Thought on increasing Falcons visibility as a model...

[2011G6E]

Yes, yet another thread about marketing bloody Falcons...

Watching TV this morning, I had a sudden thought.
It was the latest Commodore advert...for the "Z series" special edition. I then remembered that not that long ago they were pushing the "Red Plate" editions. There was something else before that too.

Is this where Ford is missing out? Many years ago, a lot of makers, Ford included, used to have ongoing ad campaigns about "special editions", that were normal models...sometimes lower end models...with a couple of small additions to them (like a option being now "standard") and a good advertising campaign, you get the people in the doors and make the model more visible.

It goes back a long way...Holden was always very successful with their "Vacationer" special wagons that they would bring out every couple of years. One of our neighbours religiously bought a new one every two years, and I think apart from a sticker saying "Vacationer" and standard instead of optional air conditioning (and, I think, cloth seats instead of vinyl) they were a basic Kingswood or, later, Commodore.
Not only that, but second hand they were very sought after as well, because the model was very visible, and everyone knew that for the money they were going o be getting a good deal, better than a"normal" Kingswood/Commodore, so it helps second hand sales as well.

Falcon used to do similar with the "Family model" Falcon sedan and wagon (though never really as successfully as the "Vacationer" Holdens...I think they missed the bus, but they did have the X-Pack which was very popular). I remember actually looking at one in 1982, an XE sedan, which had standard instead of optional air con, but had vinyl seats (bench seat front I recall for six seats) and some striping stickers on the side. It was priced at about $11,000 I think when a "normal" Falcon optioned with air con would have been nearer $12,000. I think Ford was counting on selling volume.

So maybe it's time for Ford to learn from the past (it's own and Holden with the Vacationer), take a base model Falcon, slap on a few stickers and maybe a couple of smaller options (like window tint, headlight protectors and maybe a towbar), maybe even have no-cost-extra metallic paint package or something, and widely advertise it as a special model at a keen price. Trust me...people will notice...they have in the past, and they do at the moment with the various Commodore "special editions".

Of course, this is predicated on Ford actually being interested in selling the Falcon in the first place...