Post-2016 Falcon News and Discussion.

[Auslandau]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

who is Sinead Phipps??

Director of Public Affairs at Ford ..... and I welcome Sinead to the Forums

[Joe5619]

It is always good to get real info from the inside.. At least they are reading these forums & seeing what we have to say!!

[krypto71]

I'm a big fan of the territory, but both the US Explorer and Edge both look pretty darn good too. Maybe also the Ranger based Endeavour?

[Elks]

Who is "Mr Smith"

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by krypto71

I'm a big fan of the territory, but both the US Explorer and Edge both look pretty darn good too. Maybe also the Ranger based Endeavour?

Yep, you're on the right track with SUVs, they bring in good money and look great too..

[Auslandau]

....... think you mean the Everest Would be good if that made its way over here once ready. A very good 7 seater and a true 4x4. Terri still fits in the scheme of things though

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Auslandau

....... think you mean the Everest Would be good if that made its way over here once ready. A very good 7 seater and a true 4x4. Terri still fits in the scheme of things though

Intel says current model is not that crash hot on the trim side but T6 Everest will shoulder up to Prado.
I hope that Ford has the guts to ask similar prices for Everest as Toyota does for the Prado

[Buntz]

Originally Posted by Nikked

http://www.carpoint.com.au/news/2012...croscope-31962

It is a nothing article. Ms Phipps is right about that. But the what the article says about the D-Segment slide, and poor performance of Ford's class leading small cars... does hold some substance.

Interest in larger cars are shrinking yes. But can Falcon's poor performance be entirely attributed to it? No. I think that Ford of Australia has dropped the ball at a critical juncture, and it's rolling away down a hill. Can it be stopped? I think so.

But it's going to require a massive refresh in how Ford appeals to the consumer. They need to be there, in all the various mediums, constantly, telling people why they need a Ford in their life. And why that car is more appealing than their competitors. It's a dog eat dog world, and all the other brands both believe, and communicate why they think theirs is better. ford seem to just be content with standing at the back and take on the look as 'just another option' in the market.

Originally Posted by Sinead Phipps

LOL - we're here, we're just careful about interfering too much. In some cases, we can't provide answers to the questions that are being asked for obvious reasons but we're taking notice of what the issues and concerns are - and trying to do something about it where we can.

It's such an honour to have you here Sinead. Really encouraging to have FoA's representative letting us know we're acknowledged.

You must be fed up with this sensationalist media that sprung up on the nation by surprise. A media that likes to kick someone when they're down to sell a magazine or get a page hit.

However, it's frustrating for all of us to see FoA taking punches and not hitting back. Not putting the media in it's place with firm statements. Not mention Ford policy is to be a light shade of vague. Doesn't work on these hard headed Journo's.

Our Americanised culture is now very of the moment, and Ford isn't in it as often as it used to be. Virtually not there when compared to other Manufacturer's. I'm not sure how Ford marketing works. Is it spent off of local budgets? Or is it dished accordingly from Dearborn? Either way, now is the time to halt the slide, get some of those big bucks Head Office has been reeling in... and start a marketing attack on Australia.

I apologise for ranting.

[Buntz]

Originally Posted by Luke Plaizier

Rumours that the Four door Mustang could replace the Falcon continue...

http://www.stangtv.com/news/2015-mus...aussie-falcon/



Lukeyson

That will be the other way round. Falcon will under pin Mustang.

* There are spy shots of Control Blade IRS under a Mustang mule (applied in RWD Falcon).
* Rumour of Virtual Pivot Link Double Wishbones too (applied in RWD Falcon).
* Plans for EcoBoost in every product including Mustang (applied in RWD Falcon).
* Mustang to become global sports coupe. Refined RWD handling chassis (applied in RWD Falcon).

Let's also not forget that Lincoln has been promised to take on all the luxury marques in which it's sold. Any luxury car can have efficient engines, and hybrid power trains. But like caviar, and Maine lobster, a leather swathed V8 saloon is a luxury, and luxury not everyone can afford. Which is why it's called a luxury in the first place. So if Ford is serious, this will need to be resolved. And if anyone's been paying attention. That's probably exactly what they've already been drafting with Falcon/Mustang, and all the different tophats they can have on it. Not to mention, sporty/luxury SUV derivatives.

We are all just going to have to get used to the idea of Falcon living on.

[Luke Plaizier]

Wow. A bit off topic, but I actually had a dream last night that Ford Australia went into crisis mode and had to stop production and shut down in Australia. It was a big let down and I can tell you I was not feeling all that great about it. Lots of things ran through my head - like how the money spent on EcoBoost and EcoLPI had gone to waste, and surprise that the previous announcement of life until 2016 could not be upheld. And it was all triggered by slow sales of the Falcon.

But on the up side, I don't have premonition dreams, just paranioa ones.....(and yes, my dreams about Holden winning Bathurst kicked in a couple of weeks ago - spring is here.)


Lukeyson

[Sinead Phipps]

Thanks Buntz93ED. We completely understand your frustration with sensationalist media (trust me, we feel it too) but I do want to clear up what seems to be a common misconception about how we approach the media. We are proactive whenever we have something positive to say (ie: Territory to Thailand), we are clear and explain in simple language the negative things (ie: job and production cuts) so that non-industry media (who tend to be the ones who report on issues like that) can understand what we're talking about, and we respond to every question we're asked in as open a manner as we can. Sometimes the media use all of our responses and sometimes they don't. That's not necessarily always for negative reasons either - sometimes they get edited just for space reasons. Most of our media here plays a relatively straight bat - we have good relationships with all of them (admittedly, some better than others) and we play a straight bat back to them. We also run very good launch programs for new vehicles - including choosing the right roads and format to show off the benefits of the vehicle and providing access to all our key PD staff and senior management. We're engaged with them constantly - it's definitely not a matter of us sitting back and letting it all happen. Cheers.

[kts350]

Originally Posted by Sinead Phipps

Thanks Buntz93ED. We completely understand your frustration with sensationalist media (trust me, we feel it too) but I do want to clear up what seems to be a common misconception about how we approach the media. We are proactive whenever we have something positive to say (ie: Territory to Thailand), we are clear and explain in simple language the negative things (ie: job and production cuts) so that non-industry media (who tend to be the ones who report on issues like that) can understand what we're talking about, and we respond to every question we're asked in as open a manner as we can. Sometimes the media use all of our responses and sometimes they don't. That's not necessarily always for negative reasons either - sometimes they get edited just for space reasons. Most of our media here plays a relatively straight bat - we have good relationships with all of them (admittedly, some better than others) and we play a straight bat back to them. We also run very good launch programs for new vehicles - including choosing the right roads and format to show off the benefits of the vehicle and providing access to all our key PD staff and senior management. We're engaged with them constantly - it's definitely not a matter of us sitting back and letting it all happen. Cheers.

Seems to me that a lot of the press seem to concentrate on digging up any thing that is negative but don't really say much about the positives that happen. I don't think it's a Ford specific thing either as Holden tend to cop a fair bit of negative press as well.
I think more members of the press really needs to get behind the Australian Manufacturing Sector more.
I congratulate you on coming onto this forum to answer some questions, I don't really post a lot on here as I'm not a Ford person but I have a small car review blog that is based on doing real world reviews. The best place to get opinions & info on cars is to read what people who drive the cars daily say about them.
Btw were you at the presentation the other day i was suppose to go but I'm stuck at home with my leg in a brace.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by Sinead Phipps

Thanks Buntz93ED. We completely understand your frustration with sensationalist media (trust me, we feel it too)

Trust me, we all have growen tired of the media.

Part of the reasons why i created this topic (sticky it please mods!!!) was to hopefully create a space for all this stuff, as i grew tired of people putting up topics with a negative allure to them (im sure you can see the amount of topic, every time an journo has a brain fart, there is something like "taurus 2016, falcon blah blah).


I feel that negative press, and negative forum discussion create much harm for the brand.

I hope that you continue to maintain a much welcomed strong presense amongst the web based Ford community.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Sinead Phipps

Thanks Buntz93ED. We completely understand your frustration with sensationalist media (trust me, we feel it too) but I do want to clear up what seems to be a common misconception about how we approach the media. We are proactive whenever we have something positive to say (ie: Territory to Thailand), we are clear and explain in simple language the negative things (ie: job and production cuts) so that non-industry media (who tend to be the ones who report on issues like that) can understand what we're talking about, and we respond to every question we're asked in as open a manner as we can. Sometimes the media use all of our responses and sometimes they don't. That's not necessarily always for negative reasons either - sometimes they get edited just for space reasons. Most of our media here plays a relatively straight bat - we have good relationships with all of them (admittedly, some better than others) and we play a straight bat back to them. We also run very good launch programs for new vehicles - including choosing the right roads and format to show off the benefits of the vehicle and providing access to all our key PD staff and senior management. We're engaged with them constantly - it's definitely not a matter of us sitting back and letting it all happen. Cheers.

Hi Sinead,

There's been some discussion and positive feed back here regarding an XR6 styled Territory
Is there an opportunity to increase Territory sales locally with an extra model?

[GCRXR6]

Hi Sinead,

I'm sorry to sound negative, but it is a response to the big negative from Ford. Ford is not promoting/advertising/marketing the Falcon in any way, shape or form. How the heck do you expect to sell the thing if you don't push it?. It may not have occured to you, but the only people who know about the Ecoboost Falcon are Falcon enthusiasts. My daughter recently puchased a titanium Focus, and my son ordered a lower spec Focus yesterday. While at the dealer, I was discussing the lack of marketing with the sales reps. Surprise .. they totally agree and are as frustrated as I.

It is no coincidence that Toyota and Holden are at the top ... their advertising make you feel your life will so much worse off if you don't buy their product.

Sensationalist media are only a small part of Fords problem. Don't treat us like fools .. we may not all be business execs ... but we do know what attracts us to a product. ..... marketing Sinead .. marketing.

[Mercury 8]

Hopefully the new COF livery unvieled thiis morning will be used to Ford's advantage and splashed around the press for the rest of the year. While it does not tell you much, just getting people to relate to the ECOBOOST brand will go some way to getting the brand out there. Livery looks fantastic.

[Iggypoppin']

Sinead; welcome to the maelstrom that is AFF; I'm sure your stay here will be enjoyable
I think it is excellent that you have decided to monitor the largest database of ford owners in the country and listen to our comments, praises, complaints and miscellaneous. Thankyou and I look forward to reading what you have to say.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by GCRXR6

I'm sorry to sound negative, but it is a response to the big negative from Ford. Ford is not promoting/advertising/marketing the Falcon in any way, .

You should have a look at the thread about the Ford Marketing that some members atteneded.


Ford have there legitiment reasons for what they do.

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Ford have there legitiment reasons for what they do.

There were no reasons given, a non disclosure form was signed by attendees.

[Moby Vic]

I must say that I am impressed by Sinead signing on. You won't see anyone from Ford North America Marketing openly signing on to a message forum (probably because we'd be telling them to import Falcons).

[Sinead Phipps]

Hey GCRXR6, I don't mind questions or outright disagreement but I don't believe I or anyone else at Ford has ever treated anyone on this forum like fools. We are promoting Falcon - have you seen all of the positive drive reviews and comparisons? They don't happen by accident. Broader marketing is about more than just a TV ad, particularly in this day and age when more and more people have digital recorders and don't even watch TV ads. Just last week we had two groups of dedicated Falcon supporters who had been questioning our marketing strategies in and took them through what we're doing. That included some members of this forum and others. There were a lot of questions throughout the discussion and afterwards, which was great. We can't go into a lot of detail publicly as the information is competitive but the sessions demonstrated not only what we're doing but also the thinking that goes behind it all. You can check out the marketing presentation thread to hear what those who came along thought. We couldn't answer all the questions asked and, as I said, we don't expect everyone to agree with us, but we're listening to the concerns of our fans and taking them into consideration.

[Sinead Phipps]

jpd80 - one of the challenges we face as a business - and all businesses face to some degree - is managing complexity. There has to be a big enough demand for something before we can add a new model to the line-up. Doing so means extra parts and manufacturing complexity, adds more complexity to the ordering process and also requires additional marketing and dealer resources to sell it. For Territory, we think our line-up is pretty spot on at the moment (which the sales back up) and we tend to look at special vehicle packs (SVPs) or limited editions as ways to drive spikes in interest and sales at various times.

[GTP534]

Hi Sinead,

Good to see you having some input here.

Just wondering what Ford Australia can do to get the Australian Government to buy more Falcon Ecoboosts? After all, they pumped in taxpayer money to help fund it; now that it's here they should support it.

Thanks

[Kable72]

@Sinead Phipps, with all due respect, what you're doing in terms of advertising isn't working. We have this fantastic lineup in the Falcon but no one knows about it. My dealership recently got an Ecoboost G6 in stock. I took it for a drive and it was a fantastic ride. I told some of my friends and family what it was like. Their response? Ecowhat? There was a small internet add about the EcoLPI which was great, but people still don't know what it is because for people to have watched it, they would have to care or know what the Falcon is anyway and these days, no one (other than faithful Falcon supporters) knows or would even care that Ford have these awesome vehicles.

[Joe5619]

It is so great to have Ford marketing writing here.. What I would say to all, is let’s not throw to much crap at the man or he might stop posting. By all means ask questions, but don’t tear the man down, keep the tone positive & respectful I say..

Sinead: I have been very critical of Ford's marketing in the recent past for the Falcon. Surly you guys can't be happy with the sales of Ecoboost? I personally think you need to do more on this front. The more Falcons Ford sell now, the better chance we have of getting another one after 2016.

[Moby Vic]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

It is so great to have Ford marketing writing here.. What I would say to all, is let’s not throw to much crap at the man or he might stop posting. By all means ask questions, but don’t tear the man down, keep the tone positive & respectful I say.

Uh ... Sinead isn't typically a man's name.

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by Sinead Phipps

jpd80 - one of the challenges we face as a business - and all businesses face to some degree - is managing complexity. There has to be a big enough demand for something before we can add a new model to the line-up. Doing so means extra parts and manufacturing complexity, adds more complexity to the ordering process and also requires additional marketing and dealer resources to sell it. For Territory, we think our line-up is pretty spot on at the moment (which the sales back up) and we tend to look at special vehicle packs (SVPs) or limited editions as ways to drive spikes in interest and sales at various times.

Hi Sinead, thanks for joining the board.

I think a lot of us on here appreciate the costs and complexities involved in any new variant, however I, like many others see a sporty themed Territory as a potential knock-out in terms of attracting people to the Territory brand, as well as giving the Territory a point of difference in terms of competitors like the Kluger and Captiva.

I disagree that the current Territory lineup is perfect - I see it as a few variants on a common soccormum-mobile theme. A broader lineup would attract a wider variety of people into car. As it stands, even the fleet-fodder Camry has a more diverse and vibrant range.

With families moving on from the large sedan and into vehicles like the Territory, it stands to reason these same people who would of maybe considered a Falcon XR6 in the past would be nowadays all over a Territory XR6. Younger people, couples, mums and dads who dont want to be seen in a vanilla-flavoured SUV would also see the attraction of a vehicle which offers the practicality of a SUV combined with the sportiness or style of a car they want. Again we are not talking about new engines or drivetrains - rather, aesthetic enhancements to a winning formula.

Really there is no reason why a complete range of Territories based on the same mechanical package as now, couldnt be capable of selling 2000 a month.

Once again, thanks for posting Sinead, take my post with a grain of salt - as you are the professional and Im simply a customer with perhaps a bit too much passion for the Ford brand ;-)

[Gobes32]

Hi Sinead and welcome to the forums. It is lovely to see some pro activeness coming from head office.

Congratulations on the export deal with the Territory, can we hope to see a larger presence of the Territory in the Asian markets?

[Sinead Phipps]

There's no such thing as too much passion for the brand If it helps at all, interest in such a vehicle in this forum has been taken note of and discussed...

Re Government sales of Falcon EcoBoost: we're working on it from a number of quarters and I know that quite a few Falcon fans have also been supporting that effort by writing to their own local members, which is greatly appreciated.

And yes, Sinead is a female name but I appreciate the sentiment behind Joe5619's post. For those who are interested, I run the Public Affairs department at Ford, which means I get to deal with the media on a daily basis. Most days it's a really fun job - positioning the company in a positive light is challenging at times but that's part of what I enjoy the most.

[Gobes32]

Originally Posted by Sinead Phipps

Re Government sales of Falcon EcoBoost: we're working on it from a number of quarters and I know that quite a few Falcon fans have also been supporting that effort by writing to their own local members, which is greatly appreciated.

Marin Burela was fantastic at doing just that, the man had passion oozing out of him for Ford Australia.