Autocar slips this little nugget in an alarming alarmist story that Ford will run out of cash by May: “Ford has already pulled all of its UK advertising across all mediums until the end of the year.” I’m Googling like mad, but can’t find any corroboration. If true, this is some SERIOUS SHIT. Meanwhile, TTAC’s Ken Elias debunks Autocar’s assertion that FoMoCo will be out of dough by the spring. “AutoCar’s analysis on Ford’s cash flow is incorrect. For the year to date, Ford has used $15.7 billion in cash, although only $2.9 billion relates to pre-tax losses. The bulk of the cash used to date reflects mostly restructuring efforts due to constriction in working capital ($6.7 billion) and funding the required VEBA to the amount of $4.6 billion. Since these are mostly one-time items, the cash burn situation at Ford does not appear as dire as that of GM. Any stabilization of Ford’s North American business will stem its cash outflows.” Thanks for the heads-up Ken.
Find Reviews by Make:
Read all comments
Isn’t Ford striving to be the last man standing? If so, they automatically get most of the sales that would have gone to GM/Chrysler. The collapse of one or more of the Big 2.8 helps the others.
“Ford has already pulled all of its UK advertising across all mediums until the end of the year.”
And this is why Ford has earned the right for assistance. They appear to be willing to make truly painful but necessary tactical moves to conserve cash. Not shutting the elevators down or removing some voicemail boxes, but something that would save a boatload of money.
Hey GM, how much have you saved turning off vm boxes and unplugging some of the CFL bulbs? Tools.
Yeah, but if the others get a bailout and/or get to screw the unions in some special “don’t call it” Chapter 11, Ford would be stupid to not follow suit.
That is a sick commercial
I worked for someone once who loved this commercial so much, he put it in corporate power point presentation just to hear the gasps of revulsion from the audience. But then, he had a stockpile of weapons he used to slaughter wild herbivores for entertainment.
Who needs ad pounds with a commercial like that. Just takes guts. Internet killed the video star.
I had heard that Ford might scale back TV advertising to save money and ramp up online because online advertising was becoming so cheap (thanks, recession). I hadn’t heard of total stoppage – but if there is any market they can do it in without dying, it is the UK where Ford enjoys a fairly positive image. Even if they stopped corporate ads, they still have their dealer program that I imagine they’d keep funding.
Of note, there is an Employee Pricing campaign rumored on the horizon (Nov. 19th) in the US – they could probably use all the ad dollar conserving they can get to push that. With Toyota’s continued 0% and GM’s red tag (and potential bankruptcy), Q1 is really going to suck next year for auto sales (I now have Jan under 800k). Did anyone else notice that Toyota quietly added the Yaris on their 0% campaign?
Wow… that’s hilarious.
You’ve put the best commercial of that car. Hilarious =)
That is disgusting. Yet another example of the Big 2.8’s stupidity. Maybe they can create a new commercial with some child abuse thrown in for laughs.
@ Nick R
You really need to chill. Every company runs racy ads in England. I think VW has a new suicide bomber one. It’s the dry humor of the Brits and the only way to lift them from their droll lives and act on something. A new ad gets banned every week there. And certainly no one equated this with child abuse – just animal abuse.
I acutually think the pigeon one is better. I wish that were a real optional feature. I would so get it on my car. Sportka Pigeon
Every time I watch that ad it just fills me with glee. It is so confident and perfect.
I like that commercial.
Here kitty, kitty, kitty… the SportKa just wants to be your *friend*.
:-P
Regular television and print advertising is useless compared to properly applied Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM) using the internet, snailmail, telephones and personal follow-up.
Been arguing this for years to clients, and have made inroads with them. They are in autopilot when it comes to using money on television/print, until you show them the results achieved by others who go full tilt for what the net can do for them.
Just check out how Audi has reallocated its spend in the US, for instance.
Good move by Ford, but misinterpreted by Autocar.
@RobertSD
I acutually think the pigeon one is better. I wish that were a real optional feature. I would so get it on my car.
Sure is, sure is. Very sick, very funny.