Australian cars

aussie muscle · 09-06-2011, 11:09 AM

Seeing the latest Mazda advert for their new ute, they show it driving around outback australia with catchphrases like 'built for australian conditions'. they stay on the 'australian' message right to the end. only missing the 'australian made' (because they can't lie).

i was thinking the "buy australian" message is being used by foreign companies like Mazda, so it's obviously still a useful message. why doesn't Ford make patriotic adverts for their (actually) Australian Made cars?

Road_Warrior · 09-06-2011, 11:30 AM

Because Ford suck at selling things.

RedHotGT · 09-06-2011, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Because Ford suck at selling things.

ZING - quote of the week for me!!!!

**TUF_302** · 09-06-2011, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Because Ford suck at selling things.

bazinga!!!

Supercharged · 09-06-2011, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Because Ford suck at selling things.

Spot on, well said.

2011G6E · 09-06-2011, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Supercharged

Spot on, well said.

I'll agree with that!

Holden infests the TV with adverts for the Commodore...how far it gets on a tank, new engines, features, special offers...but I honestly can't remember the last "official" Ford Falcon TV advert I saw, apart from some local dealers showing special deals. Certainly no big bucks ad campaigns like Holden apparently doesn't shy away from.

Ford is very good at the TV adverts for Fiesta, Focus, and other small Fords...but where are the creative and entertaining Falcon adverts??

aussie muscle · 10-06-2011, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

I honestly can't remember the last "official" Ford Falcon TV advert I saw,

At the moment the official campaign is 'you buy a car with your Heart and your Head'.
i've seen them a few times, they even featured a falcon in one!

prydey · 10-06-2011, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussie muscle

At the moment the official campaign is 'you buy a car with your Heart and your Head'.
i've seen them a few times, they even featured a falcon in one!

i would say ford advertise their model mix rather evenly, rather than put all their eggs in the falcon basket, and i think its working for them.

its only the fans on AFF that want it to still be the falcon car company.

i'm not suggesting the falcon is selling well, but if you look at the products about to come online in the next 6 months or so, i don't believe ford are carrying on like many on here assume.

Marquis 351 · 09-06-2011, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Because Ford suck at selling things.

I have to agree! If i was to buy a car on with either tv or papers or magazins as advertising media alone..... I would buy a holden.... or anything other than a Ford!!!!!!

bobthebilda · 09-06-2011, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussie muscle

i was thinking the "buy australian" message is being used by foreign companies like Mazda, so it's obviously still a useful message. why doesn't Ford make patriotic adverts for their (actually) Australian Made cars?

Because they would have to be very careful as to what was said, and run the risk of major humiliation and probably some fines, if their locally made cars do not fit the "interpretation" of australian made product. The following interpretations are used by the organisation that hands out the "australian made" logo.

Quote:

Australian Made
The product is substantially transformed in Australia and at least 50 per cent of the cost of production has been incurred in Australia.

The key point here, is that you may have a Falcon going for $34000, but you have to wipe out on road costs (approx $5000), and you have to wipe out R&D and depreciation etc (probably $7000 per car), to get a real car cost of car production. ie probably in the low to mid $20's. Then you need to work out if $13,000 of the Falcon was actually produced in Australia. 1800 workers making 2500 cars a month, only equates to about $3600 of Ford labour into the car, maybe double that for Ford supplier australian employees, and you get $7200. Add in material costs etc, and you would probably make the 50% mark with the Falcon, commodore and Territory.

But just look at every cruze ad you see, you dont see "australian made" written up, you see australian built, ie we cant call it australian made becasue 50% of it is not produced in australia.

4.0i OHC · 09-06-2011, 03:16 PM

The Cruze is constantly marketed as 'Australia's own small car', and manages to sell well, even though it's a third-rate Daewoo whose styling seems inspired by a squashed crab and the Chrysler Sebring. How come the Territory isn't marketed as Australia's own SUV?

Road_Warrior · 09-06-2011, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fairlaneman

The Cruze is constantly marketed as 'Australia's own small car', and manages to sell well

Sell well, but to whom? Holden dealers? Government fleets? It's been suggested that Holden dealers have quite a large number of licensed, plated brand new cars on their lots, and we know that VFacts obtains its 'sales' data from new vehicle registrations...

4.0i OHC · 09-06-2011, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Sell well, but to whom? Holden dealers? Government fleets? It's been suggested that Holden dealers have quite a large number of licensed, plated brand new cars on their lots, and we know that VFacts obtains its 'sales' data from new vehicle registrations...

Didn't know that. That's so dishonest.

Road_Warrior · 09-06-2011, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fairlaneman

Didn't know that. That's so dishonest.

I'm not saying it's true...but just some food for thought that's all.

stevz · 09-06-2011, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Sell well, but to whom? Holden dealers? Government fleets? It's been suggested that Holden dealers have quite a large number of licensed, plated brand new cars on their lots, and we know that VFacts obtains its 'sales' data from new vehicle registrations...

Ford does exactly the same thing.
I have lost count of the number of times I have seen large Ford Dealer ads in the paper saying "Demo sale... registered but never driven....30 to choose from."

ray38l · 09-06-2011, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Sell well, but to whom? Holden dealers? Government fleets? It's been suggested that Holden dealers have quite a large number of licensed, plated brand new cars on their lots, and we know that VFacts obtains its 'sales' data from new vehicle registrations...

and who suggested it? Someone who is on this forum that come up with a theory to explain why holden's are selling more, doesn't seem very credible.
For it to work holden would have to be registering hundreds of unsold cars every month for such a small gain. Sounds good as a conspiracy theory until you think about it.

Windsor220 · 09-06-2011, 04:45 PM

Weren't there rumours last year that Ford were going to use a new slogan. True Blue or something like that?

Road_Warrior · 09-06-2011, 04:55 PM

As I said earlier, I'm not saying it's the gospel...its worth raising though in the context of what is sold to who, which we will never really know.

Smoke Pursuit · 09-06-2011, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Sell well, but to whom? Holden dealers? Government fleets? It's been suggested that Holden dealers have quite a large number of licensed, plated brand new cars on their lots, and we know that VFacts obtains its 'sales' data from new vehicle registrations...

They still sell them in the end...

Its not like they have 4 million Holden Commodores sitting in the Australian Desert with number plates on them just so they can get sales figures up!! Lol. They all do it, as part of their Franchise agreesments dealers must put on Demo cars 1) for demo purposes, 2) for staff to drive and 3) bonus rebates.

bobthebilda · 09-06-2011, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DASH GT

They still sell them in the end...

Its not like they have 4 million Holden Commodores sitting in the Australian Desert with number plates on them just so they can get sales figures up!! Lol. They all do it, as part of their Franchise agreesments dealers must put on Demo cars 1) for demo purposes, 2) for staff to drive and 3) bonus rebates.

Its true, they have to sell them in the end, and I am guessing the practice is used to boost or smooth out sales in the short to medium term. For example, if Holden were going to have a 2500 commodore month, then the general public would think the car is one its way out (probably what is plagueing the Falcon right now). Throw an extra 1000 cars at the dealer network (with $900 each to rego them), and the cost is $900,000 to them. Lose the biggest selling car status for the month, and the advertising required (or negative publicity) to get everything back up is probably more than $900,000.

And dare I say, Holden write some pretty stupid contracts when they outsource stuff. Some suppliers have them over a barrel when it comes to production quantities. If Holden dont take them, they still have to pay for them.

Rastus · 09-06-2011, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fairlaneman

The Cruze is constantly marketed as 'Australia's own small car', and manages to sell well, even though it's a third-rate Daewoo whose styling seems inspired by a squashed crab and the Chrysler Sebring. How come the Territory isn't marketed as Australia's own SUV?

My thoughts exactly! I hope Ford go down this path when they start advertising the new Terri.
On a positive note, I've heard some radio adds pushing the "Australian Designed & Engineered" New Ford Ranger. I hope this ramps up on both radio & television when it comes online also.

SB076 · 10-06-2011, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobthebilda

The key point here, is that you may have a Falcon going for $34000, but you have to wipe out on road costs (approx $5000), and you have to wipe out R&D and depreciation etc (probably $7000 per car), to get a real car cost of car production. ie probably in the low to mid $20's. Then you need to work out if $13,000 of the Falcon was actually produced in Australia. 1800 workers making 2500 cars a month, only equates to about $3600 of Ford labour into the car, maybe double that for Ford supplier australian employees, and you get $7200. Add in material costs etc, and you would probably make the 50% mark with the Falcon, commodore and Territory.

Bob I was refering to your above comments (not the definition of Australian made)

And my point is that suppliers dont have Holden over a barrel as you suggested - Do you honestly think some big suppliers manipulated poor litte innocent Holden into signing a contract, so as you stated they could have them over a barrel? Holden wouldnt have signed the contracts if there was no benefit to them. Unfortunately for all GFC came and Holden had to slash its output (as did the suppliers) If you think the suppliers are benefited from this in anyway I suggest you go out and speak to some of them and see what they say.

Fev · 09-06-2011, 04:17 PM

No - Ford suck at Marketing things, some of us on the showroom floor aren't too bad at selling them though :P

stang65 · 09-06-2011, 05:29 PM

Hey guys careful, this is a Ford Forum you don`t want to get the closet Holden supporters upset. it makes me laugh everytime I see some of these guys go off their rocket as soon as you say something about Holden.

If only Ford had such loyalty.......

DanielXR8 · 09-06-2011, 10:31 PM

The fingers ad used Australian fingers in a commercial approved by an American CEO and made by people who didn't like cars.

Its all a very democratic process at Ford, where the car isn't the main focus anymore, nor the customer, but rather can the American born Ford Australia President not completely screw up and make his two years in Australia, before getting the hell of out here still as a Ford employee? Thats the real goal of Ford Australia now.

At Holden they are still hung up on the concept of selling cars, which is all so very 1980's by Ford standards.

2011G6E · 10-06-2011, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanielXR8

At Holden they are still hung up on the concept of selling cars, which is all so very 1980's by Ford standards.

Joe5619 · 10-06-2011, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussie muscle

Australian Made cars?

Personally I think using the word "Australian Made" when talking about cars is a very bad thing.. Most australian think Asutralian built cars are crap & badly built!!

DRU842 · 11-06-2011, 08:44 AM

Mazda are making the claim based on the 'design' element done in conjunction with the Ranger.
Doesn't matter how Ford advertise if the dealer experience sucks!