Australian cars

[aussie muscle]

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]

Because Ford suck at selling things.

[RedHotGT]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Because Ford suck at selling things.

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

[bobthebilda]

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.

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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."

[Fev]

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

[ray38l]

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]

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

[P6LTD351]

Originally Posted by Windsor220

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

True Blue? That would be too logical

[Smoke Pursuit]

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.

[Road_Warrior]

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.

[bobthebilda]

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.

[TUF_302]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Because Ford suck at selling things.

bazinga!!!

[stang65]

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.......

[ray38l]

Originally Posted by bobthebilda

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.

so do you have proof to back up that statement? Are you a supplier? Or did you hear it from a friend of a friend that just knows this kind of stuff?

[Rastus]

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.

[Supercharged]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Because Ford suck at selling things.

Spot on, well said.

[2011G6E]

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??

[bobthebilda]

Originally Posted by ray38l

so do you have proof to back up that statement? Are you a supplier? Or did you hear it from a friend of a friend that just knows this kind of stuff?

You'll have to let me know which one. The Hirotec one cost them about $50 million. Hirotec set up a greenfields site, with some pretty expensive equipment in place, on the basis of 120,000 cars being made from Holden. In a couple of years those numbers had dropped to less than 50,000. Its very hard to sell car body panels to other car manufacturers in northern adelaide, if Holden dont take them, and just because you go from 120 to 50 thousand cars a year, doesnt mean the interest on the presses and the rent on the buidling drops in half.

Company
Greenfields or expansion of existing site
Contract won from
Air International
Increased to 380
Expansion
Seating contract for GM Holden
Plexicor
Greenfield
Carpet contract for GM Holden from Air International
Viscount
Greenfield
Plastic moulding bumpers to GM Holden from DMG
Noble Metals
Greenfield
Pressings to GM Holden (outsourced from GM Holden)
Hirotec
280
Greenfield
Doors, bonnets and boot lids to GM Holden
Johnson Controls
125
Greenfield
Interior parts maker to GM Holden (following closure of Melbourne site)
ZM Lemforder
150-200
Greenfield
Suspension assembles/axles to GM Holden
Cubic Pacific
Greenfield
PBR
50
Expansion
Brakes components to Mitsubishi
Siemens VDO
Expansion
Joint venture with Mitsubishi
Fibrelogic
140
Expansion
Fibreglass pipes
AI Automotive
Expansion
Pressings to GM Holden (outsourced from GM Holden)

[Marquis 351]

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!!!!!!

[prydey]

Originally Posted by bobthebilda

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.

agreed, they prop up the sales on the slower months to 'buy' their no.1 status, which in turn instills confidence in the buying public, which helps with sales, which helps with their no.1 status.

people like to buy things which are popular, as it looks like they are buying a reliable product. its not just with cars.

as for the topic, ford could incorporate an 'australian' theme to their ads but they seem to like to do things a bit different.

[DanielXR8]

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]

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.

[chevypower]

Originally Posted by prydey

agreed, they prop up the sales on the slower months to 'buy' their no.1 status, which in turn instills confidence in the buying public, which helps with sales, which helps with their no.1 status.

people like to buy things which are popular, as it looks like they are buying a reliable product. its not just with cars.

as for the topic, ford could incorporate an 'australian' theme to their ads but they seem to like to do things a bit different.

If I was the ad agency responsible for the Ford Falcon, I would make the commercial highlight in this order; 1. nostalgia/history, do a quick overview of past generations and their Falcons, I would show the emotional connection with families and their cars (10 seconds); 2. Australian designed and made (5 seconds); 3. driving experience of a new Falcon. (14 seconds).
I don't know if that's what they are already doing or not, but that's how I would do the commercial.

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by chevypower

If I was the ad agency responsible for the Ford Falcon, I would make the commercial highlight in this order; 1. nostalgia/history, do a quick overview of past generations and their Falcons, I would show the emotional connection with families and their cars (10 seconds); 2. Australian designed and made (5 seconds); 3. driving experience of a new Falcon. (14 seconds).
I don't know if that's what they are already doing or not, but that's how I would do the commercial.

They sure aren't doing that at the damn moment...the best "history" advert I can remember from recent years was the excellent one of the Holden ute morphing into the various models from 48-215 to the new SS utes. Now that's how you grab the audience by the eyeballs and get them talking.

You'd think they'd make a slightly bigger deal of the fact that they have been making the one model of car for fifty years now. The old Kingswood name plate was loved to death by Australians, young and old, yet it only lasted for what, maybe a bit over ten years? Commodore is also well known, but it's only been around a bit over thirty now. Ford has stuck with the Falcon badge for half a century, but looking at thier advertising (or lack thereof...) they almost seem a little embarassed by the fact. Even in car yards there will be one or two hero cars out the front somewhere...an XR6 or two, maybe an FPV if they have one...but the yard will be full of Fiestas, Focus's, and Mondeos. You've sometimes got to actively go looking for the Falcons.
When we bought our Falcon, we had every intention of just buying an XR6, but they had just taken delivery of two 50th Anniversary ones, a G6 and a G6E, which caught our eye, hidden away behind a couple of rows of Mondeos and a batch of Focus's. It's not like they had them sitting proudly on stands so people could see them.

I personally hate with a passion conspiracy thoeries, but you sometimes get the impression that they are keeping the Falcon a bit quiet so when it's replaced by something else in the near future, the only big whinge will be from a minority of enthusiasts and the odd small "end of an era" type news item hidden in the papers.

Consumers are a lot more savvy nowadays than the used to be, and it's no good for a manufacturer to just rely on word of mouth, repeat business, or "daddy had one so I'm going to buy one too"...you have to slap the buyer in the face with features and styling that blows the opposition out of the water, and make damn sure they see it repeatedly in the magazines and TV. And by "magazines" I mean all types of magazines...it;s no good advertising in a motoring magazine...the readers of those already are car enthusiasts for the most part. It's no good preaching to the converted, you have to give the buyer a reason to walk past the excellent offerings from foreign makers and come to your dealership to lay down a large sum on an Australian car.

Sad to say, Holden does that well with the Commodore...Ford not at all with the Falcon...

[aussie muscle]

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!