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December 31, 2006
SAFER VEHICLES PART OF FORD’S “NEW” PLEDGE TO CONSUMERS
The Detroit News says that the slogan for Ford’s new effort to change public perception about its products is, “Bolder Miles, Greener Miles and Safer Miles,” or in short, “Edgy, green and safe.” Denying that this is merely “the catchphrase of a new marketing blitz,” Ford executives told a recent meeting of employees that the company’s new “product development framework” includes “a new commitment to make all of Ford's products the safest in their class.” Following the meeting on employee said, "Overall, I liked what I saw. Ford is swinging for the fence. Either we score, or we lose."
This is not Ford’s first attempt to change the image of its company, which since the Ford Pinto fuel tank debacle has had problems in the area of vehicle safety and has more recently been tarnished by Ford Explorer rollover injuries. Following negative publicity generated by Explorer rollovers, Ford “made a concerted effort to protect the company and product name. The company ran a newspaper advertising campaign featuring a message from Ford President Jac Nasser stating, ‘Our goal is your safety and your trust’,” according to “False Advertising, Suggestive Persuasion, and Automobile Safety: Assessing Advertising Practices in the Automobile Industry,” a paper by Ronald Burns published in the Southwest Journal of Criminal Justice (Vol. 2, No. 2, 2005).
Posted by MVHAP at December 31, 2006 11:16 AM