Is Ford On Its Way Back To Profitability?

Anthony Fontanelle
March 6, 2007

Recently, car manufacturers have reported their sales figures for the month of February. One of those auto makers is Ford and their report showed though that their sales were down by as much as 13 percent compared to last year during the same period. While that may be the case, there are some telltale signs that the ailing U.S. car maker is on its way back to profitability and taking in a great amount of earnings.

One of the bright spot for Ford is their four-door sedan, the Ford Fusion. The sedan has made significant contribution to the company in sales. The reason for the warm acceptance of the public for the Ford Fusion is the current ad campaign being undertaken by Ford. Dubbing it the Ford Challenge, the ad campaign shows the Fusion against the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord being tested by real people. The results of the driving tests shows that motorists are better pleased with the Fusion than the Camry or Accord.

Following the launch of the ad campaign, the motoring public showed interest on the Ford sedan. In January, sales figure of the Ford Fusion is up by 28 percent over January of 2006. Furthermore, Ford sold 46 percent more Fusion units last month than they did last year for the same month. While the Ford Fusion has only been around the market for a relatively brief time, the acceptance of the motoring public of the car points out to a successful lifespan of the model.

While Ford is experiencing decreased sales of their popular models, they have reason to hope since newer models are doing great in the market. Among the popular vehicles that have suffered decreased sales are the company’s F-Series, Five Hundred, and the Mustang. Countering the low sales of these models are the vehicles which Ford hopes will take them back to profitability. These are the Ford Fusion, Ford Edge, Lincoln MKZ, and the Ford Super Duty. All of these models have received favorable remarks not only from automotive experts but also from car buyers.

In fact, Ford is capitalizing on the success of the Ford Challenge. The company has already expanded the ad campaign to promote not only the Fusion but other models from the car manufacturer. On the new ad campaign, the Ford Expedition is pitted against the Chevy Suburban. The ad shows how the Expedition is more convenient to its users than the Suburban. Aside from these ads Ford is planning to create more which will show their vehicles up against other models. Cisco Codina, the Ford Sales and Marketing chief, has this to say about the ad campaigns: “This is not about being cocky… it’s about being confident and looking confident.”

While the ad campaigns have shown some signs of life for the struggling car maker, it still remains to be seen if it is enough to check their downward slide as effective as an EBC rotor is in stopping a car.

Source:  Amazines.com