FPV Retrenchments - Page 2

b2tf · 20-01-2007, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lagom

Well said.

FPV has come a long way in the short time it's been around and I find it amazing after a record year how all the "armchair experts" all come out of the woodwork knocking the hell out of management just because they haven't seen ads on TV.

given that that comment seems to be aimed at me i will respond to it.

im no armchair expert (but think that if you like) - i'm a consumer. i could walk into an FPV dealer tomorrow and buy one if i wanted to. but if i didnt know much about them, and didnt see any ads for them, would i do it? or would i go for the brand that i see on tv and in magazines? all brand bias aside, who do you think the average punter is going to go to.

record years come and go. you cant rest on them.

Scott · 20-01-2007, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by henry 351

Regardless of what we all think, they were all trying (harder than many of us realise) to improve the brand and the product. If their ideas and projects had been heeded I think you'd all be surprised what would be in the pipeline by now.

These people have put great effort into products we won't see for years to come (up to 2010 apparently).

I say thanks for their efforts and what they managed to achieve, rather than bag them for the perception of doing nothing. They had the ideas and the drive, but no one further up the Ford food chain had the the balls to commit to some great projects.

Nice sentiment but why would they be sacked if they were doing great stuff?

flappist · 20-01-2007, 07:02 PM

Wholesale accross the board assassinations are expensive and are usually only implemented when there is a MAJOR confict in policy or direction.

I wonder if depositioning the marque by offering it to government fleet purchasers e.g. police F6s in QLD might have something to do with it.

(I am sure there will be at least one bite over this)

Scott · 20-01-2007, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

I wonder if depositioning the marque by offering it to government fleet purchasers e.g. police F6s in QLD might have something to do with it.

(I am sure there will be at least one bite over this)

You have been cut deep haven't you.

**Bluehoon** · 20-01-2007, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

Wholesale accross the board assassinations are expensive and are usually only implemented when there is a MAJOR confict in policy or direction.

I wonder if depositioning the marque by offering it to government fleet purchasers e.g. police F6s in QLD might have something to do with it.

(I am sure there will be at least one bite over this)

Perhaps, but we can't say without knowing whether that was against any strategic direction...

Bit like predicting weather really...

Now, I bet that wasn't what you were expecting from me... :voldar02:

Gobes32 · 20-01-2007, 08:49 PM

Could also have something to do with Ford OZ having a large re shuffle of their production workforce as well. Big changes have been happening for Ford USA as well.

Redrum · 20-01-2007, 09:29 PM

Sad news for those gone. I do hope who ever is left at FPV can change the perceived view I have of them and get rid of their elitism and arrogance. I have heard Ford will be cutting a further 350 jobs in March also...

MITCHAY · 20-01-2007, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTP006

Nice sentiment but why would they be sacked if they were doing great stuff?

Some people just don't seem to get that. They aint shifting the product, time for new people.

holmsy · 20-01-2007, 09:55 PM

the thing with tv adds is they dont spread it across a year so it wouldent be 1 slot a week it would be maby 10 slots a week for a month and a half or soemthing.

if anyone wants to see the fpv adds go to the fpv site and go to downloads they are all in there.

they also have adds on the radio. one i allways hear is one about the tough falcon ute on triple m

and in most major car mags there is usually at least 1 full page add.

cool65 · 20-01-2007, 10:53 PM

Marketing can't be done always from behind a beer glass or pool cue.
You have to get out to the people.
We've all been to the races and there is always something from the "factory" there for the red team (cars & clothing) and it is usually left to the individual ford race teams to organise their own marketing to support their meagre budgets (djr/jim beam will shine in 07).
Hell, kmart sell mega million $ of hsv gear
It does not cost big bucks to sponsor some events that enthusiasts go to to get exposure
As for the factory, IMHO the major $ marketing for 2006 for the BF ghia should have been spent on getting bums on seats in base models & XR6's as we all agree we were all turned on by the first BA XR6 ad with the 6 speed

**Polyal** · 20-01-2007, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acosta32

Could also have something to do with Ford OZ having a large re shuffle of their production workforce as well. Big changes have been happening for Ford USA as well.

Would have nothing to do with that, remember they are getting new people, so that kind of negates any savings...

**ebxr8240** · 20-01-2007, 11:44 PM

Not just here..
Ford Motor Co., cutting jobs to stem losses, said Americas chief Mark Fields would no longer use a company plane to commute to Michigan from his home in Florida, two weeks after the carmaker defended the practice.

Fields "doesn't want to distract the team" trying to revive North American auto operations, spokesman Tom Hoyt said.

Fields got permission to use Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford's aircraft on a weekly basis when he took his post in October 2005.

banarcus · 21-01-2007, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by henry 351

Regardless of what we all think, they were all trying (harder than many of us realise) to improve the brand and the product. If their ideas and projects had been heeded I think you'd all be surprised what would be in the pipeline by now.

It's hard to market the FPV bandwagon when your are handcuffed at the wheel so to speak...

These people have put great effort into products we won't see for years to come (up to 2010 apparently).

I say thanks for their efforts and what they managed to achieve, rather than bag them for the perception of doing nothing. They had the ideas and the drive, but no one further up the Ford food chain had the the balls to commit to some great projects.

I wonder what the 'products' were that may have come in conflict with the suits? Will we ever know?

Pedro · 21-01-2007, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluehoon

Was speaking to some people this afternoon..

As part of a management restrusture at FPV, the head managers for sales & marketing, product management, and communications were retrenched today.
Press release to soon be released....
perhaps the force wasn't all it was cracked up to be????
any confirm?

As an owner of an F6, I didn't know they employed anyone in communications.

Lagom · 21-01-2007, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b2tf

given that that comment seems to be aimed at me i will respond to it.

im no armchair expert (but think that if you like) - i'm a consumer. i could walk into an FPV dealer tomorrow and buy one if i wanted to. but if i didnt know much about them, and didnt see any ads for them, would i do it? or would i go for the brand that i see on tv and in magazines? all brand bias aside, who do you think the average punter is going to go to.

There is more to marketing than advertising on TV.

FPV advertises in various forms of print media, eg. car magazines. They have plenty of press coverage in automotive press. It is an enthusiast's brand, enthusiasts consume this media.

Not everyone needs to be aware of FPV, because the number of potential purchasers for such a niche marque is always going to be limited. The number of people willing to spend $65k on an Aussie car is limited.

Do you think FPV's marketing team would spend more money if they had it?

Ask yourself why there aren't more TV ads. It's not as if they don't know what they are, there are obviously real reasons why such things aren't done.

Quote:

Originally Posted by b2tf

record years come and go. you cant rest on them.

Never said you could.

Old records also get broken by new records

b2tf · 21-01-2007, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lagom

There is more to marketing than advertising on TV.

Glad you told me otherwise I would never have known.

Lagom · 21-01-2007, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

Some people just don't seem to get that. They aint shifting the product, time for new people.

What do you mean they ain't shifting the product?

FPV just had its best year, selling 2144 units. A decent achievement, especially considering that VE was launched this year.

This is still a young brand.

Lagom · 21-01-2007, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pedro

As an owner of an F6, I didn't know they employed anyone in communications.

Who do you think gets FPV into car reviews, promotional events and handles media enquiries?

b2tf · 21-01-2007, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lagom

Who do you think gets FPV into car reviews, promotional events and handles media enquiries?

ever tried making a "media enquiry" to FPV? :MrT_anim:

T3ts50 · 21-01-2007, 02:58 PM

On Friday I called the marketing department about my Blueprint subscription, but know one in marketing was there.

MITCHAY · 21-01-2007, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lagom

What do you mean they ain't shifting the product?

FPV just had its best year, selling 2144 units. A decent achievement, especially considering that VE was launched this year.

This is still a young brand.

Whether it's a decent achievement to us or not is irrelevant. It's not meeting FPVs expectations obviously.

Whether those expectations are realistic or not I have no idea.

Lagom · 21-01-2007, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

Whether it's a decent achievement to us or not is irrelevant. It's not meeting FPVs expectations obviously.

FPV's or Prodrive's?

Good luck to the new team anyway.

Lagom · 21-01-2007, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b2tf

ever tried making a "media enquiry" to FPV? :MrT_anim:

I've made enquiries with the said person before ;)

MITCHAY · 21-01-2007, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lagom

FPV's or Prodrive's?

Good luck to the new team anyway.

Whoever's the boss I guess. I don't know who it is.

Cuey · 21-01-2007, 05:01 PM

See attached article

http://www.news.com.au/sundayheralds...78-662,00.html

Sledgehammer · 21-01-2007, 05:04 PM

For people who dont want to open it.

January 20, 2007 12:00am
Article from: Herald-Sun

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THE head has been chopped from Ford's most successful division in Australia.
The managing director of Ford Performance Vehicles, Sak Ryopponen, was fired yesterday despite leading Ford's hot rod division to record sales last year.

FPV will continue as a joint venture between Ford and Prodrive, with Prodrive Asia-Pacific boss Bryan Mears taking direct control of the specialist carmaker.

Two other senior FPV managers were sacked.

T3ts50 · 21-01-2007, 05:40 PM

Poor guy was in the job for less than a year.

TPUF6 · 21-01-2007, 05:48 PM

So people think SAK didn't do a good job because he came from SAAB (previous post) well don't know how Bryan is going to go. He has no automotive experience & knowledge and to top it off he drives a Porsche!!!!!!!!!!!

MRJUCY · 21-01-2007, 05:50 PM

Anything is better then a Saab.

:

Lagom · 21-01-2007, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

Whoever's the boss I guess. I don't know who it is.

Well, seeing the FPV boss was sacked, I reckon it must be Prodrive