The campaign, spearheaded by JWT and MindShare, introduces the latest editions of the sports-utility vehicles Everest, Escape and Ranger. Ford is ranked at number nine in sales in Malaysia’s automotive industry, which is led by Toyota, Honda, Subaru and Mitsubishi.
Promising ‘adventure’, each Ford model targets a different segment of Southeast Asia’s third-largest automobile market. The flagship Ranger, for instance, eyes a broad segment of professionals who possess a sprightly, ‘can-do’ attitude, according to Bambang Priandoyo, public affairs manager at PT Ford Motor Indonesia. The Escape targets young, dynamic professionals who need a vehicle that meets the needs of a fun-filled weekend, while the Everest hopes to inspire families who might like to take road trips. “We want to keep the public excited about the brand,” said Priandoyo. “Many people here think it’s a heritage brand for the mature.”
Furthermore, he added, most Ford customers aren’t entry buyers. “It’s priced slightly above the average vehicle here,” he said, “so most of our customers buy a Ford as a second or third car.”
The greater portion of the launch phase, spread out over the next three months, has been devoted to activation such as road shows and outdoor events. For example, Ford has begun taking its models to off-road sites where potential buyers can test the sports-utility vehicles on the terrain they were built for. In the case of the Everest, Ford brought a group of buyers and journalists on a weekend road trip. Meanwhile, product ads have been placed in print and online, and will make use of more media throughout the year.
According to Priandoyo, the simultaneous launch was due to a rare respite in Indonesia’s troubled automobile market. Fuel subsidies imposed in late 2005 caused gas prices to double, weakening the automobile segment last year. Locally, Ford’s sales plummeted by 50 per cent last year. However, interest rates have improved since then and Priandoyo said he expects many new car launches this quarter.
“Externally, we wanted to make sure the market was ready before we launched anything,” he said. “We need to re-stimulate the market, which is why we wanted to launch all three models by the end of this quarter.”