know its been declining for a number of years.
Sure they won't leave - hope not they have spent alot being here plus what is set up since the closure its just that its not the same anymore what some are getting at and the offerings are not enough but thats their call due alot of reasonable business decisions that IMO came to them how they have approached and treated this market for a long long long time.
Imagine IF the bean counters there would have approved so many things us enthusiasts wished for and offerings the general public wanted instead of driving them all away for eg.....
Yes all of them are having difficulties in this day and age but some are still delivering chioce/variety options.
Check this out
https://businessquant.com/ford-unit-sales-by-country

https://www.statista.com/statistics/...ing-countries/

[5thFordWA]

I find Cadogan to be an arrogant idiot - but usually on the money technically. In this video I think he came across as anti-Ford, maybe he doesn't follow DJR/Penske - haha.

But Ford marketing people are not the dumbest in the world - far from it - and although I agree with Cadogan's comments to some extent, it reminded me of a marketing strategy I came across in some management training some 40 years ago, and I find it is still current practice. The BCG Matrix.

In this diagram (see link below) I list the Ford products as:

STARS - Ranger - High market share, high growth, profitable.
CASH COW - Mustang - High market share (in its category)
PETS/DOGS - Transit? - Low share, profitable
QUESTION MARKS - Focus/Fiesta - low share, low profits.
You may disagree with my categories, it doesn't matter, what I am saying is Ford has a spread of products following a pattern used in top level marketing.

https://www.smartinsights.com/market...se-bcg-matrix/

Check it out, it's very interesting how it applies to big companies.
When I was first shown it the example used was the Coca Cola group of companies, where the Star was Coke, but the cash cow was lemonade (everybody gets it, low advertising budget, very profitable).

Cheers.

[jpd80]

Ford will continue in Australia in spite of the ramblings of Mr Cardogan and,
for a person that claims to not care about Ford, he's quite the emotional lump.

All in all, a disagreeable little man. Perhaps a bonus from Kia this month?