Change or die? Die it is.

Eh…This is a joke, right? It’s got to be one of those virals…Oh God, please let this be a joke!!!

I for one love this move by Ford. And no, I”m not a blue oval loyalist. But it is neat to see a company openly admit to making huge mistakes with how they did things and then openly show how they are going to try and turn it around.

Never trust a man with hair that bad. Is it a weave?is it dyed? is it both? its atrocius, its half mullet half bouffant its the hairstyle of a hesitant man who can’t decide and is not courageous.
This comes across as marketing gimmick, you either have a plan or you don’t Bill Ford. Show us the product led recovery Quit this BS for your shareholders.

well there is a lot of optimism with the new management..

they were called in from their very successful tenures in other parts of FoMoCo and now all are working on Ford NA..
Fields; Ford LA, Mazda, PAG, and Ford OE – Architect of Mazda turnaround
Stevends: Architect of Ford LA turnaround
Horbury: Designer of Volvo turnaround
Callum: Designer of Mazda Turnaround

Moreover, while on the surface this is a little hard to see, the new management has been doing a lot of changes in the way things get done.. they significantly reshaped the future product releases.. scrapped the bad ones without any restraints.. They also managed to get Ford NA onto the global projects of the new global B-segment and C-se gment cars.. so USA will finalyl get the best of FoMoCo.. Felds personally is overseeing the next Explorer, after the failure of the current one. They also beefed up the F150 team to make sure they have everything in place in 2 years to have counter the new competition.

They have world of work ahead of them, but they are going very deep, cutting through everything, to make systematic changes… and that is a very positive development.. otherwise you would see a similar development as with DCX.. they had a great run since the LX came out 3 years ago, and now they are losing footing again, desperate for sales and cashflow.. Or like Caddilac – where again once the “novelty” fo competitive Caddilac wore off, people again see there are better options, and Caddilac is cooling off again. Ford seems to understand that they need very deep changes up top to make things happen.

FoMoCo has great skills and talent in its structures .. unfortunately it was never allowed to show in the US .. it was either silenced here, or they simply left the good products overseas.. this is changing, as Fields is the kind of manager that relies on his designers and engineers and sees his role in creating an environment where these key workers can deliver the best….

I am optimistic…
Igor

Can you run a car company from Detroit these days? you need to be in London or LA or New York or Tokyo but Detroit? If Bill Ford’s hair is fashionable in Detroit then the companies need to leave.

It’s not Rocket science!!! Analyze your competitors vehicles, find out why they are successful or not and make a superior product using the data that you’ve obtained!!!
Style the vehicle using Aesthetics that Americans find attractive. Use high performance yet fuel conscious power plants and transmissions, and make the core components and interior components out of high quality materials. Back up your product with extensive warranties and a competent dealership network. DC does it, Toyota and Nissan do it, and the General is beginning to do it. Therefore you do it also!!

igor don’t use the word architect if an architect wasn’t involved it devalues the profession of Architecture.

Wow. What a tool! I don’t know why, but I don’t think they mean it. Someone read a few Tom Peters and Seth Godin books and made a video saying all the right things and nothing is going to change. Hopefully I’m wrong and all the pandering is real, because if that’s the path they’re taking it’s pretty cool.

Let’s hope the videos light a spark under the whole team to turn things around.

sheeeit, this is awesome. very well produced, very interesting. I look forward to seeing the whole series. So his hair is bad, gimme a effin break man. Your hair sucks, but we still let you comment here.

What’s wrong with igor using “Architect”. I think the way he used it enhances the profession. It needs enhancing as most architects just design strip malls and such.

Intersting

I am not a fan of Ford or any of the Big 3, but I would love to see Ford turn it around and start making really nice cars that peopel want. The bad thing is this will take them a while.

I say Good Luck.

My hair is awesome and it doesn’t need no Brand DNA managers at 250K a year

Take a page from Lutz: talk jive while the people who don’t speak clear english eat your lunch.

I’d rather have a executive suite with people who know their future does not rest on 500hp halo cars.

j i m

What’s with the complaints about optimism within Ford? Would it be better if they were pesemistic? NO! What’s wrong with some of you? Optimism brings about good while pesimism brings about failure. It’s great that they are optimistic! And the hair comments… what’s with that? You have to have gorgeous hair to be successful? How many of you haircut people think Bill Gates has the best haircut in the world? Afterall, he should according to you guys, since he is one of the most successful individuals in the world. Pathetic anti-Ford arguments is all half of these comments are.

Bill Gates isn’t trying to sell a “designed” product

haha they all keep saying change or die, where are the new bright ideas? what is lincoln doing? is the mustang Ford’s only hit? the tahoe is killing their SUV line. i dont understand, everything from ford, lincoln, mercury is ancient looking. mercury’s lineup is exactly the same as ford’s. wtf??

Anonymous #19 You are Mark Fields aren’t you thats why you are upset about the hair comments? Admit it you use Mane don’t you?

#21

Have you ever seen a car being designed and developed in 6 months –

it will take at least another year, if not 18 motnhs before Fields’ management can show any product results..

designing a car simply takes time … but somehow FOrd is supposed to do it in 6 motnhs .. otherwise we will spank them and call the ma failurpe..

puhhlleeasssee

Igor

Despite Mazda’s “turnaround” their sales remain virtually flat. They can’t gain share despite products that are well-received by enthusiasts and the press alike.

However, i do like FoMoCo and I hope they can turn things around.

If Ford tries hard enough, which I think they can, they can whoop GM to a pulp.

I know its easy to whoop GM at the moment, they were prime for a beating. And they deserve one.

At the moment, I’d put my money on GM !

The Mazda3 has been very well-received in all markets, and in 2004 was the third best-selling car in Canada. Mazda is increasing production of the Mazda3 at its Hofu 1 and 2 factories to meet heavy worldwide demand of over 300,000 units per year.*

The Mazda6 has sold over one million units worldwide since its introduction, making it the fastest Mazda vehicle to reach the one million mark.*

Even Nissan had to deal with slow growth before they took off. Beyond that, Mazda has a more driver-focused appeal, where Nissan intends to pursue a broad audience at large in more segments. Ford needs to take notes from the Nissan Revival Plan and recall lessons learned from the Mazda formula so they can apply it to the Ford brand as appropriate.

For doesn’t need a turn-around.. they need a rebirth.

*wikipedia.org

Which of Fords brands is making money? I heard it was only Land Rover. Is that so?
#28 Nissans recovery was product led and designed in France with the ruthless Carlos Ghosn to oversee it.

OMG you are so right Thai Ladyboy, he’s totally wearing Mane or a weave. That Hairstyle went out with Dynasty.

I bet teenagers in Beverly Hills know more about whats hip and happening than those dried up prunes of women from Detroit who call themselves Brand DNA Managers. They are having a laugh, innit.

Mr Fields CUt the BS, Actions Speak louder than words

I laughed my ass off when Mark Field (aka the Rockstar) didn’t even know the new Nissan Sentra is coming this summmer… You gotta be kidding me, he doesn’t even know his competitor…

Look at the executives in that boardroom meeting- does that reflect the current American buyers???

Brand DNA manager…Ha Ha Ha… Ford needs a clone of Bob Lutz or Carlos Ghosn

wow, the hair arguement is the most puerile, unsubstantiated rant i have ever seen. Good hair does not mean success. Donald Trump anyone? O and he not only sells buildings that he designs, but he’s got a clothing line too.

die ford die die ford die!!!!DIE FORD!!! YOU AMERICAN CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!

I believe it’s Goshen.

Firstly, It was nice to see them taking ownership of such a mega failures. I for one think they could look at the cars they make in Europe and Australia for the US markets. The Falcon and the Focus ST are excellent cars Americans would respect.

The Mustang aside, Ford markets to soccer moms… bottomline. Dodge on the other hand, makes vehicals look and sound “angry” and who doesn’t love that? Ford should try marketing to men again, with some decent gas mileage or at least give us something we can be freaking be proud to drive at a reasonable price… works for the Mustang.

“There is something to be said for rising from the dead.”

Well done! Ford can definitely do it. If you don’t believe it can, look at Hyundai’s turnarond. They decided that a change had to be made, and did whatever was necessary. They day I found out The Hyundai Sonata (FREAKIN SONATA) surpassed the Toyota Camry in customer satisfaction, I was impressed to say the least. I all behind FoMoCo, and this is a hell of a move to get the American people interested. Notice, EVERY channel on TV has a reality show.

Good bye Ford, I knew ye not.

Jon.

Thing2 Donald trump isn’t an architect, he designs nothing

#36 no its Ghosn not Goshen look it up

I work for Ford (technically). I have to admit that some of the comments on here (Comment are retarded. Well no ****! But your also the kind of consumer that would like ALL those things + employee discount pricing + $2-3,000 in rebates…JACKASS! I have the privelege of meeting Mark Fields tomorrow. I’ve seen what he’s done for Ford Europe, Mazda, and a few other Ford companies and I’m looking forward to what he brings to the table to North America. If you didn’t know, FORD is profitable in every continent EXCEPT North America. Yeah, thats right, they consistently beat foreign products on their own soil (in quality and consumer reports) EXCEPT IN THIS COUNTRY and Mark F. is here to change that. I don’t bleed blue but I am proud of the fact that I work for an American company that has good family values and go out of the way to help their employees.

Give the guy 2-3 years and I can promise that you’ll see great things happen….and the reason why they are doing a series is for the general public to understand how complex the Automotive business is…Ass!

Mitch C

Well done, Mitch! These are the comments we need to see more of on here!

Your name calling is indicative of a defensive stance. In fact, I think it detracts from some otherwise valid points that you were attempting to make.

I don’t need employee pricing and rebates. I will pay more for decent quality. I drive a Toyota and dont intend to change, until Ford make a car I think is worth buying. I buy on facts not on emotion.

JD Power international quality survey released this month has lexus #2, hyundai #3, toyota #4…wheres Ford….oh yeah…number 100+…. So when you say Ford aften beats competitors on quality and price..I thihnk you have not checked your facts.

Camry is the top selling car in the US for the past 8 years or so ….

Ford has dropped to #3 in global sales and, importantly, the trend is in same direction….

Oh and on the topics of profit and market capitalisation….on a worldwide basis….Toyota is more profitable than Ford, GM and the next few competitors COMBINED, dont talk about profitability in a vacuum as though you are all-informed and all-correct.

In my opinion (if I am allowed to have one without being called names) I was simply stating I think that the video is anti-japanese and anti-foreigner, seeking to stir nationalist and racist sentiment, and that therefore that it is a cheap shot…and involved wasted energy and resources which could otherwise have been be employed toward the (apparent) aim of improving the compnay and turning it around.

In terms of quality, profitability and sales performance…the facts speak for themselves..i’m signing out.

My Grandfather brought a second hand Model A in 1932 and drove it for 30 years. It has been this long since Ford did anything except cynicaly exploit the consumer. The treatment of the consumer has been on a par with the Fascist thugs employed by Henry Ford to break strikes in the 1930’s.
I think the chances of success for Ford are slim. I know in 2006 everything comes with a marketing driven PR orgy but this seems purile. The real problem is product. Do you really think that in the 70’s and 80’s when toyota & Nissan built those durable cars that made their reputation that marketing was making the calls. It was engineering that was developing that product and the bean-counters were their to make it cheaper to produce. At Ford the Bean-counters and the Marketing guy’s pitched the products and well.. the Engineers could execute it.
Back in the 1960’s when they had a toyota motor at full rev’s for over 2 days and they still couldn’t get it to seize they should have heeded the engineering departments cry” here come the Japs”. It has taken arogent Deerborne 30 years to wake up to the Japanese. Now here come the Chinese.

Goodbye Ford.

Mitch – You’re a pea brained toad. (there, I sunk to your level, but I’m not proud of it.)

“….and the reason why they are doing a series is for the general public to understand how complex the Automotive business is”?? What?? Who needs to be reminded of this?

So FORD is saying “Gosh folks this is a tough business to be in, but we have heart so please love us and buy our cars.” Go ask some of the 30,000 workers FORD’s laying off if they could have come up with better ways of spending the money FORD is wasteing on these crap videos.

Ford does not sell aspirational vehicles, yet. Kids just out of college with a tech job go into deep debt to get their hands on a g35. where is an upscale coupe? I can see someone buying an MKS over a g35 or 3 series, that’s a good start.

I want to see a new, square, long, continental convertible. I hate the wave of reactions that come as I read out the name of my car. Lincoln (chuckle… readying boat comment).. LS (oh ok, but it’s probably the v6) v8 (oh… not bad). Jaguar is in some ways bad for ford. Aside from the LS and the thunderbird, where was the tech sharing. And obviously both those went down a storm. I think it did more harm by putting a ceiling on where the brands can go. Kill Mercury, no one has any idea what it is, and it prevents Ford from wearing decent trim. discrete model lines please! You can’t take a crossover-height platform, put either a passat or explorer silhouette on it (five hundred and freestyle) and expect one to be taken as a sport sedan and the other as a sport utility vehicle. At best you have a minivan and a family car, neither of which is an aspirational vehicle, and why nobody ever thinks 300 vs five hundred or freestyle vs magnum when their own money is on the table. Someone who cares about the purchase takes the DCX car while someone who knows someone who can get them a deal takes the ford. Pricing strategy history is key, and I’m happy to see ford is talking to the public saying, “hey, sorry about making you hate us, we’ll be removing the dollar-general atmosphere!”

http://www.levelfieldinstitute.org
’nuff said

Im sick of you creeps. Im proud to be American. We got the Bombs….thats right Nuclear Weapons. Buy Fords or Die you dirty Towel heads.