Last night when I picked up my daughter at the airport here in Phoenix, I saw a Mondeo parked in the terminal parking garage. It had plates marked "manufacturer plates" or something like that, and was from Michigan. I thought Mondeos were about the same size as the Fusion, but this was bigger; more like a Taurus. It was a great looking car, and I'm just wondering if it's coming here.
Ford Mondeo coming to US?
pseudonym
1 - 20 of 62 Posts
Joined
·
2,166 Posts
Last night when I picked up my daughter at the airport here in Phoenix, I saw a Mondeo parked in the terminal parking garage. It had plates marked "manufacturer plates" or something like that, and was from Michigan. I thought Mondeos were about the same size as the Fusion, but this was bigger; more like a Taurus. It was a great looking car, and I'm just wondering if it's coming here.
Joined
·
6,096 Posts
I really wonder if they will change the name globally to be the same. There position is they want to have global marketing campaigns, and that's hard to do with cars that don't have the same name and badge even if the ARE the same car.
It will be interesting to see how that plays out.
It will be interesting to see how that plays out.
The Fusion has turned out to be a very popular car... Everyone, including Ford knows this. They won't change the name, it's got too much name recognition now. Advertising isn't necessarily global... I doubt Ford will give us the same advertising for the Focus and Fiesta as say... Europe or Japan.
Joined
·
228 Posts
Joined
·
21,853 Posts
Building a global car and sticking on different exterior badging is no big deal, the Fusion has been a great car for Ford so losing that name recognition would be insane.
I'm sure the Mondeo is here for testing, they do that all the time.
I'm sure the Mondeo is here for testing, they do that all the time.
Joined
·
6,096 Posts
Again it's a trade off on the short term savings and advantages on using the names that are well known in each market, vs the cost savings and advantages of global brands and marketing. As they found simply having the "Ford" brand being global is a huge advantage over GM which is a global company, but does not have the same brands in each market.
Hell if Ford really wants to push it's "global" aspect, I would not be shocked to see a "fusion" ad campaign touting the "fusion of the mondeo"
Coca Cola uses the same name in every market for a reason
Hell if Ford really wants to push it's "global" aspect, I would not be shocked to see a "fusion" ad campaign touting the "fusion of the mondeo"
Coca Cola uses the same name in every market for a reason
Just wait and see. What the car is called all over the world is besides the point. Some times using what works for one market is a failure in another market. Example, Chevy Nova in Mexico. "No va" roughly means "Doesnt go". I am sure a name change was necessary.
Joined
·
6,096 Posts
yes but that is what happns when you don't think globally from the START with the name. When you say "what does the name matter" from a cost perspective, I would not be shocked if a different name in different markets cost $10s of millions a year from adjustments in advertising and reduced global brand recognition.
^ ?
Now you want to outsource advertising?
You are going to spend money placing the ad's anyways. Why not make them more effective by localizing them to your market? It would be silly to advertise a Focus at a Soccer game, in the middle of superbowl programing? Just like it would be dumb to show a American Cowboy on a Taurus ad campaign in Kuait.
Plus the savings you get from not having to make different badges is peanuts. It costs more to pay a non union janitor to take a day off, then it does to make a few thousand injection molded name badges. You arent saving anything there.
Advertising is expensive, even if you build a car that can carry its name all over the world. The reason for that is, you still have to make the product desireable to the market you are selling in.
But all of that is besides the point. The topic is will the Mondeo be sold here. Not what will Ford call it once it is.
Now you want to outsource advertising?
You are going to spend money placing the ad's anyways. Why not make them more effective by localizing them to your market? It would be silly to advertise a Focus at a Soccer game, in the middle of superbowl programing? Just like it would be dumb to show a American Cowboy on a Taurus ad campaign in Kuait.
Plus the savings you get from not having to make different badges is peanuts. It costs more to pay a non union janitor to take a day off, then it does to make a few thousand injection molded name badges. You arent saving anything there.
Advertising is expensive, even if you build a car that can carry its name all over the world. The reason for that is, you still have to make the product desireable to the market you are selling in.
But all of that is besides the point. The topic is will the Mondeo be sold here. Not what will Ford call it once it is.
Joined
·
11,380 Posts
I think the nameplate will be important. Just as the whole Five Hundred debacle developed, Ford wants to make sure it doesn't repeat its past mistakes.
That being said, remember that there is a European model named Fusion (larger Fiesta/minicrossover-ish/tall wagon). The name Mondeo has more recognition in the rest of the world. If Ford changes the name to Fusion, I can see a lot of people in the world doing the same thing North Americans did with the Five Hundred.
Because of how entrenched these names are, I have a feeling their names will remain.
Joined
·
2,313 Posts
Yeah people in Michigan don't even blink at M-plates. The fact that a car is here on an M-plate means nothing. I've seen some weird **** with M-plates.
Joined
·
6,096 Posts
When did I say outsource advertising, anyway that is irrelevant.
here lets give you an example of GLOBAL advertising that is unified and localized.
Also there is allot more to an ad campaign than just that one ad you see during a sports game. The entirety of a brand is targeted at a particular demographic. The way the ads are made, the way the website looks, the colors they use, the font in there brochures, the logo of the product are all designed for a particular group that the product is targeted at. I would say for a big company like ford that you are looking at millions upon millions of dollars. It is one thing to re-film an ad in a different language with different actors. It is a VERY different thing to completely change course in corporate branding strategy.
I'll use apple as an example...
It does not matter what country you go to, apple is apple. Same logos, same products, same design to the websites, same marketing, print, video online, billboards. EVERYTHING follows ONE formula. They know who there customers are and the image they want there brand to portray and they do NOT under ANY circumstances deviate from that company image.
I can give you many other brands that have very strict "brand images" which are all part of there marketing
Do I want one name for the car worldwide? Yes.
But do I think for a second that the Fusion will be as successful if the name is changed to Mondeo in the U.S.? Hell NO.
If I've learned one thing selling cars for the past two years, it's that the vast majority of American car buyers know jack **** compared to people like us who read up on this stuff. Half my customers don't even know Subaru is Japanese. And I guarantee if you did a poll of American consumers, 3/4's of them would not know that the Five Hundred and the subsequent Taurus were the same car.
But do I think for a second that the Fusion will be as successful if the name is changed to Mondeo in the U.S.? Hell NO.
If I've learned one thing selling cars for the past two years, it's that the vast majority of American car buyers know jack **** compared to people like us who read up on this stuff. Half my customers don't even know Subaru is Japanese. And I guarantee if you did a poll of American consumers, 3/4's of them would not know that the Five Hundred and the subsequent Taurus were the same car.
Joined
·
4,141 Posts
^ You got that right. Americans are becoming ignorant to the automotive world. Sixty years ago it was different, now with all the gadgets, gizmos and what nots that keep people distracted. They have no clue anymore whats what in the auto world. Ford could bring the Tempo back and nobody would notice.
Joined
·
6,096 Posts
which is why you don't just drop the name but transition to the new name. In the US market you could do an ad promoting the "fusion of the mondeo" showing ford combining the best of the US fusion, with the best of the mondeo to bring a better "world" car.
It would cost a little more upfront but in the long run you would be able to globalize the name on the new car.
many companies do that when the merge something. They duel brand stuff for a wile if the old brand is very strong, but they want to unify the customers on another brand.
It would cost a little more upfront but in the long run you would be able to globalize the name on the new car.
many companies do that when the merge something. They duel brand stuff for a wile if the old brand is very strong, but they want to unify the customers on another brand.
1 - 20 of 62 Posts
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
