Friday, December 22, 2006

Ford Edge Targets 30-Somethings



Ford is rolling an $80 million blitz for its new Ford Edge which targets 30-somethings.

I am very impressed with Ford's current marketing intiatives. It is taking a very aggressive approach, especially with the promotion of its new Ford Edge. It will be the official sponsor of fordedge.msn.com where visitors can find events and activities in 25 cities or share their suggestions. Ford hopes the community-style site will attract social-minded adults.


"These are very tech-savvy consumers who like social networking and this allows us to connect with them where they naturally spend time," said Jeri Ward, the vehicle's marketing manager. Ford's "Ideas from the Edge" push "really represents where advertising on the web is going -- into much more participatory media that lets consumers be part of the experience.

Ford has also set up an AIM page Ford Edge Profile and is partnering with singer Kelis to promote its urban-marketing effort. The singer created a song, "Push It to the Edge." Kelis also appears in targeted magazine ads and will play a role in various Edge sweepstakes starting in February on radio's "The Steve Harvey Morning Show" and "The Tom Joyner Morning Show."

Despite falling stock prices and declining sales in the U.S., Ford has done a good job capturing majority of the SUV market in South America. I hope Ford continues to leverage market research and technology to make an impactful return on the car industry in the U.S.

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